Pilgrims Wood Childrens Home

A Memory of Guildford.

Around the late 50's/early 60's I was at Pilgrims Wood with my two sisters, Patricia and Mary. It is and will always be a lasting memory of both our arrival and our departure. We came from a loving but dysfunctional family that grew in size each year with additional children. We had never known structure and order within our lives and found even the smallest thing so very daunting and frightening. Although hungry, we were unable to eat. We had never eaten beetroot or cheese, rice pudding that 1st night at the large tea table seated between the resident children. To this day I am unable to eat beetroot or any milk puddings. I had my first birthday cake (a small tennis racket brooch on top) which I kept for many years.. although unable to remember how old I was.. will never forget that day.