Hi. I am doing a bit of family research on my Mum's side of the family. My parents are expats, though from the North riding. My maternal grandfather was orphaned at about age 2 and lived in a children's home or orphanage in Sheffield until he was about 14 or 15, when he joined the Army. I have found the family on the 1901 census but can't find anything much after that. If I could contact or search concentrating on the place he grew up, I would have a start. Many thanks in advance! :help:

Go to search, put in fch.

Skippy might be able to help.

Thanks for the info, Peterdo. I will google the name - is it Fullham children's home? and see if I get a hit. I am also wondering if the FCH was in existence that long ago (would be 1903-4 I think). I know it was a place that had a girl's side and a boy's side - and my Grandpa didn't get to see his older sister much. She actually died in the place, apparently, around the age of 10. I'll see where this takes me. Thank you!

Hi Lizanne

There was a boy's home on Broompring Lane around the time you are enquiring about.

I think they called it The Sheffield Home For Boys or The Sheffield Boys Shelter, I'm not too sure.

I do have some papers somewhere in the UK with an Address but unfortunately I'm here in New Zealand.

Maybe one of the Forummers will come up with more information.

Two members of my family stayed there until one went into the army and the other was sent to Canada to learn a trade.

To earn their keep they had o chop firewood and deliver it on a handcart to the customers.

I do hope this helps

Happy Days!

No not google here on the forum. Sorry, should have said.

Sounds a little like Fullwood, same conditions apply in 1939 when i was in for 6yrs, but I'm not sure it gos back that far, the open and close date is on expats try around page 9 i will also look

Found it page 20 in expats, Fullwood open in 1905,for further inmates storys check page 15,17,19(Unwin) for many more storys just keep on going to about page 30.Not a lot of info on Fullwood seem to be coming fm records,but try them you might get lucky.Unwins got the phone #.

Hi Lizanne

There was a boy's home on Broompring Lane around the time you are enquiring about.

I think they called it The Sheffield Home For Boys or The Sheffield Boys Shelter, I'm not too sure.

I do have some papers somewhere in the UK with an Address but unfortunately I'm here in New Zealand.

Maybe one of the Forummers will come up with more information.

Two members of my family stayed there until one went into the army and the other was sent to Canada to learn a trade.

To earn their keep they had o chop firewood and deliver it on a handcart to the customers.

I do hope this helps

Happy Days! Hi Pop T I remember the Sheffield Boys Home some of the lads went to Springfield school and some to the school I went to,Broomhill one lad called Hudson was a good pal of mine eg, in fact lthe 4 Home boys carried me on a blackboard to the Childrens hospital when Ibroke my leg, they all wore navy blue jerseys and short brown corderoy trousers no matter how tall they were

When you are referring to Fullwood are we talking Fulwood Cottage Homes?

When I was at school at the Central Technical School the school raised a lot of money for the homes over the years.

I believe the Central Tech Old Boy's Association carried on with this good work after the school closed.

Hope this helps


Happy days!

When you are referring to Fullwood are we talking Fulwood Cottage Homes?

When I was at school at the Central Technical School the school raised a lot of money for the homes over the years.

I believe the Central Tech Old Boy's Association carried on with this good work after the school closed.

Hope this helps


Happy days!
Yes we are talking Fullwood Cottage Homes, during my stay it was a hell hole ruled for the most part by some of the most vile house mothers ever collected in one place,lots of storys on S.F on the abuse that went on,But It as to be said one of the House mothers was indeed rumoured to be kind & concerned,only a rumour though.

yes thats right...i was in there twice over a four year period from being six years old...i was in cottage 1 with a witch for a house mother..chain smoking winnie edge ...she was the image of the wicked witch of the west in the wizard of oz..she used to gratuitously love hurting the kids..whenever she approached her hare lip used to tremble and it was frightening...next door at cottage 2 was a woman called thornton..she was ok...at the time i couldnt understand why winnie was so vile but now i can...no man could have ever looked at her so she took it out on the little boys she was supposed to be caring for...and the superintendant ( a bloke called brooks) knew what was going on but he chose not to say anything

we were in a kids home in the early 50s at a place called "the grove" which was on either broomgrove or southgrove road...it was heaven..but then they took us off to fulwood to a fate worse than watching eastenders all night

Hi Lizanne

There was a boy's home on Broompring Lane around the time you are enquiring about.

I think they called it The Sheffield Home For Boys or The Sheffield Boys Shelter, I'm not too sure.

I do have some papers somewhere in the UK with an Address but unfortunately I'm here in New Zealand.

Maybe one of the Forummers will come up with more information.

Two members of my family stayed there until one went into the army and the other was sent to Canada to learn a trade.

To earn their keep they had o chop firewood and deliver it on a handcart to the customers.

I do hope this helps

Happy Days! HI POP T Do you recall the names of your relations who were in Sheffield Home For Boys as iwas at BROOMHILL school with some of those boys, in fact i broke my leg in the playground and four of them carried me on a blacboard to the hospital [agreat idea of this teacher who went with us] but not mine , as try as they may to ease my pain it did not, i left this school shortly after as we moved house, and never met them again and cannot remember their names and thought it may jog my memory Cheers Arthur.

yes thats right...i was in there twice over a four year period from being six years old...i was in cottage 1 with a witch for a house mother..chain smoking winnie edge ...she was the image of the wicked witch of the west in the wizard of oz..she used to gratuitously love hurting the kids..whenever she approached her hare lip used to tremble and it was frightening...next door at cottage 2 was a woman called thornton..she was ok...at the time i couldnt understand why winnie was so vile but now i can...no man could have ever looked at her so she took it out on the little boys she was supposed to be caring for...and the superintendant ( a bloke called brooks) knew what was going on but he chose not to say anything

I seem to recall the name Winnie Edge although I can't put a face to the name. Just as well evidently. I was also 'a resident' of the home at the time of Superintendent Brooks. I wonder if I may have known you ...? I was with the rest of the young kids in Cottage #9. Miss Bower (Rosemary) was the house mother and, while she could be especially strict at times, she wasn't cruel anyway.

Sure wish I could say the same for one of the relief mothers (Miss Herring). She would get an adrenelin rush whenever the word 'punish' came into her mind. Then, like Jaws, her eyes would roll over and she would come at us (no 'shark music' to warn us) and tear us apart. She was horrible.

It would seem that the prerequisites for being a house mother at Fulwood Cottage Homes were: 1. must hate kids. 2. must have been continually rejected by the (male) population at large and, 3. must be appropriately psychotic and bitter. It's ironic really because the house parents as well as their charges were basically rejects of society. Still, some of us are still here and some of us are not necessarily too much the worse for wear from our past experiences.

Now, where IS that puppy? I saw him just a moment ago. Oh boy, I have this uncontrolable desire to torture him ... ... ...

i remember how they just had you swopping schools at the drop of a hat...one day lydgate lane .the next..broomhill..then greystones...crookes and so on...it was impossible to feel secure when you were around strangers all the time...plus being dressed up in those oliver twist type boots and horizontal striped woolly ties must have made us look stupid... and although we all think it didnt damage us the truth is that it did...i always thought i was never as good as anyone else ..i didnt get any confidence in myself till i started work on the building sites and went to night school ..i formed relationships with people who i would know for years and still do...do you remember going to redcar ymca and tuffnells coming to take all our stuff...and we all thought it was great cos we had a supper

I'm certainly not saying that we were not affected in some way by our experiences at FCH. What I AM saying is that the effects may not have been (or MAY indeed have been to some) detrimental to us. When 'released' I personally was very naive after my 6-year stint in the home and I lacked certain social skills. But I got on with life and didn't and don't ever harp on about the abuse that went on there. And, any mistakes that I may have made in my life (LOTS!) were never the result of the FCH experience, even though it (the experience) helped to shape my young life.

The life and the times of such state homes were so much different 50 years ago. Things went on then that were not recognized for what they were. The times were almost 'Oliver Twist' and I seem to remember most of them in 'black and white'. Abuse as we use the term today was probably not even found in the dictionary. This is why so many things were overlooked. Today with almost everyone yelling "abuse" (quickly followed by "compensation") it would be a different story. Abuse is now a popular by-word and helps to justify the existence and the large bank accounts of psychologists, social workers, and lawyers.

You know, until you brought up the name Tuffnells I had totally forgotten about them. I also wasn't aware that the annual camp we went to was owned by the YMCA. I always thought that it was an abandoned army base of some sort. Wasn't it located at an area called Marske-by-the-sea or something similar? I remember almost drowning there when a beach-ball that I was chasing was blown into the ocean. Not retrieving it would have resulted in one of two alternatives ...either drowning or having to face the house-mother. I wasn't sure which of the two was worse. Anyway, a young man (life-guard?) rescued both me and the ball.

By the way, I was the good looking kid in Cottage #9 in case you're wondering who I was/am. ;)

yes it was marske...it belonged to the ymca..it was good of them to let 300 loony kids stay there..i can remember walking out onto the field from the wood sheds and down a steep cliff path to the right..the views were breathtaking looking out to sea..when you reached the bottom turned right it led to redcar ...everybody looked forward to going there...i often say i am going to go back up there to see the place again but i would think its built on by now...some good memories i always remember about fulwood...the snow was so deep every winter...going up blackbrook road as it started to rise the snow drifted and was as high as i was tall..took us ages to get to the top but we all enjoyed doing it .........and ............going to school on the two buses every morning when the drivers kept overtaking each other on redmires road , all the kids went berserk as they passed one another...it made everybodys day ...i also remember picking the blackberries every sunday morning that grew at the roadside when we all went to the chapel on david lane

Hi anlaby. Is there any chance you could PM (private message) me with your name? I tried to do the same with you but I couldn't find a PM facility beneath your screen name. I absolutely recall the places and the events you mention above so I may have known you.

By the way, my name in those days was not Sputnikboy. ;)

For some reason my previous post didn't bump this thread to the top of the list or even register the post. So, I'll try again.

The Grove was on Broomgrove Rd ,( still is but I think it belongs to Hallam Uni now ), had a big snooker room and a pear tree hanging over the wall at the back.
Had a couple of weeks there in the early 50's before moving on to 99 Halifax Rd and Miss Backhouse. Happy days.
regards Mick.

Hi anlabystreet when was Thorton in #2 Iwas in 2 fm 39 -46 under the evil M Bull not as bad as Edge but bad enough. Do you remember Unwin also in 1 fm 39-49 or somthing like that. we talk now and then.

hi sputnik boy...im new on here so i still have to fathom out how to get the personal messages bit operating...i dont know your age but i,m 59...my brother and sister were in the homes longer than me ..i was fostered out about 1955 to a family in brightside..i didnt see either of those two again till i was about 17...by that time we were distant and to some degree we always were afterwards..you may probably remember my brother more than me...his name was kenneth taylor....my sister was carole taylor...she lived in the cottages opposite the playing fields at the bottom near the clinic...other people i remember were edward archer (winnie edge hated this poor lad more than anybody and she beat him mercilessly..i will never know why)..sidney archer9his brother)...leslie bolton(a nice lad who delighted in telling everybody he met he came from rothay road)..gordon gower(he died a few months ago.. i saw it in the paper)...another thing i always remember...when we were playing on the swings and we looked across the valley we could see a big building which for some reason we all thought was fulwood annexe..its actually high storrs school...i often go up there and reminisce ..mixed feelings ...some of the worst times of my life and a lot of worry at an age when i should never have known the meaning of it..but in a strange way fondly remembered

Hi anlabystreet when was Thorton in #2 Iwas in 2 fm 39 -46 under the evil M Bull not as bad as Edge but bad enough. Do you remember Unwin also in 1 fm 39-49 or somthing like that. we talk now and then....hello there flyer..i would imagine with a name like bull and a job as housemother at fch then that lady would be no mary poppins,,yes it seems that people suffered there long before i did...somewhere at the back of my mind i do remember that name but i cant put a face to it...as you went to burton street and greystones it seems i was following in your footsteps..ive never been to cananda though...but...i can speak a little french ...bonsoir mon ami !!!

Hi anlaby

You evidently got your PM facility up and running. Good for you. I created the below text to send to you via PM but I was told that it was too lengthy for a personal message. So, I chose to cut and paste it on to the forum 'as is'. There's nothing personal since I have given my name before on the board.

Anyway, my name is Rod(ney) Fearnehough. I think I would have entered FCH about 1950/51 ...I'm not exactly sure of the year since I was very young. The first place I remember was the 'Receiving House' as well as the actual bus ride to the home. The images are somewhat surreal, however. I stayed there for a few days before joining my sister Glen (she posts on this forum under that name) in Cottage #17. Evidently, her house-mother (Miss Barnett) was also a tyrant. From there I was sent to Cottage #9 where I remained under the care of Miss Bower (and the cruel relief-mother Miss Herring) until about 1956/57 (I think).

Some of the kids I shared the cottage with were Ernest Hill, Graham Hanson, Roger Bradbury, Kenneth Bolton, Tony Wales, David Wales, and George Archer. I'd love to know what became of them.

I was 'released' to the care of my mother in 1956/57. In 1960 she, my younger sister, Elaine, and I emigrated to Australia. Several years later I ventured to the United States where I became a permanent resident. I married in Chanute, Kansas and became father to a 5 year-old boy. The three of us arrived in Australia in 1980 for a proposed two-year 'working holiday'. Mom (who passed away 2004) married an Australian in 1965. As well, both my sisters and their families reside here. Unfortunately, my marriage didn't go the distance and I'm now a single man again ...have been for a number of years. And, 26 years later, I'm still here in Australia ...Townsville to be exact.

Anyway, I'll sign off now. I can't remember a 'Taylor' just off the top of my head so perhaps I didn't know you ...not by name anyway. Try to keep up the correspondence on the forum as much of what you talk about prompts many memories within me. Like you, I also feel something quite compelling whenever we discuss FCH ...even though the memories are not necessarily good ones. As mentioned, the whole experience has now become quite surreal in my memory. It's almost as though it happened in a previous life. All the best!

Rod

hi everybody,i`m porky.i have been searching for my brothers & sisters for over 25 years.i didnt know there were 10 of us until a few years ago.i have found some of them but am struggling to find others.recently i found that maybe 2 of my sisters went to fch.one called carol wadsworth and the other kathleen macdonald/marriott depending which name our mother was using.the majority of us were born in sheffield at nether edge hospital,but mum was in and out of hostels at broomspring lane/tenter street/hucklow road and around heeley.in the late 1950`s were there any scandals involving childrens homes or mother & baby homes.any info would be greatly appreciated.i also believe one of the girls went to mount pleasant school for poor girls in sheffield,somewhere down abbeydale.

I noticed that the Central Library has a display (on the first floor landing) by the Northern General Hospital History Project. This includes a recently published pamphlet which I thought might interest some people on this thread:

Sheffield Union - The Children of the State (from the Councillor and Guardian, 1898 ) together with The Scattered Homes for Children - Historical Sketch (Report from Sheffield Board of Guardians Children's Homes Committee, 1907). An enlarged facsimile edition containing both reports, published in 2006 by Northern General Hospital History Project (ngh.archives@blueyonder.co.uk) at £4.50+P&P.

The information in the display says that these relate particularly to the Smilter Lane Children's Homes.

The display is in a glass-fronted case so I can't say anything about the content of this publication. I looked for it in Sheffield Scene on Surrey Street but they hadn't heard of it.

Hugh

I just found this forum by accident and found 2 family members using the forum.
Sputnikboy, I was in FCH at the same time as you and Glen.
How's about that!
Are there anyone else that I know?

i was in fch for five to six years ,about 1955 to 1960.. i remember i was in cottage 23 with miss gaunt then a miss rimmer they were quite nice as it goes ...it was a mixed cottage too.....got a nasty one after them though cant remember her name though ......i did jobs before school jobs after school ....i went to lydgate lane school ...then western school by bus.....i.remember mr a mrs brookes........three years ago they held an reunion up there which it is a private housing estate now not many people turned up though.......it does stay with you for life ......anonimous

i was in fch for five to six years ,about 1955 to 1960.. i remember i was in cottage 23 with miss gaunt then a miss rimmer they were quite nice as it goes ...it was a mixed cottage too.....got a nasty one after them though cant remember her name though ......i did jobs before school jobs after school ....i went to lydgate lane school ...then western school by bus.....i.remember mr a mrs brookes........three years ago they held an reunion up there which it is a private housing estate now not many people turned up though.......it does stay with you for life ......anonimous

you're right it does stay with you for life,although i must say i'd completely brushed F.C H from my mind for 61yrs but once i'd scratched the surface the pain was still there,maybe i'm just getting old ,or the moral don't scratch it ,as mum use to say you don't know what':thumbsup: :thumbsup: s underneath

just thought of something,my daughter's having a good laugh at me when I told them about running back to F.C.H fm the little school in Fullwood village wearing our war time wood clogg's,( always good for a smack around the ear if we lost one of the metal cleat's) I seem to think we got real shoe's when we got sent to Greystone's around 43-4 anyone else remember wood clogg's

hi sputnik boy...im new on here so i still have to fathom out how to get the personal messages bit operating...i dont know your age but i,m 59...my brother and sister were in the homes longer than me ..i was fostered out about 1955 to a family in brightside..i didnt see either of those two again till i was about 17...by that time we were distant and to some degree we always were afterwards..you may probably remember my brother more than me...his name was kenneth taylor....my sister was carole taylor...she lived in the cottages opposite the playing fields at the bottom near the clinic...other people i remember were edward archer (winnie edge hated this poor lad more than anybody and she beat him mercilessly..i will never know why)..sidney archer9his brother)...leslie bolton(a nice lad who delighted in telling everybody he met he came from rothay road)..gordon gower(he died a few months ago.. i saw it in the paper)...another thing i always remember...when we were playing on the swings and we looked across the valley we could see a big building which for some reason we all thought was fulwood annexe..its actually high storrs school...i often go up there and reminisce ..mixed feelings ...some of the worst times of my life and a lot of worry at an age when i should never have known the meaning of it..but in a strange way fondly remembered

I just can't recall the name Kenneth Taylor, anlaby, and I really wish I could. Nor carol, for that matter. My sister - and occasonal forum user - Glen may be more acquainted wth them but I'm not sure where she is these days. Glen, where are you?

I don't know the people to which you refer above but they are no doubt related to a couple of boys who were in Cottage #9 with me. One was George Archer and the other was Kenneth Bolton. There was also a Derek Hibberd(t) and an Albert Copeland who just appeared in my mind. The name Gordon Gower absolutely rings a bell but I'm not sure why. It's a tho' that name belongs to someone famous.

Though not all necessarily friends, those who seemed to play a big part in my life during my tenure at FCH were Ernest Hill, Roger Brabury, Tony & David Wales, Graham Hanson, John Kerry, Norman Maeltzer, and Jimmy Pickering ...an older boy of about 16.

i can remember a few names of children in fch does anybody else like......freddie taylor....jennifer butler......lorraine king......paul moon.......micheal jackson(not the)......doreen wyndam.....dennis butler.......just to name a few.............catch ya laters

i can remember a few names of children in fch does anybody else like......freddie taylor....jennifer butler......lorraine king......paul moon.......micheal jackson(not the)......doreen wyndam.....dennis butler.......just to name a few.............catch ya laters i knew a paul moon...but not from when i was in fch....paul lived on tyler street at the junction with tipton street....last time i saw him he was living on lingfoot crescent at jordanthorpe.......he was a good lad.... i wonder if its the same one

Anyone know anything of the Sacred Heart Convent on Minto Road in Hillsborough?

A friend of my mother was housed and educated at Fulwood Cottage Homes along with his sister who was a house mother, he will be around 80 now, his name is Reg Layberry.

A friend of my mother was housed and educated at Fulwood Cottage Homes along with his sister who was a house mother, he will be around 80 now, his name is Reg Layberry.

During the 40s there was a couple of young men worked around the home's i remember one working in the garden's and another a very nice lad worked in repair shop he was the one that would nail on the metal cleat's when they came off our wood clog's ,but this is a first on S.F never befor as anyone admitted to knowing a housemother as they was a very nasty and evil bunch for the most part,but to be fair there was a rumour going around that maybe one or two were kind caring soul's but just a rumour.

Sputnic I am here still sitting in my little chair thinking about that horrible place.I do remember alot of those names and many more not mentioned who were there at the same time.Frank Skinner,Brian Ali, Terry Battle,Janet Bradbury and her sister.as sputnic said i was in stalag 17 opposite the swings.I dont think that any one of those so called foster mothers were nice.the one in question in number one reminded me of a STOAT with a bowel problem.I havent been on the forum for a while,its like i need to keep coming back to f.c.h.thread,maybe its slowly coming out of my system after all these years.

anlabystreet.Hi I am sputnics sister.i have been reading some of your threads .I know you sent a private message to him ,did he know you ? what number cottage were you in ?

anlabystreet.Hi I am sputnics sister.i have been reading some of your threads .I know you sent a private message to him ,did he know you ? what number cottage were you in ?

Hi Glen. No, I don't recall anlaby, unfortunately. Not by name anyway.

A stoat with a bowel problem ...? Hmmm.

My grandfather lived in the Sheffield Working Boys Home in Broomspring Lane, Sheffield at the time of the 1901 census. My great-grandfather had died, and my great-grandmother clearly could not afford to keep her largish family. Granddad was a firewood worker at the age of 11.

In 1914 he fought at the Somme, but by then he was a skilled worker in a Sheffield engineering firm. He survived the war, but died of tubercular meningitis at the age of 56.

If you look at the census page you will get some sense of how the home was organised, and probably, like me, be shaken by the thought of all these boys earning their bread by chopping firewood.

Does any one remember Tommy Botham in F.C.H? He went in in1945 and left about 1955
Hildreth wa superintendant and later Brooks. He was in cottage number 7 with Mrs Fields and number 6 with Mrs Linley.
He injured himself by getting impaled on the railings whilst trying to escape over the fence and still carries the scars.
Does anyone know what happened to Jeremy Woolman, Ernest Horsfield, Derek Hill, and Tony and Derek Hall?
Tommy is now 69 years young and has never forgotten the cruelty at the homes.

Does any one remember Tommy Botham in F.C.H? He went in in1945 and left about 1955
Hildreth wa superintendant and later Brooks. He was in cottage number 7 with Mrs Fields and number 6 with Mrs Linley.
He injured himself by getting impaled on the railings whilst trying to escape over the fence and still carries the scars.
Does anyone know what happened to Jeremy Woolman, Ernest Horsfield, Derek Hill, and Tony and Derek Hall?
Tommy is now 69 years young and has never forgotten the cruelty at the homes.

my school friend (Fullwood village early 40s) was in a cottage toward top end i think is name was Turner when moaning what a bitch Bull was #2 he told me his was a kind caring soul that was the first and only time I've ever heard a kind word to be said about any house mother,so we can rule out Fields who was one and only kind soul?5,6 or maybe 8

Hiya
My mum was in a childrens home, must have been early 1940's. Am i right in thinking there was one nr where Kelvin flats used to be? Think that was the one she was in.
She would have been Irene Gower or Maurgerita Gower then.

My Dad was in FCH from 1940 til about 1952. He won't talk about it as he has blocked it out of his memory. He was in No6 with Miss Lindsey. He was one of the Lindley brothers, his brother Les was always running away and I believe he was in No 2 cottage and his other brother Mark was in No 3 cottage. I would appreciate any info anyone has or if anyone remembers the brothers. Thanks

[QUOTE=Penster;3153153]My Dad was in FCH from 1940 til about 1952. He won't talk about it as he has blocked it out of his memory. He was in No6 with Miss Lindsey. He was one of the Lindley brothers, his brother Les was always running away and I believe he was in No 2 cottage and his other brother Mark was in No 3 cottage. I would appreciate any info anyone has or if anyone remembers the brothers. Thanks[/QUOTE
12 yrs was a long time in that place,he must have gone to sea training or farm at 14 (you only get 25yrs for murder)and after 67 yrs i now remember his name ,a very happy cheerful kid aways with a smile, I shudder at the thought of him or anyone landing up in the care of the vile Millner#3, Bull in#2 was harsh & uncaring but not overly cruel, the things she did was make all lads sit with hands under their legs (in the evening)because she didn't like to see hands, of course this made a lot of lads land up with round shoulders & the every day pasting she gave to one lad for wetting the bed I think this went on for at least 4yrs but I left in 46 so i don't know if she ever cured him but I'm sure she would not give up till the bitter end,but one could go on & on
A.C

chi[QUOTE=Penster;3153153]My Dad was in FCH from 1940 til about 1952. He won't talk about it as he has blocked it out of his memory. He was in No6 with Miss Lindsey. He was one of the Lindley brothers, his brother Les was always running away and I believe he was in No 2 cottage and his other brother Mark was in No 3 cottage. I would appreciate any info anyone has or if anyone remembers the brothers. Thanks[/QUOTE
12 yrs was a long time in that place,he must have gone to sea training or farm at 14 (you only get 25yrs for murder)and after 67 yrs i now remember his name ,a very happy cheerful kid aways with a smile, I shudder at the thought of him or anyone landing up in the care of the vile Millner#3, Bull in#2 was harsh & uncaring but not overly cruel, the things she did was make all lads sit with hands under their legs (in the evening)because she didn't like to see hands, of course this made a lot of lads land up with round shoulders & the every day pasting she gave to one lad for wetting the bed I think this went on for at least 4yrs but I left in 46 so i don't know if she ever cured him but I'm sure she would not give up till the bitter end,but one could go on & on
A.C

my foster brother was in the fullwood cottage homes you called him brian kershaw he was looking at the forum on sunday and he new some of the names also his brother barry kershaw in at the same time i will be seeing him on friday going to get him forum

Does any one remember Tommy Botham in F.C.H? He went in in1945 and left about 1955
Hildreth wa superintendant and later Brooks. He was in cottage number 7 with Mrs Fields and number 6 with Mrs Linley.
He injured himself by getting impaled on the railings whilst trying to escape over the fence and still carries the scars.
Does anyone know what happened to Jeremy Woolman, Ernest Horsfield, Derek Hill, and Tony and Derek Hall?
Tommy is now 69 years young and has never forgotten the cruelty at the homes.

There is only one name that jumps out at me from your list. That name is Derek Hill. And, the only reason that name jumps out at me is because his younger brother, Ernest Hill, was a 'home-brother' of mine in Cottage #9. I would love to know what became of Ernest who I remember was a warm and sensitive boy and a similar age to me. Surely SOMEONE out there knows these names ...?!

There is only one name that jumps out at me from your list. That name is Derek Hill. And, the only reason that name jumps out at me is because his younger brother, Ernest Hill, was a 'home-brother' of mine in Cottage #9. I would love to know what became of Ernest who I remember was a warm and sensitive boy and a similar age to me. Surely SOMEONE out there knows these names ...?!

remember only three or four names at the most, faces yes,but when asked do i remember and my memory is prodded a little, then i think of course i know that name even after 68yrs.:confused::confused::confused:

Hi Flyer, I was in FCH #6 for around 12 years. I remember all the 3 brothers. There was Ronnie, Derek and then Earnest. Earnest married my half sister Sandra. I saw him in town centre about 3 weeks ago, he's doing well. There were 3 of us Kershaws, Barry was in #2, Gordon in #3 and i was in #6. Hope that helps, Brian.

Hi Flyer, I was in FCH #6 for around 12 years. I remember all the 3 brothers. There was Ronnie, Derek and then Earnest. Earnest married my half sister Sandra. I saw him in town centre about 3 weeks ago, he's doing well. There were 3 of us Kershaws, Barry was in #2, Gordon in #3 and i was in #6. Hope that helps, Brian.

You may have known some of my family then Brian. The Gowers?
Gordon and Michael were the boys although i think Gordon was in Cottage 1.
Girls were Rita, Sandra, Irene, Doreen, and Iris.

Hi Flyer, I was in FCH #6 for around 12 years. I remember all the 3 brothers. There was Ronnie, Derek and then Earnest. Earnest married my half sister Sandra. I saw him in town centre about 3 weeks ago, he's doing well. There were 3 of us Kershaws, Barry was in #2, Gordon in #3 and i was in #6. Hope that helps, Brian.

Hi brian I'm looking for a date (not with you :hihi:)but what yr was Barry in #2 I was in fm 39-40 till V.J night 46 if Barry was in over those dates i would have known him i was 5 going in and nearly 10 and half coming out,my brothers Peter & lester was in #3 under that evil bitch Millner,i keep promising myself to come on over so i can find her grave to pee on :mad::mad::mad:

Hi Brian,
Can you remember me Tommy Botham we were in 6 together in th 40's?
Can you remember always looking forward to housemothers long weekend and Miss Marshall taking over.?
Tommy

hi sputnikboy.
f.c.h. wasnt that bad,if you got a clip its because you deserved it.
regards the two options, like i said some of the mothers were good, mine was great and
loving miss linley in no 6. i was in for about 12yrs. thats all i new and it was my home.
i new nothing any different, could have been worst- could have been in street. bye.
brian.

hi do marybottom.
i remember you tommy yes we had some graet times in no6. do you remember these
names, michael gregson, tony hall, ernest horsefield,tony and tery white two brothers.
i have got a photo of you tommy ,in your swim suit at marske by the sea, at saltburn
near redcar. you was always laughing, and was a little chubby lad.hope this as helped
you. brian1941.

hi sputnikboy.
f.c.h. wasnt that bad,if you got a clip its because you deserved it.
regards the two options, like i said some of the mothers were good, mine was great and
loving miss linley in no 6. i was in for about 12yrs. thats all i new and it was my home.
i new nothing any different, could have been worst- could have been in street. bye.
brian.

that answers my long asked question,I knew there was a great mom around the #6 my friend fm village school told me so, he being quite happy there(i think his name may have been Turner?) I remember being quite shocked to hear of such a thing as all the evil witch's fm 1,2 &3 was nasty peace's of work,& I'm being kind.

that answers my long asked question,I knew there was a great mom around the #6 my friend fm village school told me so, he being quite happy there(i think his name may have been Turner?) I remember being quite shocked to hear of such a thing as all the evil witch's fm 1,2 &3 was nasty peace's of work,& I'm being kind.
:hihi:
thanks flyer, i new there was a good person to back me up.
brian 1941.

:hihi:
thanks flyer, i new there was a good person to back me up.
brian 1941.

Brian did you go to Fullwood village school ? how old was you in say 43 ?any chance we went to school together and does the name Unwin mean anything to you i think he started in 6

You may have known some of my family then Brian. The Gowers?
Gordon and Michael were the boys although i think Gordon was in Cottage 1.
Girls were Rita, Sandra, Irene, Doreen, and Iris.
hi do cath,s i remember your gordon, he was short- stocky-light,ish hair-and i think
he had some freckles. we use to have a sports day,and he was a very good runner.
yes he was in no1 house and i remember another lad called kenneth taylor in same house, and he had blond hair.---i new your sisters, but your sandra was fun we use to hang around with other lassers and lads. let me know more about gordon whatever.

Brian did you go to Fullwood village school ? how old was you in say 43 ?any chance we went to school together and does the name Unwin mean anything to you i think he started in 6
hi yer flyer. what is this village school your on about. i went in f.c.h about 1942,till about 1954,5. i first went into the girls side no13 with my half sister brenda walker then
they moved me into no6 with miss lindsay.tommy bothom said he moved into no6, but
i cant remember him being in with me. although i knew him very well.
p.s. i wished i was in canada, i have just had a 6 weeks holiday in australia last year oct-
nov,2007 on a camping holiday. lucky 4 some. owt else i can help u with. brian 1941.

:love::love::hihi::hihi::hihi:QUOTE=peterdo;101816 9]Go to search, put in fch.

Skippy might be able to help.[/QUOTE]

Hi Flyer, I was in FCH #6 for around 12 years. I remember all the 3 brothers. There was Ronnie, Derek and then Earnest. Earnest married my half sister Sandra. I saw him in town centre about 3 weeks ago, he's doing well. There were 3 of us Kershaws, Barry was in #2, Gordon in #3 and i was in #6. Hope that helps, Brian.

I'm a little surprised that you didn't directly respond to my post that asked specifically if anyone knew the whereabouts of Ernest Hill. You apparently do. I'd love to make contact with him after all of these years. Do you have his address ...email or otherwise? Alternatively, could you let him know that I was asking about him?

Thanks.

hi do cath,s i remember your gordon, he was short- stocky-light,ish hair-and i think
he had some freckles. we use to have a sports day,and he was a very good runner.
yes he was in no1 house and i remember another lad called kenneth taylor in same house, and he had blond hair.---i new your sisters, but your sandra was fun we use to hang around with other lassers and lads. let me know more about gordon whatever.

Hi Brian
Thankyou for that. Have sent you a PM

hi yer flyer. what is this village school your on about. i went in f.c.h about 1942,till about 1954,5. i first went into the girls side no13 with my half sister brenda walker then
they moved me into no6 with miss lindsay.tommy bothom said he moved into no6, but
i cant remember him being in with me. although i knew him very well.
p.s. i wished i was in canada, i have just had a 6 weeks holiday in australia last year oct-
nov,2007 on a camping holiday. lucky 4 some. owt else i can help u with. brian 1941.

OkBrian maybe a little late, Fullwood village school closed around 42 I went on to Greystones which was also a pretty good school,I took my new wife around the area in 59 &the village school had reopened by then, we came to Canada in 65 1 wife 3 kids 3 suitcases with 300 dollars which just about paid for the months rent & food, O happy times i wouldn't miss it for the world Cheers Adrian:):)

hi tommy back again, was your cath in homes,let us know.
i remember you falling on them rails with the spikes stuck up on that gate, that was to stop poeple going over the wall. story was you were collecting red berries of that tree.
and not running away as said, i can just see that tree now. miss edge from no1 wraped you in a kitchen carpet from her house,till the ambulance came. thay took you to children hospital. answer this back tommy, i,ll tell you more. brian .

Hello Brian
My sisters were Beryl and marian both older than me and went into 16.
When Beryl left and got married she went back as a housemother with her husband after I left . Beryl and Tony Harrison.
I worked with my son on the Sheffield tram construction and he said that he had spoken to a Derek Hill who had been in the homes and knew me.
I went to look for him on the Penistone road section but had no luck as there was a lot going off at that time.
When I left the homes I was sent to the farm training centre at Mappleton for 3 months and then they took me to the Vesty estate on the yorkshire wolds.

How about you?

hi do cath,s i remember your gordon, he was short- stocky-light,ish hair-and i think
he had some freckles. we use to have a sports day,and he was a very good runner.
yes he was in no1 house and i remember another lad called kenneth taylor in same house, and he had blond hair.---i new your sisters, but your sandra was fun we use to hang around with other lassers and lads. let me know more about gordon whatever.
hello brian..... yes you are right.. gordon gower and kenneth taylor were in cottage 1 with winnie edge...but....memory fades kenneth taylor had black hair not blonde ,he was my brother...i was in 1 with them both

I'm currently trying to trace my fathers long lost brother born Frederick Taylor in 1944 - he was in FCH from a very early age , would be great if anyone knew him or had memories of him

I'm currently trying to trace my fathers long lost brother born Frederick Taylor in 1944 - he was in FCH from a very early age , would be great if anyone knew him or had memories of him

To scratch our very old & rusty brains we need a little more info house # or house mum(how i hate that word )would be a help & early age being ?

unfortunately i don't have that info - all i know is he was put in at about 4 years old and was born in 1944 (May ) and his natural parents names - was wondering if anyone would have that info and if so if it would have a 100 yr disclosure rule on it ??

unfortunately i don't have that info - all i know is he was put in at about 4 years old and was born in 1944 (May ) and his natural parents names - was wondering if anyone would have that info and if so if it would have a 100 yr disclosure rule on it ??
I have heard of a number of people getting info re F,C.H fm City Hall but it seems it depends on who you talk to, you have to bring a pound of butter to butter them up:hihi::hihi:

somewhere on these threads is the phone # to call i'll try & find it

anlabystreet, yes i new i made that mistake just after, kenneth taylor did have black hair. i think he used to be a mr muscle man, he always liked exerciseing and looking
after is health. did gordon or kenneth ever talk about a relieve person, who work at no1
her name was betty,she was deaf and dumb.
i think kenneth smoked as well, he use to give me a drag. lets know.

hi lostmarbles, it has to be larpak butter, anyway i am going to the libary to do some
checking on f.c.h . loads of info as gone in there regarding the homes, and people that
went into the homes on the early years. will let you know whenever. bye flyer.

anlabystreet, yes i new i made that mistake just after, kenneth taylor did have black hair. i think he used to be a mr muscle man, he always liked exerciseing and looking
after is health. did gordon or kenneth ever talk about a relieve person, who work at no1
her name was betty,she was deaf and dumb.
i think kenneth smoked as well, he use to give me a drag. lets know.......well it was cigarettes that killed kenneth,he died of lung cancer i,m afraid....i remember one relief woman called hurst...she was no disciplinarian like winnie edge and let the kids run riot...everybody loved her....there were two brians in cottage 1...one called brian stacey,the other i can,t remember his second name other than i think his surname began with h ...are you either one

hi anlabystreet, you was spot on with the two brian,s the other ( h) was hatfield.
brian hatfield , does that ring a bell. we use to play together with some of the boys from no2 house. p.s. he also had freckles. the woman your on about hurst was miss hurst.
i have a black and white photo of all house mothers, with super intendent mr and mrs
hildreth. this was in the 1940. hope it as helped you.

anlabystreet, you didnt say the age of kenneth when he passed on,iam sorry about the
loss.did he go to pamona street school, i thougt he did smoke so did i, i have stopped
3yrs this may. i suffer with bronchitis was having bad chest, in the winter times but other than that i am o.k. bye.

anlabystreet, you didnt say the age of kenneth when he passed on,iam sorry about the
loss.did he go to pamona street school, i thougt he did smoke so did i, i have stopped
3yrs this may. i suffer with bronchitis was having bad chest, in the winter times but other than that i am o.k. bye. ken was 61 when he died....he had been diagnosed some time but apparently..declined the offer to have help...i can understand that because the treatment is awful but it would probably have saved him....i went through it at weston park and they saved my life ..i had at one stage been given 18 months left....not only that i am now back at work and am as fit as ever .. if i ever win the lottery it will never be as good as the moment weston park told me i was going to live....he left all his organs to other people so he still lives on in them i suppose.....tried to get my sister to stop smoking but its like talking to a brick wall....yes as i remember he did go to pomona street..do you remember edward and sidney archer in cottage 1

watching a program last night on the Khmer Rouge, they killed 3 million out of a population of 7 including 100,000 odd children,thousands more still walking around with no limbs from the mines ,a program like that makes you think I guess we didn't have it so bad after all .WWW (the)goldernchildren .com

ken was 61 when he died....he had been diagnosed some time but apparently..declined the offer to have help...i can understand that because the treatment is awful but it would probably have saved him....i went through it at weston park and they saved my life ..i had at one stage been given 18 months left....not only that i am now back at work and am as fit as ever .. if i ever win the lottery it will never be as good as the moment weston park told me i was going to live....he left all his organs to other people so he still lives on in them i suppose.....tried to get my sister to stop smoking but its like talking to a brick wall....yes as i remember he did go to pomona street..do you remember edward and sidney archer in cottage 1
thanks for the imfo, was very helpful. i knew sidney archer in no1 although i remember edward but cant put face to name, if you know what i mean. was that other name helpful regards brian hatfield. let me know.

does anyone know the where abouts of terry o,brian he was in fulwood cottage homes,
with his brother michael, both in no3 house . house mother miss burton, tall person with
glasses,that was in the early 1940 i dont know when he left , but it would be around
middle 1950,s. i did hear he went in the navy. terry and me were great buddies, i was in no6 miss lindly
terry had the best singing voice in the homes. at christmas we use to go up to the super intendents house, they were a good dozon of us up there. we all had practice,s
singing carols,but terry was the best. i hope he took up singing, he would make a good
tenor. hope to hear

Anyone know anything of the Sacred Heart Convent on Minto Road in Hillsborough?

I lived at 20 Dykes Hall Road from 1952 to 1979, and our garden backed on to the convent. It was presumably attached to the Sacred Heart church on Forbes Road. I imagine it closed in the 1980s; until then you would often see the sisters and children in Hillsborough. One of the nuns was from Latvia and was full of stories of the war and how she fled across Europe. I delivered the convent's post over Christmas in 1963 and 1964 and they always had a kind word (and often a mince pie!).

does anyone know the whereabouts` of a syliva westney, she was in folwood cottage
homes. i think syliva was in number17 house, and not sure if the mother was
miss highfield`s. and i think she wore glasses.-----syliva was in the home around
1942/3 but not sure when she left. ---i was in number6 ,how i would love to chat
to her. ---p.s we were childhood sweatheart`s

lizanne, folwood cottage homes was open in 1905, and comprisiing of 21 houses,
superintendent office and lodge, --committee rooms,
stores,and workshops, built for 362 children.

this thread has not been active for a while, have you all gone on holiday`s.
anyway, my sister has been intouch to say there will be a reunion on the 21st april,
for the 60`s and over. it`s for the folwood cottage homes people in the 1940`s
it was in the evening star, friday12th,2008,i will find out the pub as there were a mix
up.but it is in graystones arera,eccelsall- folwood. does- brenda smith and brian
kershaw ring a bell. those two people said to be going.p.s. hope for a good turn out.
as said, i will find out about the pub where it`s to be held, san the time.

Anlabystreet
I was a housemother in The Reception Center on Broomgrove Road. I believe that might be the one you are reffering to.
I worked there about 1957. Mr Siddall was the Superintendant and he was a very good man and looked out for those children- even if they were only there for a few weeks.
Anyone out there the same time I worked?

hi marybotham, i never got the chance to ask what district you live in, nice to
think if you came from sheffield. how`s your tommy going on, hope he`s well
as not seen him on theads lately. i have been to libary, soom news for you. bye.
brian.

Hello Brian

We are not living in Sheffield now,we moved to Lincolnshire in 1985.
Cannot get to Sheffield very often due to Tom's health.
It was only by chance I found this site I had been doing family history and looked up FCH.
Have you seen the old pictures on the Photographs of Sheffield-----before your time.
Tom says is there any chance of you letting him have a copy of that photo of him on the beach in his costume. We have non of him when he was young. If you can I will send you an email with our address, unless you are able to scan and email things.

Do you remember a Miss Maltby who was a housemother? She was my cousin.

Thanks Brian

hi mary, did you get your mail i sent you private, tuesday 15th april.
send me a private one back with your e.mail, and your address i need to send
you some photo`s. hope all is well------ brian

hi flyer,when you went to canada was it in u.s. dollar`s. when i went to australia
last year, i made friends with someone from canada a place called---kelowna.
we keep intouch with the e. mailing and photo`s. anyway give us your name
and the house number, with the mother`s name. i have a load of boys and girls
names, lets see if you can pick them out. brian.

hi penster, was one of your brothers called roy lindley, he was in no6 house.
what was your dads name.h.u c h
p.s. he could have made it in the navy, years ago. brian.

Hello Brian

We are not living in Sheffield now,we moved to Lincolnshire in 1985.
Cannot get to Sheffield very often due to Tom's health.
It was only by chance I found this site I had been doing family history and looked up FCH.
Have you seen the old pictures on the Photographs of Sheffield-----before your time.
Tom says is there any chance of you letting him have a copy of that photo of him on the beach in his costume. We have non of him when he was young. If you can I will send you an email with our address, unless you are able to scan and email things.

Do you remember a Miss Maltby who was a housemother? She was my cousin.

Thanks Brian

Hi

I was a 'resident' of FCH from the early to late-50s. Do you recall a Miss (Rosemary) Bower, the house-mother of Cottage #9?

hi penster, was one of your brothers called roy lindley, he was in no6 house.
what was your dads name.h.u c h
p.s. he could have made it in the navy, years ago. brian.

Hi brian I think Roy was the Dad, Ive got it on my pm somewhere, Roy & his Bro' joined me in #2 in 42 the third Bro' was in another house,Roy was about 3-4 when he came in ,a happy little lad who later was split up & he went into # 3 I tremble to think of anyone in the evil clutch of that bitch Millner for any amount of time, they was all in till the bitter end so all went to sea training school or on a farm:mad::mad::mad:

hi flyer,when you went to canada was it in u.s. dollar`s. when i went to australia
last year, i made friends with someone from canada a place called---kelowna.
we keep intouch with the e. mailing and photo`s. anyway give us your name
and the house number, with the mother`s name. i have a load of boys and girls
names, lets see if you can pick them out. brian.
no in Canadian $ on loan interest free the boat for Oz being full up for two yrs but the housing being far far better in Canada,anyway my name is Adrian Basil Clarke prob' called Bas back then and I was in #2 1940-46 with the very nasty Ms Bull :):)

hi flyer, ( adrian ) late ge 6.miss linsay





























1.miss edge. 2.miss royston. 3.miss burton. 4.miss stokes. 5.miss jenhison.
6.miss linsay.7.miss fields. 8.miss humphries. 9.miss bower. 10.mr,-mrs smith.
11.------12.miss winter. 13.miss scrimshaw. 14.-------15.miss hewitt.
16.miss lane. 17.miss barnett. 18------- 19.miss pearee. 20.------ 21.miss gaunt.
flyer, these are the mothers in the houses when i was in the home,and when i left.the
the blanks are that, i can not remember the mothers. can you fill them in, maybe-
maybe not, but have a go. i do know of a miss bull, but not the house she was in.
leave it with you .brian.-------bye.










2.miss royston
3.miss burton
4 mis5.miss jenhison

1.miss edge. 2.miss royston. 3.miss burton. 4.miss stokes. 5.miss jenhison.
6.miss linsay.7.miss fields. 8.miss humphries. 9.miss bower. 10.mr,-mrs smith.
11.------12.miss winter. 13.miss scrimshaw. 14.-------15.miss hewitt.
16.miss lane. 17.miss barnett. 18------- 19.miss pearee. 20.------ 21.miss gaunt.
flyer, these are the mothers in the houses when i was in the home,and when i left.the
the blanks are that, i can not remember the mothers. can you fill them in, maybe-
maybe not, but have a go. i do know of a miss bull, but not the house she was in.
leave it with you .brian.-------bye.










2.miss royston
3.miss burton
4 mis5.miss jenhison[/QUOTE]

sorry about the previous thread, right mess i have made.
dont know what happen, but anyway carry on regardless---my boss would have said.
bye.

hi brian Bull was still in # 2 when i left in 46 here's hoping she may have died of a painfull heart attack soon after (well i can only hope) I've never heard of Royston

P.S Millner was in #3 and she was the worst of all a real swine

hi sputnikboy, just to get me up to date, your the rodney fearnhough
please tell me again what number house you was in, and the mother.
did you say you moved to australia, or where was it.
i some how think i know you, mail me back while i put my thinking cap on.
brian

hi flyer, you said you left in 46, what age would you be now,
both the names ring a bell,but they could have left after you or they may have
took to another house number,------so you did`nt like miss bull, or miss milner.
but i said we new miss royston was in no2----and miss burton was in no3,
guess what flyer, i have seen raymond searle today he said he was in no2 house.
do you remember him, he also had a brother called harry searle, brian.

hi folks, just found out about the re-union for the 21st april monday 11.00 am.
it is for the people that went to hunters bar school in the 1940/50, plus for
those who was in the homes. the meeting place is at highcliff hotel,
graystones, just up from encliffe park. sheffield. i`ll be there with some others,
see you to. have a great time. p.s. some free drink on go . bye.

hi mary, i sent you a thread over the w/end, regards your address - dose it have a
door number, i need to know then i can post them. i shoud`nt want them to
get lost in post, i have had these for over 50 plus yrs. ta brian.

hi sputnikboy, just to get me up to date, your the rodney fearnhough
please tell me again what number house you was in, and the mother.
did you say you moved to australia, or where was it.
i some how think i know you, mail me back while i put my thinking cap on.
brian

Eureka! At last there's a response to my previous several posts!

You got my name almost correct. It's Rodney Fearnehough.
I was in Cottage #9.
My house mother was Miss Bower.

Yes, I moved to Australia in 1960. I also spent a number of years in the U.S. where I married an Oregon girl. I returned to Australia from Chanute, Kansas with my wife and son in 1980. I'm presently living in Townsville, Queensland.

I'm not sure if you would have known me or not. Cottage #9 was known as 'the little kids' cottage and just about everyone else in FCH seemed to be so much older than we were even though they were actually not that much older. That would have been circa 1950 to 1955/56.

Anyway, if you need more info from me just ask away.

By the way, several posts back I asked about a 'house-brother' of mine by the name of Ernest Hill. I believe that you or someone related to you said that they knew Ernest and had actually seen him fairly recently. I'd love to get in touch with him after so long. Can you help?

Thanks.

monday april 21st,----hunters bar school re-union. well did anyone manage to get there.
what a great turn out,60/70 plus people. we talked about the old school days, and the
air crash in endcliffe park of 1944.it landed in the woods behind the cafe. also at this
meeting was folks from folwood cottage homes.--i pushes my way into the crowd , and
hoping not to spill my drink, well on the shakes of hands-and laughs we had, and looking
up the old black-white photos of f.c.h.not for getting the black white photos of the
school.there is a another one being arranged for men only,then for ladies only later in
the year. again will look forward to it. p.s forgot to mention my sister came with 2 freinds.--well,---it was good fun-interesting,and to know some of us are still around.
did you go to this school,--lets know.---------bye.

hi sputnikboy,yes miss bower was in no9 and the house was sort off ? on the corner
a house on its own, then carry on to no11/12-double house. tell me-can you remember
that.---anyway rodney, i am going to try and put a face to your name. the face i am
vis`ualiseing,-take`s me back to the years when you were in the homes. i see -not a tall
lad-but tall`ish, and fair`ly fair`ish hair.--i am now struggle`ing, did your hair sort to
have quive`s in,or better still ( wa`vy ).--i did for get to mention, was you also on the
slender-( thin- side ).------i hope this is 10 out of 10, let me know. rodney,- regarding
those messages about the hills, i did get it wrong that my half sister married ernest,
know --it was ronnie hill. ronnie lives in my area,---and ernest lives up manor, again ---
not far from me. it was ronnie i saw some weeks ago, he is devoiced now from my
sister. tell you what pal,--hang in there and i`ll do you some checking around.
sorry i never got back to you ,from those`s weeks back--leave things with me regards the hills. in mean time let me know my questions about you, and your age as now.
bri.

hi BRIANhow did the reunion go its nice here pat and me are looking out to sea c u soon take care

hunters bar school reunion. 25 april, 2008.
continuation.
poem.
we had a class reunion
it was good to see old chums,
from days when first-we learned
to read and spell ,and do our sums.

so many years have passed since then
i wonder can it be,
that i look just as old to them
as they all do to me.
------------------------------
i move from nether green jnr- to hunters bar 1949/50,
mr thomas bingham, then was my head teacher,
mr bingham started there in 1934--till 1957, to his retirement.( 23yrs )
i think i letf h.b.s.1953/4,-and moved to owler lane school at grimesthorpe
sheffield 4.
we had house teams, red--saxtons
blue--normans
green--celts
yellow--vikings
points scored, house with most won trophy cup.
houses, teacher head,-boy house,-captain and vice captain.
-----------------------------------------------------------
hunters bar school can claim, it`s taught children who have become--professionals,
doctors--actors---actrees--such as ---( patricia haines 1932 )
and star--( michael caine now `sir`) and many more professionals.
in the few years i was schooling there, i had some great times with the out side--
children, meaning the people that didnt live in the folwood cottage homes.
but i did also have good friends in the homes.
i remember , in all my school days from jnr to senior, maybe even in the infants--i was
always playing about in the class,i had a few strokes off the cane.
the slipper or the cane did`nt do us any harm really,
some teachers abused some kids,----but it`s children abusing the teachers now,
tell her/him to------off or kick on shins.
( quote ) you hit me and i`ll tell my mother,--you tell your mother,
and you`ll get another.--in our days, i bet your lot are thinking bring back mr.?
we thought one look was enough from some of our teachers,
that frosty face made some of our knees knock and tremble.
well hope you have enjoyed. byeeeeeeeee. brian.

hi sputnikboy,yes miss bower was in no9 and the house was sort off ? on the corner
a house on its own, then carry on to no11/12-double house. tell me-can you remember
that.---anyway rodney, i am going to try and put a face to your name. the face i am
vis`ualiseing,-take`s me back to the years when you were in the homes. i see -not a tall
lad-but tall`ish, and fair`ly fair`ish hair.--i am now struggle`ing, did your hair sort to
have quive`s in,or better still ( wa`vy ).--i did for get to mention, was you also on the
slender-( thin- side ).------i hope this is 10 out of 10, let me know. rodney,- regarding
those messages about the hills, i did get it wrong that my half sister married ernest,
know --it was ronnie hill. ronnie lives in my area,---and ernest lives up manor, again ---
not far from me. it was ronnie i saw some weeks ago, he is devoiced now from my
sister. tell you what pal,--hang in there and i`ll do you some checking around.
sorry i never got back to you ,from those`s weeks back--leave things with me regards the hills. in mean time let me know my questions about you, and your age as now.
bri.

Yep ...I can picture Cottage #9 right now. It was indeed located just after the right curve of the pathway. As you say, it stood alone. It had a porch where we kids would discard our shoes and such before entering the house. How I would love to see it now if it's still standing. Memories of the distant past . . .

Oh my ...trying to describe myself from all of those years back. I was - I think - a rather 'stocky' kid of medium height ...certainly not overweight but not skinny either. I would have had straight fair hair and complexion (obviously) and I had a fascination for music, astronomy and space travel. Possibly only the other kids in Cottage #9 would have been aware of this. Other 'house-brothers' that I recall were Ernest Hill (of course), Roger Bradbury, Kenneth Bolton, George Archer, Tony Wales, Graham Hanson (who, for a moment in time was my best friend), David Wales, Derek Hibberd, and Jimmy Pickering (an older boy). My age? ...hmmm. Well, if the figure in your screen name is accurate for your age then I'm two or three years your junior.

Thanks again for your interest. I'll be looking forward to hearing more from you.

from Tommy Botham
does anyone remember Barkers Lollypopperie opposite Hunters Bar School?
We used to get 5d fish lollies.

Spuknik boy what this story you're trying to tell, long fair hair indeed, are you saying your hair was not shaved off like the rest of us(with of course the little spade in front for a parting) ,it took me 30yrs to clue in why us run-aways was always picked off so fast with our little shaved head and herring-bone suit we must have stood out like a sore thumb,:hihi::hihi::D:D

hi tommy, nice to see ya back, so--did you go to hunter`s bar school,
what was the teachers name, did you ever go in encliffe park in the dinner breaks.
and go on rowing boats, lets know ----brian.

flyer, we all had short hair cuts in cottage homes, i used to have a fringe and they
cut it straight across.----if i`d been able to grow a tash, i would have looked liked
little hitler.

hi yer sputnikboy, i was in town at w/end shopping, i saw a lad i hadnt seen for ages--
he was in homes, quess what he saw ronnie hill, brother to earnest and i asked him
if he know`s is address.--he said not but will let me know if and when he`s around.
if i new the street he lived on, i could do some checks.
anyway, rodney i have had some great photo`s done from the libary, --cost me a
bit but will go with my other collec`tion of photos.--getting a nice little stack
together now.-------i am getting some copies done for that ---school re-union
i went to few weeks ago.--the organiser is going to put them up on wall,
when we go to next meeting.
--------------------------------------
regarding your last mail, i do remember most off them lads--that jimmy pickering
yer dont want to know him,jailbird--i think he is a tinker---rough and untidy.

hi flyer, --just been looking through the threads, on 15/3/08.
quote`s -------your message to me regarding 1943,---i would have been 2yrs old,
i was in a place called---thornsett--lodge,---it was a home for babies.
a lot of unwanted children was put in there, in the war years.
then when you was older, thats the next place they put the children, in fulwood
cottage homes.---around 4/5yrs old---to start with they would put the younger kids
on the girls side, that would be so the older girls could help ,the house mother to
bring the small one`s up.----i think i was about 6or7 when i went on the boys side.
no6 miss linley.-------anyway, you mention a unwin,-would that be david.
also what is this village school you mentioned, it`s confuse`ing me as i hav nt
heard of a village school.--------p,s,lets know about this unwin. ta.

Hi brian ,David Unwin passed on a couple yrs back I was talking to bro' Wilf now living in south shields was in 6then #3 but i think it would be a couple yrs befor you. My sister was in Thornset Lodge in 42 i visited once or twice . The fullwood village school closed around 43-44 it had reopened when i went for a look in 59 ,it was next door almost to the little Baptist Chapel that was our Sunday retreat

hi adrian, i am still scratching my head where this village school was.
the david unwin, i did spot it in the threads some while back--and about his death.
i need to look through again, to be honest i forgot what it said now.
i did mention to you befor, that he lived in same house as me at my foster mums.
that was in grimesthorpes--sheffield 4, he was fostered there, but he had joined the
army, i only saw him when he came home on leave. i would`nt know who was old`ist.
what age was he when he died, i have a photo off him flyer.--bye

staff names in fulwood homes.
----------------------------
hi there------------does anyone remember mr/mrs hildreth.
mrs hildreth trained to be a nurse at the northern general hospital,--
and did you know,--she attended the moony gang once.
------------------------------------------------------------------

mr/mrs hildreth was the superintendent of the homes. 21,houses.
mr marshall
mr lawson---both gardeners.
mr wildsmith---tailor.
mr pacey---cobbler.
mr ponsford---painter.
mr freeman---painter.
mr lieshman---carpenter.
mr smith---storesman.
mr hopkins---head office.--his nick name was bulldog,
he would always clip you at back of head,if you were out of line.( and it did hurt )
heh, those was the days.--------brian

hi do cath,s i remember your gordon, he was short- stocky-light,ish hair-and i think
he had some freckles. we use to have a sports day,and he was a very good runner.
yes he was in no1 house and i remember another lad called kenneth taylor in same house, and he had blond hair.---i new your sisters, but your sandra was fun we use to hang around with other lassers and lads. let me know more about gordon whatever.

This man was my father, could anyone who remembers him tell me a bit about him? He died in jan 2004 and as i was adopted i don't know much about his childhood.

thanks

hi tommy, about your 5d fish lollies, to be honest i cant remember that.
but do you remember the bubbly gum, it had pictures in the rapper of a well known
footballer. we use to get a collection and stick them in a book, if you had any that
was same, we would swop them.----yes tommy that was the shop ( barkers )
and the 1penny bubbly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tommy, guess what,---we have had a loverly week of hot weather, and in 70s.
so i took a nice walk today---sunday, i took a nice day for walking, so i went to
pomona school, i went on the back wacks towards the stream.
do you remember playing down there,we use to have a quick school dinner at
hunters bar school, then run on to ponona and meet up with some of fulwood lads.
we use to go to the stream and play, some of them use to go up the jennel,
and jump wall flogging apples.-----after that rush back to school,----only to find
i had got back to school late.---i knew what was to come next----yes 2 strokes of cane. my brother barry went to pomona school, and gordon green ---do you remeber
him.---any way tommy, that tuck shop your on about is now herbs/spices.
there are about 18 shops now, across from the girls school gates is a book shop--
and butchers. after that i walked round endcliffe park, and it was packed.
though were the days tommy lad.----hope you are enjoying the photo`s.
does mary recongnise you. bye.

hi adrian, i am still scratching my head where this village school was.
the david unwin, i did spot it in the threads some while back--and about his death.
i need to look through again, to be honest i forgot what it said now.
i did mention to you befor, that he lived in same house as me at my foster mums.
that was in grimesthorpes--sheffield 4, he was fostered there, but he had joined the
army, i only saw him when he came home on leave. i would`nt know who was old`ist.
what age was he when he died, i have a photo off him flyer.--bye
hi brian i dont know who the oldest i first knew the Unwins from High House Rd (off Bamforth st) now long gone but wilf doesn't remember living there he went into sea training on leaving F.C H ,Try searching "Munne"(wilf )but i havn't heard from him in a while.The school was centre of Fullwood village but i can see why you would have no reason to go into the village

HI Brian
Yes I remember boats in Endcliffe Park,and going down to Pomona Street and helping ourselves to Coco Cola bottles of the lorrys parked out there .
Can you remember the aeroplane flying around all day with the Coco Cola streamer behind it.Can you find out what happened to Jeremy Woolman and Tony Horsefield?
Yes Mary recognised me. My grandson is the image of me on that photo.

[QUOTE=marybotham;3515052]HI Brian
Yes I remember boats in Endcliffe Park,and going down to Pomona Street and helping ourselves to Coco Cola bottles of the lorrys parked out there .
Can you remember the aeroplane flying around all day with the Coco Cola streamer behind it.Can you find out what happened to Jeremy Woolman and Tony Horsefield?
Yes Mary recognised me. My grandson is the image of me on that photo.
--------------
hi tommy/mary,-----so it`s was the coco cola that was giving yer the winds
and bloating, do you remember the milk man coming round them old houses,
at back off them shops, we use to go down them back wacks,--and borrow
milk off the window`sill ( free ) did wanted to pay them back.
but we had to get back to school.---ha-ha.
yes i do remember the plane coming round.
you mention jeremy woolman/ and tony horsefield, was them lads in homes.
but i do know a ernest horsefield was in no6 with me.
-------------------------------------------------
tommy, did you notice i put in threads about the staffs names,
in f,c h,---do you recognise any of the names. lets know. bri.

Hello Brian

Yes I remember all the names on your list, not very well up on the girls side but my sistere were in #16.
There was a Miss Johnson living in #11 she was in charge of the clothing and shoe store,we handed in the outgrown clothes and got replacements(old things in a larger size.)
There was a Mrs Beal who sorted out cuts and bruises,and I always got chapped legs through wearing short trousers in the winter.

Jeremy Woolman had a big scar on the back of his head from when I threw a brick that hit him there.
When we went into the assembly hall for the hair cuts that you talked about earlier you always knew when he was in the chair cos his hair never grew back on the scar. Can you remember all the barbers comming at once to do the hair cuts.
We had it cut wether we needed it or not.

Ernest Horsefield was the one who lifted me off the back gate I often wonder what happened to him.If he hadnt been there I might not have survived.

When I was at Lidget Lane school I got my head stuck in the school railings and the Fire Brigade had to come and bend the railings to get me out,were you at that school at the time? I will get in touch again by email...................

Tommy

Have asked this question before but thought i'd ask again anyway - I was wondering if anyone recalls a Fred Taylor at the homes ? he was born in May 1944 and as far as I know he was there throughout his childhood so probably into the 1960's at a guess , He is my long lost uncle and would be great if someone out there knows or knew of him as he and my dad were separated at an early age (long story !!!) , cheers , Richard

Anyone know anything of the Sacred Heart Convent on Minto Road in Hillsborough?

ye my brother neill raymond was in there in 1981

did any one live in sacred heart childrens home between 1980 and 1984. there where 3 homes one on minto road that was mainly for the boys and another on 42 and 44 dykes hall road that was two houses joined together for the yonger ones and 172 dykes all road for the older girls

Hiya
My cousin Cheryl came across a couple of pictures whilst sorting out some stuff of her late fathers. Some of you remember him(Gordon Gower). Him and 6 siblings were in the Fulwood cottage homes in the 40's and 50's.
Just wondered if the pictures were the homes and if you recognised anyone in the pictures?
Thanks!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/UKCath/Cottagehomes.jpg

hi tommy/marry bothom,
i have sent you some pictures off f,c,homes
and some with marske by the sea---redcar.
i have a few more i will send to you soon.
let me know if you get these first-- brian

tommy/mary,
got your private mail and i will sort the pictures out.
i didnt know the had turned out like they had.
one off them was the main office as you went to the front
in the 1950s there use to be a big gate there,
as now today that office as been knocked down, there is a bunglow being
put in that place.
another picture was off all the staff--house mothers--gardners--store`s men--
and mr/mrs hildreth superintendent 1940/50.
another picture was at marske by the sea---on holiday --redcar.
them army wooden huts,
do you remember the sleeping arrangements,---123 house--1st hut,
456house 2nd hut,--789house 3rd house and so on till all full.
hay tommy, i always got through doors first and run down hut to pick my bunk bed.
it was the top bunk, with them high beams i used to swing on them over my bed.
hay those were the days.
if house mother cought us , she sent us to bed early plus a smacked arse.
can yo remenber her little bedroom, ex office she said.
it had a small slidding window, she would peep through it--to see we were asleep.
then if she heard a noise she would walk round the beds,
when she were coming over to me,--i would slide down the bed let her think i was asleep.hee--heeeeeee.
( i am laughing---ha--ha )> oh happy days tommy.
mary them things you asked me in that mail,--i will send you a letter by post.
anyway tommy, we will have another chit--chat later. brian

Hi Piquant
I have just joined this forum and this is my first post.
I was an 'inmate' at The Sacred Heart Convent on Minto Road from 1968-1975. I was taken there along with 4 of my younger brothers and recall all quite vividly (as you can imagine0
Anything you want to know, post me

Wibb

i see its gone quite again on forum,-----------
well it`s summer holidays and gone to the coast,
lucky for some people,anyway look in and lets have a chit -chat,
see u.

the only kids home i knew of was the one on the coner of north hill/southey hill.its now an old peoples home.

Sputnic I am here still sitting in my little chair thinking about that horrible place.I do remember alot of those names and many more not mentioned who were there at the same time.Frank Skinner,Brian Ali, Terry Battle,Janet Bradbury and her sister.as sputnic said i was in stalag 17 opposite the swings.I dont think that any one of those so called foster mothers were nice.the one in question in number one reminded me of a STOAT with a bowel problem.I havent been on the forum for a while,its like i need to keep coming back to f.c.h.thread,maybe its slowly coming out of my system after all these years.

hello glen this is brian ali here just registered on the forum read your quote mentioning me and frank skinner.haven't seen him since i left, wonder where he is now.but have heard from rex though about 6 months ago ,he helped me get onto another forum site,he now lives in the orkney's, get in touch soon as would love to speak to you . b.ali (ps.anyone else who remember f.c.h in the years 1944-1952 please contact me aswell.)

Hello Brian.Hello Hello after all these years.I had a phone call from Rex not long ago telling me that he had spoken to you.I dont know what to say it has been so long.Rodney rang me this pm to tell me i have a message,i got so excited.What are you doing with yourself ?I will send you a private message telling you numbers and e mail addresses,is that ok ? this is just a message to let you know.It seems like there is a lot of people on the forum that were there when we were.I will reply again very soon.:thumbsup:

yes glen that would be fine and then we can talk more about things then speak to you soon. bri:D

:thumbsup:I was there from in f.c.home 1943 to 1951 I no David Unwin I was in cottage 4@8my
whith Miss Stoke @ miss Hunpthrys. Frank Skiner was my pal
sister was in 16 whith miss Rose
I the under singed Brian Ali:D

My Dad was in FCH from 1940 til about 1952. He won't talk about it as he has blocked it out of his memory. He was in No6 with Miss Lindsey. He was one of the Lindley brothers, his brother Les was always running away and I believe he was in No 2 cottage and his other brother Mark was in No 3 cottage. I would appreciate any info anyone has or if anyone remembers the brothers. Thanks
------------------------------------------
hi penster,--------just looking in threads i notice lindley brothers,
i new a roy lindley in no6, jet black hair, sort of tanned kin, would that
be your dad, he was in f.c.homes same years as me.

HI Brian
Yes I remember boats in Endcliffe Park,and going down to Pomona Street and helping ourselves to Coco Cola bottles of the lorrys parked out there .
Can you remember the aeroplane flying around all day with the Coco Cola streamer behind it.Can you find out what happened to Jeremy Woolman and Tony Horsefield?
Yes Mary recognised me. My grandson is the image of me on that photo.
-----------------------
tommy, can you remember when we went on holiday-
redcar-marske by-the sea, --and we had to wear them khaki shorts,--
shirt, sandals and a snake belt, can you remember what colour you had.
i had red and black,--yellow and black snake belt.
the black use to be on outside,---and the colours down middle.

hello glen this is brian ali here just registered on the forum read your quote mentioning me and frank skinner.haven't seen him since i left, wonder where he is now.but have heard from rex though about 6 months ago ,he helped me get onto another forum site,he now lives in the orkney's, get in touch soon as would love to speak to you . b.ali (ps.anyone else who remember f.c.h in the years 1944-1952 please contact me aswell.)
=================================
i do ali,d,-----i noticed you`ve just come onto the threads.
i new frank skinner/ and david unwin.----i was in f,c,homes same years
you was in, i was in no6 miss linsay.---if you look in threads there is loads
of stuff mentioned, --log on page 5 look down to 95 i have put house
mothers names some i cant remember.--also log on page 6/down to 117
all staff names --i am sure you will remember, do i know you ali.
does kershaws name ring a bell.

yes it was marske...it belonged to the ymca..it was good of them to let 300 loony kids stay there..i can remember walking out onto the field from the wood sheds and down a steep cliff path to the right..the views were breathtaking looking out to sea..when you reached the bottom turned right it led to redcar ...everybody looked forward to going there...i often say i am going to go back up there to see the place again but i would think its built on by now...some good memories i always remember about fulwood...the snow was so deep every winter...going up blackbrook road as it started to rise the snow drifted and was as high as i was tall..took us ages to get to the top but we all enjoyed doing it .........and ............going to school on the two buses every morning when the drivers kept overtaking each other on redmires road , all the kids went berserk as they passed one another...it made everybodys day ...i also remember picking the blackberries every sunday morning that grew at the roadside when we all went to the chapel on david lane
---------------------------------------------------
anlabystreet, i have just been looking way back in threads page1-no15.
you remember quiet a lot of things, i had a little chuckle to.
will i know you as i was in there 1942/54,---i remember tuffnells taking all
holidays stuff in though`s wooden tea chests, redcar- marske by the sea.
and the wooden huts we slept in- 3 houses in one, what else do you know.

mr& mrs Smith did 11 & 12
Miss Rose 14
Miss Bull 18
cyntha heliwell 20

Hi Brian
Just popping in as i saw there were some new posts.
Wondered if you remembered any of the Gowers?
there were Irene, Iris, Sandra, Doreen, Rita, Michael and Gordon.

Thanks

Cath x

i was at shire hill at nether edge in 1973 really horrible place

and was at todwick grange from 74 -82

i really hope they treat the kids better now in childrens homes:(

---------------------------------------------------
anlabystreet, i have just been looking way back in threads page1-no15.
you remember quiet a lot of things, i had a little chuckle to.
will i know you as i was in there 1942/54,---i remember tuffnells taking all
holidays stuff in though`s wooden tea chests, redcar- marske by the sea.
and the wooden huts we slept in- 3 houses in one, what else do you know.

i remember how we all stayed up late at night in those wooden huts and had supper....luxuries we never had at fch.....and i remember how sad i was to come home when we got on the coaches ...wondering if we might ever come back.....i looked on google earth and i can,t find those ymca huts.....theres a housing estate there now.....but the path to the beach is still there

Brian, at last you've become computer savvy. My other computer went down completely and all your details with it.
I just decided to have a look around the forum and there you were. Have you heard from Glen yet? She's still carrying a crush.
Rex.:hihi:

I have just read the the threads and see that Glen and Sputnick have found you.
Maybe they will contact me again, if I shame them enough.

I have just finished going through this thread completely and I have thought about the cruelty that went on in FCH. In No. 8 we were relatively sheltered from this.
Miss Humphreys was not a cruel person but she had one fault that I believe should be ignored.
Sputnic said that the times were different, where cruelty was concerned. It was!
Unfortunately a lot of us were already schooled in cruelty, we, my siblings and I, lived through, watching the torture of my Mother and as he was at the time, my baby brother. Here on this thread I have three members of my family plus myself. I know for certain that the family outside of the home knew of the cruelty that went on because, I told them.
They chose to ignore it.
We had no option but to go into the home and quite honestly we were better off there. Our real Mother was, at the time, unable to take care of us. She had been made an outcast by our outside family long before this and because we were her children that was our fate too.
No one in our outside family have ever apologised to us, because they would have to look deep inside of their selves. In fact when I did contact one of them to try to find our roots again. I received a friendly reply, marred by a nasty remark about Mum.
I met my Mother for the first time for 30yrs a couple of years ago and she died a few months after this. During the last visit to her to her, she said, "I don't suppose, that I did everything I should have done." My reply was, that at the time she was a young woman and that now with age I could understand why she did it.
What she did do was to make a new and better life for us, which we would not have achieved if we had not been outcasts.
I am positive that this post will be echoed by other inhabitants of FCH.
Some of us were better off in the home on reflection.
I am happy that I have got this off my chest and if there is a heaven, Mum will be there.
So you. you outside and righteous family. You will never meet her!
And, you, you cruel and sadistic house mothers, who took advantage of innocent, vulnerable, frightened and outcast kids, who had suffered more than they should have, already. Did you treat your children well? I doubt it!
To the none cruel house Mothers.
Why did you not report it?

i remember how we all stayed up late at night in those wooden huts and had supper....luxuries we never had at fch.....and i remember how sad i was to come home when we got on the coaches ...wondering if we might ever come back.....i looked on google earth and i can,t find those ymca huts.....theres a housing estate there now.....but the path to the beach is still there
-------------------------------------------
anlabystreet,-----good holidays though,---yes sad to come back to f,c.h.
i did go back to redcar in the 1980s, and the field was bare-all them huts
had been knocked down.----hey,--yer right that path to the beach is
still there and the gate that took you through to the path.
i remember writing on that gate---brian was here.----
i surpose the weather will have washed it off now.

i remember how we all stayed up late at night in those wooden huts and had supper....luxuries we never had at fch.....and i remember how sad i was to come home when we got on the coaches ...wondering if we might ever come back.....i looked on google earth and i can,t find those ymca huts.....theres a housing estate there now.....but the path to the beach is still there
--------------------------------------------
that other thread you sent about homes--but first you said about your
sister lived about 13, do you mean she lived in no13,
when i was a little boy of about 2/3- i was brought up in no13--
miss scrimshaw was house mother.
--would i know this lol you mentioned,
---you should try and visit the homes, i was up there 2 weeks ago.
what i like is that the structure of the houses is still the same.
the big field in the middle of the houses what was our sports field are
now gardens (i dont like it --rubbish)
playing fields where swings was , is still same
anlabystreet, dont bother about buying one
--bri

I have just finished going through this thread completely and I have thought about the cruelty that went on in FCH. In No. 8 we were relatively sheltered from this.
Miss Humphreys was not a cruel person but she had one fault that I believe should be ignored.
Sputnic said that the times were different, where cruelty was concerned. It was!
Unfortunately a lot of us were already schooled in cruelty, we, my siblings and I, lived through, watching the torture of my Mother and as he was at the time, my baby brother. Here on this thread I have three members of my family plus myself. I know for certain that the family outside of the home knew of the cruelty that went on because, I told them.
They chose to ignore it.
We had no option but to go into the home and quite honestly we were better off there. Our real Mother was, at the time, unable to take care of us. She had been made an outcast by our outside family long before this and because we were her children that was our fate too.
No one in our outside family have ever apologised to us, because they would have to look deep inside of their selves. In fact when I did contact one of them to try to find our roots again. I received a friendly reply, marred by a nasty remark about Mum.
I met my Mother for the first time for 30yrs a couple of years ago and she died a few months after this. During the last visit to her to her, she said, "I don't suppose, that I did everything I should have done." My reply was, that at the time she was a young woman and that now with age I could understand why she did it.
What she did do was to make a new and better life for us, which we would not have achieved if we had not been outcasts.
I am positive that this post will be echoed by other inhabitants of FCH.
Some of us were better off in the home on reflection.
I am happy that I have got this off my chest and if there is a heaven, Mum will be there.
So you. you outside and righteous family. You will never meet her!
And, you, you cruel and sadistic house mothers, who took advantage of innocent, vulnerable, frightened and outcast kids, who had suffered more than they should have, already. Did you treat your children well? I doubt it!
To the none cruel house Mothers.
Why did you not report it?

Well, that was well said, Rex, and, as your 'baby brother', I'm seeing for the VERY FIRST TIME in a 'millennium' your views on the FCH experience. By the way, this is NOT the only thread on FCH that I and others have contributed in ...you might want to check those out also. I'm not sure how you navigate to them ...just type 'FCH' in the search box, I guess.

Yes, while we can't change the past I can say that FCH left a lasting impression on me that is not ALL bad if the truth be known. Sure, like life itself, it was a mix of both good and bad and everything in between. I was fortunate for the most part that my house-parent (Miss Bower) didn't exhibit the sadistic traits of some of the other house-parents that I've read about. Make no mistake ...she COULD be strict but she tended to err more consistently on the side of reason than the alternative. But not always.

There were times, for instance, when we kids had to sit quietly doing absolutely nothing - no talking allowed - for no apparent reason. I mean, we were kids. It's surely against nature for kids to be made to be quiet for extended periods of time for no reason. I recall one such occasion where I simply couldn't keep my mouth closed (alas, a trait that has grown older with me :)) and I whispered to one of my house-brothers. I still remember (basically) what I whispered. I said, "I don't think that it's fair that we have to sit here like a bunch of zombies saying nothing." Honest! Miss Bower came into the room, she asked who had spoken, I reluctantly confessed to 'the crime', she asked what I'd said, I told her, and consequently I lost all 'privileges' for a week.

Strange times ..almost a 'Dickens-like' culture. Just as strange, I also find them somewhat compelling. I often recall those experiences in 'black and white' as if they were not real but were instead a movie in which I played the part of myself. But, that's just it. Times WERE different and what would not be accepted today by society was pretty well 'the norm' back then, rightly or wrongly. We can't change that fact. Sure, some of the experiences some of us had 'played with our heads', some kids more so than others. I know how naive I was when I first entered the 'free world' for the first time after many years of being institutionalized. I was 'dumb' in a 'worldly' sense, if not academic, and I was also somewhat emotionally effected by my FCH experience. I didn't quite know how to act in many social situations/relationships and I found it difficult to express 'love' or even 'friendship' adequately. While our weekdays allowed us to integrate for a few hours with kids at school who were non-FCH residents, the major part of our lives told a different story.

One experience that I recall so vividly concerned YOU, Rex! You were leaving the following day for the navy (?) and you promised to come and say goodbye to me that evening. At the time we kids were under the 'care' (loose term) of Miss Herring, a relief-mother, for a few days. At bed-time (probably around 7pm) I told Miss Herring that you were coming to say goodbye. She didn't care and sent me to bed anyway. Later, as I stayed awake to listen for you, I heard a knock on the door from just below my bedroom window ..the cottages were 2-storey. I heard muffled voices and guessed that you were at the door. After a brief time I heard the door close. I crept out of bed and headed for the window. It was still light. I could see you walking up the pathway to your cottage and I wanted so badly to let you know that I was there. But I couldn't tap on the window or call out to you for fear of giving myself away to Miss Herring.

The next thing I was aware of was this booming voice behind me. Miss Herring had evidently heard me get out of bed and had come up the stairs to see what was going on. She was mad! I told her my reasons for getting out of bed and looking out the window but she didn't care. That woman had a heart of stone and a very masculine voice ...I'm sure she must have been a guy in drag. I remember her words as though she spoke them just a few moments ago. She said, "You're about to get some Pol (Paul?) Thompson!" That was a favorite expresson of hers which basically meant that she was about to beat you up. And, that's exactly what she did. She left me a sobbing mess. While she slapped me around and it hurt badly (I was just a little kid remember) my main reason for the sobs was the heartbreak behind the fact that I hadn't said goodbye to you.

Now, isn't that a sad, sad story? :) I told it on one of the other FCH threads way before I knew you, Rex, were still around. You might want to check it out.

But hey, here we are ...we survived! And - some of us anyway - didn't exactly turn out to be basket cases even though we may well have been adversely 'affected' in some way by life within an institution that we were not responsible for. I know there have been some negative areas of my life that I could have attributed partially to my past and unusual upbringing. But, I quickly add, we're all personally responsible for our actions.

Please, anyone who might have shared Cottage #9 with me let me hear from you. Ernest Hill ...someone has spoken about you on the board several times but you still remain as elusive as ever. Talk to me!

does anyone know the whereabouts` of a syliva westney, she was in folwood cottage
homes. i think syliva was in number17 house, and not sure if the mother was
miss highfield`s. and i think she wore glasses.-----syliva was in the home around
1942/3 but not sure when she left. ---i was in number6 ,how i would love to chat
to her. ---p.s we were childhood sweatheart`s
Hi Brian I was in cottage 17 and the excuse for a cottage mother was Miss Barnett.This was from about 1951 to about 1955.I am sure i have heard that name.kepp thinking

Hi to