by Bob McGuire (guest author) on 21 December, 2009
At age ten Bob was taken from his mother as a neglected child and placed in Parkerville Children’s Home. Below is his poem.
to be taken as a neglected child
to be told you were going to be put some where safe
to always remember the evil man with the cane and all ways wild
this is the darkness in my dreams, the horror in my life
this place was not safe but a place of horror for this waif
Hi Bob. I lived at Parkerville for a number of years as the son of a cottage Mother and Father. Bill and Dorothy Hughes, approx 1954 to 58, my father lost his life in an accident in the laundry in 1958 I was an apprentice at the Railway Workshops in Midland. I joined the Army later that year, looking back I think it was a form of escape but I enjoyed my time in the Army, I spent the remainder of my working life as a merchant seaman in British, Norwegian and Kiwi ships. I am retired in New Zealand and am married to a girl from the Philippines and have four kids (no wonder I am grey, nothing to do with being 71 in a few weeks) I lived in the Philippines for a while so that helped with the grey hair as well. I have recently made contact with Stan Gough after 50 plus years and hope to get to the West as I have a sister Paula who lives in Perth.
Your poem interests me (the evil man with the cane), I remember him, he never touched me if he had I would have come back at a later date, bet his name was [[***name removed by website editor***]], the last man on the planet who should have been employed in a childrens home, My memory of him as an evil guy will remain with me forever.
Well mate That is my lot, hope to hear from. Regards John Hughes