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Erdington Children's Cottage Homes Fentham Road

WINSTON

WINSTON

master brummie
I Have Had A Small Book Given To Me Called
: The Gardens.from The Cottage Homes To Mercian:
It Tells The History Of Erdington Cottage Homes.it Is Produced By Mercian Housing.for Their 40th Anniversary.there Is About 22 Pages With The History Of The Homes And Photographs.
I Don't Know If Anyone Would Like Me To Scan It And Put It On Here.or I Can Contact Mercian Housing To See If They Have Any Spares Books Available.i Would Probably Ask For Their Permission To Publish On Here First.
 
We think my mum was in Erdington Cottage Homes from around 1934 to 1938 with approx a year out during that time when she was fostered with Ada & Arthur Mitchell in Acocks Green.

Her two older brothers, Sidney & Ronald Smith were certainly there as was her older sister Maud Elizabeth Smith who died there aged 3yrs in 1935 - although we didn't know they existed until very recently.

Mum's name at that time would have been Dorothy Smith and the only possession that she retained was a book on the Coronation of the King in 1937 which was given to her by the residents of 'Waverley Road', which we know is in Small Heath.

I'd love to hear from others who might have been @ ECH during that time and anybody else who remembers being given a book like this from the residents of Waverley Road. I'm guessing it was a sort of charity gesture for children in the homes?
 
Childrens homes? anyone have any ideas or information?

Thanks
 
My grandmother Amy Grabowski, together with twqo of her sisters, was an inmate on and off in the Aston Union Cottage Homes. Her mother was also in the Workhouse across the road.
:tongue2:
 
hello, I was in the cottage homes from 1947 to 1950, due to my mother being in hospital with tb and my father dead, my name was patricia anne york, is there any way I could find out which house I was in,while in the home I had chicken~pox also the mumps so I would have been in the infirmary each time
elizabeth adams
e/mail [email protected]
 
Hello

I live around the corner from what used to be called 'Aston Union Cottage Homes' (later to become Erdington Cottage Homes). The Cottage Homes were built in 1899 to house around 300 orphaned and destitute children. Amazingly, these large Victorian houses continued to be used as children's homes until the 1980s (when they were called The Gardens). Over the years, thousands of children must have walked through the iron gates of the Cottage Homes.

I am putting together a book about the Homes based on the memories of people who lived in the Homes or who worked there.


If you would like to get involved please post here or email me (in confidence).


Many thanks - I look forward to sharing memories.

Gudrun
[email protected]
 
I stayed there while my mom was in hospital with my 2 brothers and sister some of the staff was not nice people i remember it like it was yesterday my little brother was always in trouble there we could not wait 2 be picked up sorry 2 say a lot of kids that lived there was scared of some of the staff not saying all the staff was bad but not a happy time for most that stayed or lived there is the old place still standing it had a nice garden i would of been about 5 years old so 41 years ago and still remember it my dad use 2 pick us up after work so glad it was only while he was at work we had 2 stay i went 2 the high school in the area when i was older so meet some of the childen that lived there not many nice storys about the place sad 2 say.
 
Hi Chip1965: Welcome to the forum. If you use the Search Engine at the top right hand corner of the front page and type in Erdington Cottage Homes there are lots of references and photos of the place.
 
jennyann said:
Hi Chip1965: Welcome to the forum. If you use the Search Engine at the top right hand corner of the front page and type in Erdington Cottage Homes there are lots of references and photos of the place.
Click to expand...
im new 2 the site not been on long i put cottage homes in and only found you write up lol
 
well iv just added 2 her research lol but still if you dont ask you never find out iv emailed her so hope 2 find out more
 
Hi Chip1965
I've just received your email - many thanks - so I'll reply directly as well. I am still doing the research and hope that the book will be out in November. Thanks for getting in touch!
Gudrun Jane
 
came accross this visiting card for the cottage homes..

cottagehomesvisitingpass.jpg
 
Hi

Thought you might be interested that there is a new book on Aston Union (Erdington) Cottage Homes - The Children of the Homes: a century of Erdington Cottage Homes. It is a complete history of the Homes plus lots of memories of people who lived there as children.

It can be found on Amazon but the postage is cheaper from the Children's Cottage Homes website: www.childrenscottagehomes.org.uk/bookshop​
 

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Hi, Do you know who Sidney and Ronald's birth mum and dad were - I've lost some Smiths, born in London, with links to Birmingham. Dad would have been George A. Smith.

Looking for a Ronald Smith and Robert S (Sidney) Smith - prob. known as Sidney.

Thanks v. much, Sarah
 
I and my sister Ann were in home 17 ferndown.we would love to hear from anyone that rembers us many thanks .Jimmy la planche.Plonk.
 
if you are on facebook there is a group called ECH you will find quite a few people on there that was in the homes
josie
 
Hello, I am very pleased by your post Jimmy (Plonk). I remember both you and your sister Ann Louise La Planche very well. I lived in Erdington Cottage Homes from 1952- 1959. My name is Joan Jackson, my sister is Margaret and my brother was David; he was disabled.
I would love to hear from both you and your sister. I currently live in South Wales (UK).
Kind regards, Joan.
 
plonk said:
I and my sister Ann were in home 17 ferndown.we would love to hear from anyone that rembers us many thanks .Jimmy la planche.Plonk.
Click to expand...
Hello, I am very pleased by your post Jimmy (Plonk). I remember both you and your sister Ann Louise La Planche very well. I lived in Erdington Cottage Homes from 1952- 1959. My name is Joan Jackson, my sister is Margaret and my brother was David; he was disabled.
I would love to hear from both you and your sister. I currently live in South Wales (UK).
Kind regards, Joan.
 
jo jack said:
Hello, I am very pleased by your post Jimmy (Plonk). I remember both you and your sister Ann Louise La Planche very well. I lived in Erdington Cottage Homes from 1952- 1959. My name is Joan Jackson, my sister is Margaret and my brother was David; he was disabled.
I would love to hear from both you and your sister. I currently live in South Wales (UK).
Kind regards, Joan.
Click to expand...



I am still searching for Mary (TESS) nee Johnson born 1945 and was in the cottage homes after her mother died in 1950, if you remember Mary (TESSA) please contact me, thank you, regards Christine
 
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