School trip 1966/67

Comments about this page

• Ashburnham Place must have been popular with local schools at that time, I went to Cottesmore, and we went there about 1969! I remember there was a lake we would swim in, very cold but crystal clear water. Also the night time orienteering, which was great fun for a 15 year-old. I think big heavy canvas tents, and frightening the girls late at night!

  By Peter Groves (22/01/2013)

• About 1968 I was a Cub Scout trainee leader and we took our Cub pack to Ashburnham, camping. At that time near to the park was the last wood fired brickworks in Sussex and possibly the UK. The wood was stacked in different sizes in a huge timber frame, the Cubs were fascinated as we used wood for the camp cookery fire but this was [literally] on an industrial scale. During the summer Ashburnham Place, now a Christian conference centre, has its gardens open for the National Gardens Scheme [The Yellow Book] and is well worth a visit. As it is now 45 years since I was camping there I cannot now recall where the camp was exactly but the gardens and lake are well worth a visit.

  By Geoffrey Mead (23/01/2013)

• What a great trip that was! No health and safety restrictions there my friend. Diving into ice cold water at night and swimming to the raft in the centre of the lake. Good character building stuff. Canvas bell tents, the strong smell of hemp(!) and drafts strong enough to blow you away. All sleeping clockwise with our feet pointing to the centre. Messers Sherbourne, McLarnan and Lumsden were the three stalwarts that took us on this adventure. I see myself wearing the cheaper version of the ‘Donovan’ cap which was fashionable at the time. I was very impressed with Ricky (top centre) who deployed his Jack Hargreaves skills to generate maggots from carrion to fish with. Quite a few of the younger lads on the photo played the female parts in the Gilbert and Sullivan performances. Sadly, the adjoining Girls School was not invited to take part in the production much to the disappointment of many of us. The Knoll School was a brilliant establishment lead by J.K.Turner who introduced a wonderful range of education and experience to a real mixture of young lads in the sixties. Many ex pupils I have had communication with speak very highly, and most fondly, of those years. We were all branded 11+ failures but the school encouraged pupils to have high aspirations indeed. I’d be very happy to hear from anyone on the photo – living, dead or nearly dead.

  By Steve Robinson (23/01/2013)

• Additional comments on above: Ricky’s surname was Freeman – sorry Ricky the old grey cells needed stirring. Draughts in the tent, not drafts … very little paperwork actually! The ‘arts’ in school was my salvation. Let’s hope that they continue to be highly valued in education!

  By Steve Robinson (28/01/2013)

• Hi Derek, I would like to welcome you to the Knollites Group Reunion and Christmas Party, for all old Knoll School Boys and Girls, at the St Richards Community Centre, Egmont Road, Hove BN3 7FP on Monday 9th December 2013 from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. I do understand that you and your mates are much younger than ours (me 1955-1959) but it would be great to meet up to share and relive old memories. I have the old school photo of 1959 and a massive photo album. My contact is (mrhookham@yahoo.co.uk)

  By Mike Hookham (25/09/2013)