Mr. Sonny Ward our Social Worker and welfare officer was a regular visitor to our house daily. I remember he came before I started school at five years old. He was a tall slim immaculately dressed man with black shiny shoes. He drove a little red car. He was always kind and helpful and chatted away with my grandfather.
I heard my grandfather tell him what a handful I was and how bad I was. He would say to my grandfather “Now you behave yourself Freddy, Dorothy will change when she starts school and when Mr. Ward left, my grandfather would look at me with hatred and say to me, you little bastard you won’t change will you, You will get a lot worse! I would be clinging on to my grandmothers hand for dear life and she would be pleading to my grandfather to behave himself.
My grandmother did become anxious when they opened a childrens home right next to my school. We were both convinced that I would be carted off to the childrens home.
Some of the children from the childrens home went to my school. The home was run by a woman named Rosie King. She was fared by the children for her strickness and again corporal punishment. Rosie King was another nighmare that we could well do without.
Good Lord it’s Mr. Sony Ward
He’s at our house again
Give a big smile child
Don’t let him see our pain
Don’t let him see that we are sad
Don’t tell him that poppa is bad
Don’t tell him anything
Cause he will take you away today
To live with Rosie King
She will ill treat you
And beat you
And your mumma will miss you
She won’t be able to hug you and kiss you
Well I don’t want to live in that childrens home
So just tell me what to do
I love you so much sweet mum
And will stay with you.
Dorothy Maude Age 11 Years