What's new

Stonelands

michaelangelo

Gold Meritorious Patron
I joined the S O in 1976, live at Stonelandsand slept in the Ballroom. I remember some of the occupants names. Paul Adams, Mark Gardiner, Bryan Andrews, Dave Skull, Bennie Da Costa, Alex Smith, Alf Wilson and John Cox. Moved to Bullards and left in 1981. Then did a couple of years on SH Foundation. In 1985 had OT 3 and some NOTS with Vicky and Eric Ballard in Lancing. Done nothing since in Scio. Does this ring a bell with anyone?.
 

Axiom142

Gold Meritorious Patron
Stonelands was sold off by the CoS around ’95. It got turned into luxury apartments. The staff were mostly moved to Walsh Manor near Crowborough.

Although this means greater travelling time, they are much better off there as Stonelands was rather run down and desperately in need of renovating. The accommodation at Walsh is quite good by SO standards, although they still have to put up with bunk beds in some rooms.

I got invited to the opening in ’95 and was quite impressed by the facilities. They even had laundry facilities with about 10 washers and the same number of driers. It certainly would have made life much easier for me when I was in, if I had those luxuries instead of having to walk into EG on a Saturday morning to use the launderette. Mind you, it is the CoS we are talking about, wouldn’t be surprised if half the machines didn’t work now. :eyeroll:

Axiom142
 

xseaorguk

Patron Meritorious
yeah, what happened to Alf Wilson, Bennie da Costa, Bryan Andrews?
The famous 'Ballroom' at Sonelands.
It was bloody freezing there in the washroom and toilets.
Then the minibus ride into the Org every day.
Yes, fond and weird memories from the 20th Century in the Sea Org UK.
 

michaelangelo

Gold Meritorious Patron
Stonelands Ballroom

I last saw Alf Wilson was about twelve years ago. He was living in Copthorne. Bennie Da Costa the last I heard had an Off Liscence in Bromley. But that was 25 years ago.
 

Free Will

Patron with Honors
Ballroom

I would have been in the ballroom with you (Colin Guy). Remember the days we had to get up early to chain-gang all our beds, furniture and possessions to the old 'Art shed' because some local authority was coming to inspect claims of unhygienic over-crowding? Actually we were lucky, since that was before they discovered 3-layer bunk-beds. Ho-ho-ho.
Just like my Dad as a soldier in the war, I found myself pushed into close friendships through surviving the same hardships together.
 

Free Will

Patron with Honors
Incidentally, I actually get a great kick every time I read the name of anyone who was at Saint Hill with me between 1972 and 1981. I really did like nearly all of us and I certainly haven't found a 'better' group since.
 

Terril park

Sponsor
I joined the S O in 1976, live at Stonelandsand slept in the Ballroom. I remember some of the occupants names. Paul Adams, Mark Gardiner, Bryan Andrews, Dave Skull, Bennie Da Costa, Alex Smith, Alf Wilson and John Cox. Moved to Bullards and left in 1981. Then did a couple of years on SH Foundation. In 1985 had OT 3 and some NOTS with Vicky and Eric Ballard in Lancing. Done nothing since in Scio. Does this ring a bell with anyone?.

I'm real good friends with Vicky. :) Shared accomodation with Alf 40 years ago.

John Cox rings a bell. Not sure which one.
 

Smitty

Silver Meritorious Patron
I slept in the ballroom during mid-1979, then was moved to the stable. It was "country living" medieval style. Just loved showering as I watched cows stick their heads in the window chewing away.
 

Smitty

Silver Meritorious Patron
comment to Free Will

I would have been in the ballroom with you (Colin Guy). Remember the days we had to get up early to chain-gang all our beds, furniture and possessions to the old 'Art shed' because some local authority was coming to inspect claims of unhygienic over-crowding? Actually we were lucky, since that was before they discovered 3-layer bunk-beds. Ho-ho-ho.
Just like my Dad as a soldier in the war, I found myself pushed into close friendships through surviving the same hardships together.

Hello Colin! Yes, that is true. A good bunch of people in an insane organization.
 

michaelangelo

Gold Meritorious Patron
Hi Colin

If my memory serves me well I remember you and Ewan moved from the ballroom and were berthed near the laundry,or was it the drying room opposite the ballroom?. I remember hearing the music coming from that direction.
Do you remember Trumbull Jackson in his printing room at the Hill?.
Just before I left the S O I was living at Bullards and the last straw for me was having to leave my room so a G O family could be berthed there. I had to sleep in the garage. Enough was enough and I routed out. Went to live in East Grinstead at the home of Mathias Bournot with Tony Moss, Mark Jefford and Jackie Doughty.
 
Last edited:

xseaorguk

Patron Meritorious
Stonelands and Bullards

what a load of '"bullards"...lol

I remember when we moved there and Laina Mcnamee was sort of in charge of the house and picked anice room upstairs with her daughter.
She reserved a nice room for her South -African butch girl-friend, what was her name.....ah forgotten.
Maybe somebody else knows.
A few months later she arrived, wow she was a cold woman who could kill you with a look.

I then shared a room with a DAv Skull and Paul Adams for a while in bunks before moving to a larger property, of which I alos cannot remember the name.
Had a large dormitory upstairs, that where I was with John Hawkins in the same room of about 12- 15 men.
At least teh bathrooms were not as cold as Stonelands in the morning.
I remember sitting on the floor in front of the door and having a wank in the morning, as it was not possible in your bunkbed with all listening to you moans----lol
Well, I was only 19-20 and full of testosterone.

Once the BBC came to make a documentary I remember and we were ordered " no 2D flows"!!
That means no eying anybody up, as it may get caught on camera.

We used to go down to 'the stables' for lunch, and it ws often beans and rice.
The cook (lesley I think) was angry at having to make do with food.
Well, if you did have any cash for the 'brilliant' pay you got (sometimes a fiver a week) you bought a snack in the canteen.
Oh yes, those were the days............
 

michaelangelo

Gold Meritorious Patron
what a load of '"bullards"...lol

I remember when we moved there and Laina Mcnamee was sort of in charge of the house and picked anice room upstairs with her daughter.
She reserved a nice room for her South -African butch girl-friend, what was her name.....ah forgotten.
Maybe somebody else knows.
A few months later she arrived, wow she was a cold woman who could kill you with a look.

I then shared a room with a DAv Skull and Paul Adams for a while in bunks before moving to a larger property, of which I alos cannot remember the name.
Had a large dormitory upstairs, that where I was with John Hawkins in the same room of about 12- 15 men.
At least teh bathrooms were not as cold as Stonelands in the morning.
I remember sitting on the floor in front of the door and having a wank in the morning, as it was not possible in your bunkbed with all listening to you moans----lol
Well, I was only 19-20 and full of testosterone.

Once the BBC came to make a documentary I remember and we were ordered " no 2D flows"!!
That means no eying anybody up, as it may get caught on camera.

We used to go down to 'the stables' for lunch, and it ws often beans and rice.
The cook (lesley I think) was angry at having to make do with food.
Well, if you did have any cash for the 'brilliant' pay you got (sometimes a fiver a week) you bought a snack in the canteen.
Oh yes, those were the days............

I used to spend what little dosh i had in that canteen. If you bought a cheese roll. They didn't just charge for that. They'd add it all up seperately, for the cheese, the butter, and the roll. It worked out quite expensive. But it was better than beans and rice. Maybe it was like Ron's solution to inflation (rip everyone off!)
 

Axiom142

Gold Meritorious Patron
what a load of '"bullards"...lol

...

I then shared a room with a DAv Skull and Paul Adams for a while in bunks before moving to a larger property, of which I alos cannot remember the name.

Brook House?

Got burned down around 1992. Apparently someone left socks drying on an electric fire.

Made a large number of SO staff homeless who had to be housed with public or relatives until Walsh Manor was purchased and renovated in ‘95.

We used to go down to 'the stables' for lunch, and it ws often beans and rice.
The cook (lesley I think) was angry at having to make do with food.
Well, if you did have any cash for the 'brilliant' pay you got (sometimes a fiver a week) you bought a snack in the canteen.
Oh yes, those were the days............

The canteen by the garages got squashed by a tree in the hurricane of ’87, as did part of the OSA offices by the swimming pool and the odd car or two belonging to staff.

It’s funny how when it suits them, staff will happily tell you that bad things only happen to you if you “pulled it in by your own out-ethics”, or, by being “effect of your own case, you need to go up the Bridge”. But when really bad things happen to all those supposedly super-ethical, OTs on staff, they conveniently ignore it.

I was fortunate to be moved from Brook House to Bullards in ’87. I only had to share a room with 7 others.

That reminds me. When I was rummaging around in the attic at Bullards, I found a cardboard box marked: “Property of Paul A. – Hands Off!”. Inside, I found a couple of Barbie dolls with all the accessories. Always wondered about that. Anyone know anything about it?

Ax
 
Last edited:

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
That reminds me. When I was rummaging around in the attic at Bullards, I found a cardboard box marked: “Property of Paul A. – Hands Off!”. Inside, I found a couple of Barbie dolls with all the accessories. Always wondered about that. Anyone know anything about it?
Ax

What accessories? I don't remember any accessories.

Did you find the dominatrix one? I wondered where that had gone.

Paul
 

ozzie

Patron with Honors
I remember Stonelands when it was first purchased - all of us brand new SO members got to renovate it - there was a huge hole in the middle of one of the upstairs rooms which went all the way through to the one below. No one could live in it because of that. There was also a few rooms in the basement painted totally black with freaky picturs on the walls. We were told the "bad boys" ( a boys home before the SO bought it) did it. Prior to moving into Stonelands we all lived at the Stables and for a while some of us used the Castle auditing rooms as sleeping quarters. We had to get up early and pack all our meager belongings away so the auditors and PCs wouldn't notice anyone was living in there.

We had four to a room which for us was also a luxury - we also had a TV which we would all watch after dinner for about ten minutes before we had to be bussed back into Saint Hill. We also liked to lie down in the bathtubs there - reminded us of coffins! At least we had hot water! Which is more than we really had at the Stables. On weekends at our Sunday cleaning we all had to pick weeds for weeks on end so the grounds looked better. We used to run around with the horses that the farmer still had there for a little bit of fun. Some of us would climb on them and ride them when no one was looking without bridle or saddle. We also used to have seances in the main room downstairs late at night as Trudy and others used to believe there were ghosts there - it is true we did experience some strange happenings and see some strange things during the first few months we were there.

To me those were fun times and a lot of friendships were developed. But that was when the SO at Saint was new and most of us were very young and a bit wild.

Of course didn't last long - then came long nights of stuffing envelopes and the no time off phases - of course we never really got paid much of anything ever, but in those days didn't matter when we could all go to the Pubs on Sat night and have a few drinks. There were good times, but as the SO got bigger and the executives got meaner it changed.

Oh well........... such memories:yes:


Ozzie
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
We also used to have seances in the main room downstairs late at night as Trudy and others used to believe there were ghosts there - it is true we did experience some strange happenings and see some strange things during the first few months we were there.

Talking of Trudy and strange things to see....

Paul
 

Attachments

  • mayfair.JPG
    mayfair.JPG
    24.4 KB · Views: 89

ozzie

Patron with Honors
Oh my! I remember when Trudy brought her Playboy spread for all of us to see - the guys went nuts!

She was truly one of a kind - remember when her son was born - she said she didn't even know she was pregnant - kind of find that hard to believe but hey maybe it was so.

She truly believed in all those ghosties though. Such a character.

Ozzie
 

Axiom142

Gold Meritorious Patron
What accessories? I don't remember any accessories.

Did you find the dominatrix one? I wondered where that had gone.

Paul

Mr Adams,

If you are implying that I removed the dolls from their box and stuffed them into my holdall, under my underwear so that no one could find them, on the day that I left, keeping them and adding to the collection over the years until I needed a whole room devoted to storing and displaying them – then I would take umbrage! :grouch:

If by some miraculous display of OT powers I were able to locate ‘Dominatrix Debbie’, are you saying that you want her back? :bigcry:

Ax
 
Top