Tuck boxes, inkwells, weekly baths, Sunday letter writing … What life was like for the boarders at Sompting Abbotts in the 1960s

Tuck boxes, inkwells, weekly baths, Sunday letter writing … What life was like for the boarders at Sompting Abbotts in the 1960s

Tuck boxes, inkwells, weekly baths, Sunday letter writing … Life for pupils at Sompting Abbotts was very different in the 1960s compared to today! Luckily, we have a colourful glimpse into the past thanks to Old Abbottonian Dr Richard Stillman who has written this vivid account of his memoirs. Dr Stillman, now a retired GP, attended the school from 1960 to 1964 and was aged 8 when he arrived.

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Wartime letter discovered under Sompting Abbotts' floorboards links son to family’s past

Wartime letter discovered under Sompting Abbotts' floorboards links son to family’s past

The unearthing of a letter from 1939 at Sompting Abbotts' Preparatory School has connected an Australian man to his British family during WW2. The letter was found under the floorboards of an old dormitory. Now, the school, intrigued by the letter’s discovery, has succeeded in tracing the identity of ‘Jim’ across continents to his son, Craig, in Australia.

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Remembering the Great Storm of 1987 at Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School

Remembering the Great Storm of 1987 at Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School

It's over 35 years since the Great Storm of 1987 which tore through the South East of England, ripping great trees from their roots, damaging properties and causing loss of life. West Sussex independent school Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School, located high on its hilltop overlooking the south coast, would take the brunt, as the winds turned south-westerly and smashed straight into its path.

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What did an old letter, dated 1939 and found under the floorboards of a dorm at Sompting Abbotts, reveal?

What did an old letter, dated 1939 and found under the floorboards of a dorm at Sompting Abbotts, reveal?

There's a guilty thrill that comes with reading other people's letters, and doubly so, when that letter opens a window into the past. A well-thumbed hand-written letter, dated 1939, to a pupil at Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School, a private school near Worthing, was discovered under the floorboards of an old dorm. It's a fascinating glimpse into the past.

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