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Do
you remember holidays at Silverdale? Do you recognise any
of the children in the pictures?
Email us at Leeds@bbc.co.uk
with your memories.
Thoughts
on Silverdale I was there in 1952 aged 8 sorry I can not remember
any of the names from that time, but I do rember we had tasks
to do in the morning. Keeping the place clean and tidy along
the corridors and dormitorys for which house were given points
each week. In the afternoons a walk out, down to the beach
or play within the camp site where there was a playground
and a small wooded area and as a child who lived in the City
(Burley Street) to see the Red Squirrel and other wildlife
was just magical. Then there were the races once a week Running,
Sack and Egg and Spoon. On the last Friday we were taken to
colect Hazel nuts which were shgared out and given to each
chil to take home on the Saturday.
Margaret Robinson (Nee Hudson)
Chapel Allerton, Leeds.
Im 18 and I remember going to Silverdale
8 years ago it was fantastic ive been twice and i loved it
both times I went. Also both my parents have been when they
were younger and they both liked it my mum went 25 years ago
and everything was still the same when I went back. My biggest
memory was of the singing we did and building treehouses I
thought it was fantastic. The outdoor pool was still there
when I went although we couldn't use it has it was too cold
both me and my parents remember going to church and the little
walks in the woods. It was the best holiday i ever had and
il never forget it.
Samantha Woodhead
Leeds
Oh when I saw that Silverdale was to
be featured on Look North, I got a tingle down my spine. Memories
of the Happy, Happy Days spent there came flooding back, what
a long time ago that was but what a big impression it made
on me. I was about 10 years old so it must have been the summer
of 1966, I don't know what the records show but I remember
it as a beautiful warm and sunny summer, the best ever! I
had never been away from my family and remember to this day
the kind of surreal excitement and anticipation that filled
the bus (don't remember it being a coach) as we all set off
from Great George street wearing the well worn uniforms that
didn't quite fit, smelt strange but felt really good. Being
all girls together in the dorm was such fun and I seem to
remember we shared our baths too!
The days were filled with activities and you could choose
to go on the trips. The trips were really long walks to places
like The Pepper Pot, where we were attacked by giant ants,
we had such fun running along screaming and the storeys we
told to the others when we got back, the ants just grew and
grew. Some days I remember helping out in the kitchen (we
volunteered to do jobs but as everyone volunteered we rotated),
I remember the giant potato peeling machine because it fascinated
me.
We had races in the swimming pool which was freezing cold
and my costume was so large I couldn't actually swim in it
but I somehow came second. The prize was a little bow on a
safety pin which I kept for years and probably still have
somewhere. One of the best times was the mid-morning milk,
I never drank milk at home my mother used to make milk puddings
and cocoa to try and disguise it. However the cup of warm
milk (yes even warm milk was delightful in Silverdale) was
nectar. The gone would sound and we would all drop everything
to go join in the mid-morning letters from home time, cook
had a huge pan full of milk and everyone could get their cup
filled, it was a time of fun, excitement, shared experiences
and pleasure.
There was a man who brought loads of home made games with
skittles and marbles and things and he would set up in the
Games Room (where else) I think it was one end of the daily
room we used but on an evening it was our Games Room and we
all sang along to records and play games. I can still remember
the words to one of the records we played "while driving
in my limousine, much to my surprise, a little motor car passed
me by about one third my size.......... Beep beep.. beep beep
his horn went beep......... Oh my goodness the fun we had.
Thanks for the memories, hope you get a reunion sorted out.
Anne
I
spent 2 holidays there. In 1946 I went off alone. In 1947
I went with my sister. One of the things I remember, is Lizzie
Lord being made to crawl under the bungalow to 'rescue' 3
kittens. She was chosen because she was the skinniest girl
there.When we peeled the potatoes woe betides us if we took
too much potato with the peel because we found it mashed up
with the spuds.The girls who had been to the camp before warned
us to sleep with our knickers under the pillow. If any girl
broke her knicker eleastic it was rumoured that she would
look for a better pair when the rest of us were asleep. I
also remember the walks. We went onto the beach and were warned
about the quicksand. The best thing that I remember that on
both occasions it didn't rain for the whole 2 weeks. We all
came home as brown as berries.
Iris Crow
In
1967 my sister and I went to Silverdale.We set off from Great
George Street in Leeds and queued up with masses of other
"poor children" to be given our Silverdale clothes.
Our mother waved us off, on a Sammy Ledgard coach(I think)
and promised us she would send us five bob by postal order.On
arrival at Silverdale we all went to the bathrooms and had
nit lotion plastered on our heads as the Matron told us all
she didnt want any unwelcome visitors! It was a bit traumatic
for some children as they were obviously homesick and this
will have been the very first time away from home for most
of us.However the trips to the beach and "The Pepperpot"
and "The Wishing Well" were great fun and the first
time we all ran down to the beach will stay with me forever.The
sky was streaked with reds and orange colours and the sea
was miles out,it seemed so vast.My sister kept telling me
I would be swallowed up by the Quicksand~a big worry when
you are seven years old! One of my best memories is jumping
from bed to bed in the dormatories,if you were caught you
got "the slipper".This only added to the fun! Every
night we used to sing the camp song:
There is a happy camp at Silverdale.
Where we all go for walks down by the lane,
The Wishing Well we have seen,
The Pepperpot and the Village Green,
And we are happy kids at Silverdale!
Each morning you were given any mail that was posted to you.Our
five bob arrived ! We went down to the village and cashed
the postal order and I bought a little plastic purse with
a map of Morcambe on the front. When we came back we went
in the swimming pool and someone pinched my sisters knickers!
She had no more and we were in a right dilemma over this!
We still laugh over this today.
Recently I went back to Silverdale and the manager who runs
it now (Linda) welcomed us with open arms.She showed us round
and we had such a nostalic day.Linda told us that next year
is the centenary of Silverdale and they are hoping to have
a reunion!
Colleen
Leeds
I went to Silverdale around 1957
or 1958. I was about 6 years old at the time. I remember the
walks in the woods. I think i remember a little castle nearby.
We went to church on a sunday, they dressed us all up, they
gave you coppers to put in the box after the service.Looking
at the footage on Look North tonight i remember the outdoor
pool so clearly.I have so many memories of that place.we had
a recreation room where we played games, we also played football
and went swimming.We slept in coridoors with beds in long
rows.It would be wonderful to hear of people who went to Silverdale
at the same time as myself.
G. Wortley, Leeds
I remember going to Silverdale in
the late 50's twice, my memory of the camp is the outdoor
swimming pool. My biggest memory is that I had an accident
and fell out of a tree and ended up in Morecombe hospital.
We were only allowed to take half a crown spending money,
this had to last the two weeks.
Ray Emmerson
I
went to Silverdale in April/May 1965. I know it was at that
time as I remember everyone gathering to watch the F.A. Cup
final on TV when Leeds lost to Liverpool.
I
also remember walks to The Pepper Pot, and to Gibraltar -
no not that one, regular trips into Silverdale village across
the fields. There was an outside swimming pool though as it
wasn't exactly warm those two months it wasn't quite so inviting.
though I do remember one particularly cold day one of the
staff offering a prize to the first person to jump in.
Needless
to say it wasn't me. I also remember queueing up for morning
cocoa a sort of elevenses i guess. You were allowed spending
money though it was limited and I remember that you handed
it over to the staff for safe keeping then had to queue up
to "withdraw " an amount as required. Sunday was
church day, and buses turned up to take you to your own denominational
place of worship.
I
plumped for the Methodists and I remember me and two others
being transported by car to the chapel. I have very happy
memories of my two weeks at Silverdale and I was very happy
to see the film of the place shown on Look North.
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