Princess Alice Home And Orphanage 1941 1955

A Memory of Sutton Coldfield.

I too, was in Copley House with my sister Sheila. Our surname was Youngs (the sister in charge of the house was Sister Ada Fitzjohn). I was at first, in the nursery school on Chester Road until I was five and went up to the 'big' home. Many happy memories of Sutton Park, the lakes, the trees and the heather. We sometimes played truant from Sunday school, and went to the park but often found out and were punished - polishing floors, getting the strap, or missing tea. I attended Sutton Coldfield High School, but I hated the high school, as most of the girls were snobs. There were a few nice girls, and some specially nice teachers; Mrs Appleby, Hilary Andrade - Thomas, Miss Hinton, Miss Bowie. I was the only 'home' girl at the high school for many years. I went to school at slightly different times to the other children at the home, and had a different colour uniform to the others at the home. I was made to feel different by other children at the home and high school consequently, I became very lonely, and turned any love to the animals. I would spend hours talking to the cows in the fields from the farm, at the childrens home. The boys at the home used to bring me injured or baby birds (some I am sure were taken out of their nests.) This nutured my love of animals, and I became a veterinary nurse for nearly 20 years. I emigrated to New Zealand in 1961, and am married with two children and three grandchildren.
During the war, we often had to go into the air raid shelter, when the sirens went off. One night, a bomb was dropped on the home and part of the gardener's cottage and shed were badly damaged but no one was injured, as we were all in the shelters. Sometimes when the Sisters at the Home took us to the park ,they took the wrong road, and on more than one occasion, we ended up near the Nissen huts in the park. I am not too sure if they housed prisoners of war, or just detainees, but I remember they were guarded by soldiers with guns ,and we were very scared that we would be shot.
From the childrens home, we could see Sutton Park in the distance, and there was a barrage balloon there, and the forces used to pratice jumping out of it for parachute training.Our dad was in the airforce, so we used to pretend he was one of them, but I don't think he was. It was only on special occasions that we went into Sutton township, but sometimes we were taken to the picture theatre to see the Saturday morning films, that was a big treat. Many generous people from around Sutton and Birmingham, helped the children at the home, donating toys, books and food, so we received birthday and Christmas gifts, and sometimes we were taken to the theatre (something I really loved). Although people labelled us 'The Home Kids', as if we were something you wipe off your shoes, only a very small minority were any trouble. Most of us were there because we were either orphaned, or one of our parents had died, and the other parent was unable to look after us (as in our case, dad was in the war). Some children were war refugees, some children were from abusive or violent homes, but we were all only children. From what I remember of Sutton Coldfield, it was a very nice area, with beautiful Sutton Park a real asset. I hope it still is, and hasn't all been chopped up for housing.