Memories of Pinehurst

Pinehurst Childrens home, Park Rd Camberley

Memories of Camberley come from my childhood days as an orphan residing at 'Pinehurst', a Surrey County Child Welfare Home 1949-1953. I was put there as a 9-year-old and recall spending a very happy part of my youth there. I attended a primary school, the name of which my memory refuses to recall (Park Road?). Later on I attended France Hill House School, the headmaster being a Mr Steele. 'Pinehurst' Children's Home was on Park Road above the railway crossing. Next door to 'Pinehurst' was Elmhurst Ballet School and I remember the rumour of famous film star John Mills's daughter, Juliet Mills, taking up ballet there. The grounds around the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst was always an interesting place we visited. Our guardians at the orphanage were Jimmy and Robyn Ewart. I kept in touch with them and visited them in their retirement in Bristol with my wife's family in 1983. They have both since passed away. Knocking on the front door at 'Pinehurst' with my wife on our 1983 visit I told the person at the door, a male, of my youth spent there. His reply was "So what," and shut the door in our faces. In 1954 I was fostered out to a family living not far away, now called Maywood, Camberley. They lived at 'Chapel Pines"', an old church converted, and where the Queen apparently learned to drive during the war. In my days Portsmouth Road was the address. Just up the road the Jolly Farmer dissected the London and Portsmouth roads. Gibbet Hill was also an historic road I used a lot. My foster mum was a famed Camberley resident, actress Jean Heywood of 'When the Boats Come In' and many more TV series. I visited Camberley again in 1995. The station was still there and the main High Street just as I remembered it. Nothing had seemed to change. I married a New Zealand lady and have lived in NZ since 1969. 'Pinehurst' and Camberley are a big part of my young life and the memories are ones of happiness. Is there anyone else who recalls any of the names and places mentioned?