SAOBA "History Department"
Part Part One: 1940 - 1946
St Ambrose College was in existence before the Irish Christian Brothers took over in 1946.
Sean Fleming's thorough account (written in 1996 to celebrate the school's 50th Anniversary)
described the origins of the school in the wartime evacuation of "Les Vauxbelets", which
was a de la Salle brothers' school in Guernsey.
Old Boy Peter Mulhern wanted to find out more about the school he joined in Altrincham
during the Second World War.
Click the box for a larger image
Mr Peter Mulhern, SAOBA's correspondent from the North East, recounts his email investigation into the misty origins of our school
back in the 1940s.
Peter has managed to track down a photocopy of an advertisement about the opening of St Ambrose to locals in 1941 and an article recounting the history of the Les Vauxbelets school in England 1940 - 1945.
The information was received from Bro Damian who is the archivist for the de la Salle Brothers. See correspondence on 12 & 13 September 2002 below.
Peter's email to Bro Terence.
Hi (to Bro Terry)
I went to a college called St Ambrose from 1942 to 1949. It was located in Bowdon, a part of Altrincham some 8 miles south of Manchester. From its inception 1940 (?) to 1946(?) it was run by some refugee brothers of the de la Salle congregation from Guernsey - Les Vauxbelets College we understood. As I recall the headmaster - "Brother Director" - had a strong French accent, we were encouraged to join "zee cobs", and did. I well recall going to school on Saturday mornings - after all we'd had Wednesday afternoon off for "zee cobs" - and getting "Weekly Reports" - pink, blue or white depending on one's work that week. In 1946(?) when the brothers returned to Guernsey the school was taken over by the Irish Christian Brothers at very short notice. It is now, as you will know, one of the leading Catholic Boys Grammar Schools in UK. I left the "new" St Ambrose College in December 1949 as the subjects I wished to study were not available in the VI form. In 1995/6 St Ambrose College celebrated its 50th aniversary. As a member of the St Ambrose Old Boys Association I pointed out that they were 5 years or so too late!
My queries:
Have you any information on the period of the "exile" in England? Or any suggestions of sources? In particular I am intrigued by the school motto "Vitam Impendere Vero". This I know is a quote from Vergil's Satires VI - 91 and was a motto much used by Jean Rouseau in connection with education in particular. A translation "Risk your life for the truth" would be particularly apposite for refugees. Is my guess that the brothers had a college in Guernsey correct? What was its history? What was its motto?
Any light you can throw on this matter would be most gratefully received by
Peter Mulhern
Reply from Bro Damian:
I am Brother Damian, keeper of the archives of the De
La Salle Brothers in Great Britain. I take note of your e-mail to Br Terence.
Your memory of 1942 to 1945 is quite good. Yes, St Ambrose College owes its
origin to the school, Les Vauxbelets, evacuated from Guernsey in 1940. The
Brother Director was French. There are records here of the Brothers' occupation
and I will post photocopies of some documents. There is no copyright to what I
send. I will need to do a bit more research regarding
the motto and hope to contact you again.
Kind regards. Br Damian.
Peter Mulhern replies.
(to) Bro Damian
Thanks for your wonderfully swift reply. I look forward to reading the
photocopies in due course.
Peter Mulhern replies.
(to) Bro Damian
Thanks for your wonderfully swift reply. I look forward to reading the
photocopies in due course.
Mulhern responds
(to) Bro Edmund
Thanks for the photo copies which I received this morning. Read thru' misty eyes!. Funny how if I'd been asked "cold" the names of the brothers I couldn't have answered to save my life. But on seeing them in the Echo (Les Vauxbelets school mag.?), Bro Clarence, Bro Aldhem, etc.. I said "Oh, of course".
I joined the school when it had moved to "Oakleigh". I lived in Ashton on Mersey which is a part of Sale and went to school by bus (1 mile) and train (5 miles). From Altrincham station we walked about a mile to school. As an aside, it's sad that nowadays children are taken to their school even if only half a mile from home by parents in gas guzzling SUVs. On the way we passed houses used as billets by American soldiers from whom we "cadged" sweets!. And kicked leaves, and collected conkers, and looked at the sun through smoked glass, and all the other things that excite small boys. Down the road, a little further from town than the school, was a very large house (Denham?) with gardens open to the public where we had Cub activities. The huge rhododendrons made super gang dens. Across the road was Dunham Massey Park which was the site of a prisoner of war camp. In the camp, opposite the entrance to the large house, the prisoners had built a sort of island mountain with houses and a model railway which fascinated us. May be they weren't POW's but just detainees, but at 8 - 11 years of age.... It is quite possible that one Anthony Donegan (now also known as Lonnie Donegan, of skiffle fame) was a pupil there too. Certainly he was in the early days of the Irish Christian Brothers' St Ambrose. I well remember the school uniform. The blazers had c. inch wide vertical bright blue and red stripes and the cap had circular rings of the same colours, very 1920's! The badge was newly designed to reflect the location of the school (for example a sheaf of corn representing the agricultural nature of Cheshire) so I'd guess the motto was new too. St Ambrose College has even now the same crest & motto.
Enough of this blether.
Once again thank you very much.
Peter M
whose children say "try acting a bit nearer your age Dad than your shoe size (9.5 or 10)"
But I think 9.5 or 10 is a super age, and was.
Peter M
And finally...
Hi Greg
Thanks for info below.
Since writing I have had some information from Bro Damian, archivist with the de la Salle Brothers ( p_bedam@hotmail.com ) confirming that the Les Vauxbelets College moved to Altrincham - near Manchester - in June 1940 where they set up a school called St Ambrose College. Ambrose was the name of the Bishop of Shrewsbury at the time. The brothers moved back to Guernsey in August 1945. St Ambrose College was then taken over by the Irish Christian Brothers. There is a website www.thelittlechapel.org which has information about the Little Chapel and Blanchelande School. Interestingly enough there is a place in Northumbria called Blanchland - no "e" which probably has similar religious associations. When I spent a couple of days in Guernsey a good few years ago I visited the Little Chapel and was amazed to find a shard with the name Middlesbrough - my local main town.
Peter M
Good stories deserve to be told before they are lost!
If you've got something to say please email saoba via :