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![]() This section contains a collection of photographs relating to Beechholme buildings,events or people. If you recognize a name or would like to add your own photograph please contact us here |
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Aug 2019 - Photos sent in by Belinda Swansbury née Bolton. |
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Sep 2016 - Photos sent in by Susan Shipton. |
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Jun 2011 - Another reunion photo sent in by Gillian Stile Los. |
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Jan 2011 - Reunion photo sent in by Gillian Stile Los. |
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Nov 2010 - Beechholme A Children's village. |
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Jan 2007 - Roger Armstrong comments on Jean's photographs. |
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Dec 2007 - Photos sent in by Jean Middleton daughter of Fred Cogan |
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Apr 2005 - Terry Shoosmith sent in a photograph of the WWI Memorial at Beechholme. |
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Above: Auntie Val who was the house mother and Auntie Theresa. Right: Children in BEECHHOLME garden. I am at the back in yellow, stood in front of auntie Val. I was 10 years old when the picture was taken. ( Belinda Bolton). If you would like to contact Belinda please mail the Webmaster. | My name is Belinda Swansbury, née Bolton. I lived in Beech House with Val Saul (house mother) from 1968 till around 1974,with my sister Beverley and brother Bradley. I recognise myself and my siblings in some of Susan's photos shown below. There is one that is titled, Bradley Bolton having a bath. I would love to hear from others that lived in Beech House.
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BEECHHOLME — A Children's
Village
Yes it's arrived . . . One hundred pages featuring Beechholme history, numerous photographs and memories. This is a far more comprehensive book that the original booklet which, for many years,was the most requested BHRG publication. Copies are available locally from The IBIS bookshop in Banstead High Street (opposite Waitrose), or to order by post at £9.99 plus post and packing. Wherever you are in the world, we can get a copy to you. We can send them to someone else on your behalf if you wish or any other option you care to suggest. Contact Jean, our Publications secretary at BHRG books .
Of course we will continue to collect your
photographs and memories of Beechholme, and if you have the facility, you can
even upload your own images, or comment on existing ones on
our Photographic Archive,
here. The earliest photos come from about 1895 when Beechholme was still the Kensington
and Chelsea District School.
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![]() ** Star contribution to BEECHHOLME project.** Meet Jean Middleton. Jean contacted us after finding our piece on BEECHHOLME. For years she has kept a lot of her father's documents always thinking that one day they should be placed somewhere safe and retained as public archives. Jean's father was Frederick Cogan who was Deputy Superintendent at Beechholme and eventually, along with Superintendent Don Dicker, had responsibility for closing down the school. Jean's parents looked after the kids in CEDAR house and Frederick Cogan completed a project on the history and the day to day running of Beechholme from 1880 to 1964. Jean's contribution includes minute books dating back to the early 1900s, a large book containing the Government regulations for such schools, numerous copies of THE BEECHHOLME MAGAZINE, photo negatives, plans, and even the original weather vane. |
May 2018 Update: George King remembers Godfrey. See George's memories.
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![]() Jean Middleton gave us an old envelope with a handful of negatives. Ralph, the BHRG secretary has brought them back to life for all to see. Are you in any of the photographs? Do you recognise anyone? Do they bring back any memories? Mail the Webmaster.....He ALWAYS replies! | ||
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Cricket at Beechholme Labelled 'Beechholme under canvas' in Fred Cogan's book. Peter Eliot writes - I think that the young chap with the cricket bat is me. I compared it to the group photo and it was obviously taken at the same time and has some of the same people (children), so that convinces me. ![]() The left eyebrow proves it for me! - webmaster | |
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At the seaside. | |
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Jean says "The picture does not include me as I was in my 20's when we were at Beechholme. My dad, Fred Cogan is at the rear and mum is on the left of the picture." The staff member (blonde) was called Caroline. Trevor and Valerie are the 2 children behind the two at the front. | |
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Trevor and Santa. | |
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Jean says "In my Dad's book, the Sports Day picture is dated 1963." | |
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Cedar Boys | |
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Aunt Joyce and Aunt Ann. Surnames ? | |
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Camping..but where? Peter Eliot says "I'm confident that is was taken at Walton on the Naze and the 'castle' is actually a church. I am fairly confident that the year of this holiday camp was 1954 or 1955 Also two other photos,'Cricket at Beechholme' and the 'group' photo would have been taken there too". | |
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Is this a group of children from Cedar House?... Now that Jean has seen the photos that we produced from her father's negatives, she has come back to us with more information on the people in the photographs. Jean thinks that this was Trevor's birthday party. Trevor is not in this picture but see below. | |
![]() | Happy birthday dear....who? Happy birthday Trevor says Jean. We think the girl on the left is Ethel Johnson and Peter Eliot is now trying to contact her. | |
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The House Parade 1962 Where you at Beechholme then? Jean has given us a banner from Cedar House. "I think the banner was probably made by my Mother" says Jean, " She was always sewing and knitting, a talent passed on to me as one of my hobbies is quilting." Did Mrs Cogan teach you how to sew? Tell us about it. Bruce Grant tells us "My house was Kerria. In the photo of sports day you can just make me out holding the house flag." Roger Armstrong (Fir) says " I think that the boy holding the banner is David Broome, the boy to his left with the crewcut is Roy Stagg. The black boy is Rowland Jones." | |
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Jean says "The snow picture of the Avenue could be 1963/64. I think the mini bus was my Dad's,he bought it in order to take the children on outings. It looks as if it is parked outside Cedar." | |
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This is Jean's mum, Mrs Cogan of CEDAR house, at the ironing board - Quite a task! | |
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Who is the shoe repairer? Peter Eliot thinks that the shoe mender is Mr Manger and Ann Read daughter of Mr and Mrs Banner has confirmed this. What else happened in this workshop? | |
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Christine Foulsham nee Morris (Chestnut 1959/60) |
Who are the individuals in this group photo? Peter Eliot was quick off the mark, he says "I got a fantastic surprise when I viewed the group photo. The light haired lady in the background is Miss Wulff the housemother from Chestnut (previously called cottage 5). The dark haired boy close to her extreme left is myself. The dark haired boy sitting on the ground in the centre is my little brother Edward. The only other name I have right now is the fair haired boy standing, that looks as though he is talking to the boy with the ball, may be John Sands. It took a few years but in July 2012 we received an update:
The boy holding the ball is my eldest brother John Moth, he is taunting my elder brother Alan Moth and I am the smaller blond boy behind them next to Peter Elliot. |
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The Chapel of the Good Shepherd. Was there a Roll of Honour in this Chapel? So far we have been unable to find a list of young Beechholme men who were casualties of the two wars. | |
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Who is the Barber? Did he cut everyone's hair or did the house parents
do it? Peter Eliot tells us that the haircutter was Mr Kimber. Jean says"In the hair cutting photo my mum (Mrs Cogan) is in the background, Gordon Steed is having his hair cut and (birthday boy)Trevor is waiting patiently. Bruce Grant remembers the hairdresser who came and cut our hair one day and left a boy's hair half cut because he found out that we had Mumps! Roger Armstrong - How I hated having my hair cut by Mr Kimber. His hand clippers were really blunt. They used to pinch the back of your neck. Sit still boy, he would say as you yelped with pain. |
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