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Recreation: What did the kids do?

 
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Len
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:10 pm    Post subject: Recreation: What did the kids do? Reply with quote

I was just wondering, what sort off recreational activities were provided for the kids on the hostel. I know they had a soccer pitch because I�ve played on it.
Was there some sort of an indoor area for them for when the weather was not so good and if so, what sort of activities did they do?

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Phyl Phyl has been starred
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Len
Well I guess I have to admit I don't know what the children did in Berkeley , in Sydney though each hostel had a Youth Leader and they had a youth Centre where there was table tennis, billiards, etc. and they also played sport under the guidence of the youth leader . playing in competitions. That was from 1973 when we were transferrred back to Sydney. Before 1973 I don't remember youth Leaders but they did have them after that in Wollongong. My own children played soccer and cricket and I used to wash all the soccer uniforms for the twins team and also score for the cricket. They also had an all age cricket team which was for those 18years and over.I even scored for that at times when the scorer was away. Some of the hostels shared a youth leader.It was good for me too as until then I had been very lonely.
There was also Sunday Schools in some hostels too.
At Christmas time there was always a party for the children and they all were given a gift. I will send you a photo taken at Berkeley of my twins with Father Christmas.. I was in the hospital at the time so I missed that one. Also on Christmas Day the Managers served the staff and their families Christmas dinner, after the main Christmas Dinner for the residents was finished. I used to love that.We did that most of the years we were in CHL. in Sydney particularly.


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Len
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember, at Unanderra hostel 1967-69 we had a youth leader, if that�s the correct title. Everyone referred to him has "skip" and he seemed to be the bloke who was in charge of recreation. He sorted out all the indoor and out door sports activities, he was great.
He used to have an old mini bus type thingy which probably belonged to the CHL and on really hot days he would load up the bus with us kids and we�d all shoot off to the Port Kembla Olympic Pool over at Port Kembla.
I�m not sure, but he may have had the same job over at the Berkeley hostel site as well as Unanderra? but I do believe that he trained the Berkeley hostels netball team, so perhaps he did work both sites.

Thanks for the photo Phyl, as you can see I�ve put it in your above post. :)
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Phyl Phyl has been starred
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 1:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Len

Forgive me I mistakenly said we were transferred back to Sydney in 1973,I meant 1963, so by the time late 1960's came you would definitely have had a youth leader. They were all called 'Skip'I really think they did a good job.
Actually 1973 was the year we returned to New Zealand as hostels were winding down by that time.
I was talking to my eldest son on MSN last night and I was telling him about your site He remembers a lot of things too. I will try to get him to register. Though I know he does have a very busy life. He lives in Sydney and still has friends from hostel days to spend time with. They have kept in touch all this time.
I guess when you live in a country for many years and then return to your home country your children sometimes return to that country, if that makes sense.
My eldest son ,born in NZ ,has returned to Sydney and was in Melbourne for many years whereas my surviving twin born in Melbourne while we were at Preston Hostel ,has remained in NZ.He does travel a fair bit though. My son who died also remained in NZ. cry
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Mick Atkin
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:04 pm    Post subject: Kids hostel activities Reply with quote

In the late 50's Dick Townsend was the sports director of Balgownie hostel and for a time he also did Berkeley hostel before they got their own dedicated sports director.
At this time there were regular children's inter hostel sports events particularly in soccer and cricket. The girls would play vigaro (similar to cricket but with a different shaped bat.)
They were titanic events and we Balgownie kids were always loathe to be beaten by the 'Berkeley brats'.
'Enemy' names such as Robert Kerr, Ronnie Talbot and Tony Conlin come to mind as the sporting strength from Berkeley.
A trip to the 'antipodes' of Berkeley from the 'civilised north' of Fairy Meadow on a double decker bus full of kids always made for a great day out.
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Mick Atkin
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:09 pm    Post subject: kids hostel activities Reply with quote

Dick Townsend commonly known to the kids as Skip
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Felvo
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 11:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Funny thing, but I drove through Berkeley last week and spent a great deal of time telling my wife about my time on the hostel and how with a gang of other kids, we rolled one of the big iron pipes down from the top of the hill where they were building the water storage station.

There wasn't a lot of organised activity beyond football, we used to spend a lot of time hanging around the laundries with the girls
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