HILLCREST CENTRE, 2007

The Hillcrest Community Centre was the former Council boys' school and in the First War served as a Hospital. Currently many community organisations have a base in the building, and a Community Cafe offers wholesome meals at lunchtime in a friendly atmosphere. Daytime social activities and a creche are on site.

Does anyone remember attending this school? and if so do you have any photos or memories that you would like to add?

When I started at the secondary school in 1961 it was in this building before moving up to the new building which is now Tideway School
By Jan Chapman

Re: the above, a big ditto from me. Except I think it was 1962 for me. Only spent one day there. It was quite intimidating, I came from Peacehaven! Woodwork however was still down at this school. I had the same teacher as my father, Mr Hopkins, he was OK. We left for Australia in 1965.

Newhaven Boys School 1940-1944.

I attended this school during the above period before moving on to Lewes County Grammar School for boys.

I started in Class 2, Miss Wheatley being the teacher at the time and her drawings and paintings were excellent.

I bypassed Class 4 a Mr Funnell's class and spent the rest of my time at the school in Class 5 with "JAB" Burt as the teacher.

There were two other classes at that time Class 6 was run by Teddy Marsden who according to his stories practically won WW 1 single handed and Class 7 had Mr Lappiere the helm.

The headmaster was Mr Glenister.

Incidently school dinners cost four old pence per day.

Great memories! All the teachers names. (although "JAB" Burt taught at Meeching County Junior and was well respected). Does anyone remember Old mother Kurth, Denyer, Wiggy etc...

Am also going to post this onto the 'message board' part of the site too. Jackie - Editor

I also remember the Newhaven Boys School in the 30's. Adding to other comments, re teachers etc. Mr Coker who lived up by the Downs Hospital was the Headmaster, followed by Mr Glenister. Sid Ray taught maths etc and Mr Hopkins took the woodworking class and of course all the others that have been mentioned were there.
Our family moved to the flat above the Surgery at Hillside and from my bedroom window I looked out on the School and although so close I don't think I was ever late.
At the beginning of the War we had some of our classes at the  Congregational Hall in Meeching Road.

Unfortunately most of my school friends have now passed on, but I would be interested if anyone from my school days are still alive. When last I was in Newhaven Peter Wilson and Bill Nunn were still with us.

ALSO FOR THE WEB SITE If you ask Mr Peter Bailey of the museum I'm sure he would let you have a look at some of the pictures I sent before I was aware you your existence. They cover a period from the 1950's to 1980.
I still have a lot on my Computer so will have a sort out to see what I can do.
I'm sure many people in Newhaven will remember me well, having spent 22 years in the Post Office and another 25 years running E.B.A STUDIOS in South Road.
Since then my wife and I have spent the last 23 years here in Spain. Glad you received my last message about Richard Stovell.

My Great Grandfather William Nunn or 'Bill' attended this school in the 1930's then went on to Lewes Grammer. He used to tell me stories of the school and we still have his old school bible and photographs of him and his class. Sadly he passed away last year at the grand age of 85 and then his wife, my great grandmother, June Nunn passed away this year aged 83 both are greatly missed by all our family.

Can you repeat any of his stories on the website Adam

I remember the science teacher in the late 50s was Mr Spice who also ran the after school chess club and stamp collectors club. He was a expert shot with a piece of chalk a fact I can testify to.

I have mentioned Mr Spice and his Velocette motorcycle before on this site. I also remember Mr Hopkins the woodwork master, I still have a jewellery box and lamp I made on the lathe. I also did metalwork and somewhere I have a copper cup which I made. Who took the metalwork class?. I can also remember getting the cane for playing truant, had to go into the office just to the right in the underground as we called it. John Adams and I thought we had got away with it until the Heads wife spotted us.

From 1947 until 1971 my father Mr S J Hopkins (Jack) ran the Newhaven Further Education Centre as well as teaching Woodwork and Metalwork at the Secondary Boys' School for 5 or 6 days a week. That's a working day of 8.30am to 11pm. My brother and I used to cycle around the area from Peacehaven to Mount Pleasant putting handbills into as many houses as possible. Mum who did a lot in the Centre, from canteen to Dressmaking classes, went out with Dad in their lovely Wolseley car asking shops if they would take posters and piles of handbills. Eventually the numbers of students from the Newhaven area exceeded 2200 and the number of teachers rose to over 60 with some of them coming out for 4 nights a week to satisfy the needs of crafts, languages, marine certificates for small craft, typewriting and shorthand, and many more. There were regular dances run by the Students' Committee and the Annual Dinner and dance. The theatre groups put on regular plays - for up to five times a week, and at Christmas a Childrens' Party for students, children. Mr Hopkins retired in 1971 after becoming ill with diabetes and a group of local people asked if he could be honoured with a MBE, OBE etc - but this never happened. Recently I enquired about the Further Education Centre and I found that the nature of the whole organisation had changed. The needs of the post-war period were very different from the needs of today.

My father, Mr Hopkins actually started at Newhaven Secondary School in 1931 as a student teacher under the craft teacher Mr Larwell. He qualified as a teacher in 1933 when I was on the way - born July that year. His qualifications were from the City and Guilds in Woodwork, Metalwork, Technical Drawing, Maths and English which he obtained while an apprentice carpenter at Wolverton (Bucks) Railway Carriage Works. In those days qualified apprentices had to move to another carriage works (eg Derby or Crewe) for 3 years to become a staff member of the LMS works. He became a school teacher instead. In 1933 Mr Larwell became the first Craft teacher at The County Grammar School for Boys and Mr Hopkins became a staff member of the school which lasted until he became full time Principal of the Further Education Institute. In the 1939 war the school was evacuated and Mr Hopkins was sent to teach crafts in a Home Office School in Tiffield, Northants until 1946. The Nazi invasion was expected onto the Bishopstone beach. Another of my father's class in the Wolverton Technical Institute was Archbishop of Sarawak Stonton, and another became Principal of the future Bradford University. These were all boys whose parents could not afford further education so went through their education the hard way working their way to a job needing examination results. As a result my father became a man with a mission to educate the less fortunate to better jobs. I had my education the easier way via Lewes and London University.

My Dad went to this school in the 1930's, he cycled there & back from Rodmell. I daresay his Dad went there too as he lived in Newhaven, it would have been pre WW1. Then I went there in the 1950's before going to the new school when it opened, which was a long walk from Mount Pleasant, along the Drove, along the Harbour & up Gibbon Road come rain or shine. I wore a duffle coat with a hood in the winter. I remember Mr. Smith, English teacher, Mr. Spice, Science, Mr. Ray, Maths, Mrs. Scott, Needlework, Mr. Davis, PE & Mr. Hopkins but girls didn't have Woodwork, we had Cookery lessons instead. I forget her name but she wore a white coat (like a doctor's). I also remember fainting in the Hall once at Morning Assembly & came to in the adjacent Needlework room! I don't have any photo's of the interior but I remember some of our classrooms were units outside of the building. Looking at the top photo reminded me of my first day there, my dad took me, I was 13 as we had moved from Ringmer, I still remember that the sick feeling in my stomach even now & I'm 70!