MALSBERRY HOUSE
Created | Updated Jun 5, 2005
Yes lil for five and half years, [NCH] 63 69 with my brother and sister, it was there that I had eyes opened so to speak Hasting UKif interested nice area, home contained 50 in [groups /family] (greengables/summerlea/windsor/avonlea/?) each group also had colour codes green/yellow/blue/pink)
Mainly Methodist but since one of the "sisters" legacy from Victorian etiquette, was "catholic" so that "group" had to attend her "church" often children would find as in my case was in one group with my brother yet his twin sister was in other group yep you’ve guessed she became "catholic" by proxy.
and yes you "had" to go to "worship" #
The Set Up
Most family groups would consist of age 4-16 the elder children "involved with care"
in many cases these groups also multicultural that is my "group" had a Greek African Anglo Indian given the trouble that was going on during fifties and early sixties# no surprises there
but did give better insight or hind sight to "alternative" lifestyles along with the "tools later needed to survive" mostly "illegal" or considered to be not suitable for someone of my age
but this was the sixties after all .
The Times
This era 60s can be equated with the 1920s or 1880s a time when moral constraints seem to be relaxed.Or was it parent parents who finaly kicking off shoes, roaring twenties flapperrs ect.
As for why 1880, most of those who where comeing to adult hood poets artist ect attitudes started to change for runner to newlynn school ,just starting blues starting to take off, variety at its heyday music hall culture ,comeing out balls
I think I benefited by the acquisition of knowledge outside the scope of those who lived within the normal family"
seems a strange thought at first as to me as a ten year old my life was a normal family, until I went into the "NCH" the competition being Barnardos bit like coke and Pepsi if you like but as to which is best I could not say.
BUT whereas in most family groups a lot of what goes on in the "lives" of older siblings is "hidden" by them whereas most children would have to wait until they got to school to get feedback on this or that in the home you would have several peers who already crossed that bridge. E:G BURMA SIAM SWALK, ring a bell this postscript we all put on doodles letters most of us would have had to wait until brother or sister went through that phase ,yet here you had several going through that and other phase each and every week/month, don’t forget sometime spending 12 hours in a house with 50 children ,who are not "constrained by parental controls" some even rebelling for various reasons so would teach the younger children
things they had learnt,
Aspects of life which the older kids teach the younger ones.
By this I mean life the universe everything, For example being a type of home that the social services would use often, along with the sad fact with several of the children where long stay
orphans ect would have spent ten or so years there like wise the "sisters" those in charge, five or six long term each of these sisters would be helped by trainees who would spend I think six or so month placements.
THE Outside World
Most children on arrival would be scared frightened and whilst would not accept or understand the explanation of those in charge but could easily talk to another child
who in many cases not only empathised with them but was better able to explain things. (back slang)
Some one just asked me*
I found myself wondering whether you were talking about coping in the adult world, or being streetwise, or sex, or drugs, or something else.*Coping in the adult world, not so much in my case as I have always well ever since I was five or six always thought of my self as adult and treated every one else as one, why? I don’t know but that’s me I still do it today that is I will give a child of six or seven the same respect as a eighty year old, it has served me well.
Although I have no children of my own never wanted anyone of my idiosychosies is that far too many couples have children to please parents or grandparents ,not that I had any "beefs" with my grandparents. Then again only new one side of the family again I would if pressed for an answer related to family split 1870-1920, more if I research,
Being streetwise defiantly as in getting to know new children one would get to hear of the circumstances that brought them there wither it be the trouble in Cypress or broken home almost as many reasons as children, also as children like to show off
I learned several illegal things how locks worked, by unpicking them, not that the home was locked down, explosives how to make them.
How far or how to push "this or that sister" I suppose today it would be called body language, also taught me or gave me I suppose a better word a natural distrust of
systems or authority I mean by that all the children wore same shoes style of clothes.
One of the first thing that happened was haircut, set bath nights, bedtimes, curfews that sort of thing, also diets eat your green so to speak, I still hate fish today.
So if you think I’m abrasive in my replies at time or I am being to aggressive with "comment/observation" bear in mind the "little you do know regarding my education"
against your own!
