Craig Residential School, Looking for information Options

[**stevie**]

Hi folks, just been reading the stories of Craig house. I live in the estate it's now part of...it lay in ruins for years, no roof and just a complete shell. Its been totally refurbished and is now 11 flats. Still beautiful grounds with amazing views. Been amazing reading everyones stories, good and bad, of the 'Craig'.....it's still a beautiful big house and love to walk round it with the dog.

[**chic**]

Hi I was at this home in the late sixties it was a prison for kids used to get a black sandshoe across you're arse if you done wrong so many kids ran away so the people who say they had good memories of that shit hole you must have been the elite silver spoon boy's mummys boys they should have pulled it down with the staff in it and there was abuse going on in there just not to you're type.

[*john gilmour*]

anyone please tell me if you could where craig residential school was????thanks

It was in Kilmarnock I went there as a wee boy was about 6 or 7 also my big sister Cathy and my 2 brothers Thomas and James.

[*steven smith3*]

Hi my name is Steven Smith I came from St Marthas school there was a horse called ailsa does anyone know me me let me know please.

[*John D*]

Hi All

Yes -went there at about 8 in the late 60...reading many of the post add to my own memories,....

Writing letters as per whats written on the blackboard, homesickness, running in the corn fields, kids running away and being brought back.

Bits iI recall was this play room which contained tons and tons of lego, smashing my glasses in the swing park, being intimidated by older kids, the gravel, a bus load of girls arriving by accident, kids crying at night, waiting to get some liquerice toffee and using the wrapper to make the slide slippy.

But an overwhelming yearning to get home.....

[**John R**]

hi,i'm michael mc daid,me and my brother patrick went to craig residential school in the late sixties maybe very early seventies,i remember the dormitories were called the oak,ash and beach,also remember going up to the swing park,also remember one teachers name was miss bradley,we used to all sing one more day to go,one more day of sorrow one more day in this old dump and i'll be home tomorrow,actually i quite enjoyed the place but we were all excited when the four weeks were up and we would then be going home,anyone remember us?

Hey Michael ? I was at Craig early 1976, seem to remember 2 brothers, it was great reading everyone's memories, some good, some not so ! There was Defo a wee guy called Pat when I was there, fair/reddy type hair possibly glasses too, ah remember him greetin awe the way to the church an awe the way back, ah remember thinking if ah get a postal order am getting a taxi hame hahaha, considering ah thought Kilmarnock was at the other end of the planet having never been outside Pollok lol hope there's a Facebook page for ex cons fae the Craig ,John R.

[**Maggie**]

I went to Craig in 79/80 with my sister. Really enjoyed it over told my two boys all about the place and they thought it was crazy that "you sent your kids away for 4-6 weeks" my sister and I were talking about the place yesterday and she came across a site that says the house is now apartments. It would lovely to hear from anyone who went to Craig in 79/80.

[*Div*]

I was there !

[**EDDIEB**]

Hi
to all you other Craig residents ..

I went there in late 60's with a few of my brothers it was only for 6 weeks but felt like a lifetime.

It was to give my mum a 'wee rest' there were 6 boys in our family.

I remember the swing park, the big green spiky chestnuts falling from the trees everywhere,being 'forced out' to play in your ill fitting wellies, actually they were communal wellies provided by the school smelly or what !, this happened over howls of protests even when it was raining - I wasn't the outdoor type !!

I also remember going/being marched to church on a Sunday (I don't remember any bus), standing in line in the conservatory for your supper every night usually orange juice/milk and digestive biscuits, I remember lining up for something from the tuck shop (this depended on what postal orders, your parents sent you - No PayPal then). This was all written down and deducted from your entry in a big book.

I was in the OAK dormitory and remember communal bath nights having to get bathed in front of a lady supervisor.

There was a teacher there a Mr Balmer I think, who I remember showed us how to make paper masks usually red Indians that we painted in wild colors ,

I remember they were also cutting down some trees from the woods in the grounds while we were there and same teacher got thin slices of tree trunk that we were allowed to paint on and varnish

I fell in love - although I didn't know that's what it was at the time, with a young canteen/catering staff lady her name was Miss Wise.

My final memory was writing letters home to mum and dad these were censored so that your parents didn't worry too much.

It was because of the weekly letter writing that I remembered where the residential school was as you wrote down its address ... 'Crosshouse by Kilmarnock'. that part of the address was so unusual so it stuck in my memory I was only 10 and had never left the 4 streets that was my world at that time in Easterhouse.

The song another person mentioned about 'ten more days to go ten more days of sorrow, etc .. and I'll be home tomorrow. I also remember loudly singing this regularly as you counted down to going home.

There was another guy there he was always referred to/called by a nickname 'empty'. I remember asking why , I was told because his real name is Phil (full) - Glasgow kids humour eh!

Overall I remember it as a good experience apart from the odd bout of homesickness.

[**Hazel**]

I remember Craig residential school. In particular I remember Ms Wilkie who really was a wicked woman. She beat me up while I was waiting in the shower line because I smiled at my friend. I’m not talking about a telling off, I’m talking about hair being pulled, kicked and thrown against a radiator....I was a 9 year old girl who was very small for my age.We were terrified of her. We were too scared to run away. I hope God can forgive her wicked deeds.

[*Brian Moran*]

Sadly , I remember Craig school from my month there in 1973/4 .I recall the swing park( highlight of the day) I also remember that I was “ in between classes” and couldn’t keep up with the older kids in my class. I hated the long weekends and the bus journey to go to mass on a Sunday took ages. I think we went to a monastery close to the A77 . It has since burnt down and has been refurbished, a bit like Craig house I suppose.
I got an opportunity to help out at the orchard /farm at the entrance to the school grounds which was a great distraction from the misery of the school.

I also recall the games room where we spent the evenings. I must have read all of the commando books, which I hated!

I vaguely remember the nurse who bathed us at night but I can still remember the horrible shampoo they used on everybody when they first arrived.

When I returned home after my month away, my mum spoilt me daft as a reward for my time away. She still feels guilty about letting me go in the first place but It was me who wanted to go.

[tomjazz]

I went to old Craig mid/late 60s anyone remember a Mr Fleming
Also part of the song was.” Akbow a rubbish dump far far away
Were you get whiskey bottles nearly ect day Ham n eggs you never see , soapy water fur your tea
That’s the way they treated me at old Craig school