An Interview with David Barnsley

PART ONE- EARLY DAYS AT CARLSON HOUSE

At the age of 62, David Barnsley is becoming reflective about his life as a disabled person. In many ways a lot changed in society since David was born in 1941 and, in this 2 part series of short biographical articles, David has shared some of his memories as well as some of the photos from his remarkable historical collection.

As a child of about 6 years old, David was one of the first children from the Birmingham area to attend a new school for children with cerebral palsy, called Carlson House in Harborne, Birmingham. David recalled for us the origins of Carlson House, which in it’s day was a pioneering centre of excellence set up with the support of Birmingham’s well known Cadbury family:

“At the end of the war, Paul Cadbury was visiting America on Business when he learnt of the theories of Dr Earl Carlson. Dr Earl Carlson had cerebral palsy himself and he had written a book stating his views that children with cerebral palsy were educable. Paul Cadbury’s daughter, Margaret had cerebral palsy herself so this was what inspired him to use his own influence to try and bring Dr Carlson’s theories to Britain”.

“Paul Cadbury gathered together a group of people prepared to support his venture and to put up some finance. People like Ken Quayle of Quayle Carpets in Kidderminster and others and they also gained the interest of the Education Department in Birmingham who agreed to put up some money. They purchased a large house at 13a Victoria Road in Harborne, which had large garden and stables and from 1945 the building was made suitable for the education of children with cerebral palsy”.

“In those days parent didn’t get grants so they banded together with other parents. I recall going as a child of about 5 or 6 to 13a Victoria Road for weekends where my parents helped with working parties who were converting the house. I recall that there was a covered way from the house to the stables with 17 windows along the side, which gives you some idea of the size of the area that was converted into physiotherapy department. This is where physiotherapy and speech therapy were offered on a daily basis”.

On the 8^th September 1948, Carlson House opened it’s door so it’s first group of pupils. David told us of the sense of debt he feels towards the staff and everyone involved with Carlson House in the early days:

“The first headmistress was Miss Christine Woodall, a nice lady, she became Mrs Brown, but later on she went away to work at Ponds, which belonged to the Spastic Society. I still keep in touch with her and she recently came to my 60^th birthday”.

“The criteria set for admission to Carlson House was based on a certain IQ level and children vetted to see that they would benefit from what was offered. I recall that the kids used to be collected each morning by pre-war Austin taxis supplied by the All Electric Garage in Harborne - they were dubious vintage- even the journey from home was exciting because of the tendency for the vehicles to break down at least every 7 days. The spare car came to pick you up and then that would break down too, we’d have the back number plate in the boot as we arrived at school. It was a dubious choice between which car was most broken down!”

“The cars became symbols; we were attached to them and recalled them by their registration plates. There was ‘Ada’, ‘Ea’ and a rather sophisticated and beautiful Armstrong Sydney Saphire with an unfortunate number plate @Cac’! And that is how we got school”.

“On the 1^st day one of the occupants was sick over the drivers lunch. We arrived to be taken  by physios to be assessed., whenever we were taken from the classrooms to therapy sessions, orderlies would wheel you away in chairs adapted with wheels on the back that had been provided by a local antique man, as you grew they would come along and alter the chairs. A highlight of life at Carlson House was in 1955 when Roy Rogers came and visited the school, he was over in Birmingham with Trigger and his wife Dale Evans”