South Africa Lodge Royal Naval Childrens Home

I didn't live at South Africa Lodge Maureen but there was two boys in my class at cowplain secondary school in Hart Plain ave,I can only remember one name and that was Gregory alexanderer ,he had an older brother who was there as well and they both lived at South Africa Lodge.

i remember the morman twins barry and kevin they were at south africa lodge as long as i can remember and at hopfield house.

I lived in South Africa lodge from 1965-1970 with my older sister and little brother, the rocking horse in the play room the shoe cupboard the dining room and Miss Prior one of the house mothers love of black current jam funny how things stay in the memory. Mr and Mrs Liddle , I remember how I learnt to swim in the swimming pool and still have photos from that time. I recall the Sunday walks and playing outside what ever the weather going to Sunday school , not unhappy memories

Hello Maureen, Melanie and Les, from time to time over the years I have also tried to find friends from that era and was delighted to find this site. Maureen, I remember you and your sisters well, E was the first one to pass her 11plus and go to Purbrook Grammar School and my older brother was the second. Names from a bygone era; Miss Gardner, Miss Cox and Miss Prior, the Hunt, Perry, Foster, Wilkinson, Thornton families to mention just a few. I have a few pictures from that time, including the Royal visit by Princess Shah of Nepal. Mr and Mrs Liddle and their son Adrian were outstanding role models and should have been honoured for their contribution to our lives. St Georges Church choir with Mrs Jackson? And the Rev Harry Gibson.

Hi Gregory, I remember your family well, we met up with Lindsay a couple of years ago.
South Africa Lodge was beautiful happy memories, Christmas has never been the same. Remember the plays we put on on our side of the house, and the boxing day gun fight. The Christmas parties the Navy put on for us.
I thought it was me that presented the bouquet to Princess Sharadashah of Nepal ! I have visited the place and it is now an Old peoples home but with some of the old features still recognisable. Hope that you are doing well. xxx

Gosh can't believe I found this conversation! I worked at South Africa Lodge 1979-1983. I have such fond memories of the place, people (especially happy Miss Prior!) and children x

My sister and I arrived at SAL in 1977. Julie stayed until summer 1980 and I had bee sent to RAA school in 1978. My sister was Miss Priors fav and had a fantastic relationship with the family that managed the home at that time. Fond memories x

My younger brother was 4 and I was 10 when we were placed there, so must have been around 1975. I remember Miss Prior and Miss Cox They were the house mother’s for our side. I shared a dormitory with an older girl, I believe her name was Anne Wilde? She had a brother called Robert, and another I think. There was another boy around my age and I think his name was Steven. Anyway, they used to have an old boat in the grounds that we would all play in. I also remember Anne, myself and ‘Sirs’ daughter being allowed in the dining hall to play records - and putting on a show acting out the songs like ‘Billy don’t be a hero’ and ‘The Monster Mash’ My name was Sarah Greenland and my brother is David. Many many memories, some good, some bad.

I was there with my brothers and sister from 1970 until I975. All my memories were not always happy especially the strictness of the place , if you got caught talking at bed time made to clean the toilets but it provided me with stability in an unstable place . My name is Maggie Cole nee McDougall and my brothers were Francis and William and my sister Doreen , Anyone remember me would love to get in touch

My brother and I were here I was about 4 my brother 2. I believe we came in 1971 till 1975 but I have lost a yr . My memories are not so pleasant. My brother was emotionally and sexually abused. Emotional abuse seemed to be the norm especially from Mrs Cox. I do remember Mrs Gardiner. She always seemed nice. I remember she pinned hankies on the inside of our cardigans before church on Sunday from that time

Mrs John played the organ. Choir practices were on Monday and Thursday evenings

Hi do you remember the wiseman’s , not to sure on dates but around the time I think you were , my brothers were Stephen and George ,

My maiden name was Ruth Chalkley. I and my two younger brothers, Matthew and Vincent Chalkley, went to Hopfields in Stakes Hill Road, Waterlooville, in December 1951. A couple of years later (or it may have been earlier), South Africa Lodge was built to accommodate the boys from Hopfields, which then became an all girls home. I left Hopfields in 1957 and my brothers left South Africa Lodge about a year later to return home to Essex. Names of boys I remember going to South Africa Lodge from Hopfields were Jimmy Parker, David Davies, David Stripp, William and Jimmy Edwards, Vivian Mullally, Peter McIntyre, the Morman boys Clive, Barry and Kevin and another - or maybe two - whose names escape me Although I didn't know them personally, I remember the names of Mr Liddle, the Superintendent, Mrs Liddle and their son, Adrian, through my brothers. Hopfields and South Africa Lodge joined together for the annual sports day and in the days of Mr Thompson, the previous Superintendent, and Matron Terry from Hopfields, a Christmas nativity was performed at South Africa Lodge in which I played the third king to visit the baby Jesus. My years at Hopfields were generally happy. Of course, there were times not so happy for whatever reason (usually missing my mother and home), but that's part of life and growing up. The care at Hopfields and education at Waterlooville Primary School and then Cowplain Secondary Girls' School gave me the right kind of values and definitely improved my chances in life. I set up a Hopfields group on Facebook years ago but never had any contacts although I keep in touch with Christine and Eileen née Clements from Hopfields and quite a number of ex-Cowplainees. I would love to hear from anyone from Hopfields or South Africa Lodge although sadly, I fear time is running out.

My husband Paul Moorman and all his brothers: Clive, Terry, Derek, John, Barry and Kevin were all in the homes from very young children during the 50's and 60's. They do not have fond memories as they feel they had a very regimented, restricted childhood devoid of affection. During the holidays they were farmed out to strangers and whilst in the home were not in family groups but in a dormitory and were made to do the domestic work from a very young age including stoking the furnace, cutting the grass, polishing the floors and kitchen tasks. They also received the cane and slipper from Mr Liddle. Unfortunately no happy memories.

My brother and I were at SAL for a couple of years in the early sixties I remember vividly all the older children retuning from school in the boot room when the news that JFK being shot. Andrew and Iain Skeoch I believe that my mother donated the rocking horse when we immigrated to Australia. Myself and a young girl called Anne (?} where the two youngest and didn’t go to school. Mostly happy memories aside being force feed vegetables which I still don’t like.