Ashford residental home . middlesex

[Reddyann]

During world war 2, my brother and I were evacuated to the residential home, as my father was in the air Force and mother seriously ill.  We were seperated form each other, extremely miserable.  The food was awful..  Many escapes were attempted.  spent most of our time in the air raid shelters.

[maggi rose]

, Hi every one from ashford residential, I was Margaret rose hiller, my number was 55,in there 1940 + i am now 72 yrs old, also my brother Michael, sister beryl. i hated it with a vengeance, always absconding trying to find my mother, so on constant punishment, the only thing i liked was sports day, and the holidays in the tents walton on naze i think? marttella tower, not sure that spelt right?do not know if i can put my email on here? but would love to hear from any one.please get in touch. thank you, take care

[maggi rose]

During world war 2, my brother and I were evacuated to the residential home, as my father was in the air Force and mother seriously ill.  We were seperated form each other, extremely miserable.  The food was awful..  Many escapes were attempted.  spent most of our time in the air raid shelters.

I was in Ashford Residential Home for approximately 2 years around 1950 - 1953. It was a huge building, and housed children from babies to 15 year olds.

It was very 'dickensian' and doesn't bring back very happy memories to me, but I would be interested in hearing from anybody else who may have been there during that time.

A few things I recall - There were boys one end and girls the other end of the building, with a huge corridor in between. (I recall this particularly, because one of my punishments for running away, yet again, was to get on my hands and knees and scrub the whole corridor - can you imagine an 11 year old doing that now?)

I also recall, that there were long dormitories (which we had to clean daily with a huge ronuk(?) polisher, and we had special name for the mice! I was beaten up on my first day. We used to go scrumping fruit in the orchards at the back of the building. We were always hungry. I got 1shilling and threepence for pocketmoney, and periodically got beaten up in the air-raid shelters and relieved of said money! If not, I, and others got over the wall into the village to buy some cigarettes! Oh, and I recall the 'blacking room' where all shoe polishing was carried out, and I still recoil in horror at the hundreds of cockroachers that scattered on turning the light on!

Apologies for going on a bit, but it's quite theraputic for me I suppose.
When I left there, I was sent to another 'Home' in Banstead till I was 15.
This was all because of my parents splitting up - it was certainly all different in those days................

I was in Ashford Residential Home for approximately 2 years around 1950 - 1953. It was a huge building, and housed children from babies to 15 year olds.

It was very 'dickensian' and doesn't bring back very happy memories to me, but I would be interested in hearing from anybody else who may have been there during that time.

A few things I recall - There were boys one end and girls the other end of the building, with a huge corridor in between. (I recall this particularly, because one of my punishments for running away, yet again, was to get on my hands and knees and scrub the whole corridor - can you imagine an 11 year old doing that now?)

I also recall, that there were long dormitories (which we had to clean daily with a huge ronuk(?) polisher, and we had special name for the mice! I was beaten up on my first day. We used to go scrumping fruit in the orchards at the back of the building. We were always hungry. I got 1shilling and threepence for pocketmoney, and periodically got beaten up in the air-raid shelters and relieved of said money! If not, I, and others got over the wall into the village to buy some cigarettes! Oh, and I recall the 'blacking room' where all shoe polishing was carried out, and I still recoil in horror at the hundreds of cockroachers that scattered on turning the light on!

Apologies for going on a bit, but it's quite theraputic for me I suppose.
When I left there, I was sent to another 'Home' in Banstead till I was 15.
This was all because of my parents splitting up - it was certainly all different in those days................

i am margaret, was there couple years before you. dont worry, most of us still bear the scares to this day emotionaly and mentaly , you take care hope to hear from you ,

[maggi rose]

I have been trying to trace inmates from Ashford Residential School for years and came across The Rootschat by accident.
I can't help the originator of this enquiry but can confirm that I was there, along with my younger brother from 47 to late 49
(5o in his case)
Yes it was situated at the bottom of Woodthorpe road on a bend. It was, as has been commented, very Dickensian (Victorian). In my day it was a school for children with problems, of all sorts, at home.
I remember a few names 'Quigley' who I had a fight with,
Cedric Budd and his brother. George Warner. About 6 of us won a scholarship and travelled to a Central School in Southfields (a journey of well over an hour in each direction but that's another story. We used to go to Saturday morning pictures in Staines. one or two of us would pay 6old pence to go in, then charge 3old pence as we held the fire exit open for the rest! We had two (typically ex Army types) in charge 'Wally' Hammond and a Mr Walton. Although the discipline was tough (I had to stand facing a wall with my arms stretched out for about two hours just for scrumping) I found them both to be decent men and fair.

Does anyone remember 'The Tunnel' ? well it was a ditch that ran under the railway we used it often as a short cut to go to Staines or to escape if confined to quarters.

I was eventually stretchered out via 'The infimary' with suspected scarlet fever, which, as it turned out was the more serious Rheumatic Fever?!

By the time I left hospital some 10 months later my Mother had found a nice Council house in Kent, so I never returned to Ashford.

I could write a book about experiences there (mostly good ones).

It would be great if you would think about writing a book on the subject of Ashford Residential School, Gnashers

I am margaret was there same time as you, i am 72 now still have emotional scares, hope you write that book, you take care, and hope you get in touch

[jane harrison]

hi everyone
it appears that the grounds of the school later became ashford remand centre,i remember visiting this around 1975 very rundown & depressing,the remand was demolished & the ground stood empty for a few years,then bronzefield was build on the site (high security womans prison housing people like rose west)it seems like the ground have a history of doom & gloom.will look in ashford & staines libary this week & see if i can dig anything up.also the salvation army hall also on woodthorpe road is also on the grounds of a school but this was the run of the mill standard junior school my mother attended it for a while.
jeannette

[stonechat]

Hi

yes my mother went their too
Though born in Cheshire. the famil moved to Ashford in 1924

Bob

[maggi rose]

Thank you for your informative responce, jeannettee,

[gnashers]

Hullo Maggie Rose.

Can't work out how to get in touch with you but Rootschat have my permission to pass on my E-Mail address if you want it.

Meantime, I am also 72 years old now! As you quite rightly say the girls and boys were (I suppose, quite sensibly) segregated
may have waved at you across the Dining Hall.

My later school reports claim that I was too demanding of my rights. No wonder I, like all of us, had to fight to get a sausage off the plate in the middle of the table. When I was successfull I used to spread marmalade on it. A trend I kept up for years afterwards.

I mentioned in my initial posting that I with a few others won a scholarship to a School in London and had to travel there every day, taking several trains. This was in 1948/49
There was just one girl who travelled with us most days. She attended a Grammar School in the same part of London
A very bright young lady who had to suffer our boyish pranks. I remember one of us threw her school hat out of the train window. Such fun then but I still have feelings of guilt today! You may remember her as she was the only girl in those years on a scholarship?

I am still toying with the idea of writing a short factual account of my experiences there (I left there over 60 years ago!), so would welcome any contributions to aid my fading memories.

Well enough for now and you take care as well!




Gnashers

[maggi rose]

Thank you so much gnasher, you were obveously one of the intellegent , with guts to keep fighting back,i was just a confused, thick idiot, wanting to find why i wasnt wanted,  I admire you tremendously, so you keep up that spirit and write, facing facts the life we have left is too short, and got to do the best we can with what we got, yes please do send email or  am i doing wrong if i put my email on here, you take care of you, and keep that mind of yours going,