NINETY-year-old Murray Haddow has shared his memories of the Stourbridge children's home he ran more than five decades ago after an appeal in The News.

Mr Haddow and his late wife, home economics teacher Jean, were in charge of The Mere for five years until 1964, during which time they brought in changes to modernise it.

But that did not go down well with all the staff, he recalls.

"It was quite difficult - it was very much an old-fashioned institution and I think the staff were at that time more important than the children," said Mr Haddow, now living in Largs, a small seaside town about 30 miles from Glasgow.

"It was run in one unit but I broke it down into five houses, each with a house mother, giving them responsibility for getting in their own food and buying clothes for the children individually, rather than from a central store.

"That was not popular with some of the staff because it was much easier for them to do it centrally in a nice orderly way - although the more progressive minded staff saw what we were trying to achieve and were in sympathy."

Mr Haddow, who later moved to work in children's services in Scotland, also recalled taking the children from The Mere - sometimes all of them, but also in smaller groups - on annual holidays to Wales, Yorkshire and Kent, as well as sporting activities in the grounds of the home, which was off Norton Road.

The Mere, originally set up in the early 20th century by the Stourbridge Guardians in two cottage homes, was run by Worcestershire County Council at the time Mr Haddow was there.

The home has since been demolished and a housing estate occupies much of the site.

Mr Haddow supplied photographs of The Mere, which he took around 1960, to Alan Skinner, now aged 67, who was one of the children living at the home.

Mr Skinner, now living in Bromsgrove, appealed through The News for former housemates at The Mere to get in touch with him with a view to organising a reunion - and nine have contacted him so far.

Graham and Wilson, Mr and Mrs Haddow's sons, now both in their early 60s, also lived at The Mere and used to enjoy having so many other children to play with.

It was Graham, now living in Dundee, who made the link with Mr Skinner, while browsing for information about The Mere.

Mr Haddow, whose first wife died more than 25 years ago and has since married another woman also named Jean, says that, sadly, he is unlikely to be able to manage to be at the eventual reunion due to his age and distance from Stourbridge.

If you know anyone would like to be part of a home reunion, call Mr Skinner on 01562 875582 or 07720 205131.