Thornseat Lodge, Bradfield - Know anything about it?

[only_me]

i was there with my brother in the late 70s early 80s i was only young but it was a spooky place and i remember the caretaker next door had some dulux dogs it was great in the winter as we could never get to school lol

 

I think the caretaker you mention was Pete Lineker, sadly no longer with us.

[mgs58]

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Hi Mgs 58, Really enjoyed you story very touching, here i enclose

pics of the Orphanage as me and my brother was in there in the

40s, this was how the house use to look then.

Secone pic with staff ar the house, we were in there about 2/3 yres old the moved into

another home - Fulwood Cottage Homes the left in 1954/5 i had some happy times in there.

 

 

Hi Brian. Thornseats just resonates with memories doesn't it? Most of them fond, if the recollections of contributors to this thread are anything to go by? In fact the worst memory I have of the place (other than the day they told me my nan had died) was the day I left. The place I was shipped off to was the exact opposite of Thornseats and I have very few good memories of my time there. Anyway. I enjoyed your photos. Thats how I shall always remember the Lodge. It was an amazing building. The photo of the front porch / entrance reminded me of the countless trips we had whilst I was there. We all used to congregate in the porch before climbing aboard the big blue comma van and off down the long driveway, lined with Rhododendron bushes, to Cumber park or Butlins- Filey or Mablethorpe for the day, a weekend or sometimes longer. It must have been geared much more towards infants in your day whereas when I was there the children ranged from 4yr olds (I remember the twins little 'Marky' and his sister who, unfortunately, were split up and adopted by different families) to teenagers. I'd just turned 14 when I left.

 

---------- Post added 21-11-2016 at 21:14 ----------

 

Yes mate The lad was Martin Hague (Haggis) he is a member of the family that owns the propriety , The Gaz was Garry Birkinshaw and Carrot was Stephen Burkinshaw. I remember you now we were in the same class

 

Hi lazy Baby5. Those are the lads. I didn't see much of them after I left Bradfield but I occasionally visited my foster mum 'Betty Dawson' at weekends and me and her son sometimes played five a side with one or two of my old class mates down in the yard of the Loxley brickworks or roundabouts. Yeh, Steve as the nickname suggests had ginger hair & Gaz had a feather cut. I used to envy him and my other mates because he came to school in all these really cool clothes: Stay-press, Ben- Shermans, Dockers, Harrington Jkts etc which Thornseats (the fascists) would never buy me; no matter how much I tried to persuade them my life / street-cred (same thing when your 14 ) depended on it. Mind you how we used to wear our ties, wide & short with ludicrously thick knots left a lot to be desired; dontya think? I'm trying to figure out who you might be? Would I remember you? Did we hang out with the same crowd? I mean at school? I didn't see that much of them outside of it.

[Cyclone]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, it was 2012 when they posted.

 

My bad, didn't see the post date.

[Lazy Baby5]

Hi Brian. Thornseats just resonates with memories doesn't it? Most of them fond, if the recollections of contributors to this thread are anything to go by? In fact the worst memory I have of the place (other than the day they told me my nan had died) was the day I left. The place I was shipped off to was the exact opposite of Thornseats and I have very few good memories of my time there. Anyway. I enjoyed your photos. Thats how I shall always remember the Lodge. It was an amazing building. The photo of the front porch / entrance reminded me of the countless trips we had whilst I was there. We all used to congregate in the porch before climbing aboard the big blue comma van and off down the long driveway, lined with Rhododendron bushes, to Cumber park or Butlins- Filey or Mablethorpe for the day, a weekend or sometimes longer. It must have been geared much more towards infants in your day whereas when I was there the children ranged from 4yr olds (I remember the twins little 'Marky' and his sister who, unfortunately, were split up and adopted by different families) to teenagers. I'd just turned 14 when I left.

 

---------- Post added 21-11-2016 at 21:14 ----------

 

 

Hi lazy Baby5. Those are the lads. I didn't see much of them after I left Bradfield but I occasionally visited my foster mum 'Betty Dawson' at weekends and me and her son sometimes played five a side with one or two of my old class mates down in the yard of the Loxley brickworks or roundabouts. Yeh, Steve as the nickname suggests had ginger hair & Gaz had a feather cut. I used to envy him and my other mates because he came to school in all these really cool clothes: Stay-press, Ben- Shermans, Dockers, Harrington Jkts etc which Thornseats (the fascists) would never buy me; no matter how much I tried to persuade them my life / street-cred (same thing when your 14 ) depended on it. Mind you how we used to wear our ties, wide & short with ludicrously thick knots left a lot to be desired; dontya think? I'm trying to figure out who you might be? Would I remember you? Did we hang out with the same crowd? I mean at school? I didn't see that much of them outside of it.

My name is Mick Oates I had blond curly hair and was small and skinny and like yo did not have all the "gear" I used to knock about with Keven "Az" Evens, Alan Cartlidge, Phillip Blackett and Stephen Fower. I joined the Army with Keven Joel

[mgs58]

My name is Mick Oates I had blond curly hair and was small and skinny and like yo did not have all the "gear" I used to knock about with Keven "Az" Evens, Alan Cartlidge, Phillip Blackett and Stephen Fower. I joined the Army with Keven Joel

 

I remember you Mick and maybe Stephen Fowler (assuming Fower was a typo?). I think Kevin Joel arrived the year I left but can't be sure. How long did you serve in the Army mate? I did my basic at HMS Raleigh, Gunnery at HMS Cambridge and specialist training at HMS Phoenix amongst other bases. After training I served aboard HMS Achilles a Leander Class Frigate before applying for the fleet air arm. You might be able to help me with another face. There was another lad in the same class who's father owned a saw mill and they lived in a farm-house out in the sticks. I think his name was Glen but not sure. I went to his place for dinner once and he showed me around the mill; which was guarded by this vicious doberman. Ring any Bells?

[Lazy Baby5]

I remember you Mick and maybe Stephen Fowler (assuming Fower was a typo?). I think Kevin Joel arrived the year I left but can't be sure. How long did you serve in the Army mate? I did my basic at HMS Raleigh, Gunnery at HMS Cambridge and specialist training at HMS Phoenix amongst other bases. After training I served aboard HMS Achilles a Leander Class Frigate before applying for the fleet air arm. You might be able to help me with another face. There was another lad in the same class who's father owned a saw mill and they lived in a farm-house out in the sticks. I think his name was Glen but not sure. I went to his place for dinner once and he showed me around the mill; which was guarded by this vicious doberman. Ring any Bells?

Was it Glen Goddard? I did my basic at Shorncliffe camp near Dover then joined the Green Howards,it was a very undistinguished career. What did you do after the Navy? We seem to have hijacked a thread:hihi: Edited November 23, 2016 by Lazy Baby5

[brian1941]

I remember you Mick and maybe Stephen Fowler (assuming Fower was a typo?). I think Kevin Joel arrived the year I left but can't be sure. How long did you serve in the Army mate? I did my basic at HMS Raleigh, Gunnery at HMS Cambridge and specialist training at HMS Phoenix amongst other bases. After training I served aboard HMS Achilles a Leander Class Frigate before applying for the fleet air arm. You might be able to help me with another face. There was another lad in the same class who's father owned a saw mill and they lived in a farm-house out in the sticks. I think his name was Glen but not sure. I went to his place for dinner once and he showed me around the mill; which was guarded by this vicious doberman. Ring any Bells?

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Hi MGS58, Thought i'd send you thees pics with the children.

 

I'll always remember playing out on these ride, one thing we were never

short off was fresh air.

Edited November 23, 2016 by brian1941
Spelling

[mgs58]

Was it Glen Goddard? I did my basic at Shorncliffe camp near Dover then joined the Green Howards,it was a very undistinguished career. What did you do after the Navy? We seem to have hijacked a thread:hihi:

 

I think you're right it was Glen Goddard. As for an undistinguished career mine wasn't exactly marked with achievements mate; except boxing . Like you I was small and skinny when I joined. I stayed more or less skinny but I shot up to just under 6ft (5' 11"); unfortunately a perfect weight and reach for a flyweight boxer so the PTI more or less press ganged me in to the boxing team. Although I went on to win the Navy and Inter-Service championships in 1975 and got all the way to the ABA semis; where I was whupped by a kid half my size but fast as lightning. I didn't handle failure that well back then and gave it up soon after to concentrate on other goals. After leaving the RN I did all sorts. I moved to London and ended up being an ASM then an actor in a touring theatre Company. I did a few bit parts on TV series like 'The Gentle Touch', 'Take Three Women', 'The Sweeney' etc and one off plays like 'Another Flip For Dominic Hyde' (Sci -Fi) and 'Out On The Floor'; a play about Northern Soul /Wigan Casino. Sounds more glamorous than it really was i.e. mostly one liners, some 'extra' work etc. I did a bit of freelance writing, theatre/film criticism amongst other stuff, before landing a job in computing @ British Telecom HQ in Leeds then Sheffield. I got married, settled down (sort of), family etc. I was medically retired in 1985 following a serious head injury / brain haemorrhage and was a bit up and down for a few years. However I enrolled at Sheffield Hallam in 1999 studied P/T for ten years and left with a double first (BA Eng. MA Writing). Swings and Roundabouts eh Mick?

 

---------- Post added 23-11-2016 at 22:44 ----------

 

----------------------

Hi MGS58, Thought i'd send you thees pics with the children.

 

I'll always remember playing out on these ride, one thing we were never

short off was fresh air.

 

Great pics Brian, much appreciated. They brought back a few happy memories of my own, although I was a lot older than you during my relatively brief but memorable time there.

Edited November 23, 2016 by mgs58

[Lazy Baby5]

I think you're right it was Glen Goddard. As for an undistinguished career mine wasn't exactly marked with achievements mate; except boxing . Like you I was small and skinny when I joined. I stayed more or less skinny but I shot up to just under 6ft (5' 11"); unfortunately a perfect weight and reach for a flyweight boxer so the PTI more or less press ganged me in to the boxing team. Although I went on to win the Navy and Inter-Service championships in 1975 and got all the way to the ABA semis; where I was whupped by a kid half my size but fast as lightning. I didn't handle failure that well back then and gave it up soon after to concentrate on other goals. After leaving the RN I did all sorts. I moved to London and ended up being an ASM then an actor in a touring theatre Company. I did a few bit parts on TV series like 'The Gentle Touch', 'Take Three Women', 'The Sweeney' etc and one off plays like 'Another Flip For Dominic Hyde' (Sci -Fi) and 'Out On The Floor'; a play about Northern Soul /Wigan Casino. Sounds more glamorous than it really was i.e. mostly one liners, some 'extra' work etc. I did a bit of freelance writing, theatre/film criticism amongst other stuff, before landing a job in computing @ British Telecom HQ in Leeds then Sheffield. I got married, settled down (sort of), family etc. I was medically retired in 1985 following a serious head injury / brain haemorrhage and was a bit up and down for a few years. However I enrolled at Sheffield Hallam in 1999 studied P/T for ten years and left with a double first (BA Eng. MA Writing). Swings and Roundabouts eh Mick?

 

---------- Post added 23-11-2016 at 22:44 ----------

 

 

Great pics Brian, much appreciated. They brought back a few happy memories of my own, although I was a lot older than you during my relatively brief but memorable time there.

Swings ans Roundabouts indeed Mate I went into Nursing and spent over 30 years working on L/D, Psychiatric and Forensic Hospitals ,enjoyed every second, Retired in 2013 and now work 2 days a week in a low secure unit. I married and have 4 wonderful kids and 1 Grandson. I occasionally wonder what happened to the people I went to school with.

[ANGELFIRE1]

Very very interesting posts. Makes great reading to learn about the old derelict buildings around Sheffield, and what they were used for. Also to read about their inhabitants as children, and their life experiences.

 

Probably the best post I have read on SF.

 

Angel1.