Holmeleigh Childrens Home Horncastle

A Memory of Horncastle.

I lived at Holmeleigh children's home from August 1966 until it closed down in 1969 to become a college, an educational facility. We were transferred abruptly from another residential settling different village in Lincolnshire in August 1966. I was moved with a group of children. Other cottages homes started closing down around 1968. Home 9 closed down in December 1969 it was one of the last cottages to be closed. Most cottages where relocated to newly built family group homes throughout Lincolnshire.

My care history: I had been in care since birth in different placements and had no knowledge of my birth place of origin or parents or relatives, no family contact, relationships totally absent.
I was admitted to Holmeleigh with a group of ten other children in summer 1966, with no preparation what to expect apart from being told by a welfare officer Mr Marshall a few days before going to Horncastle. We were informed that we could no longer be cared for by our then caregivers and introduced to our new Aunty. We were taken and driven in a bus from Skegness by two new strangers Aunty and Uncle looked after us for two weeks giving us a holiday there. This couple were only caring for us for two weeks.
As we entered Holmeleigh it was a very scary place we entered via Foundary street passed the fire station.on the left. We went up a long drive way with trees buildings along side. At the end an arch way old office buildings the old work house. In the grounds on its towards the right situated the home cottages All had an Number 1 to 10. Our new place to reside in Home 9 was at the other end of the complex. Closer to Mareham Road and the nearest to Superintendent and Matron Norman and Elizabeth Vardy residence. Had been employed there many years now in mid 60s pre retirment couple.
I thought it was a prison and had unsettled feelings thoughts being 9years old . Most of the other children like myself had quite a time adjusting to our new surroundings and primary care givers the Aunties. I got lost in the grounds when sent out to play it had swings sand pits playing fields. Our new housemother was recently married and this was her first home she was in charge of. Home 9 had already been closed down recently and opened up to receive and care for us we the children already been under the local authority care long term.
It is some what painful emotionally to reconnect with those years living at Holmeleigh because sadly it brings raw memories of conflict confusion apprehension.
Its extremely hard to accept this is how children were brought up in care back then accepted practice because in my eyes not child focused/ friendly.
The children's home was run like an institution we had numbers on our clothes towels etc. A huge laundry work shop maintenance area. Lots a different staff doing jobs within the grounds.
Holmeleigh was fully fenced enclosed from neighbouring streets which made us feel a liitle removed from our local community .I understand the history of cottages homes build in 1930 for up to 14 children in each cottage. It had its own residential nursery initially also an reception centre home for new children admissions. However these were not operating when I arrived in 1966.

Most of the housemothers had been working running their cottage home many years strict and firm not always fair. I was fortunate to remain in the group of children that I lived with previously we went through this tough transition of care very different and unfamiliar to what we had first hand experience of. It was a turbulent time a new school as well to settle in.
Holmeleigh kids were labelled a stigma to cope with. Sadly most of us children were taken into care because of no fault of our own and had been placed permanently under the local authorities care as newborn babies or very young children.
It was my time in care at Holmeleigh I realised for the first time how helpless you our the reality I was in the care system for my whole childhood the decisions made often seemed harsh hard. I belonged to the local authority not knowing or having any relationship with my birth family or experiencing any family life.
I mixed memories about living in Horncastle all the staff influenced my life impacting some in postive ways I make this contribution only a snippet so as an caring society needs to hear the past . Some good not all was bad what we endured or experienced. We had food clothing a roof over our heads.
However others experiences remain deep with in and live with you across life's journey life span. You could not call Holmeleigh childrens home a family real home it was more a place you grew up in. I did not see my houseparents as parents because I had several changes of housemothers during my three year stay.
It was the children that had to adapt to ways of the different personalities of adults how they ran the home their behaviour nothing remained stable very long expect the unexpected.