Delph chip shop owner's death reveals remarkable story

Mary Isherwood

The  sad passing Mary Isherwood,  a kindly, caring community champion,  who has owned Delph Chippy with her husband Graham since 1972, has revealed a remarkable story.

Born in 1945 in Omagh in post war Northern Ireland, Mary was raised  in Nazareth House Orphanage, Derry, where she developed a real talent and love of music, playing the violin and singing.

Aged just 11, Mary was chosen as part of a select few when the elite  Little Gaelic Singers  toured the United States where she appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.

It was in that same show Elvis’ made a second appearance which was  widely seen as the the turning point in his career setting him in his way to global superstardom.

 In addition to her star-studded appearance, Mary played at  Carnegie Hall.

At 15 she ‘hired’ a bicycle and absconded the orphanage to head for Liverpool and then Manchester where she met Graham at the Cafe Royal.

They married and  a year later they bought the fish and chip shop in Delph, where they have remained ever since.

The couple became huge characters in the village and were admired and respected by the wider community.

They have two children, Luke and Grace and four loving grandchildren James 11, William 8, Hugo 6, Theo, one.

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