INTERVIEW with JONATHAN LEVER
Born in 1936, Jonathan, his parents Dorothy and Cyril, and one year old brother Brian, arrived
in St Annes from Manchester in 1940.They lived in a large house called “Sandhills” on Clifton
Drive. It had a huge garden and several outhouses. Jonathan describes it as a place of
adventure. Jonathan remembers several Manchester families with boys of his own age: The
Libberts; the Jeffays; the Feathers and the Sassoons. They spent a great deal of time riding
their bikes and watching the German planes across the water bombing Liverpool and
Preston docks. A German plane crashed just outside Lytham and Jonathan remembers that it
was put on display behind the Clifton Arms Hotel.
Cyril Lever was a cinema owner who travelled into Manchester daily with other Jewish
businessmen on what became known as the Club Train.
Jonathan and his father occasionally attended the synagogue on Orchard Road.He was a
pupil at the Cheder, but often bunked off and went out on his bike.
He recalls that his parents regularly invited Jewish US Servicemen to their home for meals
.They were stationed at the nearby Warton Air Base and usually arrived by jeep.
Jonathan remembers that a car showroom was used as a munitions factory and many local
women worked there. In about 1943 a girl from London was billeted with the Levers .Her
surname was Sydlin. Jonathan cannot recall her first name, but remembers that she wore a
label round her neck when she arrived.
From the age of five, Jonathan attended a private prep school called Ardrossan. There were
several other Jewish children there including the Shaffer brothers and Valerie Lubin from
Manchester. She and her parents Evelyn and Leonard, a clothing manufacturer evacuated
firstly to Cleveleys, before settling in St Annes until the War was over.
In 1946 Jonathan’s parents and brother returned to Manchester.Jonathan was enrolled as
a boarder at Lawrence House School. Unfortunately initially there was no room for him as a
boarder.He had to attend as a Day Boy.His parents arranged for him to stay with a Jewish
family called Green for a few months. Mr Green and Cyril Lever had been Special Constables
together.
Jonathan couldn’t recall the names of the family but remembers that they were very kind
people and he was happy there.