I Worked At Violet Ayres Lodge In 1977 Prior To Closure

My name is Sharon, and I am one of the kids who were living at Violet Ayres in 1977 as Julie has mentioned.
I loved Violet Ayres and still talk about my time there with great fondness. I have often wondered what happened to John & Jackie, Adrian, and Carolyn. Annie and I lived together at Romford Road for a while and I used to see Brian around when I lived in Newham.

I can still clearly remember John and Hilary, and John's moustache still makes me laugh. Everytime I see Jumaji, the hunter in that film reminds me of John.

And I remember all the kids thought the old man next door had murdered his wife and buried her in the garden, and we would dare each other to sneak into his garden and take a fruit from one of his trees to prove we had been there

I will forever treasure those times and the fact I got to live in such a grand and wonderful house.

I hated having to leave, and missed everyone terribly for a long time.

I beg to differ about this place when I was in there same time as you I remember Jackie Ahmed I remember Brian who use to make busses and had a collection of old spice billy Rolland Anne McNally jerry a guy called terry remember quite a few ppl who was in there I had contact with some of these ppl when I left years later but over the years it's contact the staff was horrible they use to sit outside your room and listen if you talked dragged you down the stairs and make you stand up all night scrubbing pots and pans with a brillow pad or peel a massive sack of spuds to feed everyone I had my arm broke in there in three places and they covered it up saying I did it myself I had boiling milk spilt knocked over on me by a staff and they said I did this myself was in hospital for this and I ran away nearly all the time I had Hilary Adams try drag me out of bed when I was asleep to go church late or early in the morning as this was Easter I was always on the run from the place and my brother terry by the way my name is Lenus I also went St. John's school and there was a pond near it the place was horrible I'm having therapy now because of what those sick b-rstards did to me in there I wake up have bloody night mares sweating and have been on anti depressant for years I remember john ppl use to call him uncle john his breath stank as he always ate a big bag of KP peanuts I remember staff restraining kids but putting them in choke holds I have no fond memories of that place the only memories I have is that the kids was nice in there

Oh and also john he stunk the home out with his pipe he use to smoke as well as his peanut breath hated the lot of the staff in there and do did a lot of the other kids that left there who I had contact with years later when leaving there.

I lived there in 75/76 my brother was Nick ,lenus I remember you well
I hated that place I was given tooth brush and made to scrub the play room with Jackie Ahmed,terry,Jerry,Annie, and Avner put a scar on my face to this day I have bad memory of this place
Having my fingers. Broke because I bunked school
I spoke to Hilary years ago about this she said your grown up we don't work there any more but got a million pounds for a house bloody travesty
I was sent to cumberlow lodge because they sent me to a what I thought was a posh school

I lived at violet ayres lodge 1970 to1976 . I was put in the home because I was abused by my nan. I hoped I would be safe . As the years went by I could not wait to leave.I felt i left one abused home to go to another abused home .most children went home to their familys at weekend I did not because I had no safe home to go to. I felt stuck and this was my prison sentence. I felt if I grow up and prayed to God that on my bed most nights that I could fill safe and happy. When I was 16 a social worker turned up and helped me packed my clothes in bin bags to move in with a foster family I felt confused because I knew nothing till I got home from work. I also felt like rubbish as left the children's home for good with my bin bags .The Forster started out great in the beginning then the Forster mother was messing around with the 16 year old boy next door.The Forster dad found out about his wife . Then the dad abused me. The social worker turned up they knew about about the Forster mum. Again with my bin bags I was moved to another children home in Ilford .They wanted. me to live in the flats they had built in grounds of the children's home. I knew I would be their only 2 years maximum. Once I was 18 they would not give a dam what happened to me . I felt afraid scared and frightened. I lost my faith in God and began to sleep as round with any man I met of the streets .I felt if I am going to be raped it would be on my turn not theirs.months later Mr John Adam turned up to take me to flat back in buckhurst hill.The staff at the Ilford children's home were very nice with their words as left again with my big bags.nothing bad happened to me at the ilford children's home and I cannot speak ill of the staff. I was afraid if I told them them about the evil discussing way Mr John Adams had treated me at buckhurst hill children's home

continue here I was 16 leaving the ilford children's home. I never gave myself a chance at the at ilford children's home fear of what happened at the Buckhurst hill children's.fear if I told anyone would they believe me.I locked it away and told myself their got to be something around the corner for me? When I moved into in the flat John Adams came with a bottle of jinzo and wanted sex with me I was even more discusting and angry mad that he thought that the flat he could use me as his sex toy. Hilary his wife had no knowledge of her evil dirty husband was like .After that night I was afraid to answer my door I kept myself locked inside. When I was 19 was living in Chelmsford with a very nice Christian family. How I got here was I tried to take overdose. Thank god they took me in I found my faith again. A few months later the mum told me the children s home was being closed and demolished at Buckhurst hill. I wanted to go and let old feeling like to put to rest . When I got their l smoked like a trooper inside my head I was raging I felt what a stupid thing I put myself through . Their I was saying it's nice to see very one staff and children' and hope to keep in touch .Then last of all John Adams put his arms around me I cried as he held me .I cried for me that he can't abuse me anymore or anyone else at this home . The home was being flattened and new homes were being built.As I walked away I knew I had a lot of demons roaming around my head.I had lived their six years with this man who the superintendent of the children's home he stole my childhood and more likely other children childhood . He should of never been in charge..At the time I prayed he rot in hell. Over many many to many years God told me leave your anger with me . Go on with life .He stole your past.Do not let him in your future

Violet Ayers was a cold drab place I was put there early 70s I went to a boarding school by taxi because of my temper I still have the hole in the side of my head I remember a lot including names I was the youngest when I got there the big boys were Mike Eddie Steve Alan Paul Terry Jerry my age was Ricky Lenus Adam girls were Irene Annie Jacki Avner Carolyn. staff other than Hillary&John were Allison Lynda it was a mixed bag of memories for me the Dog got put down because someone threw a cushion at it then it attacked me. my arm broken by John while he was trying to force me to wash up when we were at Hunstanton I did my fair share of cleaning pots pans peeling spuds my mother pulled me out of Violet Ayers for what John did. well I'm 59 now I almost snuffed it this time last year motorbike accident spleen had to be removed woke up in intensive care ex wife and my four Sons at the end of the bed so the nutty Billy Rowland you may remember grew up went to more homes community schools then it was Detention center balstal Youth Custody when I turned 18 wouldn't house me so I squatted and got a flat joined 289 Gunner Commando TA's met the wife boys came along became a School caretaker I retired hill heath then took up working again now working for London Underground Train maintenance since 2000 split from the wife 2006 have a woman she lives in Jamaica I live in Maidstone Kent I go Jamaica three to two times a year Just got back Saturday 30th Sep been doing that 18 years. I changed my name by deed pol to Billy Lucas I'm on Facebook your welcome to say hello I work on the Jubilee line. 3 of my sons work on trains I got 3 grand children one on the way due next week and one great grand on the way