You are here:
Copthorne
Copthorne maps
Historic maps of Copthorne and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Copthorne maps
Copthorne area books
Displaying 1 of 19 books about Copthorne and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Copthorne
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Copthorne.
Add your memory of Copthorne
or of a photo of Copthorne.
Franciscan Convent School
I lived at the convent from 1970 to 1975, Sister Philomena looked after us as children, I was 5 years old when my father sent my 2 brothers and I to live there. The nuns made my childhood memories so good, I think I was very lucky and over the years have revisited the convent. I am travelling back to England next week and will take my wife and children to visit Sister Philomena and the convent. The main building is as the picture but unfortunately the boys dormatories were sold off to housing developers. Many of the Sisters who were there in the 70's are still at the convent.
Copthorne Convent
My name is Maggie Wilkinson. My mum Elizabeth Pilkington lived at Copthorne Convent, then it was called Bank Farm House, she was married from there on 6th June 1942. My parents were married at St John's church. Mum's stepfather owned the house, his name was Sydney Levett. Mum has many memories of Copthorne and Surrey, I have many photos of the house and the gardens which my grandmother created. I managed to visit the house many years ago. Mum would be very sad to hear it has been demolished, she loved living there. When they sold the house my grandparents moved to Yew Tree Cottage in Smallfield where one of my brothers, Blair, was born in 1947.
SPANISH ENGLISH STUDENT
I think I was one of the first Spanish students that went to England to learn English. This was forty years ago, and I suppose that I have lost a lot of my English. I lived in the Franciscan Convent School from September 1969 till April 1970. I remember Sister Filomena, Mark Balard and some other colleagues. I had such a nice experience there and I hope to visit the place again although I have read that nowadays it is not as I remember the place. It would be a pleasure to hear from others students at that time.
Convent School
I worked on the then new school class rooms in 1950 Jack Cockrell was the builder also working there were Bill Cockrell, Eric Bew, Nobby Harber, his son, and Reg Denman, G. Askew. Ray Budgen, and now it has been knocked down flats built there lasted 59 years.
West Sussex memories
HAPPY MEMORIES OF SCHOOL HOUSE
I was born at School House, Crawley Down in 1941. My Gran and Grandad (Reg & Florrie ... known as Ducky ...Fry) lived there for many years. My elder sister Jean and I (Jacki) lived there with my Mum, Marjorie and Dad Jack Hilton, until we moved to Crowborough. My sister and I spent the long school summer holidays with our lovely grandparents. Gran was caretaker and cook at the school and Grandad was verger at the church. His Mum Elizabeth, known as Granny Fry or Lizzie, was a wonderful lady who lived to be a few weeks short of 100yrs, her grave is on the corner, as you go to the side door of the church. She and her husband Job looked after the church for many years too, before Grandad took over! Mr Guy Blaikie was the Vicar as I grew up.
I now live in Seaford, but do go back to see the changes, to the place that holds so many happy memories for me.... Read more
School
I was at the village school from June '54 when we moved to a new house in Grange Road, until '59 when I and 3 others went to the Grammar school in EG. I remember Mrs Fry the school cook, (mentioned in another memory) from when I was a dinner monitor. There were only 4 classrooms. Miss Drew was the head and the next class was Mr Mills. It was a friendly school and we had some church services - it was a C of E school - and I remember reading one of the lessons in church I continued living in the village (Sandy Lane from '61) until 1968 when I was married and moved to Bristol.
Police House
I moved to Crawley Down in 1959 and for four years I lived in the police house in Hophurst Road with my Mum, Dad and sister Denise, Dad being the village policeman. For two years I attended the village school and remember Mrs Fry as my dinner lady and Miss Drew as head teacher. They were happy carefree days. We played out all day when we could on our bikes, only popping indoors for a drink or something to eat. Sad how things have changed. From Crawley Down we moved on to Lewes. Then when I married I moved to Seaford and live in the same road as Jacki Moon.
