Laurestina. Old Vyne Lane. West Heath. Baughurst. Tadley .Hants .RG26 5LF

pupil

1944-1948

35 Coulsdon Rise . Coulsdon .Surrey

After Common Entrance @ 14 I went onto Lancing College . Joined the Automobile Association as an accountant 1n 1954 and then became a programmer and systems analyst before returning to accounts and stayed wit the AA until 1995, when I retired . I now write poetry and have had over 100 poems published .

Crawley Sussex

Pupil

1957 to 1961 ish

Newchapel Lingfield

I was at The Abbey in around 1960 I suppose when the headmasters were Frith, Crump and Gladstone. Gladstone died while I was there. Crump lived in the other house up the road and had a Humber Snipe car. Piers and Clare Crump were his children I think and Frith had a son and daughter, Michael and Elizabeth. I remember the tuck shop, the gym and the fact that the playing field was so good it was used as a practice pitch by some foreign test cricket team when they were over. The swimming pool was out doors and spring fed and you could never see the bottom! I remember a cow drowned in it once. I used to go by bus on the 409 and get off at the Three Crowns. The walk to school was traumatic sometimes as we used to get harrased by the VBs (Village Boys). Who wouldnt be? wearing blazers like that! Wish I had one now! Subsequent to the schools closure, I remember an artist, who walked around naked, lived there for a while and the other house was occupied by the Eichner Family who ran a music shop in the town. What memories...Frith was a brilliant Latin Teacher, most of the others were useless except for Daphne Durrand who I had for English. She scared me witless!

New Zealand

Pupil

1952-57

Ashford, Kent

I have written my memoirs. My story begins at The Abbey. Some good recollections, some bad. Here is a sample, if you are interested I can send more. John.
CONFESSIONS OF A LONG PLUNGE CHAMPION
BY JOHN GLASSE

For Maureen, my life partner and true soul mate; what an adventure!



Chapter 1 Boarding School

My grey schoolboy shorts and long elastic topped socks almost joined at the knees. The black and red striped blazer with mandatory Abbey School crest on the left pocket was splendid. Having never owned a grown- ups jacket before, complimented by a starched white shirt and dual coloured school tie, I was feeling very important.
White name tags had been affixed to all my clothing including the inside of a new school cap, which had been a perfect fit but now, thanks to my receiving a regulation short back and sides, was half a size too big. My black leather shoes, also regulation, were shiny and stiff. They were bought at the same time as the clothes.
Lewis and Hyland gentleman’s outfitters boasted a shoe x-ray machine. Once I had found a pair that suited, I was eager to check the toe space. I stepped up to the amazing machine pushed both feet into the aperture and peered into the view finder. Everything was green, the shoes, all the stitching and my wiggly toes which had been transformed into alien skeletal digits.

Although a lifetime has passed, I recall my first day at English preparatory boarding school as if it were yesterday.

A faded crest proclaiming ‘virtue et fortunate’ over the double wrought-iron gates indicated we had arrived at The Abbey School. English oaks peered over the deep mauve Rhododendrons on either side of the driveway, their branches pointing as if scrutinizing all the new boys.
Yes, I was apprehensive. The whole boarding school business is quite bizarre. Not quite seven years old and brought to a place away from family, friends and home.
My anxiety would prove to be well founded. But on this particular day no one thought to warn me that most of my boyhood, spent in English boarding schools, would consist of loveless chapters, punctuated by a good caning should one not conform.
The Headmaster greeted my father and me at the doors of the great Abbey. Oblivious to the ensuing adult conversation, I gawked over-awed, at the huge arched doorway, an impressive entrance to the halls of learning. The solid oak double doors with their steel cross beams and forged bolts would not have been out of place as entrance to a Norman castle. Twisted trunks of ivy clawed and clambered their way up the ancient stone walls, their leaves and young shoots like creepy robbers attempting to break and enter through the upper lead-light windows.
‘...And don’t spare the rod.’ Dad said jokingly, at the same time gently tapping my backside.
‘Oh rest assured,’ replied The Principal, ‘we are well known as a school that insists on impeccable discipline.’ Examining me over his thin rimmed spectacles, as you would an insignificant maggot, he delivered his, much rehearsed, punch line, ‘Our motto is, when training a child always start at the bottom.’ They laughed. I was the only one not enjoying the joke. My spirit lifted however when a copper headed boy shot out of the door in front of us, narrowly avoiding a collision with my father.
This young unfortunate was literally collared by the Headmaster, a well practiced hand moving swiftly from the boy’s neck to his right ear.
‘Now Young man, let us replay this scene again with the decorum befitting a gentleman.’
‘Er, pardon Sir?’ stammered the red-haired and now very red faced boy.
‘Return from whence you came, WALK’ bellowed the Headmaster, ‘Running is for the playing field.’ Obediently the young offender retraced his steps, approaching us for a second time at a far more genteel pace.
‘Good man!’ said the Head, ‘Now go and show this young gentleman how we go about things. Off you go, both of you.’
Dad read my questioning look. ‘You will be fine, son,’ he said, reassuringly. ‘I’ll be here when you get back.’
‘Red’ Coles would, in time, become a good friend, at that moment he was noticeably annoyed at being cut off at the pass and appeared even more peeved at the thought of having to escort a ‘new bug’ around the school.
‘Come on then whatsyername,’ his comment telling me he’d rather be anywhere else. ‘Move it.’
Off we went through a maze of long passages pausing only briefly for my guide to point to various doors and offer a short monotone explanation, ‘Science lab… Prefect’s study… Kitchens’, punctuated by a muttered after thought ‘All out of bounds.’ The dining room entrance was through double swing doors, they were open. I could see rows of tables... [out of space]

Washington DC USA

Pupil

1965 - 1968

Started at Ashurst Wood then moved to Abbey main boarding school

Would love to hear from anyone who attended in mid 1960s: 1965-1968.
I was taught by Mrs. Gladstone. As well as Mr. Stawt. Mr. Crump was my h/m at Ashurst Wood, then Mr. Frith. Students I remember were Peter Wright, the three Campbell brothers, Hamish, Neil and Ian (they were my best mates at the time; lost touch unfortunately), two Foshes (or maybe three), two Wests, one Miller-Richards, a Hazel, an Araki, a couple of Nazari's ....

Potomac, Maryland, USA

pupil

196-1965

London, UK

Would like to hear from students and faculty from the years that I attended the Abbey.

Watford

Robin Gladstone was my grandfather

My father John Gladstone was a pupil in 19 40's

I would love to hear from anyone who knew my Father, Grandfather and either of his two wives, first Gwen and then Jane, both who taught at the school I believe.

Cuckfield

Pupil

1955-1961

Malaya/Sussex

Just reading the entries takes one immediately down memory lane. Gladstone,Crump and Frith, sounds like a dodgy firm of solicitors! Just hearing some of the teachers' names Storrs, Durand, Beagley, Major Moffatt,Sadler etc is astonishing. Was in Mason House. Suffered from chillblains in winter - my good it was cold. Enjoyed the sport and the camraderie, went on to Haileybury and subsequently became a schoolmaster, most recently at Hurstpierpoint College. Am now retired would love to hear from any OAs.

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Student

1958 - 1962

Purley, Surrey

Made some excellent friends (Lee, Ellis, Fitzpatrick) from different parts of the country and the world. Fond memories of Mr. Herries and his Train Club - less fond of Mr. Frith and his cane.

London

Pupil

1953-58

Parents were in Libya and Germany

Istanbul, Turkey

Pupıl

1963 - 1965

Boarding

I want to hear from my friends. F.H.Beaugendre - E.O.Parry- Head -Taylor- aıtken and others.

150 kilometers north of Toronto place called Gravenhurst

pupil

1945-1954

Barnet. Dover. Old Coulsdon

Be great to contact some of the pupils during my time. My house was Mason.

Malvern , Worcs

Pupil

1953-1956

Felbridge, east Grinstead

Played in the 7 aside rugby team that won the prep schools championship.
Lloyd , Morpurgo, Mackay brothers , Nigel Hornby , missing one name?
Beat Papperwick 6-0 in the final. Loved sport . Mrs Frith used to arrange
whist sessions on a Sunday evening. . Not a great academic but thrived on Latin and Greek under Mr Gladstone. Pity the school closed down.

Ontario Canada

pupil

1945-1953

surrey

crump and gladstone were headmasters. i was in mason house. palmer durand decarty and stores were masters. tough times but good memories.PG*^

Kristiansand, Norway

pupil

1949-55/6

Sekondi, Gold Coast ( now Ghana)

Mixed feelings, many good. Some things I'd be glad to forget about self and others. Now realise that all in all The Abbey was a liberal place in the terms that applied then. Will always be grateful for for the love of books and humane teachers who affected my life (in the end). Amazed to read here of a *Science Block'. I saw no such thing till the revelations of my next school

Tunbridge Wells

Yes, a pupil

May 1948 to July 1953

Bognor Regis Sussex, later Abinger Hammer, Surrey

My Dad was at the school when it was in Beckenham and so I followed him. I was a boarder and member of Norwood House. Remember being taught English very well by Miss Durand, cricket very well and history/geography very badly by Clayton Palmer (old Middx cricketer), Latin and rugby by Mr Breakey. Wonderful grounds, great for exploring, bamboo javelins, bird-nesting, snakes (in the swimming pool!): the quad for playground cricket and "hot rice" in the summer and icy slides in the winter, Mr Storr and his stamp collection, Mrs Storr in the tuck shop and so much more.

In retrospect a valuable and enjoyable experience for a later education at Tonbridge School and Trinity College, Dublin.

S W France

Pupil

1952-1960

Lingfield, Surrey.

I have just seen John Glasse's contribution, and have emailed him.

I think we all had a grest time at school. It was the perfect playground, and some even found time to do some work. I went on to King's Ely after The Abbey, and have been living in France for the last 37 years. Does anyone know the whereabouts of RICHARD HUNTER?

Ashford, Kent

Pupil

1963-1965

Beckenham/Otford

I was very young when starting the school just 4 years old as a full time boarder, that made an impression on me! I remember hating the swimming pool and forced to swim in very green cold water, and the films that were shown in the upper school, plus Monday bath night!

Fiji

pupil

early 1961 to early 1963

Shoreham, Kent

I came to The Abbey from Australia, it was a real culture shock, but I look back on my two years there as the most significant time of my childhood. Some very good and some very eccentric teachers, I remember Mr Gladstone (who died shortly after my arrival), Mr Frith (who had an excellent stroke of the cane, an excellent wife , and a very excellent daughter, Miss Elizabeth) , Mr Crump (who we were all scared of) , French teacher Miss Davis (you're a noodle, boy... what are you ? ... I am a noodle, Miss Davis..... and we all thought she had the most foul body odour, but it was probably just Chanel No 5), Stawt senior and junior, (Stawt senior had the most amazing collection of Penny Blacks), Messrs Wynne, Foster, Platt and the only other Aussi there, Mr West who came to teach Latin and was a real inspiration to me. Our paths crossed recently in Sydney. He has retired now from a very long and illustrious career as headmaster of one of Australia's presigious private schools. My memory of my fellow pupils is enhanced by a surviving copy of The Abbey Magazine No 74 / 1962 and signed 1st XV and 1st VII photos. Menzies, Bishop, Wood, Richardson, Bradly, Sloatman, Newbatt, Davis, Honour I, Honour II, Vaines, etc. School captains were Grounds then Kidner. Other names I can put a face to include Scrase, Nettleship, Ellis I & II, Colfer, Pettersen, Aspinall, Maconochie and Ballentyne. Wickenden I & II came to live in Sydney some 30 years ago and I do run into them occasionally. Would you believe I still have my school blazer and cap as well as a colours cap. I remember going to Selfridges with my mother to get kitted out for my first term. Along the rack of various school blazers, the Abbey blazer stood out like a clown suit at a funeral. My mother was horrified and nearly wanted me to change schools.
It would be good to hear from some of the boys via this website. As Mike Zavardino has noted, it's surprising that so many have visited this site , but very few have posted.

Gaulby in Leicestershire

Pupil

1960 - 65

Maresfield in Sussex

Fascinated to see the old photographs - I think I still have a full length school photo or two somewhere.

Vernon, NJ, USA

Day pupil

Early sixties

Dormansland

Remember Palmer brothers well, Brampton & Ferguson were top of my class.

Other names com to mind are Rushden, Bloomfield, Sampson, Farr (all lived in Dormans Park). Hebden (Dormansland), Lindley (Lingfield), Colemen brothers (Dormansland), Dent (East Grinstead).

Looking at old picture of stripped blazer brings back memories.