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The big Dormitory.

Ten boys, ten beds one chamber pot under each bed. Whispering took place as long as it did not disturb the Foster Mother. No one used the chamber pots as it meant taking them downstairs and emptying them in the outside lavatories the following morning. The back door to the outside toilets was kept unlocked and except for the boys in the little dormitory most of whom were wet beds it was a waste of time getting them out of bed and making them go down to the outside toilets. They still wet their beds.

The big dormitory were some boys that had vivid imaginations Many stories were told, Ghost stories, cowboys and many a tall tale of what the boys were going to do when they left the homes. One night a week the Foster Mother had a night off duty. We were on our own and it was great fun to raid the small dormitory and attack the boys with pillows. Pillow fights were nearly always taking place on such nights.

Occasionally a relief Foster Mother was taken on for when the Foster Mother went on holidays. We took advantage of these Relief Mothers, after all we had it rough enough when the regular Mother was on duty. Discipline was no problem for the regular Mothers a clout around the ears being hit with the back of a hair brush, thrown into a bath of cold water, being locked in the small gas cupboard under the stairs yes we certainly learned discipline. I myself was pleased when the old matron left and a new young Matron took over the Medway Cottage Homes. At the same time a Superintendent or the new Matrons Husband took over the Homes. Two children, Judy a little girl and Brian a boy were for a while a novelty in the homes.

Hitting the children was forbidden no more cold water baths no being locked up in the gas cupboard. The new Matron and the Superintendent made a big change in the Homes. Then came the nineteen thirty nine war and we were evacuated first to Whitstable then to Glamorgan in South Wales. A large village called Tonyrefail. The Girls were sent to the next village Gilfach Goch. Many of the children were sent back to their families as they got old enough to go to work