What A Magnificant Building!

A Memory of Overstrand.

My memories are of working as a night care assistant from 1985 to 1990. Our work pattern was to work 7 nights on! This meant there was time during the shift to study and admire the fixtures and fittings throughout, as we had to clean it as well as look after approx 51 residents! Lots of wood floors, and panelling to dust and polish!

Early summer mornings at 4.00am we could see the crab boats go out. What a view.
Winter nights were drafty and at times spooky given the size of the buiding and rattly doors and windows.

But it was a privelege to work in such a building, and let your mind wander to how it would have been for such a rich family to live in what was initially just someones house. I loved the delpht tiles and fancy taps in the bathrooms, and the ornate carvings up the front staircase, with the little weird carvings of symbols of suns and moons and fish entwined and disguised into the carvings of what for years I had always just thought were scrolls and leaf patterns. When I first noticed them when polishing one windy stormy night I thought I was just over tired.

Many of the elderly residents had come to the "home" after already being institutionalised as poorer members of society, when the home was first opened by Norfolk County Council. Some had come from local workhouses and were still capable and very willing to do chores in the home as part of their daily routines. This was so beneficial to staff and for their own self worth. This would never happen nowadays. All governed now by Health and Safety legislation, and common sense gone out of the window.

I know this is true because I subsequently went on for another 25years to work in "so called better" homes for the elderly. The people who lived at Sea Marge ( often for many years) were well known in the village as then they could walk to the local shops, or cricket match or pub, without the staff having to do a risk asessment, or get approval from a faceless manager at County Hall!

The residents had so many interesting memories, many of real hardship in other institutions where they had barely existed. For them to live in such a beautiful house, and gardens must have been surreal. In addition to that for the first time for many, they had their own space and bed (although some of the larger bedrooms were like dormitories) AND three hearty meals a day with people to help them as carers if and when they were frail or unwell.

At that time iIwas a newbie care assistant and my thoughts were that yes this is a great way for us to look after elderly people, but my training and experience soon changed to the same opinion as the experts by realising that we should empower people to take charge of their own lives and assist them, rather than do for them.

I was sad when it was announced by N.C.C. that Sea Marge Home for the Elderly was to close. I loved my job. The impact on many of these poor people was heartbreaking. Some were moved on to other homes in the area.

I also remember that as a staff group, kind of against policy and procedure of N.C.C we went door knocking in Overstrand village to get local people to campaign against the closure with petitions. You know what, there was very little support to keep the place open. I was really shocked and it was closed as planned.

I moved away from the area,due to losing my job and I understand Sea Marge stood empty for a few years.

However I do remember lots of support and media coverage when at one point it was proposed that it could become a rehabilitation centre for drugs addicts! would have loved to have seen the same robust support for the elderly people too!

Went back there today to have lunch as it is back to being a hotel, thus provoking many memories of good times, hard work and the privelege of having known so many people who had lived and often ended their days there. Much of what was displayed around the hotel was typical of what is understandably a commercial business. I was just saddened that there was no trace of all these characters......for me it was a stark reminder that whilst we can look at pictures, photos and buildings of beauty and interest, you just cannot capture atmospheres or laughter and memories. The real beauty, heart and soul of such places are the memories, for me anyway.