Suntrap The School For Growing Up

A Memory of Hayling Island.

I just had contact recently with a girl that went to Suntrap at the same time as me. Her name is Olwyn Weaver. My name is Nicholas Brown.
I attended ST school from mid April 1967 to July 1968.
It was a school that I remember had good values and disciplined approach to living. A wonderful setting but not well exploited by way of involvement with the local community or integration. It seemed that the kids there were meant to be isolated from the public.
My first few nights there were spent crying until I met a girl who was a few years older than me who wanted to run away from the school. She asked me to go with her and I agreed but shared this alliance
with the staff as a threat and plan abruptly shut down.
I remember with fondness Mr Woods Mr Coombes and the head teacher with the Dalmatian dog. I also remember the two attractive female carers that all the boys were in love with. I was ten when I arrived and made friends with many kids that were seemingly worse off than me with various conditions such as asthma eczema polio and other challenging illness.
It was a difficult time for me as after my first term I returned to Tottenham to find my Four siblings had Been taken into care with me following three days after brief reunion with my mother and new boyfriend.
I made contact with Gerard Mac Elliot through Olwyn Weaver two years ago. I was happy to speak to him and he is a teacher in Dublin.
Other names flood back
John Sharp (White hair gruff voice )
Janet Clarke (The voice of good reasoning) from Wood Green
Leslie Ross (Lots of freckles and wavy hair)
Patricia Wright (great rounders player )
Ella Masterman crazy laugh and good fun Redhead)
Bhagwan Gulajarri (He loved country and western music.)
Theresa Nichols (petite and fiery )
Her brother (in awe of his sister)
Ernest Gregory Keith his friend
Julius Henry a gentle boy who had good boxing moves. (Better than me )one of the few black children at ST. One mixed race girl whose name escapes me but very caring. Her friend Josie Lowe sat on my table for food. Also her friend Glynis. They had a code “chips and fish” that meant cigarettes!!
I can see many faces of children whose names I cannot remember. The two donkeys in the field behind the school
Choco and Kerry
The sandpit. Nearly died in that !! Remember organising a football match with local school and setting up a little jumble sale for the kids there.
I went to visit the school in 1990 /91 and it was boarded up awaiting redevelopment.
It was the first time I really appreciated the night sky with all its promise and questions and this happened as I spent part of the night perched without permission on the Roof of the dormitory.
All in all a positive time with nice children.