At School In Rustington

A Memory of Rustington.

I went to West Preston Manor school in 1959, first as a boarder and then as a day girl. It was a fine old manor house where the dormitories were and on the ground floor, the classrooms. In the basement was the dining room and the kitchen run by Alice. There was a country lane on the right of the main entrance, Pigeonhouse Lane which was very dark and overgrown with large trees. I lived in Park Drive, then not even asphalted and used to cyce to school. While I lived there, Churchill Parade was built perpendicular to Broadmark Parade. There was a dry cleaner, a smashing sweetshop, a supermarket and a bakery which belonged to my schoolfriend Marilyn´s parents.

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Added 14 May 2012

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Does anybody remember a school called Abbotswood in rustington in the 1950's? The headmistress was called Miss Richardson. I know the building was pulled down in the 60's.

By fionauzzell on Sun Jun 19th 2016, at 7:43 pm

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was this school a convent

By paulinerenner on Wed Feb 15th 2017, at 11:10 am

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I was 8 when I first boarded at WPM.parents in India and I too feel deeply scarred by my life there.the dreadful food,the 4 inches of tepid bathwater,Miss Hornby the maths teacher who was so unpleasant to me.How sad to hear the grounds have been built over.what about the fish pond?and the aviary?

By Patricia Carruthers on Thu Mar 16th 2017, at 3:09 pm

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I was a "live-in" school mistress at WPM in c79? It was like something out of Oliver Twist! Yes, the food - ants in the stew! The dense heavy wholemeal bread - 3 half slices each as I remember? What about Miss Boykett's siamese cats? The homeopathic remedies! And yes, the measured bath water - even for teachers!

By brockettreb on Sat Sep 9th 2017, at 1:30 pm

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Yes i went to a boarding school in Rustinton called Abbottswood in 1945 -1947 as a 4 year old. The headmistress was called Miss Firth. The school closed in 1947 due to the death of Miss Firth I believe. All I remember that it was in lovely grounds, with a gentle atmosphere. Any other memories I would love to hear them.

By hughminton on Mon Sep 9th 2019, at 6:26 pm

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For hughminton: I was at Abbotswood from 1944 to 1946 (aged 6 to 8) and remember Miss Firth. Her partner, I think, was a Miss Harris. The only children I remember were Bryan and Joan Acres. I enjoyed my time there, though I have a memory of disposing some particularly inedible gristle under the table one lunch time. My sister, who followed a year or so behind me, hated it!

By mafox1 on Mon Jun 22nd 2020, at 7:41 pm

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For mafox.
We must have been there at the same time. My surname then was Raper and again a son of missionaries. Also there was Theodore lambourne,. The school closed here in 1948 as miss Firth died. Brian Acres like myself went onto Eltham College in London. Made famous but the Chariots of Fire film. Eric Liddell. Did you go onto Eltham as well. I do remember a ‘Fox’ there who was a contemporary of my brother

By Hugh Raper on Fri Feb 5th 2021, at 5:44 pm

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I too went to WPM as a boarder when I was 6 years old. I have lived all my life with a fear of abandonment. Funny how memories so often include food - I can recall we surreptitiously peeled off the fat from slices of ham and stuffed it ibn our knickers, disposing it later goodness knows where. Meals were taken in a dining room sitting on benches - there was a wide fireplace, its outer walls decorated with horse brasses. Talking of horses. there were 2 - Lady Dale and Newsboy.

By Jan Clark on Tue Feb 22nd 2022, at 4:46 pm

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Think my sister went to WPM as a 6 yr old when parents lived in W. Africa. She had such nightmares (dorm was haunted!) that our mother came back to England to send us to a day school. I am 2 yrs. younger and went to a ‘home school’ in Rustington we called Aunty Bowlers. Her assistant was nurse Judy- anyone remember this place.

By Patricia Leadley on Fri Dec 2nd 2022, at 2:15 pm

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