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Hatchmere

Hatchmere photos (5 available)

Old photo of Hatchmere

Hatchmere maps (2 available)

Old map of Hatchmere

Hatchmere books (16 available)

Hatchmere memories

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You can also read memories of nearby places in Cheshire below.

Cheshire memories

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 ...read more here
A memory of Delamere contributed by Doe Solomon

....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 ...read more here
A memory of Delamere contributed by Jane Castrignano

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, ...read more here
A memory of Delamere contributed by Marilyn Levy

The Forest

Delamere, Delamere Forest c1955

I can remember the first time I visited the forest, it was very impressive.
The smell of the trees, birds everywhere, and the sense of a wonderful peace. A really beautiful place, I hope it has not changed.
A memory of Delamere contributed by pete b

Extracts From Hatchmere & Cheshire books

Hatchmere, Lake Delamere c1960

Today, after considerable localised replanting, there are over 2,000 acres of woodland in the vicinity, through which wander numerous walking and cycling trails all centred on Lake Delamere. There is also an excellent Forest Centre with a small exhibition area describing the local fauna and flora.
An extract from from"Cheshire Living Memories".

Hatchmere, Forest Café c1955

Enlargement of the photograph reveals the signboards with the various Sunday papers vying for your custom with such enticing lures as ‘The world of the formerly married’, ‘Ulysses – the inside story of the film’, ‘1,000 hours of Hell’ and, best of all, perhaps, ‘DEBS! The truth at last – by the man who knows’.
An extract from from"Cheshire Living Memories".

Ditton, St Michael's Church, Ditton Hall c1965

With so many workers arriving here in the 1800s from Ireland there was a strong Roman Catholic presence and this enormous church was built in the 1870s to serve that congregation. For the first 23 years it was also a collegiate church for Jesuits with, at one time, 32 priests, 22 scholastics and 17 lay brothers.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".

Ditton, Ditchfield Road c1965

There have been several Ditchfield Halls near here. In the 1500s and 1600s the Dychfield family that lived here were strong Roman Catholics and refused to attend the Protestant services at their local parish church at Farnworth. Instead they built their own chapel but they were still fined for not attending the official church services! The last Ditchfield Hall was demolished in the 1960s.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".

Widnes, Promenade 1923

It would have been near here that the ferry landed. The first ferry was established in 1178 by the baron who owned Halton Castle on the southern side of the estuary. His estates included lands on the northern side and, apparently, the ferry was set up primarily so his tenants could cross the river more easily in order to pay him their taxes.
An extract from from"Widnes and Runcorn Photographic Memories".