Life at Kingsmoor Children's Home
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Gary Taylor
August 2018 My first experience of Box started in 1966 when I arrived at Kingsmoor Children’s Home. Due to our parents split and the fact we were six siblings, we were taken into care. My name is Gary Taylor and I am the youngest of the six. The Taylors consisted of Brenda, Alan, Colin, Carol, Chris and myself, Gary. I was six years old when I arrived and spent the next twelve years living at Kingsmoor. At the time I arrived and for a short period after, most of the Taylor’s were already at Kingsmoor, although the eldest group (Brenda, Alan and Carol) were soon old enough to move on, and did so as soon as they could. We were taken into Wiltshire County Council care when our parents separated. |
Kingsmoor House today (courtesy Carol Payne)
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Living at Kingsmoor
Kingsmoor was at that time run, rather strictly, by Roy and Enid Tull. Most of the children felt they were old-fashioned and overly strict. Although people often think poorly of kids living in a children’s home, actually it was not so bad at times. We were well looked after, well fed, clothed, kept warm, safe and had schooling. I was about the youngest then at age 6 and the rest of the boys and girls ages ranged from 6 to 16. Among other staff there was an Aunty Nell and Aunty Barbara, two carers at Kingsmoor who both lived nearby in the village.
The Tulls kept lots of animals such as pheasants, geese, ducks, chickens and budgies, and I enjoyed many hours feeding and looking after them in my early years. They also had four dogs, Golden Retrievers and Labradors, which fortunately were keen to eat any foods I did not like at meal times, such as brawn and polony.
On the whole life at Kingsmoor was fairly good. We were taught respect, honesty and decency. In the summer school holidays,
a minibus was hired for a week or two and we had day trips to the seaside, Butlins Minehead, and other days out. I remember all the kids singing in the minibus, and stopping for fish and chips on the way home from the seaside. We always had a pillowcase of presents at Christmas, went to pantomimes, the cinema, and birthdays were celebrated. We spent many weekends and school holidays up the quarry woods and Ley Woods, building dens, tracking, playing hide and seek. In the evenings, we all sat around the TV watching popular programmes, such as Top of the Pops. Once we had a nun stay at Kingsmoor, who played football with all the kids in Kingsmoor’s paddock. Unfortunately for us, the nun dribbled the ball under her habit all the way to the other end and scored. One of the regular activities for us kids was a trip to Mr. Bawtree’s for a haircut. It was a choice of a short back and sides or a German helmet style. The other choice was whether to have Brylcreem or Hair spray. I always chose the spray, which I can almost still smell now after all these years
Another regular occurrence was the weekly handing out of pocket money. We would queue up and each receive a small amount. If anyone had misbehaved they were docked accordingly. They soon realised that crime did not pay. We would then rush into the village to the sweet shop. As a six year old boy you can imagine my delight looking over the counter at jars of sweets on the racks. The hardest decision was which to buy. Some years later, as a teenager, my purchasing changed to vinyl records. I realised that if I walked to Bath and back, the money I saved on the bus fare was enough to get me a full LP record.
There were some not so good aspects of life at Kingsmoor, like the annual cleaning the silver, the weekly cleaning the shoes rota and daily washing up rota. As there were some sixteen to twenty children and some six adult carers this meant lots of dishes to wash, and many pairs of shoes to clean; sometimes it was rather regimental.
The children at Kingsmoor all went to Box Highlands Primary School. It was quite a daily trip, usually walking both there and back again via the rather steep Quarry Hill (although it did not seem such an event at the time, as we never knew differently).
My memories of Box Highlands are mainly playing marbles at break time and eating goosegogs from the bushes in the grounds !
I did join the Box Cubs, (32ndCub Scout Group I seem to remember). There was one occasion when we all ran across the Box Recreation Ground, whilst looking across at the other cubs I ran straight into a park bench and knocked myself out cold.
Later on, I joined the Corsham Sea Scouts, run by Lord Methuen who owned Corsham Court. We spent many hours canoeing and rowing on Corsham Court Lake. A small group of us were lucky enough to have been taken to the Isle of Wight for a weekend on Lord Methuen’s sailing boat. For secondary school we went to Corsham Comprehensive, getting the coach daily at Brownings Yard, (now a small housing estate).
Later Years at Kingsmoor
At one point, a whole new wing was to be built at Kingsmoor, which involved us kids moving in with the vicar, Rev Tom Selwyn Smith at the vicarage which was right next to the recreation ground. The vicar was quite a character in the village, with his instantly recognisable blue Ford Anglia. On one occasion I fell out of a tree head first in the recreation ground and broke my arm. I managed to walk back to the vicarage before being taken to Accident and Emergency for a plaster-cast which I proudly showed off with all the children’s and staff signatures on it.
My latter years at Kingsmoor in the 1970s saw a newer, more modern couple in charge, Patrick and Felicity. Life was definitely more relaxed, and more enjoyable for us all. We enjoyed having a snooker table and table-tennis among other things. We also went on regular camping trips and used to sing songs around the camp-fire to the accompaniment of guitar played by one of the carers. This was enough to get me started learning the guitar. My claim to fame was when we sang Christmas carols at a party for the old folk at Selwyn Hall and I strummed along merrily.
In fact, in my last couple of years at Kingsmoor I lived in a caravan in the grounds, in preparation for fending for myself in the big wide world. This was something that I really appreciated as I could enjoy some privacy as a late teenager. At this stage I was probably the eldest and the younger children seemed to look up to me. It was a sort of unspoken recognition of respect.
Kingsmoor was at that time run, rather strictly, by Roy and Enid Tull. Most of the children felt they were old-fashioned and overly strict. Although people often think poorly of kids living in a children’s home, actually it was not so bad at times. We were well looked after, well fed, clothed, kept warm, safe and had schooling. I was about the youngest then at age 6 and the rest of the boys and girls ages ranged from 6 to 16. Among other staff there was an Aunty Nell and Aunty Barbara, two carers at Kingsmoor who both lived nearby in the village.
The Tulls kept lots of animals such as pheasants, geese, ducks, chickens and budgies, and I enjoyed many hours feeding and looking after them in my early years. They also had four dogs, Golden Retrievers and Labradors, which fortunately were keen to eat any foods I did not like at meal times, such as brawn and polony.
On the whole life at Kingsmoor was fairly good. We were taught respect, honesty and decency. In the summer school holidays,
a minibus was hired for a week or two and we had day trips to the seaside, Butlins Minehead, and other days out. I remember all the kids singing in the minibus, and stopping for fish and chips on the way home from the seaside. We always had a pillowcase of presents at Christmas, went to pantomimes, the cinema, and birthdays were celebrated. We spent many weekends and school holidays up the quarry woods and Ley Woods, building dens, tracking, playing hide and seek. In the evenings, we all sat around the TV watching popular programmes, such as Top of the Pops. Once we had a nun stay at Kingsmoor, who played football with all the kids in Kingsmoor’s paddock. Unfortunately for us, the nun dribbled the ball under her habit all the way to the other end and scored. One of the regular activities for us kids was a trip to Mr. Bawtree’s for a haircut. It was a choice of a short back and sides or a German helmet style. The other choice was whether to have Brylcreem or Hair spray. I always chose the spray, which I can almost still smell now after all these years
Another regular occurrence was the weekly handing out of pocket money. We would queue up and each receive a small amount. If anyone had misbehaved they were docked accordingly. They soon realised that crime did not pay. We would then rush into the village to the sweet shop. As a six year old boy you can imagine my delight looking over the counter at jars of sweets on the racks. The hardest decision was which to buy. Some years later, as a teenager, my purchasing changed to vinyl records. I realised that if I walked to Bath and back, the money I saved on the bus fare was enough to get me a full LP record.
There were some not so good aspects of life at Kingsmoor, like the annual cleaning the silver, the weekly cleaning the shoes rota and daily washing up rota. As there were some sixteen to twenty children and some six adult carers this meant lots of dishes to wash, and many pairs of shoes to clean; sometimes it was rather regimental.
The children at Kingsmoor all went to Box Highlands Primary School. It was quite a daily trip, usually walking both there and back again via the rather steep Quarry Hill (although it did not seem such an event at the time, as we never knew differently).
My memories of Box Highlands are mainly playing marbles at break time and eating goosegogs from the bushes in the grounds !
I did join the Box Cubs, (32ndCub Scout Group I seem to remember). There was one occasion when we all ran across the Box Recreation Ground, whilst looking across at the other cubs I ran straight into a park bench and knocked myself out cold.
Later on, I joined the Corsham Sea Scouts, run by Lord Methuen who owned Corsham Court. We spent many hours canoeing and rowing on Corsham Court Lake. A small group of us were lucky enough to have been taken to the Isle of Wight for a weekend on Lord Methuen’s sailing boat. For secondary school we went to Corsham Comprehensive, getting the coach daily at Brownings Yard, (now a small housing estate).
Later Years at Kingsmoor
At one point, a whole new wing was to be built at Kingsmoor, which involved us kids moving in with the vicar, Rev Tom Selwyn Smith at the vicarage which was right next to the recreation ground. The vicar was quite a character in the village, with his instantly recognisable blue Ford Anglia. On one occasion I fell out of a tree head first in the recreation ground and broke my arm. I managed to walk back to the vicarage before being taken to Accident and Emergency for a plaster-cast which I proudly showed off with all the children’s and staff signatures on it.
My latter years at Kingsmoor in the 1970s saw a newer, more modern couple in charge, Patrick and Felicity. Life was definitely more relaxed, and more enjoyable for us all. We enjoyed having a snooker table and table-tennis among other things. We also went on regular camping trips and used to sing songs around the camp-fire to the accompaniment of guitar played by one of the carers. This was enough to get me started learning the guitar. My claim to fame was when we sang Christmas carols at a party for the old folk at Selwyn Hall and I strummed along merrily.
In fact, in my last couple of years at Kingsmoor I lived in a caravan in the grounds, in preparation for fending for myself in the big wide world. This was something that I really appreciated as I could enjoy some privacy as a late teenager. At this stage I was probably the eldest and the younger children seemed to look up to me. It was a sort of unspoken recognition of respect.
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I was fortunate then to have met Steve and Gill Culley, residents of Box, who took me under their wing for a while and helped my integration into society. They taught me to drive, vegetable gardening and introduced me to some basic car mechanics. They bought me my first toolbox, which I later used throughout my apprenticeship and still use today some 43 years later when servicing my own car. After some 24 years in the motor trade I entered the world of software support where I have been since January 2001. Initially living next to the Rec and Box School at 26 Fairmead View, Steve and Gill later moved to Hazelbury Hill.
Right: Gary looking after Hazel Culley, Christmas 1978 |
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On leaving school in 1976 I was lucky enough to get a job in nearby Bath as an apprentice mechanic at Independent Motors, a Citroen dealer. It was around 1978 when I finally managed to move out of Kingsmoor and into a bedsit in Bath.
My Brothers and Sisters
Brenda married Pete Janes and moved to Swindon to start a family. Carol married John Szchleswick and lived in Hazelbury Hill. Carol worked for a while in the rubber factory in Box. Carol sadly died of cancer in 1985 and is buried in Box cemetery, which I visit occasionally. Alan and Colin initially had apprenticeships at Westinghouse Chippenham, then Alan and Chris moved to the bright lights of London. Alan died in the summer 2017. As for me, I married Alison, and we have two children of our own, and two granddaughters.
Postscript
The concept of Children's Homes started in the mid 1800s as an alternative to the workhouse for London street children. After the Second World War the 1948 Children's Act gave County Councils responsibility for running them and Kingsmoor Children's Home was opened in Box in 1950 by Wiltshire County Council.[1]The intention was to make the accommodation similar to domestic homes with a House Mother and House Father and a Matron caring for the children's welfare.
The original intention was to use the Box Home as a temporary reception centre "where assessments could be made of (children's) needs and characteristics.[2] Later it became a residential home. The house needed substantial alteration from the time it was the private residence of Mr and Mrs Sholto Douglas Skrine and family in the 1930s and 1940s and during the war it was used for military purposes as a "Naval Station". No wonder that the Council asked for building tenders in December 1949.[3]
The home was later taken over by the Richmond Fellowship until it closed in 2008 and was converted back into a private house.
My Brothers and Sisters
Brenda married Pete Janes and moved to Swindon to start a family. Carol married John Szchleswick and lived in Hazelbury Hill. Carol worked for a while in the rubber factory in Box. Carol sadly died of cancer in 1985 and is buried in Box cemetery, which I visit occasionally. Alan and Colin initially had apprenticeships at Westinghouse Chippenham, then Alan and Chris moved to the bright lights of London. Alan died in the summer 2017. As for me, I married Alison, and we have two children of our own, and two granddaughters.
Postscript
The concept of Children's Homes started in the mid 1800s as an alternative to the workhouse for London street children. After the Second World War the 1948 Children's Act gave County Councils responsibility for running them and Kingsmoor Children's Home was opened in Box in 1950 by Wiltshire County Council.[1]The intention was to make the accommodation similar to domestic homes with a House Mother and House Father and a Matron caring for the children's welfare.
The original intention was to use the Box Home as a temporary reception centre "where assessments could be made of (children's) needs and characteristics.[2] Later it became a residential home. The house needed substantial alteration from the time it was the private residence of Mr and Mrs Sholto Douglas Skrine and family in the 1930s and 1940s and during the war it was used for military purposes as a "Naval Station". No wonder that the Council asked for building tenders in December 1949.[3]
The home was later taken over by the Richmond Fellowship until it closed in 2008 and was converted back into a private house.
References
[1] The Wiltshire Times, 20 August 1949
[2] The Wiltshire Times, 26 May 1951
[3] The Wiltshire Times, 26 November 1949
[1] The Wiltshire Times, 20 August 1949
[2] The Wiltshire Times, 26 May 1951
[3] The Wiltshire Times, 26 November 1949