Primary School In 1950's Widnes

I remember Chestnut Lodge Primary School, had a large wall around it on the corner of Hales Road and Liverpool road. It also had a nursery school.

Thanks for the reply Marian. I attended that school when I was four, and then i went to Simms Cross school when I was seven. I'm wondering what happened to the Chestnut Lodge, as it appears to be a supermarket now. I'd love to get in touch with anyone who went there.

The school was Ditton County Infants. The Juniors was further up Liverpool Road and then they amalgamated to form Ditton County Primary which is now situated near the old ICI recreation ground in Liverpool Road, and famous for appearing in the film 'Millions' starring James Nesbitt .

Thank you for you information I do remember moving from the little school
to Liverpool road I think it was a hall used for many activities Mrs
Kenwright was the teacher I was just wondering what happened to the school.

I was at Ditton County Infants School 50 - 52 before going to Simms Cross Junior School for Boys. You are correct, Mrs Kenright was the Headteacher. The site was boundex by Hale Rd and Liverpool Road, next to Booths Garage. Opposite Chesnut Lodge waz the Police Station. Then Dr Norgate took it over as his GP surgery and lived on the first floor. The Hough Green to Widnes Central rail line ran in a tunnel under Liverpool Rd and the school yard. There was a nursery housed in a concrete prefab building.
I returned to the Ditton Infants School in 1961 on Sundays where I was a Sunday School teacher attached to St Michaels Hough Green. I later wen on to St Pauls College Cheltenham trained for teaching and entered service where I reached Headship.
Malcolm Johnson

Hi Malcolm, everything you wrote brought memories back of chestnut lodge school,I was definitely at that school between those dates, I have a feeling we must have been in the same class, my name was Delia Leach I was best friends with Barbara King I do remember some girls names as we all went to Simms Cross school together and then onto Fairfield. We lived at Cunningham Road,Ditton.Oh I do remember doctor norgate he was our doctor for many years, his wife Susan died very suddenly he was a lovely G P. I've got an old photo taken at school we were doing a play the pipe piper.Thank you for your memories

Hi Delia. I was a student at Ditton CIS. I remember it being referred to as Chestnut Loge too. We lived in prefabs nearby. I recall a young gypsy lad attending a couple of times. He wore a red handkerchief around his neck and wasn't given an Easter egg like the rest of us. Dr Norgate's surgery/house was across the road. There was a beautiful old rocking horse in the waiting room. I cracked my forehead slipping on our step and he stitched it up - still have the scar! it would have been the early60's. We moved and I went to Fairfield Primary and then Fairfield Secondary.

Hi,I attended earlier then you, put we still share the same memories, I do remember the rocking horse in the surgery and doctor norgates wife always the children dolly mixtures,when I attended the school in my class we had some poor children they lived in some ? some army barrack's huts but I can't remember where, I've joined on Facebook Widnes s discovered I put a photo up of the school it got a lot of feed back,we also lived in the a prefab in but I was very young don't remember that time!!!

I attended the Little School at Chestnut Lodge from 1945 until I went on to Simms Cross Junior School in 1948.The Headmistress then was Miss Friar.My time at the school was a very happy one.I lived in Dundalk Lane,about 600 yards from the school gates adjacent to Booth’s garage where in 1959 they launched the new Ford Anglia at a special wine given to celebrate the event.After leaving university,I entered the teaching profession,eventually becoming Headmaster of a High School in Kent.I would love to hear from any of my fellow pupils ,many of whose names I can still recall.

Just read these comments and brought back many memories. I was there from 1958 to '60. Then went to Church hall further along Liverpool Road just past the Ball Pub. We lived at 3 Cunningham Rd at the time. Went on to Simms Cross school where we moved to a shop in Foster St. After Simms Cross I went to Bankfield Secondary Modern where we moved to a house in Liverpool Rd about 100 yds down from what was once Chestnut Lodge Infants (its now a Co Op shop).