I was born in London but all my forebears came from Scotland, something of which I am fiercely proud. My family moved to Felpham and I went to Northcliffe Preparatory School. Following my 11+ I arrived at Chi High at 10½ in 1C. I had already studied individual subjects, including Latin and French, for three years and advanced to 2A …
Geoff Wills (1943-1952) on Cricket, his life at School and after
English Schools Cricket Association (ESCA) 1951-1952 I was both honoured and elated to be selected for the ESCA senior XI in the years 1951 and 1952, especially as in the latter year I was appointed captain. I understand that ESCA was formed in 1948 and in those days only two matches were played each season – one each against the …
Random thoughts and recollections – Barry Capon 1947-1955
School caps They had to be worn at the time of entering the school gates. If not worn then there were consequences – detention or lines I think. If in later years you were elevated to being a prefect you wore a yellow hooped cap and if you were school captain or deputy school captain the cap had a yellow or …
More memories of a Chichester evacuee by Monty Clarkson Old Thorntonian (1935 -1942)
I believe the following were evacuated with the school: Messrs Evans, John, Jeremy, Gribble, Lambert, Haill, Bacon, Cossins, Collins, Collings, Cooper, Dix, Cundall, Read, Summerton, Wigley and Bramble. Mr Morgan was seriously injured in a car accident near Oxford when driving back from holiday in Wales to rejoin the school for the evacuation. He never came back to teach but …
How lucky we were to live as Englishmen in England
“How lucky we were to live as Englishmen in England”. Please visit the “From our Archives” section to see a video posted by Ian Walters some time ago.
More Memories of a Chichester Evacuee – Peter Lawson Old Thorntonian (1936 -1941)
We met on Friday 1st September 1939 at 8.30am and travelled to Balham (S.R) with haversacks and small attaché cases, to arrive in Bognor just after mid-day. In crocodile formation we marched, full of excitement, to the Social Centre/Theatre opposite the Pier Head, where we were “’selected” by “locum parents” and put into small groups for billeting. I was lucky, …
More Memories of a Chichester Evacuee by Ron Hercock Old Thorntonian (1935 -1940)
I joined the school at a small village named Pagham, about six miles from Bognor Regis and a little farther from Chichester. There was no place where we could have any teaching, and so we had none. I was billeted over a mile from the village itself and therefore had little to do with anyone from the school except …
Oceanos – a real life Poseidon
Keith Upton (1955-1962) A weekend cruise from East London to Durban along the South African coast On 3 August 1991 my wife Jeanette and I flew down to East London with my 4½-year-old daughter Lauren for a one day cruise back to Durban on the Oceanos liner. We left my 6-month-old son Wayne with friends, one car at the airport …
A Sussex accent by Paul Taylor (1955-1962)
We had KD for Divinity in the 3rd year and Burph was always asking us what we were learning as he was not sure that the Old Man was keeping to the syllabus. Divinity with KD, on the occasions when he turned up for a lesson, consisted of reading passages from the Bible so that he could check that our …