SEARCHLIGHT WORKSHOPS

The Royal visit was in July 1962. Her Majesty has only been here the once, as far as I know.

Hi,

In the picture of the residents of the workshops, the chap in the electric wheelchair second from the left is Jock Brown. He used to visit us at Southdown Road when we first moved there.
Neill Jupp

The Queen's visit was in July 1962 - possibly the 15th I believe. I know this as I've recently discovered a postcard from Newhaven in July 1962, where the person writing mentions "Been here (Newhaven) this morning and seen the Queen and Duke twice. Could have touched the car both times".

When we came home from school, there were often some of the residents seen in photo 4 at the bottom of the hill awaiting for a "push up".This, we were glad to do and Miss Powell always rewarded us from what seemed like a "huge" jar of sweets. She was a lovely, kind, and caring lady, well worthy of her becoming a "This is your Life" subject. Several years later, some of these men formed a pop group and I think they called themselves the Cruisers?. I dont remember all their names but I do recall Alan being the singer and Brian playing a guitar. Alan's favourite song was "Roses are Red". I am sure that William Still and other "Mount Kids" will remember those days with affection.

I remember. I will never forget Morris running up & down the drove. A group of ladies who were known as "the wooly hat gang". Ken Porter. father of my best friend Nigel who would park his electric 3 wheeler in garages where Anthony house was built & have to make his way to Kings Avenue on his crutches, rain or shine. My mother, Jean Spiers was the matron at Anthony house until her retirement. At that time it was occupied primarily with thalidomide children. I am told that I had the honor of a kiss on the top of my little head from the Queen when she visited Searchlight.

How could I forget the "Wooly Hat Gang"?! They lived on Denton Rise (just below the Guiness Trust) and I used to deliver the newspaper...if they heard you slip it through the box, they would all jump up, start screaming and run towards the front door. "Its my turn!" . I wonder what happened to them...

Muriel Powell was my grandmother's sister. She was one of ten children.

My father's cousin Andrew Caulfield was at Searchlight for many years until his death in 1999. I wonder if anyone remembers him or can identify him in the 1950's photo please.

I lived next door to the Searchlight. We got notices before the queen came that we shouldn't hang washing out that day. On the positive side they repaired all the awful potholes in our road before her visit. The Duke forgot the name of what he was 'opening,' which was the East Wing. He said, "I hereby open this East.....thing." As a kid I often played billiards with the residents, and sometime pushed them into town for a walk. 

I was one of the two Air Cadets who were the Guard of Honour at the entrance to Webb House when HRH The Duchess of Kent officially  opened it. She was lovely and spent time talking to us. I have some photo’s of this day and wonderful memories. I also worked at Searchlight after volunteering there as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Award.