Description:Home 13 was on the right hand side of The Gardens – a detached building intended initially to be only for boys.
By 1948, Home 13 had accommodation for 16 boys. In 1949, it was given the name Derrydown.
In 1950, one boy was sent to Erdington Cottage Homes, when he was aged 8 with his 2 brothers and 2 sisters. His story is retold here:
"He went into 13 with one brother, the other brother went into Home 3 and his sisters when to Home 14 or 16. He never saw his sisters again. His housemother at Home 3 was Mrs Hinchcliffe and her assistant was Miss Teacoe. He remembers having porridge every morning and if they were good they had treacle on it and if they were naughty they got salt. The boys got up at 6.30 every morning and lights out was at 7pm - no talking after that! The boys went to chapel every day before school. They lined up for cod liver oil and then went off to school. He went to the National School on High Street, Erdington and then to Slade Road Secondary Modern.
"In the holidays, games were organised on the field behind the home, They also went to Romney Hythe, Dunchurch and Stokes Bay. They often stayed in church halls and slept on palliasses made from the farmer's straw. He had piano lessons at the Lodge and they used to put on plays for the residents of Highcroft Hall. Sometimes they were walked to a local church where they watched cartoons on a cine film. He saw his mother about every three months when she visited.
"From the cottage home he went to Copeley Hill Hostel where they organised a job for him at Ansell's Brewery where he worked until he retired.
"It wasn't a 'normal' childhood but he has no bad memories and he probably had more opportunities through living in the Home. However, what he doesn't have are photographs or the certificate he gained at school - he has no evidence of his childhood except for his memories."
Derrydown closed at the very end of 1980 or the start of 1981. At the time it closed, it had accommodation only for 10 children.
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Image: Original visiting card issued to parents wishing to visit their children in Erdington Cottage Homes. The card, issued in 1949, enabled parents to visit three times a month for between 1 and 2 hours each time.
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Source: This history was compiled by the Birmingham Children's Homes Project, an initiative to explore Birmingham City Council-run children’s homes between 1949 and 1990.