Memories of Delamere

Reach for the Sunshine One and All.

My name, way back in 1957, was Iris Finley. My overriding memory of Delamere was the feeling of being in a very old fashioned environment. I always felt that the way we were taught and the strict regime was from an era much before I was born. That is not to say that I didn't like the atmosphere, I just found it very strange and the numerous rules very strict and nothing like home. I can remember the Delamere anthem that we sang every week, well at least the tune, the words were something like "There's a school in the forest we hold most dear, And everyone knows its Delemare ...  Another verse was "There are lessons to learn and you learn them at school, By playing the game and not the fool". And the whole thing ended with "So reach for the Sunshine one and all. It was quite a rousing sound and I remember really enjoying singing it together with lots of different hymns such as "When a knight won his spurs in the battles of old" and "The fishermen" which was all about catching the fish and bringing them to shore whilst we slept. I have never heard these songs anywhere else.  I remember the words were printed on large sheets of paper and put on an easel in front of us children who would be standing in the main hall in a semi-circle.  Miss Landeau would be standing in the front with the other teachers gathered round the room.  Rupert, Miss Landeau's dachshund would not be too far away in his basket, as I remember, a very well behaved dog with a very shiny sleek coat. Can't honestly remember what happened to him.

I am terrible with names but I do remember Phyllis Chapman, Doreen Lipman, Michael Lipman, Godfrey?, whom I once sent a note to from the girls' dormitory to the boys' dormitory but had no room on the piece of paper to put his full name so just put G-d. The note was found and I was told off, not for sending a note but for abbreviating the name!

When I look back at those years, I have very fond memories of Delamere.  I did feel as if I was living in a bygone age, and I quite liked the idea. The teachers, Miss Davis, Miss Evans (or something like that), I know those two teachers were good friends. Nurse Dixon whom I disliked intensely and was a very cruel person, saying some things to us young children that would not be tolerated in today's politically correct climate. I also remember Miss Dunster the Head Cook, and I can recall an incident when she made a pudding called "Apple Snow".  I remember this very clearly as she was evidently very proud of having made this dessert, which had probably taken a lot of time and hard work, and no-one, not even the staff enjoyed it. She was very upset and ran out of the room.  We were never served Apple Snow again. We did have some unusual things which I have never tasted since. The fruit juice that was in a metal jug on each table for lunch and dinners was unusual, have no idea what it was, it wasn't like any fruit I had every tasted. Marmite was served on toast with stew as I remember, a perculiar combination!  I also remember Miss Lichenstein, a very kindly woman. She was very short, I don't think 5ft, and very round. I can't remember what subjects she taught, although having said that - I don't think education was very high on Delamere's list of priorities. I met Miss Lichenstein many years later in about 1997 and she was living in a flat in south Manchester. And, yes, her flat was like stepping back in time with covered armchairs and little tapestry foot stools. She was really pleased to see me and to be introduced to my 2 daughters. I know somewhere around that time she got married to a cousin of her's but can't remember her married name.   

I have lots more memories and would love to hear from anyone out there if they remember me, and what their experiences were. I know for sure that there was and never will be anywhere quite like Delamere!

My name back in 1954 was Doreen Lipman

I don't know what made me google Delamerites but was amazed to find this website. It seems I'm the only one with bitter memories. I hated every single minute of every single day and night and was one of those naughty children who kept running away.  We once made it to a gypsy caravan in a nearby field and even more daring, we once made it to the local train station.  The handyman was sent to collect us each time and we were sent to bed without any supper.  Miss Landau told us we were being punished not for running away but because we called it 'escaping'.  She had a 'sausage' dog called Rupert who I adored.

Our parents were allowed to visit us once a month and visiting time lasted an hour.  Any sweets they brought us had to be handed in and were shared out every Saturday after lunch.

We had an afternoon nap in the hall every day - we had to get our 'stretchers' out and a blanket and Daphne Oxenford was on the radio telling us a story.  I think that was possibly my only nice memories of Delamere, apart from the smell of the Succah during the festival when it was covered in pine trees and fresh fruit hanging from the branches.

The girls were made to have their hair cut very short once a month when Mrs Powell would visit, and the boys had their hair cut every fortnight.  Some girls were very lucky, they were allowed to keep their hair long, especially if their parents said they were going to be a bridesmaid.  Alas, I was never allowed leave to be a bridesmaid.  My only leave, apart from the summer, was when I was taken to the Jewish Hospital to have my tonsils out, and when I came back I was put in isolation for a week.  One day the nurse, I think she was called Mrs Webster, caught me pouring my tomato soup down the sink because it was stinging my throat after the op and she really shouted at me.

I used to have to sing a solo during the Shabbat service and I lived in absolute dread waiting for my turn, my throat would dry up and there were giggles from around the room while I tried my best to deliver and get it over with as fast as I could.

We used to have knicker inspection when the girls would have to stand and hold our knickers out before we put them in the dirty wash, to make sure we hadn't had an accident.  In the summer we all wore the same itchy boys trunks and nothing else and the girls who were on the big side used to hide in the toilets.

I do remember Miss Davies, a very kind teacher, and sometimes when she came to say goodnight to us, she'd be dressed to go out and she looked the most glamorous thing I'd ever seen.  Miss Davies once gave me her leftover sardines on toast with a real slice of lemon.  I was so excited - I was eating the same food as the teachers.

One Christmas we were all allowed in the staff quarters to look at the Christmas decorations that the non-Jewish staff were allowed to put up in their rooms.  It was so magical, not even really knowing what Christmas was about.

Our clothes were chosen for us, even for the weekend.  My mum once bought me a lovely dress with a big velvet collar which had little white tassles on, but the tassles were cut off as 'they were not considered suitable'.  I was heartbroken.

I hated rice pudding and Miss Dunster used to spoon feed me with it, which sometimes took hours, to make sure I'd eaten it all.  I'd sometimes still be in the dining room when everyone returned for their evening meal, which I wasn't allowed to eat until all my rice pudding had gone.

We wrote letters home - I think it was possibly once a month and we were told what to write.  Our lessons were quite infrequent and when I eventually left nearly aged 11 I was far behind in my classwork.

No, I'm afraid I don't have any nice memories of Delamere, the only nice memory I had was when I was given the 10 Delamere Laws which meant I would be leaving.

I remember lots of names, too many to mention, but a few during my unhappy time there:

Michael Lipman (my cousin)
Leon Powsney
Jeremy ?
Stephen Linton
Henry Hyatt
Phyllis Chapman
Iris Finley
Carol Finley
Janet Leigh
Carol Goldman) My co-escapees
Deborah ?       )
Doreen Reece
Ruth ?
Joan Selby

....those lazy, hazy, days of Delamere

I have so many memories of Delamere but unlike the others who have written on this page my recall of the names are not so good.  I tend to see things as pictures (and have a good memory for faces) and have vivid images (tableaux) of events at Delamere. The gardens at the back with the sundial and divided pathways, the individual gardens 6' 3' (one veg and one flower) for each child, the wooden tabernacle decorated for the harvest festival (succoh), the dining room and the cake every child got on his or her birthday (choice of fruit or sponge), the forest, with the soft, pine-needle strewn floor and the wonderful scent of pine; the gazebo or sunhouse which turned on a wheel underneath its floor (I hurt my nose when bending down outside beneath the open window banging it on the frame), being invited to have the evening dinner with the staff as an extra special treat; we were allowed a drop of red wine diluted with orange juice. My mother visiting me and going to the cafe down the lane to eat egg and chips with her off the little chequered-cloth-covered tables.  Crying in bed at night when she left.  I am not sure sure who was in charge when I was there but Langdon and Landau both sound familiar.  I also remember the brownie group, the knot tying the fairy circle.  I remember a vist by Lonnie Donegan the singing star, participating in Scottish dancing, and playing Snow White in a play.  It was beautiful there but the memories are bitter-sweet as I always wondered what I had done wrong to be "put  away".  As an adult I now understand I had done nothing wrong but suffered from poor health. I went back to Delamere in the eighties to just stand and see if what I remembered was real and accurate.  The building was much smaller than the image I had, but looked basically how I had "saved it" in my mind. The beautiful sunny day added to the warm nostalgia that crept over me as I went round to the back of the house to ask if there was any way of finding out what year I was there.  The doors were all open but no one was around, it was as if time had stood still and I was waiting to go inside for dinner or lessons..  I called out but no one answered.  Some years later I found a web site of the photographer who took photos of me feeding a lamb with a baby's bottle.  He has photos for sale and there were some of other children.  Those days have been seared into my memory and have endowed me with a love of gardening, the countryside and an urge to write a children's novel.  

Good luck and best wishes to all of you other Delamerites (good name Marilyn)

Jane

My unforgetable time at Delamere

Hi old Delamerites!
My name is Marilyn Levy. I was sent to Delamere at the age of six, and remember crying myself to sleep every night. I probably annoyed all the girls in that dormitory with the notion that I was going home.  In retrospect, my stay in that beautiful paradise was probably the best thing that happened to me!  I have so many memories.  I remember my peg number being lucky thirteen, and can see the dormitory. The windows were always opened, and the air was fresh and sharp. Quite often in the winter, the snowflakes would blow onto our beds. The nurse would always ask "Did anyone have a loose bowel movement?", and if anyone anwered in the affirmative, they did not have to go outside in the bitterly cold snow. I once faked having a stomach ache in order to avoid going outside.
My teacher's name was Mrs. Tyler. I stayed in the Juniors' class for two
years. I think I was definitely learning disabled, although I made up for lost time when I returned home. Like Sid, I remember boys and girls who ran away to the train station - I was one of those naughty children who dared to run away - and on the Sabbath! Ms. Davis, who was the Intermediary teacher, really gave us a good telling off. We got our idea from a movie that was shown on a Saturday night about children who tried to run away from their group home. What were they thinking? Ms. Landau, our headmistress, was none too pleased with our efforts for freedom.  
I remember attending the Brownies with Mrs. Werner, and can still tie a reef knot. The gardens had a huge sunflower in the middle, Virginian Stock around the borders, and beautiful poppies. I am 59 years old, and still love to garden. I reside in New York, and am a member of one of the largest community gardens in the U.S.  Next to the gardens was the dining hall, which had walls that folded in accordian style to allow fresh air to circulate during the summertime.
My favorite spot was Second Valley, which was a space that was beautiful, and naturally out of bounds. I can still visualise the large grounds and the little stream that ran behind the second valley. There was a farm adjacent to the school with a cow named Molly.
I can still visualise many of the staff members. Ms. Langdon was a kindly person who wore ankle socks, and a kindly smile.  Ms. Landau was a no nonsense person who was quite strict. I thought the name of the cook was Ms. Dunster, although in Sid's article. her name was Ms. Dunston. The visiting doctor was Dr. Landau, who insisted that I did not slouch. Just to be contrary, I always slouched whenever I entered the examining room. There was a lovely teacher called Myra Lichtenstein who taught us poetry, such as Henry Longfellow's "Hiawatha".  She was a thorough teacher who loved her craft.
I remember with details the choir, and the little shows that we made. There were many chidren with beautiful voices. Brian Davidson and Brenda Gilson sang so clearly, as well as Joan Selby. I sang in the choir, and sometimes can remember the songs we sang, although I forget who taught us those lovely
melodies
I was bitter for many years that I had been sent away from home, but in retrospect, the structured life at Delamere was the best thing for me at that time of my life. In later years, the bitterness left me, and I pursued a career in education. I reside in the United States of America, and am a certified Board Of Education teacher. To quote a phrase from Ms. Landau, I went "very far in life!". I try to do kind deeds, which to my memory, was one of the Ten Delamere Laws.   


                       

Delamere by Sid Grant

The Jewish Fresh Air Home and School was founded in 1921 by Miss Margaret Langdon, MBE, MA (1890-1980) and located at Blakemere Lane, Delamere near Norley, in the beautiful Cheshire countryside.  My time spent there was from age 7 to 9 April 1933 to 8th April 1935.   
The school was created for delicate Jewish children. They typically suffered from maladies such as malnutrition, nervous debility and enuresis. The age of the children ranged from 6 to 12 years.
Miss Langdon, as the secretary, conducted her work from an office at 149 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, centrally located in the area of heaviest Jewish population.  Miss Helena Landau (1892-1979) was the head of the school, assisted by Miss Ada Reubens. The head of the nursing staff was a Miss Dunston. The handyman and caretaker was called Albert.
On arrival each child was allocated a numbered locker in the changing room, a peg in the washroom and a locker in the classroom for personal items.
The daily time table was
  7.15am Rise
  8.00am   Breakfast
  8.30am early duties (weather recording, care of the poultry, tending plants and flowers, preparation of classrooms, bed making, and boot cleaning)
  9.00am   Prayers and Bible stories
  9.20am Lessons
  10.10am Lunch and play
  10.25am Lessons
  12 to 2.45pm Dinner, followed by rest
  2.45pm Lessons or ramble
  4.30pm Play time
  5.00pm   Tea, followed by play
  6.00pm   Prayers, bath and bed
The above schedule would be tailored to the health of the child concerned and the time of the year.
The food was excellent. We drank mostly milk, cocoa and water and we were allowed one sweet or piece of chocolate from a plate passed around the dining table after dinner. Obviously the big pieces went first and you were unlucky to be at the tail end! Once a week, we would line up to choose a portion of sweets such as a liquorice stick or a toffee ball.  A rare treat during the summer time would be an ice-cream cornet.
The boys and girls slept in two separate dormitories with a row of beds down each side, and two or more chamber pots were positioned on one side for use during the night. We were each responsible for a small garden plot. They were arranged in rows at the entrance to the school grounds. The centrepiece was a sunflower, surrounded by a variety of other flowers.
Albert (the caretaker/handy man) also acted as a barber and the boys lined up for haircuts outside the potting shed. On completion he would rub some evil-smelling paraffin oil in the scalp. I am certain he was not responsible for the girl’s hair.
The Star System measured our performance. Each week a star would be stuck alongside our name on a chart displayed in the hall.
The colour of the star defined how well we had behaved and carried out our duties that period.
Every month we would write a letter home giving any news of our daily activities and requesting items of clothing as prompted by our teacher. The letter was mailed in a stamped addressed envelope left by our parents on a previous visiting day. On a couple of occasions during my stay, one or more boys would run away, with the intention of going home, but they never got further than the railway station about a mile or so along the road. The stationmaster would then phone the school and a member of staff would collect them.
About once a month we would all have to be examined by a Dr.Ratner in the isolation building. The Head of Nursing Staff, Miss Dunston always wore her uniform, which included a sister’s triangular shaped cap. I recall that she had a pet dog, a black spaniel named "Pero" who was her constant outdoor companion.
The older children took the responsibility for the Scout movement and they planned and implemented many activities, including a Sports Day, May Day celebrations, competitive games and our periodic Scouts' evening. These activities were a source of much enjoyment and happiness to all and would eventually help so much in character building.
I would always look forward to the frequent walks in Delamere Forest. Many of us would collect birds' feathers. A Blue Jay feather was considered a prize find, and we also would look out for “conkers” (chestnuts) in the autumn.
Every Saturday morning we attended a Shabbot service in the hall, after which we were given a cup of cocoa and a cream biscuit.
At the festival of Purim all the children were given a silver 3d coin. A teacher would take us to a large wooden hut, serving as a tuck shop, at the side of Hatchmere Lake, which was just a few minutes walk from the school.
During the Passover period we would all return home. I assume this served the double purpose of our being home for a family-oriented Jewish festival as well as relieving the staff of the chore of changing the eating and cooking utensils.
The large wooden frame of a Succa was permanently erected in the valley behind the school buildings. On Succot, it would be covered with branches and foliage. Various fruits would be hung on the inside as decoration, and it was greatly admired on visiting day by our parents.
Once a year we would travel by coach to Beaston Castle and spend the day amongst the ruins and have a picnic. Our other annual treat was a visit to Chester when we would walk along the Roman wall.
There were never any films shown. But occasionally, on a dark winter’s evening, we would be shown some lanternslides in the hall. At no time did we listen to radio programs. In 1934, an extension speaker was placed on the wall in the hall to relay music.
Each month, on a Sunday, our parents would visit us. They would board coaches outside the Waterloo Hotel on Waterloo Road, Hightown, Manchester and arrive at about 3pm. The coaches parked on the road at the front of the school. There was little passing traffic in those days. It was unlikely that any of the visiting families would have owned a motorcar.
Only two persons were allowed to visit each child, and theoretically no children were allowed. I can remember my parents bringing my sister, Sheila, who was at the time under two years old. Visitors would gather in the hall and make a required contribution towards the upkeep of their child. Food was not provided for the parents. While we were eating, my parents would eat at Mrs Blain’s, a cottage tearoom a few minutes walk away although many parents brought food with them. Weather permitting we would spend our time outside with our parents in the grounds of the school, after showing them our classroom work. Otherwise we would play and talk in the hall. One of the visitors Elizabeth Bergmans mother (Mrs Gertrude Bergman nee Shine) would play the piano and sing too us, her favourite song being "Eli Eli". I remember a visitor named Jack, an older brother of Harold Wallace once singing very well while accompanied by Mrs Bergman. "Mars Bars" and "Kit Kat", among other confectionery, were first introduced in that era.  My Mum and Dad would always bring a bar, which I ate outside, being careful not to be noticed by any members of the staff. When our parents left, we would all stand together near the front to wave them goodbye. Even though we were well looked after and happy, many of the younger children would cry to go back home with them, but they soon got over their emotions. Nevertheless, we still missed our parents.
For a year or two after leaving I attended a Chanucah party for "Delamerites" which was held in the basement hall of a Synagogue on Cheetham Hill Road Manchester.
Here are the names of some of my contemporary Delamerites:
Joe Singer, Alec Simons, Ethel Miller, Monty Black, Harry Miller, Gerald Backner, Monty Levine, Henry Patoff, Harry Hersh, Estelle Bergman, Sam Stockman, Harry Jacobs, Basil Herwald, Maurice Spindler, Sonia Austin,
Eunice Askins, Rhona Pollock, Dennis Simms, Helen Becker and Harold Wallis.
A girl, Inger Laufer, a refugee age about 12, stayed for a short time. I presume she left to live with a foster family.