My Copthorn Days
A Memory of Copthorne.
Hi all, I attended the convent from 1956 to 1959 and my Christian name then was Joseph. How well I remember Strs Annunciata, Bonaventure, Ignatius, and Claire. Annunciata (the 'farter' as we called her behind her back) was a little too strict for the boys liking as she was in charge of the boys' section. Strs Ignatius, Claire, and Bonaventure were very warm loving characters. Str. Bonaventure and I had one thing in common, we were both Northerners.
Fr. Rudolf, from the not-too-far-away Franciscan monastery in Crawley was the chaplain and on Sunday afternoon would take a selection of boys and girls and treat them to a game of bingo in which one could win a sweet or two, and then he'd teach us some folk dances whilst playing the recorder, and round it all off with a story that was read from a Welsh book, translating it as he read.
I was fortunate among the pupils because on Wednesdays Fr. Killian would replace Fr. Rudolf as the chaplain for early morning mass and, as he was my uncle, I was allowed to go down to the reception parlour to meet him for 1/2 hour or so as he had his breakfast.
I had my first love at Copthorne, a beautiful girl called Salina but, alas, she wasn't the least bit interested in me!
I'm glad I could share these memories with you all. Jason.
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