Stories of Cherry Orchard, Heavers Farm and Waylands

Transcription

1 Cherry Orchard Heavers Farm Waylands Stories of Cherry Orchard, Heavers Farm and Waylands

2 Many thanks to everyone involved in helping to decide how to present all the memories and photographs collected by the History of Day Centres project. Ida Adeniyi, Dorothy Atkinson, Michael Gallett, Helen Graham, Pat Hall, Stephen Johnson, Brian Jones, Dorian-Jones Davies, Zeedah Kahn, Donovan McKnight. Valerie Newcastle, Olwen Ryan, Andrew Samuel, Andrew Slegg, Paul Smith. And a special thanks to John Donnelly for scanning in the photographs. Contents Croydon s Day Centres 3 Work 4 Garden Centre 7 Wages 8 Art and craft 9 Discos 10 Sport 12 Food and drink 14 Holidays 15 Shows 16 All change 17 Friends 19 Life today 20

3 Croydon s Day Centres Heavers Farm Waylands Croydon Advertiser, 5th May 1967 Croydon Advertiser, 22nd March 1974 Croydon Advertiser, 19th May 1967 Cherry Orchard Paulette Brown: They did have a very, very old one. It was freezing in there. Darren Hamilton: There were holes in the roof and there were rain buckets everywhere. Cherry Orchard Road St James Road Jill O Donovan: The new Cherry Orchard was better, warmer. Croydon Advertiser, 14th November 1967

4 Work Paulette Brown Sometimes we didn t like some of the contract work like mats, we had to pull on these masks and clean them up and then they put this fancy bit on them. That was the worst job. Jill O Donovan We used to go on conveyor belts, but we don t do that now Dorian Jones-Davies Put it in the clocking machine. Every time you go outside and you clock in and it said what time you left. Bhupendra Patel I did knives and fork, packing up, in a box

5 Mark Towers Yeah, laundry. Go out in the mini bus and pick the washing up from Thornton Heath. Pat Hall We done the Laundry right up to 20 to 4. Then we use to go home then. We use to get 4 pounds and at Christmas time we use to get bonus, didn t we? We use to get 12 pounds bonus at Christmas. Sonia Brown There were sheets, blankets all sorts, pillow cases and then they use to iron the overalls. They didn t have enough money to keep it running, so when they had to close it those people had to send out their clothes somewhere else to wash, to another laundry. John Spedding If we had people who wanted to do laundry work then we should have found them jobs in a laundry somewhere in Croydon and got them a decent wage for doing it. Closing the Waylands Laundry was an important decision in relation to how things were going to be for the future. Olwen Ryan I used to fold the sheets up with Ann

6 Michael Purnell: Papers. John, me, Valerie and Keith. I like it, paper round. Give me money. Dorian Jones-Davies: Went to do the paper round on my own. In Addiscombe, over the bridge. Met Kelly and Lesley at the Estate Agents. Jill O Donovan: I go to volunteer - I work at Scope. I serve customers now and scan things.

7 Garden Centre Darren Hamilton: I was doing mostly working inside, then one day Mr Orchard turned round and said to me would you like to work in the Garden Centre. And I said to him, I ll let you know. In the end, I went to his office, and I said okay I ll do it for you, and I ve done it ever since. Teresa Murphy: And I love it down here, all the different plants. Pippa Goode: There was a little garden at the back of the old Cherry Orchard. It was just for the Centre, didn t sell anything there at all. Not like here. Stephen Cooper: We brought the plants back from Mitchem Road when they d grown really big. Vincent Hastings I done grass cutting and I done hedge cutting. We went to all different areas. Di Bennet: The Garden Centre has three roles, therapeutic, as a business and we do some of the jobs that Grounds Maintenance don t to. Chris Sharpe: It was hard work. I mean nobody was pushed to their limits but there was a degree of expectation from service users because the Garden Centre was considered as a social business.

8 Wages Pippa Goode: I got 4.50 a week. And I was quite happy with that money, I used to save that up, I used to get my bulbs for my garden at home. I was told the Government didn t like us working for so little money. Doreen O Donovan: When Jill first started, if they were late, they were stopped 5p out of their wages. Now they don t have to get in until 10 o clock if they don t feel like it. How can you say that that is training them for work? Margaret Dorney: They used to get their wages obviously it was way below the national minimum wage scale but people were absolutely thrilled with their wages, it meant something to them and some people loved doing that repetitive work Bernard Orchard: Care had to be taken as to how much most Service Users were paid. Most were paid the top limit, but to go above would result in a reduction in their state benefits. Teresa Murphy: When we used to do work, we used to get pocket money. I don t like it when it all stopped. I did really boring puzzles when all the work finished. Andrew Slegg: In the 70s and 80s, the Centres were like factories and people did what was called light industrial work or assembly and packaging. The work was designed to give people jobs and a meaningful role in society. Many people were unhappy as they didn t have the choices or control over what they did during the day as they do now. Mandy Pearson: Can t remember how much we got paid. It was only a little bit. Valerie Newcastle: Not a lot though, was it? David Horstman: I think it was terrible when the wages stopped, Taberner House stopped that they did, I was told. My carer gives our money to us now and sometimes I ll sign for my own savings book as well.

9 Art and craft David Horstman: I use to do drawing on the drawing board. I drew flowers, birds and trees. Olwen Ryan and Lorraine Murphy: We sewed purses and things Caz Clarke: When I started at Heavers Farm there the industrial bit and Special Needs and there was a middle bit called Craft and they were doing arts and crafts and promoting college courses. Over time that middle bit got bigger and absorbed Special Needs and the industrial bit as well.

10 Discos Dorian Jones-Davies: I use to go to, Glitters disco with, discos at Cherry Orchard.... Robert McClarnon and Keith James use to do it, discos. He use to be the DJ Keith James. Paul Smith: Loud music. Grace Byer: Rock n roll and Reggae. David Horstman: Yeah, I used to dance, yeah. I did, yeah, every Friday night. Olwen Ryan: Spirit in the Sky. 10

11 Michael Gallett: I remember a disco, got it s got something up there that go round. It s a ball, it s got it go... go round. Light go off on, on, on go on, on again. Yeah, flashing light. Red and blue. Mark Towers: Christmas music. David Horstman: Abba Music. Michael Gallett: Abba! Status Quo. 11

12 Sport Andrew Samuel: Croydon was one of the top boroughs, competitively over the years. You had like a mini Olympics, the Special Olympics which was held in places like Ireland, Scotland and places like that and you know we used to go for weeks upon end. Ida Adeniyi: I was England captain. I ve been everywhere Barcelona, Wales and Glasgow. Errol Waite: I did the High jump. Brian Jones: Long jump, relay, running, football, running and darts! Carey Osborne: I was swimming in a competition at the mini Olympics. It was relay and we came fourth. 12 Mandy Pearson: I used to play table tennis mix doubles with Steven Johnson.

13 Simon Baker: Exercising on the bikes, yeah. Well done, ain t I?! Jackie Hurrell: All different sports, all different sports we done. Darts, bowls, we done ten pin bowling. Ann Bailey done all different sports at Waylands. We had to wear all our bowling gear. Paul Smith: We played bowls in the Post Office league. Tony Barron: Well the first belt, the first one, the yellow belt, green belt, blue belt, green belt, brown belt, black belt it s really it is, you get the hardest, tough you had to be years and years practicing but that s in the past now. 13

14 Food and drink Elaine Rainer: I used to do teas in the tea bar. I used to put the sugar in the cups. At half past 10 they d have their tea, sit down and that was it. Jill O Donovan: At the old Cherry Orchard they used to have to ring the bell, one of these big bells, we had to ring it when it s tea break, then for lunch, then tea break again. Martin Mulvey: There were no serveries in the dining area, so when people came along they were just handed a plate with food on it whether they like what was on the plate or not. Grace Byer: Mince pies, baked beans and mash potato. With salt and pepper. Pudding, apple pie and custard, and different dinners. 14 Lesley MacDonald: We used to have plastic cups on the table, but there would be eight places and only six cups and people would be drinking out of other peoples cups. It may not bother some people but it bothered me. Lunchtime in the hall was quite traumatic for me. I don t think I ever fully ate a meal.

15 Holidays Dorian Jones-Davies: Used to go at Waylands on holiday to Arnhem. Because Arnhem is the twin town with Croydon. John Spedding: Pinewood was ground breaking stuff certainly in the early years it was very, very positive experience for some people. Martin Adly: I went to Pinewood. We did a bit of cooking. Lorraine Murphy: I went to Margate and Devon. Valerie Newcastle: We went to Majorca. We had discos and that. Sandra Lainson: We went to the Norfolk Broads. We went out for walks and things like sight seeing. Paul Smith: I went canoeing at Pinewood. Andrew Slegg: The Centre used to fund holidays to lovely country cottages and holiday parks. People also used to go on whole centre days out such as boat trips down the Thames. Those things were subsidised and paid for by the contract work. 15

16 Shows Shirley Oliver: I was Nancy. I said, Where s Fagin, Don t worry Nancy, don t worry Nancy he ll be here, she said. Ian Tullett: Jason Donovan singing Dreamcoat. Sharon Phillips: Yeah we do Christmas show then. I was singing Bob Marley then. I did, and the talent show. Yeah Bob Marley song. No woman no cry. Dorian Jones-Davies: Doing a Welsh poem... We used to have a stage at Cherry Orchard. Donovan McKnight: James Bond! Michael Gallett: Singing Mama Mia. Joanne Cummings: I was in the Christmas show. We sang Christmas songs. 16

17 All change Lorraine Murphy: Good thing Waylands was closed because we can get out more. Yeah, I was worried. First time I ever came here I was worried. But I like it here. Get out and about more than ever. Pat Hall: That s why people come here, because it was Tony Blair s idea for people not to stay in Day Centres. He thought Resource Bases were better for people. Tony Blair was right because people don t want to stay in them all their lives, do they? They get bored. It s better to get outside. Simon Flute: The other thing is that they were trying to save up money. I think the Government should come down here and see the staff and members and listen to what they have to say. Jonathan Stokoe: A bit upset by losing that place, because I was there for years. Fond memories of the fun and the discos. To be honest I prefer it here now, more room and more facilities and that. Ian Tullett: Party leaving. Celebration. Say goodbye. Nervous. 17

18 John Card: I like it here better than at Cherry Orchard and Waylands. Don t know why I just do. Just fancied I just fancied the change. You know what they say a change is as good as a rest. Claire Brown: I have got good memories of it you know, memories I have had since I was young. I just liked visiting Waylands when it was there but now it is not I come into the Resource Base. Mary Severin: I was fairly upset and I started crying and I couldn t stop and I got like a feeling inside me and that s all I know. Now we re here, we like it here better. Sharon Phillips: Too many people, that s why they closed Heavers. The noise upset me sometime, I get headaches sometimes. I don t like noise, I like to go a quiet place. I like Whitehorse Road, good, good place. 18

19 Friends Sharon Phillips: Steven Dahaney, he s black like me. He works in special needs. That s my friend. But there s lots of friends in the day centres, lots of them. Grace Byer: Lots of friends. Ladies and men, white, black, mixed race, India, Chinese. Jonathan Stokoe: But to be honest with you it was fun, it was enjoyable making friends and that, you know having a good old laugh and tea and all that. Lorraine Murphy: We said our goodbyes to our friends, made me sad. Been at Waylands for 20 years or so. I still see them from time to time. 19

20 Life today John Stokoe: I m in a band, playing the drums. David Horstman: I like going to exhibitions and museums and Action Space Sandra Lainson: I go to coffee morning on Fridays. Grace Byer: I go to the Gym. Olwen Ryan: I go and do writing with Dorian at Croydon Parish Church. Dorian Jones-Davies: We write down the symbols on the wall, what s on the wall. Tony Barron: It s nice and warm here. Sometimes we play games and chat you have. It s okay. I enjoy it, it s relaxing. This one is quieter. Iris Reay: I work at the pop in. Errol Waite: I play matching dominos Sharon Phillips: I do drama with James Oliver Ian Tullett: I do the tables at the Snooker hall. Emily McClusky: I go horse riding. 20