Keith,
I was born (1948) and brought up in a house opposite to the Reedham Home/School. I think we might still have some photographs showing the school, in the winter of 1963, in the snow. I used to cut through the school grounds as a short cut to visit friends in Purley. The school also used to be run as a farm at one time, I assume to help with the running costs, and I can remember watching the plowing and harvesting. After the harvest, pigs were placed in the fields between the school and road to glean any pickings left by the harvesters.
In the late 60's (I think) part of the grounds were sold (or leased) off to the local education authority and a new primary school was built .
I don't know what happened to the site when the home was closed, but if you want to go see for yourself, it was up a road called Old Lodge Lane, turn left (going south) off the main London to Brighton road (the turn used to be opposite the old local council offices but I don't know if they are still there), up past Reedham Station, under two railway bridges. The main school entrance was then about 200 yards past the second railway bridge, on the left, a long curving drive up the hill. The school grounds that I remember then used to run along Old Lodge Lane for at least the next half mile.
Next door to my old house, now demolished, were two pairs of semi-detached cottages, which originally housed workers and their families from the home. The home itself was at the top of the hill, looking out over the grounds in both directions.
Contact me if I can help with any other memories or information.
