The photo above says it all, what most of us felt like when we first entered the gates at Barkingside. Some of the children arrived like this little girl with a travelling matron or like me you were deposited by your parent. It only seems like yesterday.

In May of 1951 Lt Colonel S. H. Atkins and Mrs Atkins were appointed Chief Officers of the Village. Great changes were to take place in the Village. Colonel Atkins's administrative skills were valuable in gradually remodelling and developing this community while having responsibility for the welfare of up to 600 children and 250 adults. He was a man of disciplined habits; one of the most valued, it transpire afterwards, was the regular evening stroll which he and Mrs Atkins took over the entire area of The Village, every evening in their 13 years stay at Barkingside.

Below right photo taken at The Village Home Boys Cross Country race 1955 shows Lt Colonel and Mrs Atkins along with Mr. Chaundy presenting the awards to Michael Dart the child in balaclava believed to be Billy Turney. circa 1964

Photo below shows Mrs Atkins presenting Jeff Edwards with the second prize for the 1955 cross country. Do you know or are you the boy in the background.

One of the few claim to fame for the children of Barkingside TVH In 1952 the children, well the ones that were able to sing in tune became the backing for what was to become a minor 'hit' for Petula Clarke "Where Did the Snowman Go" the B side was "Anytime Is Teatime Now"  click here to view one memory the record was released on the Polygon label P1056 Nov 1952 Then in 1955 Petula Clark along with Mr Piano Joe Henderson visited The  Village Homes again to record "Pet's Song Party " with the children, this was recorded at Mossford School for Radio Luxemburg that was transmitted on the 2nd November 1955

Who remembers the big red sky at night in about September of 1958 when Harrison Gibson in Ilford High Road caught fire late at night. The fire was so fierce and took hold quite quickly in the furniture dept. The fire became quickly out of control  and also burnt the store next door down. Come the morning the fire had not been completely put out , firemen from all over London were called to fight the fire.

Below is a photo taken in the early 60s it shows the permanent green taken in front of Henry Mountain and Gustap cottage. Jenny Cannon the matron from Craven Cottage, she can't remember what year she took the photo but it must have been on one of the many visits to meet with Joyce Goffin of Henry Mountain Cottage.

Who remembers In 1959 Lt. Col. S. H. Atkins and Mrs. P. Atkins received the sad news that their son Myles was killed tragically in a flying accident while serving in the Royal Navy. Myles was aged 22.

Did you go to Mossford school in the village? I can only remember one teacher Mr Rees who was in the classroom top floor, first on the right. This was end of year at primary school, I had failed my eleven plus and while I never achieved any great academic standard I did progress while in the care of Mr Reece. One other thing he was well known for was his tales / stories he would tell of the future, the future we would have in the modern world To continue click here >>>>

On Saturday 11 June 1960 Lt. Col. S. H. Atkins and Mrs. P. Atkins daughter Miss. Angela Atkins married Lieutenant Nicholas Gwinn, Royal Army Service Corps in the Children's church. To view some photos taken on the day click here

Village cricket team circa 1963

The photo above shows The Village cricket team. Are you in the photo? the photo was from Miss Jenny Cannon's photo album, Jenny who was in Hope Cottage from 1956 then she became cottage mother of Craven Cottage in 1959. Are some of the team from Craven Cottage? Jenny left Barkingside in 1968. some of the housemother still keep in touch. To see a photo click here

In April of 1964 Lt. Col. S. H. Atkins and Mrs. Atkins retired after 15 years of service to The Village Home as Chief Officers they retired to St Giles in the Wood, Devon. Prior to this Lt. Col. S. H. Atkins and Mrs. Atkins had been at The Garden City and Watts Sea School. To see the copy from The Barnardo News click here

In 1965 Miss G. M. Fisher retired after 44 years service. Col Atkins wrote "There can be very few people qualified to write about Miss Fisher's work in Barnardo's and I doubt if I am one of them. To be asked to do so makes one feel proud" to read more click here >>>>>

In 1966 It was reported that Lt. Col. S. H. Atkins had passed away on the 2nd November. A memorial service was held at the Children's Church on the 8th December 1966.

The 1960s was a time of change for Dr. Barnardo's. The stigma of having a child out of wedlock was not a major problem in the swinging 60s and with use of modern contraception meant that there were fewer unwanted children. Then there was the much-improved social security benefits meant that single parents could now stay home and look after their children. In 1966 Dr. Barnardo’s Homes changed its name to just Dr Barnardo’s and The Village Home was to become the Village.

In the Guild Messenger of 1967 a write up appeared about Barkingside.

At first sight the Village (notice that we have dropped the word Home) is not yet greatly changed, but former members would notice the shuttered windows of some Old Village cottages which are not now used. This also applies to the Laundry Hostel. Shortly, however, we shall lose the huts around the stores and club building, including Mr. Runcie's haircutting saloon. This is because the new Head Office building and road will shortly be started on the orchard site. The tennis courts by the Church will also have been over-run and as the surface was in a bad state we were fortunate enough to be given a new court on The Meadow. This has been in constant use by older children and staff, even during the winter.

A new self-service Village shop, in place of the Food Store, will be in operation in the Technical School by the time you read this.

During the next few years the Village is going to be reduced in size and many well-known features will be missing, to the regret of the present and past children and staff, but the changes will be in the undoubted interests of future generations. There is frequent discussion in the local press about the possibility of building a new Civic Centre for the Borough on part of the Village which will be given up, but this is only one of several possible sites.

Outside, a magnificent public Swimming Bath and Library have been built at the far end of Barkingside High Street and are to open in July. These two buildings and the fine new Police Station will cater for all sections of the local population!

Among the Village inhabitants there have inevitably been many changes and each year, of course, we lose a further group of young people. On 15th July more boys and girls will leave school. Old members will have heard with regret of the death of Colonel Atkins. Mrs. Atkins is well in her Somerset home and would, I know, wish me to send her good wishes to all her former boys and girls. Mr. and Mrs. Collins succeeded as Chief Officers and now Mrs. Collins is the sole Chief Officer, as her husband has become Barnardo's Education Officer. Miss Fisher and Miss Toates both retired and Miss Duke Turner runs a Home for SSAFA near Chelmsford. The Reverend O. Marshall left for Ireland some three years ago. Mr. Richards still runs the Challenge Club with a weekly meeting, plus camps, etc. Mr. Ridout, from Crawley, succeeded Mr. Marshall as Church of England Chaplain, but we are sorry to say that he is leaving shortly to become an Army Chaplain. Sister Dyson of Out Patients, who was such a friend to everyone for the past 14 years, has gone to take up an appointment at an old people's home.

As far as games are concerned, the Badminton Club is more popular than ever with four sections playing throughout the winter. Last night the annual championships were decided, Margaret Phillips and Gerald Smith winning the singles and Suzanne Harvey and Andrew Photi taking the doubles cups. The football season has ended after . frequent games with local organisations and clubs, more often than not resulting in our favour. The Youth Club continues and Mrs. Grace of "Angus" Cottage has run a popular, intermediate girls' club since last October. Six girls are now starting on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. A Drama Club is also in being and last year produced an impressive and enjoyable pantomime at the Town Hall.

The Swimming pool is being filled once again and hardy people will be able to try it tomorrow. As we now have a filtration plant, the water is always clean and lasts for the whole season and will avoid several days closure every month and the hard work of cleaning the sides and bottom. Unfortunately, the water is as cold as ever.

A useful acquisition in 1965 was a 12-seater Mini-bus, which is used by staff for taking parties of children on visits to places of interest and for picnics, etc.

For years, land bounding Tanners Lane, Barkingside, was The Village orchard, a tranquil oasis of gnarled apple trees, where children enjoyed the time-honoured pastime of scrumping. But in 1967 the trees were chopped down and the land cleared to make way for the Barnardo Headquarters, which were moving to Barkingside after 99 years in Stepney Causeway. The Doors of Stepney closed in March of 1969 The new four storey building with its two-storey annex was ready for occupation. The 250 staff employed at the Stepney Headquarters moved in on the 18th March 1969.

Barkingside The Village Home was changing land was being sold and released for private housing. The number of children was further reduced so much that the Australasian hospital became surplus to requirements so the land was sold for housing. There was still a need for a medical unit so In the late sixties Ivy and Oxford Cottages were adapted into the new Australasian Medical Unit. This building looked after 16 severely handicapped babies and toddlers. Then in 1975 with the new Mossford opening the children were transferred to the new unit.

The work of Barnardo's in the U.K. is administered from Headquarters, Barnardo House and it is at Barkingside that major policy decisions in the running of the organization and in the work of the Child Care and Appeals Departments are made. One of our Divisional offices is based in the Headquarters annex.

Above is the Barnardo official view, below is the rank and file opinion of the Old boys and Girls of Dr Barnardo's The Village Home:

For many years, land adjoining Tanners Lane, Barkingside you would find the fenced Village orchard, a tranquil oasis where we the children of Barkingside would pick a few windfalls after giving the trees a good shake. Also you would find Arthur's little hair cutting saloon, where Arthur would give the boys their distinctive haircut that he had been doing for many years that he no longer needed the pudding basin as a template. This heritage was all cleared to make way for the carbuncle, known to others as Barnardo's HQ car park, but the correct name is Barnardo House.

The Stepney lease had run out and the land was cleared for private dwellings which were mostly flats. The photo below shows the doors at Stepney being locked for the last time. The ever open door was being was closing for the last time.

The next decade would start with Barnardo's restructuring itself. Where previously, the moral and physical well-being had been placed above a child's emotional well-being, children were then encouraged to tell the Dr. Barnardo's what would now make them happy.

Out went matrons, they would be called Aunties, the Childs relatives were also involved in the welfare of the child; Barnardo's had also started to give grants to families where the income was not enough to support the children. Dr. Barnardo's for the next decade would still run children's homes but the ever open door were starting to close.

All information and photographs held within this web site are © copyright  and should not be copied or shared without express permission.

Please note this web site does not in any way speak for Barnardo's. Its purpose is purely for research and historical interest.