Toddlers’ Town Has Own Farm, Bakery, Cobblers And Tailors

Northern Advocate, 26 May 1941, Page 8

Toddlers’ Town Has Own Farm, Bakery, Cobblers And Tailors

Toddlers’ _Town, with 500 children, aged between 15 months and five years, has sprung up in the countryside In the Home Counties, says Louise Morgan in the London “News Chronicle." ; It is by far the biggest concentration of evacuated children in the country, the usual group being limited to 25 or, in a few cases, to 50. But the Government’s principle of dispersal can be observed because the children are spread over an estate of a dozen or more buildings with a total of 450 large rooms and plenty of open land surrounding them. The “town” is practically self-sup-porting, with its own farm, dairy, bakery, lighting and heating plant, and power laundry, its own shoemakers and tailors, and six huge supplies stores containing everything from boots to bacon. It has also its own chapel, up-to-date infirmary and nursery school. “The L.C.C.’s Own The staff numbers nearly 170, or one adult to every three babies. Nothing is too good for these children, because most of them are “the L.C.C.’s own." They come from public health nurseries, day nurseries and nursery : schools in all parts of Greater London, Fifty per cent, are orphans or foundlings, 20 per cent, were removed by law from their parents, and 30 per cent, are being taken care of "temporarily while the parents are ill or otherwise unable to look after them/ Gctopram Parade The great sight of the village is* still “the octopram parade,” when nurses push prams especially built to hold eight, children. , The nursery school is probably the biggest in the country. It contain! several dolls’ houses, each big enough for six or more children to “work” in They cook, serve meals and wash clothes with real soap and water.