My mother was resident at Brent House during the time she was carrying me which would have been around September 1968. I did a little research on Brent House and I think the building still exists, however it's been renumbered and is now 5 North Drive. You can see it on Google StreetView. My mother opted to keep me, this was in contrast to two previous births and one subsequent birth. I have often wondered why she opted to keep me and I think a significant factor is that her previous baby, a girl she named Victoria who was born about 18 months before me died of an ear infection during the nursing period after the birth and the trauma of this may have led her to resist giving me up. That is speculation on my part. If it helps, I was born at the Queen Elizabeth Maternity Hospital which was at 99 Nightingale Lane, Balham so there may have been a link between the two establishments. Thanks for posting the link, I will read with interest.
Hi Karen, thanks for your reply. I think I made an error when I said 6 North Drive had been renumbered. You are right in that 5 North Drive was a children’s home and remains as 5 now. 6 North Drive was the Mother and Baby home and was demolished in the 1970s I think. You can see the building on old maps.
I'd like to go and see the building (99 Nightingale Lane), I live in the North West of England these days but must find time to take a trip to see it. There's a nice-looking pub next door too, so that's another reason to go :-) .
Hello, I had a relative who was living there at the end of 1963 who had a child born in December and who was then adopted. I don't know much about the place. Just the address which is on the birth record. I have found the following rather harrowing article about the place. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-9326121/Liz-Wilde-story-mothers-torment.html Patricia Irving
My mother was resident at Brent House during the time she was carrying me which would have been around September 1968. I did a little research on Brent House and I think the building still exists, however it's been renumbered and is now 5 North Drive. You can see it on Google StreetView. My mother opted to keep me, this was in contrast to two previous births and one subsequent birth. I have often wondered why she opted to keep me and I think a significant factor is that her previous baby, a girl she named Victoria who was born about 18 months before me died of an ear infection during the nursing period after the birth and the trauma of this may have led her to resist giving me up. That is speculation on my part. If it helps, I was born at the Queen Elizabeth Maternity Hospital which was at 99 Nightingale Lane, Balham so there may have been a link between the two establishments. Thanks for posting the link, I will read with interest.
Hello, I had a relative who was living there at the end of 1963 who had a child born in December and who was then adopted. I don't know much about the place. Just the address which is on the birth record. I have found the following rather harrowing article about the place. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-9326121/Liz-Wilde-story-mothers-torment.html Patricia Irving