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hello all ex todwickers

pete marsh here some will of herd of me lots of you later ones wont have i was in todwick from 1967to 1970 when times were brill there and so was all the staff i was on the first floor of the old building there was me eddie odesanya pete percival and cyril wilkins ( bless him now dead )we were all best mates hung about togeather there was teresa and paul benjemin (bengy) little jackie- phillip stone -llloyd james jimmy white grubby and brian all on top floor and loads of others who i will mention later on-the staff in them days were ivor and rhona= don and marget=john hudson=judith=and ian roach who was in charge of the first floor he had the cottage up on the isle of mull and used to take kids up there on holiday in 1970 me eddie pete and cyril had our last holiday there befor i left because i was getting to old to be to be in todwick i left when i was nearly 14= in 1990 i decided to go back to mull 20 years on and i drove to oban got on the next ferry to mull and drove to the cottage as thou i had done it the day befor to my delight found out from the next cottage there (beverly parkins) that ian still ownd the cottage there but he wasent stayin there at that time- so she put us up for the night me -wife -jane and son-simon and next morning gave me ians phone number and we set off back for sheffield-when i got home phoned ian up out of the blue 20 yaers on and he rememberd me we got chatting and he said he was going up to mull 2 weeks later-and would me and the family like to join him there -so i jumpt at the chance of seeing him again and having a holliday on mull again = 2 weeks later drove up to scotland again and meet up with him we had a brill holiday with plenty of memories of todwick and its staff=i kept in touch with ian right up to the day he died sadley they scatterd his ashes in bloody bay on the ilse of mull= great loss he was as good with our simon on that holiday as he was with all his pupils in the old days-good news is that tom who now owns the cottage (ian left it to him in his will-he help to build it in early 60s) we are still in touch and we are having a holliday togeather summer 2011-right so back to todwick you have me to thank for the football pitch on todwick grounds we put the nets up and lined it out and i was the one who got alan hodginson (s- u- f-c goal keeper in them days to come and train us on a tuesday night whitch he did till he got fed up but thanks alan its was good of him to give up his own time )i also started the trend of going to dinnington school=john driskol-norman elliot-david harbour-were all great teachers but ther was not enough to do at todwick school=by the way elliot how did you get sutch a geogous wife she was a propper stunner we had great days out rock climing thou ?? we also had a brill holliday in some wodden shacks in devon-i have got some film from ian roach befor he died put on to a dvd of kids in todwick on holiday in devon and scotland they are great memories=ok i have wrote enough-for now lot more to come i have lot of fond memories of todwick and staff would love to here from any one that remembers me specially ivor and rhona- pete percival=eddie now lives in canada-so probley not hear from him todwick had a good football team in them days-ihad chance of turning pro myself su fc but thats another days storey-just one last thing befor i go just like to say that i was sorry to hear about the abuse at todwick in the later years -i just wish that the get that did it had been there in the old days --we would have killed them ========== all the best pete marsh

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Hi, my names mick cutts i was at TG late70s to 83-84ish, reading some of your post brought back memories, and they werent all bad , i cant remember exactly when i arrived a todwick, but i started off in unit one with dawn peaker ,james booley,(from yarmouth) tracey t , my careworker was tom and there were three lynn,s there , guy batty, lynn thompson,lynn gardiner and blonde lynn she was tall long blonde hairand a bit more.

 

I cant remember everyone but it would be great to know how you are all getting on,even if you have to remind me who you are, after unit one i moved up to number 9 with sean wheatley, tony harrison, maria nash, and occassinally pete ? when he came on leave from the navy also there in unit 2 was tony and i think he had a sister there with him at the same time.

 

If i remeber right glen marshall and linda blunt got married whilst i was there,

anyway it would be great for anyone to fill in the gaps , take care hope to hear from anyone .

I think i remember you mick, my name is andrea i was also there at the same time as maria nashier, shaun wheatley, dawn peaker, etc, i started in unit 2, then up to number nine, and finally a bedsit on first floor in the main house that was a new twist, and spooky as hell, i used to hang out with donna moore( usually on the school roof) cos we thought we were rebels lol she was in with her brother andrew/radio edge, hope everyones well x

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Hi Pete.

What fascinating memories you've got of TG. I worked there from early '73 - '80. And my dh from '73-early '82. The best days were when Ken H. was in charge. Sadly it all went pear-shaped after he retired.

I've got a Facebook group (private) with 200+ pics of TG/trips if you'd like to join us. Later than your era but might be a few faces you recognise.

Cheers,

Christine.

 

 

hello all ex todwickers

pete marsh here some will of herd of me lots of you later ones wont have i was in todwick from 1967to 1970 when times were brill there and so was all the staff i was on the first floor of the old building there was me eddie odesanya pete percival and cyril wilkins ( bless him now dead )we were all best mates hung about togeather there was teresa and paul benjemin (bengy) little jackie- phillip stone -llloyd james jimmy white grubby and brian all on top floor and loads of others who i will mention later on-the staff in them days were ivor and rhona= don and marget=john hudson=judith=and ian roach who was in charge of the first floor he had the cottage up on the isle of mull and used to take kids up there on holiday in 1970 me eddie pete and cyril had our last holiday there befor i left because i was getting to old to be to be in todwick i left when i was nearly 14= in 1990 i decided to go back to mull 20 years on and i drove to oban got on the next ferry to mull and drove to the cottage as thou i had done it the day befor to my delight found out from the next cottage there (beverly parkins) that ian still ownd the cottage there but he wasent stayin there at that time- so she put us up for the night me -wife -jane and son-simon and next morning gave me ians phone number and we set off back for sheffield-when i got home phoned ian up out of the blue 20 yaers on and he rememberd me we got chatting and he said he was going up to mull 2 weeks later-and would me and the family like to join him there -so i jumpt at the chance of seeing him again and having a holliday on mull again = 2 weeks later drove up to scotland again and meet up with him we had a brill holiday with plenty of memories of todwick and its staff=i kept in touch with ian right up to the day he died sadley they scatterd his ashes in bloody bay on the ilse of mull= great loss he was as good with our simon on that holiday as he was with all his pupils in the old days-good news is that tom who now owns the cottage (ian left it to him in his will-he help to build it in early 60s) we are still in touch and we are having a holliday togeather summer 2011-right so back to todwick you have me to thank for the football pitch on todwick grounds we put the nets up and lined it out and i was the one who got alan hodginson (s- u- f-c goal keeper in them days to come and train us on a tuesday night whitch he did till he got fed up but thanks alan its was good of him to give up his own time )i also started the trend of going to dinnington school=john driskol-norman elliot-david harbour-were all great teachers but ther was not enough to do at todwick school=by the way elliot how did you get sutch a geogous wife she was a propper stunner we had great days out rock climing thou ?? we also had a brill holliday in some wodden shacks in devon-i have got some film from ian roach befor he died put on to a dvd of kids in todwick on holiday in devon and scotland they are great memories=ok i have wrote enough-for now lot more to come i have lot of fond memories of todwick and staff would love to here from any one that remembers me specially ivor and rhona- pete percival=eddie now lives in canada-so probley not hear from him todwick had a good football team in them days-ihad chance of turning pro myself su fc but thats another days storey-just one last thing befor i go just like to say that i was sorry to hear about the abuse at todwick in the later years -i just wish that the get that did it had been there in the old days --we would have killed them ========== all the best pete marsh

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Hi andrea, im really sorry but i cant say i remember you,i think i remember donna, was she slim with black short hair? was she also in unit one? i do remember andrew edge, he was in unit one the same time as me, do you remember maria carey/ she was also there at the same time as us , what you up to these days? hope live is treating you well. have you seen the facebook page, there are 22 of us old tg kids and some staff, keep in touch, .

Edited by livvysdad

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Hi Mick, That was the other Donna,,Donna Moore was in unit 2 with me, and shes also Andrew Edges sister, You dont remember me cos i was just so well behaved lol,,Lifes ok, Work at the Northern General, got 3 grown kids, Im already on the Facebook Page and so is Donna, Hope you well Take Care x

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Hi Pete.

What fascinating memories you've got of TG. I worked there from early '73 - '80. And my dh from '73-early '82. The best days were when Ken H. was in charge. Sadly it all went pear-shaped after he retired.

I've got a Facebook group (private) with 200+ pics of TG/trips if you'd like to join us. Later than your era but might be a few faces you recognise.

Cheers,

Christine.

hi christine thanks for your reply yes would love to join your facebook site i have lots to tell people about the early todwick i have allways had a good memory i have 3 great years there and kept in touch with a lot of staff and kids for quite a while after leaving todwick i was well known in the early days -

be great if you had some early pics from todwick i have a dvd made from an old cinie-film that ian roach used to keep one of the main staff there in the old days -where ian when-so did the camera

thanks pete

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Hiya I worked at Todwick about 30 years ago and lived in the grounds there. I dont remember names of the teachers but many of the kids.
can you reember the turton triplets one called ann.

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Send me your email so I can email you an invitation Pete.

christineball@peaclond.freeserve.co.uk

Cheers,

Christine.

 

 

 

 

 

hi christine thanks for your reply yes would love to join your facebook site i have lots to tell people about the early todwick i have allways had a good memory i have 3 great years there and kept in touch with a lot of staff and kids for quite a while after leaving todwick i was well known in the early days -

be great if you had some early pics from todwick i have a dvd made from an old cinie-film that ian roach used to keep one of the main staff there in the old days -where ian when-so did the camera

thanks pete

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Julie & Irene are on the Facebook groups. Sadly Annie died a while back.

 

 

 

can you reember the turton triplets one called ann.

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Julie & Irene are on the Facebook groups. Sadly Annie died a while back.
thankyou, annie wanted me to adpt her but she killed herself before we could do anything.

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I was at TG, but it was earlier than the time most of you refer to. I was there Jan '69 to April/May '71, and was aged 10 and a half to almost thirteen during my residence. The only names of children I remember who are mentioned here are Bonnie, her sister Rose, and I'm sure they had a brother called Michael.

 

Staff wise, If the "Christine" writing a lot of the messages is the one I recall, you had blonde hair, were approx 20 years old when you started work there late '69/early'70 and were originally from Warwickshire. I remember a Linda...not sure if her surname was Blunt, but she had short dark hair. Joyce Parrat I don't recall as being an "ogre" (as someone described). Ken Hodgson - the Principal, I remember very well; he had 3 children named Sarah, Elspeth and Peter. His wife was from Wales - not the nearby village, but the country. Speaking of which, I also remember Rhona, and Ivor Bell - a very tall fella. Harry Bower used to be an electrician in the RAF Regiment before working at Todwick; his brother Colin was my best friend for quite some time whilst there!

 

Other staff who come to mind are Mick Dunning, Don Fluitt and his wife Margaret, Ken Terry, John Hudson, Ken Roach, Mary - her surname escapes me - who was in charge of the 'wooden wing' in early '71. There was also a Scot named Andrew, a Canadian called Mac, a Geordie - maybe called Frank?

 

Many of the children's names come to me quite easily too: Lloyd J, David H, Mick M, Mick R, Jimmy W, Raymond M, Paul K, Martin G, Cyril W, Eddie O, Brian F. Some of the girls - I can't remember many of their surnames: Gail, she was 14/15 in 1970 and had a sister 2 or 3 years younger; a blonde-haired girl called Lyn (I remember her from the summer of '69 - which I'm sure Bryan Adams will appreciate!); Pamela ?, Theresa B and her brother Paul; I seem to recall a girl who was around 10 or 11 at the time called Beverley? And of course, Bonnie and Rose. To be honest, there weren't many girls there at the time I was.

 

So who am I? Well, if anyone remembers me that's a different matter, but I wont give my name because I'm rather a retiring creature. Does anyone remember 'Dougall', named after the Magic Roundabout character? That's me. If Colin Bower should read this, I know he will, he was the one who gave me the name.

 

Teachers: John Driskell, Norman Elliot, David Arbor, Mrs Hanson (the Headteacher in the early days), Joan Callaghan, Roy Greaves, Mary? Cooper - I had a double-act there because her husband Ray, was my Social Worker. There was another female teacher who's name escapes me but she had dark curly hair to her shoulders and wore specs. There was also (in 1970) a female teacher from Saskatchewan, Canada, whom I'm pretty sure went on to become Head.

 

'Support' staff, for want of a better name: Charlie Burgin (Caretaker - used to live in the front Lodge), my mind's eye also sees the caretaker who used to live at the back Lodge and had blonde curly hair, Terry (Chef), Peter, Dennis and Hedley (Gardeners), Mrs Spence (overnight care worker), Lilly (school cleaner).

 

Holidays I remember from there are at Bets-y-Coed farmhouse in '69, and in '70 we had 2 weeks in caravans at Newquay, Cornwall.

 

Whilst at the Grange I developed a small interest in birdwatching. It didn't go far at the time, but around 8 years after leaving there I became hooked on Wildlife (birds in particular), Nature and the Environment. Anyone who knows the place will understand how regretful I am that the interests didn't develop fully whilst there. Anyone who doesn't should look at a satellite picture, then you'll understand. What a place, what a missed opportunity.

 

Though very sad and sorry for the children there through the troubled times I believe led to its closure, I must say that overall, my time at Todwick was a very happy one. Some people might have difficulty comprehending how time in the care of the Local Authority can be spoken of in that way; when home life is as disadvantaged as mine was, and the family is fragmented largely through poverty and the resultant problems of it, to find yourself in an environment where your guardians are as kind, caring, and as fair with discipline as they were at TG in the time I was there, gives a stabilising influence and fairly solid foundation for later years. Yes, TG and the staff helped shape my life in a positive way.

 

miss battle was the teacher from canada she was there when i was at todwick in 74:)

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