Hornsea Convalescent Home

I was sent to Hornsea convalescent home when I was about 8 years old. It would be 1954. I had had a year of illness culminating in Appendicitis and it was deemed that I needed a month to recuperate. It was late October, early November and the weather was horrendous. I remember the place was cold and bare and had a strict routine. There was a register taken every day to see whether we had 'opened our bowels!' I was quickly told by another child to say I had 'opened' mine as there would be consequences if I hadn't. We were made to eat everything on our plates whether we liked it or not and I had a hard time getting raw tomatoes down but I was too afraid not to. We were taken on a long walk all together in two's every day along the sea front whatever the weather and regardless of size or ability of the children. The hardest thing for me was not to be able to see my parents or speak to them for the whole month. I did get parcels and letters often, but they were opened already. I remember a big wide staircase and a huge rocking horse and the boys getting out of bed in the middle of the night and talking. I was collected by my parents to go home the day before Christmas eve. I was so happy! The whole experience will be stuck in my memory forever as a very unhappy time and I can't see how that month was suppose to get me well again.

I was at the home wen I was 7 in 1963 me my brother n sister I hated it the staff wer so cruel I saw so many things I blocked it out

i stayed there with my 2 yr old brother when i was 6 in 1958. it has scarred me for life.there was one nice nurse called nurse Linley who was kind and the others were very cruel. we slept in dormitories boys on one side and girls on the opposite side. the nurse came round to check we were asleep. my baby brother Tony cried for me to comfort him. i got caught out of my bed. the nurse hit me around my legs and shouted at me and told me not to get out of bed whilst a couple of other nurses strapped him into his bed using long pieces of cord which they strapped him in the bed wit and when he cried they smacked him too. utter cruel wicked women.

I was there in 68, one large dorm on my own at age 6.
I used to sit on the windowsill crying all night, watching the bus station, waiting for my mother to take me back home. :(
I remember the sweets being in OXO tins in the cupboard at the back of the TV/Dining room near the back door.
Going to bed at the hour that matched your age.
Soup in a plastic beaker.
The queue waiting for a bath in the same bathwater.
"School" in the large room, I think it was a wooden extension of the building.
I also have no idea why I went there, Funnily enough my Health records are missing for that year, maybe something to do with the enquiry that shut it down?

OMG, I have just read through these comments, as a child, I had heard about a convalescent home in Hornsea, but not for one minute expected to read such horror stories.
I have such wonderful memories of the town and the wonderful holidays with my grandparents in the 50's and 60's, while you all have such horrendous memories.
I find it so so sad.

I remember been there in about 1967/68 it was a terrible place, the staff were really cruel I saw lots of things done to the other children, they were slapped, denied food, or made to eat food that made them vomit. I myself had no contact with my family, was made to go without meal's if I cried, many times I missed tea and had no food or drink from lunch time till breakfast. I remember a lovely girl who was called Elizabeth, she gave me her doll to comfort me, she was a little older than me love to find her but that's all I remember of her. I still have terrible memories of that place, I'm sure it would not be allowed to stay open if it was today. Was anyone ever held to account for what happened there? if not I guess its far too late now.

so sad I checked with the national archives and was told no information until 2035

I was sent there in about '63/64. I remember we went out on walks. One day I was allowed to run on ahead and wait at each road. When we got back, I was slapped across the back of my legs so hard, and next time we went out they put me on some kind of reins and had such fun yanking me about. I met a nurse Moody years later working in Bradford but couldn't remember if she was one of the nasty ones. BTW, I remember the big rocking horse !

They were closed for 100 years apparently .so what were they HIDING . I know the Home was mentioned in papers in Parliament and a vote was taken to close it . Our medical records have been frozen so we cant ever find out what we were in for , what they did to us medically, I think its despicable we were little children in the care of the health department .

Bless you all.im a daughter of one of those nurses.and believe me it never stopped at the hospital.my heart goes out to you all.as i truley understand everything you have wrote about what happened to you in that place.it has affected my life in a massive way.but im glad you all have the bottle now to speak up because as children fear stops you.xx

Hi,

I have recently been doing some research on Hornsea Convalescent Home following the passing of my father. It has come to light that he was sexually abused in his time at this home at the age of 11. This was kept a secret from his family until now, and led him to be a chronic alcoholic, and mental health sufferer his whole life whilst dealing with it, eventually leading to his death in his early 60’s.

After reading the posts on the page, I would like to get in touch with others affected, to try and get some answers about the whole situation. This has obviously affected a lot of lives and maybe we can get enough people together to get an inquest or to release the hidden medical records from this place.

If there is any information you could share I would extremely grateful. Even small pieces of information may lead us to something. Also if you know of anyone else affected that would be willing share their experiences please get in touch.

My email - andy_scholes1987@hotmail.com

Many thanks, hope to hear from you soon.

Andrew Scholes

I am mortified that this home is not under any investigation. My brother was in this horror home aged just 6 and spoke to me about being forced to eat his own vomit.

Hi, this is now being investigated by the police who are releasing documents and opening the case into abuse at this home.
Please contact the investigating Detective Constable on gayle.allwood@humberside.pnn.police.uk

Any info/stories/memories no matter how small could help.

Thank you.

Hi, this is now being investigated by the police who are releasing documents and opening the case into abuse at this home.
Please contact the investigating Detective Constable on gayle.allwood@humberside.pnn.police.uk

Any info/stories/memories no matter how small could help.

Thank you.

Hi, this is now being investigated by the police who are releasing documents and opening the case into abuse at this home.
Please contact the investigating Detective Constable on gayle.allwood@humberside.pnn.police.uk

Any info/stories/memories no matter how small could help.

Thank you.

Hi, this is now being investigated by the police who are releasing documents and opening the case into abuse at this home.
Please contact the investigating Detective Constable on gayle.allwood@humberside.pnn.police.uk

Any info/stories/memories no matter how small could help.

Thank you.

Hi, this is now being investigated by the police who are releasing documents and opening the case into abuse at this home.
Please contact the investigating Detective Constable on gayle.allwood@humberside.pnn.police.uk

Any info/stories/memories no matter how small could help.

Thank you.

I spent a short time there in the 60s I cant remember the exact dates but maybe I could work it out .
I was sent there from Seacroft hospital in Leeds, after having suspected rheumatic fever. It may be possible to get the exact dates from discharge papers from the hospital records?
It was horrendous, and at 63 years old am still scarred by the experience.
The food was horrendous and pretty much inedible. If you did anything wrong (small things) you were made to stand in your pyjamas on the freezing cold landing (bearing in mind the potential severity of the disease).
You weren't allowed to phone home without a chaperone and god forbid if you said anything bad about the home.
All your letters were inspected by the staff and again anything against the home would be censored.
Me and a friend sent there with me,(a boy called Alan, I cant remember his second name), even plotted an escape plan, which involved climbing down the glass roof and running away (this is how serious it became).
Some people talk about being sexually abused which I don't recall. However, as we know some things you can block out mentally.
I was fortunate as my parents suspected something and came to visit me. Of course I told them about the conditions and they took me straight home.
I feel so sorry for the others who maybe were not so lucky Sad smile
Where were the inspections? and, How could the NHS send children to such an awful place? This was massively negligent.

thats interesting that your medical records are missing for that year. i wrote to Humberside social services to ask for the records of my time there and was told there was no record of me ever being there. that made me smell a rat and a cover up. i am pleased that there is an investigation being considered but many people who experienced that hell hole will no longer be with us.

Awful place I had nightmares well into my early 50s I was 5 years old I was in there August 1963, force fed vomit, bathed in the same water a good 20 had been in before me, slapped on the legs for crying at night because a moth was flying around the room, didn’t see my parents for the full month I was in there, they showed me a box of fruit that had been sent to me that was the last time I saw it ! Cruel place it was !!

Does anyone remember the name of the main woman/nurse at this home in the 60’s/70’s?

Hi. I have just had an email from Humberside police. They are not taking it any further, as it seems almost impossible to find any of the abusive staff. Shame they cant be brought to justice. :(

Hi I had the same email it’s such a shame we cannot find any of the staff to bring them to justice 😡 I went to the place today it’s now retirement flats for the elderly I walked up the path at the side through a gate the same way I was walked in there as a 5 year old in august 1963 I peered through the door and the very same stairs are still there ☹️

It was an horrible experience I was there and remember all things that happen to us having to stand in corridor in cold if you wet the bed as a punishment made to eat stuff you didn't like nobody would believe me so blocked it out until now