In 1918 Mittendorff House was re-named Clayton House, East Street, Epsom, which in time was just known as Epsom. The home finally closed in 1937

THE EPSOM HOME IN 1937 By Mrs. W. Edmunds

The Boys' Home at Epsom was a large, old house in the main road, with a big yard and a few trees at the top end that formed the garden. It housed sixty to eighty boys from 9 to 14 years of age. It was closed just before the Second World War and the ground taken for a Post Office.

Mr. and Mrs. Geary were the last Superintendents and then they went back to Ireland. One much loved matron was Miss Jutsum, who was there for about thirty years.

Fortunately, the Downs were nearby for walks, and there were always horses being exercised to watch. We had a good football team. We were given free cinema shows and the townspeople were very kind to the boys. On Saturday nights, unsold sandwiches were sent in from the hotels but, strange to say, we could never' find them on Sunday mornings! However, the culprits were caught one day!

We had some very fine books in good con­dition and I remember re-establishing the library, but, unfortunately, we had a very bad epidemic of mumps about then and the room was turned into a ward with about sixteen beds in it and so then I had no leisure for books, but the boys enjoyed them.

One day I took eighteen boys to the zoo, and we had a lovely day, except for the sighs and groans on the platform when it was dis­covered that the ginger pop had been left in the receding train!

The kitchen was old and the cooking was hard work. The indoor, lower yard was always flooded after heavy rain. I remember one afternoon especially when we had a very bad thunder­storm and I was alone in the house with sick boys, and had the task of sweeping quite six inches of water away before all the family re­turned home!

At Easter and in the summer holidays the boys went to camp or to friends or relatives. We were a very happy staff and laughed our troubles away!

After 1921 most of the lads went on to Goldings for further training.