Richmond Surrey 1953
I remember it well and to this day I wont forget the feeling I had on a dreary afternoon on the 2nd September 1952 it was at about 4 o'clock when I walked across the top field with Mr Butchers daughter Dawn and my Mum and aunt Rosie we stood at the bus stop and my eyes filled with tears as she boarded the bus to take her away from me. She was heading back to catch the train to Waterloo from Bournemouth.
The next morning was the start of a whole new experience and I wondered why I had been placed into care it was not until August 2008 that I found out.
My 4 years spent at PSTS is a very fond memory to this day I will never forget the camaraderie of the mates I made and at the same time I wont ever forget the tyrant that ruled the mess with his huge silver porridge ladle I soon learnt from my first experience of feeling that lethal weapon around the back of my neck for talking at the table, that it would do well for me to join the Boxing team as Charlie Woods would go a bit more easier on the boys that fought for him and his ego...so join I did. I then started to think of a way that I could spend the least amount of time in the school...the master plan was to join everything I could so Padre Slater was next on my list and being in the choir meant less time to ponder.
I was then approached by a gentleman who changed my life and way of thinking he was Bandy Joyce the band master I wanted to play Bass but as I was only 4ft 4" high and weighed 54lb it was far to heavy for me to cart round Poole Speedway Stadium on race nights...so it was the cornet that I found my solace in and owe a lasting debt of gratitude to Mr Joyce.
Memories of Saturday afternoons at The Bug Hutch cinema and a plate of chips afterwards still linger...along with Sundays spent down on the harbour which was strictly out of bounds) and going onto the coal boats and scrounging Senior Service fag's...I lost count of the times I was put on Captain's report but all of that did not seem to matter because I loved every day of my time spent and I now know in my old age that whatever it did it taught me about lifes up's and down's and stood me in good stead for my life's great venture to follow.
Oh yes and the answer to my question of why I was placed in care away from my sisters and mother was that at the age of 9 I was put on probation for stealing some apples off of a barrow some might think that is a harsh judgement but what I discovered from my Barnardo files.. the barrow was locked in a garage at the time.
Thank you to all of my old mates that have been in contact and a special thanks to Richard Eastwood for starting the ball rolling...Good luck to you all whatever part of the world you are in,,,,,
Roger (Titch) Wilding late of Arranmore House Number 39 1952-1956