Children's Home in Shenfield - Around 1965 - 1969
I wish to communicate with anyone who may remember a children's home that used to be located on a large field in Shenfield.
The individual wood and brick 2 floored (Swiss styled I think) homes were dotted around the perimeter and of different names. One I know was called 'Thames.'
Children from the London Borough of Hackney were housed there.
I believe there was an Infant or Primary school nearby and the children's home was not far from a small garage with one or two petrol pumps in the dip of the main road!
I believe there was also a field and forested area not too far away.
Anyone who may have memories, photos or can help would be appreciated.
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RE: RE: Children's Home in Shenfield - Around 1965 - 1969
This home was not in Shenfield, but in Hutton, about 1 mile away. In the early sixties, when I was a Girl Guide, a group of us went there to help in order to gain our Child Care badge. I also did my first teaching practice at the school there in 1966.
Most of the buildings have been demolished now although the school building reamains and is used as an adult education centre. What was the Assembly Hall is also used for concerts. In addition the old dining hall still exists and can be hired for recteptions etc.
Comment from Janet Jardine on Monday, 4th January 2010.
RE: RE: Children's Home in Shenfield - Around 1965 - 1969
I was in the children's home from 1965. I went there at the age of 18 months! I attended Bishops Hill Primary School, due to closure I was sent to Brookfields Primary School and finally Shenfield Comprehensive on Oliver Road. I have mixed memories of the home, but I'm desperately trying to get photos of the home at the time I was there but to no avail so far! Anyone who was there or remembers me please get in touch - cmp08@hotmail.co.uk I was in Grassmere House then moved to Serota House at the bottom of the swing park in front of the woods.
Comment from Michael Palmer on Tuesday, 14th September 2010.
RE: RE: Children's Home in Shenfield - Around 1965 - 1969
I lived in Hutton from 1957 to 1963 and went to St Helen's RC Junior School. There was a school bus which picked us up along Rayleigh Road, outside a row of shops - the only one I remember was a sweetshop called Chas Sinclairs. The bus would stop and pick up children from the Residential Home - we knew it as Hutton Poplars - those children picked up would be Catholics and therefore not attending the Bishops Hill school next to the home.
As a Girl Guide I would go with friends to Hutton Poplars and undertake various tasks to gain proficiency badges - I remember one weekend bathing all the younger children in one of the homes, preparing their tea and getting them to bed, including reading stories to them. I think we all got something out of this, not just we guides, but the children as well - it was a bit of a novelty for them.
Our local church encouraged its members to "befriend a child", visiting him/her and inviting them into our homes, which several of us did, but looking back I think this was uncomfortable for some of the children, who felt maybe a little patronised and inferior, especially if they were schoolmates of children of the household.
In the summer a "grand fete" was held in the grounds of Hutton Poplars and this was always a very popular community event - I imagine it was organised by the home, maybe Bishops Hill school, I'm not sure.
Comment from Anne Page on Monday, 3rd January 2011.
RE: RE: Children's Home in Shenfield - Around 1965 - 1969
First memories I have of Hutton Populars was the gates at the entrance and then the long winding road leading to Windermere House and it looked realy scarey. I arrived with my two little sisters Tracey and Elaine, we called her Boo, we were all a bit scared. Our SW at the time was called Tina Merdock, she was trying to comfort us, trying to get us in, haaa, I gave her hell. We were so far from home when you're young it is. We walked through a big front door into a massive corridor, in front was a very large staircase ,to the left was the day room. My sisters were really crying hard and I was shouting at SW to bring us home. And then the biggest surprise, we were told that our elder sister was here ,wow where is she? Our sistere Kim was as shocked as us to see us there. We all felt better for a while. We stayed for about 6 months, not long you say, short story and that, but I refused to go home with my mum and sisters and stayed on. A bit later I went to the school just behind the house, then stayed longer. Oh yes, the swimming pool, I loved that, I was always in there if I could. And there was the sewing shop where they would repair the worn out clothes just next door. I loved it there, for a while it was all good. I went to St Martin's secondary school, had to cut through the woods to get there. Susan. x
Comment from Susan Harrison on Tuesday, 28th June 2011.
RE: RE: Children's Home in Shenfield - Around 1965 - 1969
There's plenty of information about 'Hutton Poplars Children's Home' on the web. Google it and a list of links will be available. There are groups on Facebook and Friends Reunited. A reunion has been organised in May based at Hutton Hall (the only remainder of the village structure) in Essex for a number of years.
Comment from Robert Clark on Tuesday, 13th September 2011.