I was at Briar patch childrens home, Letchworth, about 1958. I have some wonderful memories of my time there we were known as the Flissys we were in very good caring hands with Mr and Mrs Felix Aunties Gregg Terry Robin Ginny Pam Carol Egnor and more .
I loved the boxer dog candy and the Siamese cats. We had great Christmas parties at chick hands pantomimes Easter eggs , Bonfire nights everything was done to perfection such happy Memories.
Pat Flissikowski
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I was there with my brother im. Pete dunne brother jell house 2 auntie Greg great time about the time of the reali
es of she loves you yer yer by the beatles I remember Graham horsfield and the other song I can’t remember something to do with a sputnik telstar
Briar Patch “The Patch” the lads liked to call it.
I have very fond memories of the Patch I was there from 1954 to 1958 & my four brothers.
Ron, Neil, Ian & Keith.
I was very surprised to see three blogs from people of about the same era & age as myself talking about stuff I remember, maybe I can throw in some memories of mine, can you people remember this … Mr & Mrs Felix (Sir & Matron) sons Anthony & Adrian and their boxer dog they had a Labrador too can`t remember it`s name … this is when they first opened up house four for the 11 to 15 year olds… Miss Laurie house mother…Aunties Margaret &
Rosemary other aunties Judy…Hannie(Dutch)…Rose..Mary…Mrs Kenyatta & son Peter…Mr & Mrs Parrish…Mr Parrish was the gardener…the kids I remember…Mick Ottaway…John Cook…Dave Wallace…John Linney…Eric Day…Graham Body
Dave Davidson…Brian Crane…Betty & Reggie Pratt…Sheila Bruce…Grace Hunter…Jim Taplin & Lubilu does any body remember his real name …more memories…church on Sundays… buy packet of fags with the collection money…boys brigade…army cadets…mass tag hee down the dell…the cherry tree…Saturday Broadway flicks…free tickets for the swimming pool…chores on Saturdays I liked to get the job polishing the floors you could stand on the machine and rid on it up and down the corridors…the swing we made over the chalk pit Mick Ottaway broke both arms swinging on it…the paddling pool Mr Felix hosing us down with the fire hose…Great Christmases…parties pantomimes…Easter the massive chocolate egg shared out to us kids. Bonfire nights…us older kids would build the bonfire and Mr Felix would think up ingenious ways to light it on the night and hot lemonade and ginger bread men & a lot of fireworks…I`m going to stop now I`m getting carried way with the memories but I will say they were happy days for me and the day I walk down
Briar Patch Lane for the last time I shed a tear maybe two.
Many many thanks from me to Mr & Mrs Felix & all the house mothers & aunties who looked after us,
Thank you for doing a great job !!!
By Barry Law (18/11/23 )
I remember the flissikowskis and the bakers, Kay Devonshire and her sister Yvonne auntie margaret, Marion ,Wendy, I was there in 1965,with my brother roger.
I was there about 1959. Started in house 4 then went too house 3 with auntie Greg and auntie terry. I remember having to stock the houses on Saturday mornings. Very caring people. Although didn’t start good very traumatic at the time I was 9yrs old having being taken from my family for no fault of my own. Only name I remember was Sheila osbourn. Melvyn Muzio
I was there in the 70’s. I would also like to recover records. It was an awful time for me. At 9 i was distraught . The staff were kind though. Russell large. Links please if anyone has them. Thank you
The baker family was there 1960 ish
Carol dawn paul Stephanie wendy
Not really got any memory of briar patch
Only a long tree lined walk to school and picking up conkers on the way
I left there in 1987
It was a children’s home.
I would love to recover My files from there.
I live in Australia.
I am Australian