Cherrytree children at the maypole, 1920s

Copy of letter sent to Mrs Raven at Mickley Hall on 11th January 1985 from "Mrs. F. B" who lived in Cherrytree Orphanage in the 1920s.

Dear Mrs Raven,

Thank you so much for writing and I am glad your building fund is going ahead, thank you also for the S.A.E.

Having been wondering what to tell you about life in Cherrytree Orphanage in the 1920s - our daily life in short was breakfast - school - dinner - school - tea -then playground and bed. We walked to and from Totley C of E School four times a day (no school buses or dinners in those far off days) but I suppose in lots of ways we were more fortunate than lots of children in those days - our physical needs were taken care of with three meals a day and our clothing - the only thing missing was love - although our spiritual needs were taken care of by the Vicar of St John’s Church’s daughter, Miss Mary Kerfoot, a dear good soul who used to walk from the vicarage to Cherrytree to tell us about the Bible.

I remember the Cook would play the piano for us sometimes - we all loved to sing - and after all there was no other entertainment, although there was a gramophone in the school room with a few records, so, when one of us plucked up the courage to ask Matron if we could have the gramophone on, we enjoyed that too.

On Sundays we went to St John’s Church (crocodile fashion) and of course we had Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts - some boys were in the choir.
Almost every year we went to the Sheffield Empire to see the pantomime and sometimes we were invited out during the summer to different places just for a day - to Buxton and I remember to a big house in Castleton where we were taken to the Blue John Caves - don’t know whose house it was but we could see Peveril Castle from the grounds and best of all, when we were due to go home, one of the gentlemen from the big house gave us each a tin of toffees.

Of course we had epidemics - the worst one was scarlet fever - but when we came out of quarantine, we all went to Filey for two whole weeks - it was lovely. We played a lot of football and cricket when we could get a ball - our bat was anything which would hit a ball - we girls made mud pies from the earth - and the icing on our pies came from the whitewash on the walls of the toilets!!!!!

The hayfield we sometimes went into, but had to be careful not to be seen - the brook at the bottom of the bank was another place we went into without permission - by the way that same brook was the old Tottingley Lane of years ago - also the Cherrytree building was built as an Orphanage in 1863 (I think that was the date) and once some of the boys went into the wood and it caught fire. I still remember the panic. I raced down to the Lodge at the bottom of the lane and the man came to help us put it out.

When I first went to Cherrytree there was a “Wendy House” across from the main building - with parallel bars, a rocking horse and best of all a fireplace -later on the house was pulled down and a big open shed put up.

Every so often the Committee ladies and gentlemen used to visit - but we only saw them come and go.

I'm afraid, Mrs Raven, that I am not good at putting things into words although when at school, our headmaster always said I would make a good writer of books from my essays. (What would he say now if he could read this) but my excuse is old-age (70) but if there is any specific subject you would like to hear about, and if you think I could be of any help — for instance when we girls left school we did the housework and baked the bread, knitted all the socks.

Staff and children at the gate to Cherrytree Orphanage, 1920s

In the enclosed snap you will see us at the front gate - the Cook is on the right, then the girl in the black pinafore and then me next to her in the white apron.

The other snap is round the maypole at one of the fetes - probably Empire Day -we three holding up the maypole and the little chap in front are the Cherrytree children. The others I think must be from the village.

When I have posted this letter my memories will come tumbling out with lots of other things to tell you. However on looking back it wasn’t too bad - we had the beauty of our surroundings, and we loved doing our Xmas plays for the Committee, and strange to say I had a sort of love for that building and grounds.

Really must not bore you with any more, but hope you can understand it all.

May God Bless and take care of you all
Sincerely
"F. B."