Back to Claremont (1963)

[Music] [Music] they are spastics they come to a special day school in Bristol Claremont some people ask what's the point what can be done for them well we're going to show you show you what has been done in just 3 years don't expect the impossible progress can never be easy this was Susan 3 years ago by herself she couldn't even sit up now thanks to early treatment two years at the Children's Hospital and two years here at Claremont she's reached this the first stage on the long road to walking 3 years ago Peter had to write like this today here he is thanks to Physiotherapy and a Year's practice with a special thick pencil now look at Catherine sitting beside him 3 years ago this was the best she could do today she's been taught to control those erratic movements like this the greater the handicap the tougher the struggle progress is seldom startling but there is a difference between an as she was and an she is 3 years ago you would never have understood what she was saying now you can just begin to listen to her reading to clemont's head mistress Mary was more severely handicapped so right from the start she was helped to find ways around her difficulties today she's still badly handicapped but she's much less helpless here she's offering a local firm advertising space in the school magazine attachments like these have been specially designed to help her lead as normal a life as possible there's a fully equipped flat at the school domestic science is a very popular subject it's good to find you can do things you thought you never would but the main ambition of many of claremont's children is to walk three years ago he'd reached this far today here he is stimulate by this Improvement he's happier and more alert Peggy could get along like this now she's progressed to this silver here was a gift from the donkey man at Weston here's what Peg thinks of him so was a bit slow he won't go like a race hor but he will go John had to be shown a new way to get around now helped by his brother he puts what he's learned to practical use it's become part of his everyday life Once In The Water he experiences a New Freedom the adults you see are mostly members of a local swimming club who give up part of their Saturday evenings to make this possible Charlie as he was badly needing help Charlie as he is eager to help others nowadays he can play a full part in the life of the school Chris three years go since then he has been treated with a muscle relaxing drug Chris today I started off just by standing a little in Phio and taking a few steps and so on till I can do it properly now well not properly we are making these things for end of turn sale so that we can send some money to ask the committee for family relief and we started off by making the things which took us a very long time sewing it and then prining it and when we finished we sold it one afternoon it very quickly went yes you know what the Oxford committee do with the money yes well they send it fair to homes where these refugees and people are and then they go towards food and cod for them here's Barbara as she is now she's been transferred to the neighboring infant school for ordinary children a change only possible because of the care she received here 3 years ago and the close cooperation of her school and home after a year of crawling she leared to walk and now she joins in all the activities of ordinary children here she is 3 years ago Rose was beginning to take her first steps she took her 11 plus exam and now she's at Red Maids one of the city's most famous grammar schools at clemont she had learned to write like this now her head mistress says she refuses to be left out of anything another boy who's been transferred is Dick I asked him rather pointed question did you see the last film yes yes do you like it um yes you sound a bit doubtful what didn't you like some people might think that that we that we did not know English Artic just satisfy dick let's make it clear that they do do English and arithmetic and all the usual School subjects some children like Susan have to leave Claremont without ever becoming independent despite prolonged treatment for them a newly opened work center provides simple but useful factory work in a happy atmosphere they like coming to work it helps them feel like other people they get a wage packet too the even if it only amounts to pocket money Peter used to walk only on the tips of his toes now look at him he too has been transferred to another school but he returns to Claremont twice a week for Physiotherapy so now we're back where we started with this little girl and the people who ask has she a future can anything be [Music] done for day [Music] the