Memories of Claybury Hospital

Claybury Asylum 1908
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My mum worked at Claybury for many years, myself and younger sister were schooled at a Catholic school in Manford Way, due to hours my mother worked we were dropped off at hospital until my mum's shift had finished. I will always remember the gardens where me and my sister would play, so beautifuly kept by the patients, we would spent hours playing, also the peacefulness of these gardens, so many flowers, and all neat. There were many patients who also wandered around these gardens, none of which were a dangerous nature, most not aware of two young girls playing. I remember asking my mum years later why some of patients were in there as I could not understand why they were there, as they seemed so well balanced, and she did tell me some of there people have been here for years and to send them out to llive in the community could cause them distress and I often overheard that some of them of which me and my sister grow quite close to had indeed no longer been able to cope and had taken their lives, so very sad. I remember the 275 bus going to and from Claybury, many of the patients could be seen traverlling on the bus and going to Barkingside, I don't know why they would need to visit the high street as Claybury had its own shops and bank, it was like a little village within gates, it even had a club house where patients and staff would have a drink which was situated right next to tennis courts. My memories of Claybury are very fond, and when I was 18 years I wanted to join and work there asa a carer, sadly for me, claybury was on its way to being closed down. I went on become a carer but, who knows what I could have become if Claybury remained.