Summerseat House in the Thirties.
It may have been a September morning, I
really had no idea what time of the year it might have been.
All I remember is that it was a wet and dull day. My Mother
had taken me to the Education department in Central
Manchester. We sat in a chilly room, I and another girl
whose name I can’t remember. Then we were called and were
taken outside, where a large black car stood waiting.
I’d been ill some twelve months before, so it
was deemed to be in my interest that a few months
convalescence, would help to buck me up. So it was my trip
to Summerseat house began.
The city left behind, we were soon seeing the
green countryside. Lots of trees, for the first time really
seen, the only ones were in the local park as I knew of. Now
I live in the place they use to call the Garden City. What
seemed to be ages to me, we arrived at two tall black gates.
We were driven along a wide driveway. Autumn leaves wet and
soggy lining the way. The car stopped outside, what to me
then was a huge building. Large windows and steps up to the
door, two pillars on either side. I now know it was an
Edwardian House. This large house had been presented to
Manchester City council, to be used as a home for sick
children.
My very first memory was as the door opened a
large dog came bounding out. There were people too, but I
was a little afraid of this hound, well he looked so big,
and I’m sure his back came past my waist. I backed away and
a friendly voice assured me he wouldn’t bite. His name was
Ginger, and much later I thought of him as the dog in Peter
Pan. It must have been lunch time when we arrived, as I was
ushered into the dining hall which was to the left from the
entrance. A long room as I remember, with trestle tables
with stiff with starch white tablecloths. Cain chairs, which
seemed so tall too. I don’t think I’d ever sat on a chair
before; my father had made a stool for me to stand to the
table at home. I still remember the lentil soup with ginger
pudding and custard to follow. So this was my introduction
to Summerseat House, which turned out to be for almost three
years.
Apart from the dining room I described
earlier, there were two dormitories taking up the whole of
the right wing of the house, downstairs there were two main
rooms as I remember. Two archways dividing on either side of
a huge fireplace, the fireplaces were Marble and rather
ornate. There were approx ten beds as I figure in all. Two
doors, one leading into the hall, we never used that one;
the other leading to the back hallway, where the kitchens
and other rooms and the rear staircase. The children used
this one. The kitchens, we were never gone into, except when
we were allowed to stir the Christmas pudding.
Upstairs I only remember two main
dormitories, apart from a large bathroom which had two baths
and two wash sinks, I know there was a smaller room which
was known as the sick room. I spent some time in there after
developing chicken pox not long after my arrival. I never
slept in the middle room, but the one that took up the front
of the house. There were about ten beds as I could make out,
and it over looked the front of the house, also the long
driveway. There was a room where the Dr would visit perhaps
six months or so, I can only remember seeing him twice in
all the time I was there. In the windows, the panes only
came half way up; and they were like that summer and winter
no glass. There were central heating radiators; we had to
dust behind them in a morning before breakfast.
All the children were issued with a uniform.
This consisted of warm woollen underwear, itchy to say the
least, two red woollen Jumpers, knee length wool stockings,
and black ankle boots. This was mostly winter wear,
depending how cold or warm. Jumpers were neatly darned the
better of the two on top. I only remember wearing a dress
once one very hot summer and never a coat except one time
when we were taken to see a film in Ramsbottom.
The film was Alf’s Button Afloat. We went by
train from Summerseat station. It was very funny as I
remember; it being about a soldier whose buttons was made
from Aladdin’s lamp when handed in as scrap metal.
All the way home we were rubbing our coat
buttons.
As for the boots we wore, they were left out
in the back corridor each night, and we would take turns in
blacking and polishing them up.
We were given clean clothes on a regular
basis. Our names in all of our clothes and whenever I was
given a jumper not darned, it seemed like a birthday
present.
We were up in the mornings for about 6-30, and
before we went for breakfast the dormitories had to be tidy
and dusted and our beds made. We took turns in the bathroom,
and then after we were dressed we would go down to
breakfast. Breakfast most mornings was porridge and toast.
During the next three years, I learnt to read
and write the start of my education. There were just two
class rooms with two teachers. I can’t even remember their
names; however all I know is that they were good teachers. I
never remember any harsh word or reprimand. We were taught
about the countryside, music, poetry, art, and we were
encouraged to read as much as we were able.
It was strange how I soon began to take the
place for granted. Now I think, it really was a splendid
house. The curved staircase, as I remember, was in the quite
spacious entrance hall, I’m not so sure now how large the
hall was it would seem huge to the small two up & two down,
the house where I came from.
The hall was always out of bounds to the
children. I only ever recall using it once, and that was
some time in 1938, my brother who had recently joined the
RAF came to visit me. Some 15 yrs older than me, he was
planning to get married. He asked could I come to be his
bridesmaid, however I’m not sure why but I wasn’t allowed to
go home. In the hall there was a brass plaque and I recall
one of the names was Grundy. I never was sure what it was
all about as it was much later I was able to read it. I
associated it with the old rhyme about Solomon Grundy. As it
is I will reveal what it was later.
So it was, I was called by Matron, and went
down the staircase to see Jim my brother. We were never
allowed to wear our boots in doors and never in the hall. So
this moment was special. I spent an hour with Jim my brother
and
He took photos, which I never remember seeing
to this day.
As I remember it, we had our own kitchen
gardens, where all the veg and fruit bushes grew. We would
sometimes sneak through into the gardens, although they were
out of bounds, it was just a dare most of the time, to pick
the fruit often before it was ripe.
My first celebration there was Halloween; we
had games and bobbin apples. I don’t think there was
anything scary, no masks or dressing up, it was just good
fun. Then there was Bonfire night. We had fireworks mainly
sparklers and a few rockets. I do remember Catherine Wheels
fastened to the trees but I’m not so sure about a bonfire.
It may have been deemed too dangerous.
Christmas was another treat I remember. A few
weeks before Cook made Christmas puddings, we all had to
file into the kitchen to stir the pudding. I don’t think
there were any sixpences in it though.
On Christmas morning, we woke to find a small
gift at the bottom of the bed, where the night before we’d
been allowed to put a stocking, which on looking inside had
an apple & orange and a few sweets. One of my gifts I
remember was cotton bobbin with four small tacks around the
edge and some coloured wools. It was my first introduction
to knitting.
One of the best treats I remember was the
time I had my first Birthday there.
May 1938 I was eight. Cook baked me a cake
fully iced, and on the top there stood a tiny Celluloid
doll. It was to my imagination a fairy and later I put it
into the centre of
a Cornflower, growing it the gardens near
the school. It of course must have blown away, as I never
did find it again. I believed it had gone back to the
fairies.
During my time there I met lots of girls
about my age. One I remember her name was Emily Lyons. I
think she must have left before I did, however we were to
met again sometime later, but I never did get her address so
it
Was that I never saw her again. As for the
rest of the children I really don’t remember. We once had as
I remember a real cow boy came to do tricks with a lasso.
Don’t remember a horse; however he wore all the gear, the shaps, and of course the ten gallon hat.
We played croquet on the front lawn when it
was the summer holidays and the weather permitted. We also
had a large play room. This was used for music. Country Dancing and games of all kinds.
We also had what I thought was the best
thing of all, the Dobbin Horse. A large Rocking horse, we loved it.
So it was I spent these times in a peaceful
world, well to my knowledge it was.
Then one day in September 1939 that all
changed.
We were summoned into one of the dormitories,
where Nurse Dunstan had a small radio. It stood on the
mantelpiece.
We were not aware how important the message
which came across loud and clear; however it was to inform
us that we the country had declared war with Germany.
I was eventually told I would be going home.
It was a cold and frosty morning
As I stood looking out of the upstairs
window, I saw my Mother coming along the driveway. The date
was 13th of January 1940.
Sixty-eight years later in August ’08 I
finally returned to visit Summerseat House maybe for the
last time.
The plaque in the hall was still there, but
it wasn’t the Solomon Grundy I had thought it was. It was a
Grundy; he was the founder of the home given for sick
children. His name was Cuthbert Cartwright Grundy.
It was in 1911 and was handed over to the
Education Authorities.
My visit in 2008 was interesting. From the
outside the house looked very much the same. Inside there
were only one or two areas which I could relate to. One was
the Staircase, although I feel even that had been altered.
The other was the back entrance where we use
to leave our boots.
The greatest difference was outside. No
longer surrounded by fields and meadowland, but now a
complete rural estate.
I wonder now if we are best leaving our
memories to the past.
Lilian.
