3 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Berwick founder's drive rooted in early experience as war evacuee, son says

 

When he was 13 in 1940, Gordon Denford came home one day to find a suitcase packed for him.

 

https://www.timescol...n-says-11378004

 

 

 

The founder of Berwick Retirement Communities, who has died at 98, had a drive to succeed because he had to take care of himself from a young age as a young war evacuee from Britain, his son says.

 

“It was fuelled by the fact that he was on his own, really looking out for himself,” Chris Denford said of his father, Gordon Denford, who died Saturday in one of the retirement homes he built, where he spent the last few years.

 

“That’s part of the reason why he became very successful with what he did, because he had to make it work for survival.”

 

When he was 13 in 1940, Gordon Denford came home one day to find a suitcase packed for him.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 October 2025 - 07:20 AM.

[Bambam]

Ah yes Berwick the "Palace of Care on Royal Oak"; we looked at that one when we had to get our mother admitted for LTC in 2013. Very nice facility. Also Uber expensive.....

[Tony]

In 1940, approximately 1.5 million children were evacuated from British cities as part of the government’s efforts to protect civilians from German bombing raids.

This mass movement was part of Operation Pied Piper, which began on 1 September 1939, just before Britain entered World War II. The evacuation continued into 1940.

 

The evacuations were voluntary but strongly encouraged due to fears of German air raids.

Edited by Tony, 23 October 2025 - 03:09 PM.

[Mike K.]

That's an incredible name for the operation. It gave me chills.