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School Of Despair

A Memory of Clacton-On-Sea.

Seduced by the professional expertise of our family doctor, my late mother was persuaded to send me away at age 7 to the Ogilvie School which promised a health giving regime for children who were thought to be of "delicate" constitution. Upon arrival I was overwhelmed by institutionalism so far removed from the protected and loving family environment hitherto enjoyed that I might have been whisked to another planet.
I never recalled a single member of staff who had any childfriendly inclinations or teachers who were other than time servers. Apart from confinement during Chickenpox and the occupational therapy then enjoyed, every moment spend in this horrendous prison was tearful agony and homesickness.
Significant memories?
The King died, I discovered gooseberries were quite tasty if eaten uncooked from the extensive kitchen garden, I saw the Brabazon fly overhead and I encountered Slipper Limpets on the shingle beach where we were frequently taken on crocodile walks.
I see the actual buildings are still there bearing the logo of another educational establishment, one can only pray that humanity has developed enough to relieve those currently confined from the torture I endured.

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Added 04 March 2011

#231407

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dungeries and going down to the beach even when it was very cold and hoping we would not stay building sand castles for to long then bach to a warmer school,of course spring and summer was wonderfull being out in the fresh air| Other memories include walks into Clacton itself walking past buildings and yards full of wartime castoffs seeing piles of gas masks tin helmets and tanks military truck s all in a sorry state..We were taken on these walks quite often in fact most of my time there was spent outside in the fresh air wether you wanted to or not which then turns to sleeping arrangements because the highlights of my stay there was to be allocated a bed on the balcony to the rear which i was priveliged to have i think i begged the nurse in charge to sleep outside to which she relented a lot of the boys thought the Bats would bite them so voted to stay inside,i have to admit watching the bats for some time before i fell asleep. I met some friends there we used to sit under the trees far away from the school and chat about normal boyish things a lot of the boys seemed to have asthma could hear them wheezing and i felt sorry for them.The nurses were fine one in particular was very kind to me and allways seemed to be looking out for me.I was homesick a lot of the time in fact for the whole time i was there untill one day i was dressed taken to the train station and taken home to live the next chapter of my life,but i have never ever forgotten Ogilvie School i somehow grew up very quickly there and so far have lived a healthy life...

By Brian Hedges on Mon Jul 24th 2023, at 8:25 pm

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