The following text was donated by Bhikhu Vadera. I must extend my gratitude to him fully for this very interesting piece of Houndstone Camps history, that previously I was not aware of.
In 1972, Houndstone camp was used to offer temporary shelter to Asians who fled tyranny in Uganda. I was amongst them.
I arrived into the UK in the early hours of one October morning, at Stanstead Airport. From there we were ferried across the country by coach to Houndstone Camp. We arrived there late at night. There was complex registration process in a building adjecent to one of the smaller canteens. Across the yard was the medical center, where we all went for medical checks. In the middle of the night we were assigned quarters in the Barracks. In each barracks were 3 rooms, without doors separating them, just half partitioning. The first usually had six beds the second 4 and the last 2.
I was 10 at the time. Quite a feeling, because we had just escaped from a brutal military tyranny, and arrived into Army Barracks!!!
However, the welcome was very warm. We were helped a lot by the Salvation Army. Seeing the picture of the the Cinema, brings back memories, as we were entertained to a few movies there. At the main entrace, there was a small shop, where we could get crisps, drinks etc. One of the buildings in the picture, I think you describe, as used to store weapons, was where we waited in the morings for the school bus.
The photo of the square, brings back memories, as we had to cross that to get to the great Canteen where we had breakfast, lunch and dinner. There was a supermarket at the top of the hill. NAAFI, i think, where we went to look around as none of us had any money to buy anything.
We left the Camp in January 1973.