Goldings Guest Book

Welcome to the Goldings Guest Book
** We APPROVE all messages before they are posted **
Add a message : back to Goldings.org : Search
There are now 5749 messages in our guestbook.
<<< 1 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 1150 >>>
Viewing messages 2081 to 2085.

Bob and Roma

Hi Ian !!!!!!!!!
It would be nice to know who you were or maybe dave could tell me

13 May 2013 - Bahamas

Ian

Hello Dave I have been reading the views of former brothers from Goldings I truly believe that the writing was already on the wall in 64/65 I came to the school in those years.I only stayed for about 18 months as you know I went walkabout and when I went on my summer leave I never went back,I do not think it was because I had run away that I did not return it was I think because the school was finishing.I was sent to a youth Hostel in London and found work for a while before joining the army.I feel like most of my fellow brothers that in the end we were all let down by government and social bureaucrats who did not have a clue of how we and many like us felt,to them we were just numbers and costing them to much,my old children's home closed the same time I had been there for all my childhood so they were getting rid of all homes across the board,but one good thing I think is that the people who looked after us when we were in our different homes showed us loyalty,compassion,trust and love to our fellow man so some good came out of it.Take care stay safe. Ian

11 May 2013

Bob Robertson

There can be no doubt that Dr Barnardos lost its way in the 1960s and the purpose that Dr John created the Homes for, to many do gooders and social workers, to say that homes like Goldings were not good for Boys that all children should be in a small family environment was pie in the sky stuff, most of us came from home environments that were fractured and came to the wonderful care that Dr Barnardos offered many of us went on to establish businesses that provided employment to many people, in this world you succeed if you take the opportunities offered to you Dr Barnardos did that up to the 1960s, I remember Dusty Millar saying to me as I was to go out as the first early release apprentice "You only get out of
life what ever you are prepared to put in", how true this is I am now retired and thanks to my early years as a Dickie boy and my wonderful training (even if I was the worst printer Goldings ever sent out in the world)
I have never been unemployed and have run a multitude of businesses as have so many Goldings old boys.
With so many young children on the streets all over the world, Dr Barnardos should go back to doing what the good Dr intended open up homes and get these children off the streets, most of us came into Barnardos for many other reasons other than being orphans

10 May 2013 - Gold Coast Australia

Dave

As the debate continues as to the quaility of training given to us at Goldings by someone or a commitee who perhaps felt that our Staff were "Past their sell date" just read the parting shot on the next page by Mr Wheatley's as Goldings became aware of the following anouncement.
THE COUNCIL of DR BARNARDO'S ANNOUNCE WITH REGRET THAT THE DECISION HAS BEEN REACHED TO CLOSE "WILLIAM BAKER SCHOOL AT GOLDINGS HERTFORD"
Lt-General Sir Arthur Smith (COMMITEE OF MANAGEMENT)
A passage from Mr Wheatley regarding his dealings with the "Commitee of Management"
During nearly twenty-two years of holding an important post in residential care work I was before the Commitee of Management twice,once when I was appointed and a second time shortly before the decision to close Goldings.
Footnote- My personal opinion.For this decision to be made at short notice was deplorable act to a group of people who's experience and dedication has never been repeated or surpassed since!

8 May 2013 - An act of vandalism

Dave

'We have a team at Goldings, combining classroom teachers, I use this term for the want of a better word who are sympathetic and understanding of boys' difficulties and need and men with a variety of practical skills. These latter do not confine themselves to teaching manual operations, but are in the fullest sense part of the educational team. I have been amazed at the narrow view taken by some professional educationist of the value of the work of these craft teachers. It almost amounts to saying that, because they are not products of a Teachers' Training College, they are not adequate to impart their knowledge and skill to boys, I am, of course, in favour of teacher training for all personnel in schools, especially in-service training and release courses, In which they can relate what they hear in lectures to their every-day experience, but to refuse to acknowledge the tremendous stimulation and inspiration given to a boy by a man coming from success in the work-a-day world is just professional snobbery which we can’t afford. The official view, so far as I can understand it, as follows; If a college trained teacher takes a handicraft lesson, Involving skill at which he is probably an amateur, then that man is educational and commendable. If, on the other hand, a man who has earned his living with his tools shows a boy how to use them, to produce something useful, then that is vocational training, and by Implication something inferior. At Goldings we have learned to work together and appreciate each other's contribution and I think, over and above what it means to us as individuals, what we all regret most is a premature end to a project we have discussed, debated, and worked together to forward. When we learned that Barnardo's felt that they could not support us my longer, I think we all cherished the hope that nothing precipitate would be done until some research had been undertaken to find out whether some other educational body would carry on the work we all believe in. Boys are not often asked their opinion—so I'll read you a letter I received this morning:

8 May 2013

<<< 1 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 1150 >>>

- Guest book sponsored by PC Home Help (01922) 626 366 - http://www.pchomehelp.net -