Stowfield House
Courtesy of: Wendy Mattera. Uploaded: April 2008
Stowfield House Boys
Back: Micheal Pope, ?, Robert Peacey, Malcolm Allen
Left: Brian Peacey, Des Brown.
Thanks also to Des Brown.
Wendy wrote (April 2008): "I recently came across this photo from my past of a group of boys who lived at Stowfield House in the early 1950s. As I thought about it, I realised that I knew nothing about their situation. Was it an orphanage? Were the boys refugees? Had they lost their parents during the war? How many boys lived there? I can remember a lot of them coming to Lydbrook church every Sunday evening with Mr. and Mrs. Sterkx who were the Matron and the Director. I would be interested to learn something more about those boys I knew more than 50 years ago".
Margaret Wilce added (April 2008): "The boys were evacuees mainly
from London, they went to Joys Green and Lydbrook Schools, at least two
were adopted by local families".
Ann Butcher added (June 2008): "Sometime between 1935 and the
1950's Stowfield House was a boy's home. Not exactly an orphanage but I'm
not sure what. My brother Donald Wall was a resident there for some years
during the war.He always seemed to have very fond memories of his time
there. Unfortunately he died in 1964 when I was little so I can't add any
more".
D. Keith Wilks added (May 2009): "Senior boys from Stowfield Home
attended Berry Hill Secondary School. Some are mentioned in my book 'Teacher in the Forest' - John
Hardwell and perhaps Stan Wall, Peter Procter. Others I cannot
remember".
(Keith's book will be of interest to all former pupils of Berry Hill Secondary School and was printed in Lydney in 2007. Copies are still available from local bookshops).
Roy Taylor added (September 2009): "I was at Stowfield House from 1949 to 1953. It was an orphanage for boys".
Fred Dager Brown added (January 2010): "I was boy at Stowfeild House (twice) once when I was about four and later when it was run by Mr and Mrs Sterkx. I remember a Michael Pope or Derek Pope but cannot remember any others except the two King brothers and the gardener called Jack. I do know that the Sterkx's had a daughter who ran a shop in Lower Lydbrook. We used to walk to Church via the old railway line which ran over the old viaduct. I am now 71 and memories have dimmed somewhat, but I would be willing be emailed if you care to. I was known as Fred Brown in those days. My name was changed through adoption later. Best regards. Fred".
in April 2011, Fred added: "... Reply to Roy Taylor. I think you were after me at Stowfield House as by 1949 I was at another home in Cirencester. Im now 73 but still have strong memories of the home Particularly the Sterxes. He was a nice upright gentle man dominated by his wife. I heard later that she died in a factory accident. .... I went back there later with my late wife when it was a nursing home and apart from a few structural changes it was much the same"
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WANTED: Old photos, old postcards, ephemera and memories of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. U.K.