Notizen zu dieser Person
STEPHEN WALTON WARDALE 1915 - 2000
Stephen Wardale was born on the 13th March 1915 at Rose Lea,
Sandiway Place, Altrincham, the first child of Harry Wardale, a schoolteacher,
and Rebecca Wilkinson his wife. His first years were spent in a warm family
atmosphere - his grandparents, Stephen and Wilhelmina Wilkinson, with
their unmarried son John and daughter Margaret, lived next door.
In 1918 his father became headmaster of an elementary school in Retford
in Nottinghamshire, but when he became head of a school in Stretford the
family returned first to Sandiway Place at the end of 1922, then to Old
Trafford from 1924 to 1927, and then to Timperley. Stephen was educated
at his father's school, Cornbrook Park, and then from 1926 to 1931 at
Stretford Secondary School (later Stretford Grammar School).
His uncle and aunt at Sandiway Place were original members of the
Altrincham Garrick Society, and Stephen soon found himself drawn into its
activities, and formed a lifelong love of the theatre. For a couple of years
after leaving school he was a student member of the Manchester Repertory
Theatre company. Then he worked in shops in Altrincham until he joined up
in 1940 in the Royal Corps of Signals. He served abroad in that regiment
until almost the end of the War, seeing service in North Africa, Italy, France
and Germany.
His grandfather and grandmother had died in the 1930s, but his unmarried
uncle and aunt still lived in Sandiway Place, they were joined there by his
mother when his father died in March 1945, Stephen sadly having seen him
for the last time in 1941 before embarking for North Africa. On demobilisation
Stephen also went to live there (where his uncle died in 1946). He soon took
up work as a telephone operator, and continued in this for the rest of his
working life.
He and his mother formed the habit of taking holidays abroad together, and
it was on one of these the he met Helene, who he married in 1958. Though
they had no children, his two stepsons, and Karl's family, brought him great
family happiness. Sadly, after they had retired to Germany, Helene died
while still in her fifties, and shortly afterwards Stephen returned to Altrincham.
He had maintained his interest in the Altrincham Garrick Theatre, and took
this up more earnestly again. He also decided to study for a BA degree at
the Open University, and successfully obtained his degree. He felt he should
try to help others on the educational ladder, and did a great deal of tutoring
of those who had not learned to read and write, keeping this up almost to the
end. Others can speak of his devotion to the Altrincham Unitarian Church.
He loved music - particularly the music of Elgar - and poetry - particularly
A E Housman.
(thanks to Sir Geoffrey Wardale, KCB)
..........
Stephen Wardale wurde am 13. Maerz 1915 im Haus 'Rose Lea', Sandiway Place,
Altrincham geboren, das erste Kind von Harry Wardale, Lehrer, und seiner Frau
Rebecca Wilkinson. Die ersten Jahre verbrachte er in einer warmen Familien-
umgebung - seine Grosseltern Stephen und Wilhelmina Wilkinson, deren lediger
Sohn John und Tochter Margaret, wohnten alle nebenan. 1918 wurde sein Vater Rektor
an einer Grundschule in Retford, Nottinghamshire, als er spaeter Rektor an einer
Schule in Stretford wurde kehrte die Familie Ende 1922 zuerst nach Sandiway Place
zurueck, dann von 1924 bis 1927 nach Old Trafford, danach nach Timperley.
Stephen wurde in Cornbrook Park, der Schule seines Vaters, geschult, anschliessend
von 1926 bis 1931 in der Stretford Secondary School (spaeter Stretford Gymnasium).
Sein Onkel und Tante in Sandiway Place waren Gruendungsmitglieder der Altrincham
Garrick Society und Stephen interessierte sich auch bald an deren Aktivitaeten, somit begann
eine lebenslange Liebe zum Theater. Fuer einige Jahre nach seinem Schulabschluss
war er Student beim Manchester Repertory Theater. Danach arbeitete er in Laeden
in Altrincham bis er 1940 beim Royal Fernmeldecorps einrueckte. Er diente in diesem
Regiment bis kurz vor Kriegsende in Nordafrika, Italien, Frankreich und Deutschland.
Sein Grossvater und Grossmutter starben in den dreissiger Jahren, jedoch der ledige
Onkel und seine Tante wohnten immer noch in Sandiway Place, seine Mutter zog auch dahin
nachdem sein Vater im Maerz 1945 gestorben war, traurigerweise hatter er ihn zuletzt
1941 gesehen vor seiner Einschiffung nach Nordafrika. Nach der Demobilisierung zog
Stephen auch dorthin, sein Onkel starb dort 1946. Bald darauf fand er eine Anstellung
als Telefonvermittler und blieb in diesem Beruf bis zu seiner Pensionierung.
Zusammen mit seiner Mutter unternahm Stephen regelmaessig Auslandsreisen, und auf einer
dieser Reisen traf er Helene, die er dann 1958 heiratete. Obwohl sie keine eigene
Kinder hatten brachten ihm seine 2 Stiefsoehne und Karl's Familie grosse Freude.
Leider verstarb Helene schon in ihren fuenfziger Jahren in Deutschland, wo sie sich
zurueckgezogen hatten, bald darauf kehrte Stephen wieder nach Altrincham zurueck.
Er hatte immer noch Interesse am Altrincham Garrick Theater und er widmete sich noch
ernsthafter darin. Er entschloss sich auch einen Universitaetsabschluss an der Open
University zu erlangen und machte einen erfolgreichen Abschluss. Es war ihm ein
Anliegen anderen bei ihrer Bildung zu helfen und gab fast bis zu seinem Lebensende
Unterrichtet fuer diejenigen, die Lesen und Schreiben nicht gelernt hatten. Auch
seine Hingabe zur Altrincham Unitarian Church war bekannt.
Er liebte die Musik, besonders die Musik von Elgar, auch Poesie, besonders die von
A E Housman.
Karl
Held
