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Manor School Memories Part 1

The Manor School on Arbury Road was one of the main focuses of life for North and South Arbury for decades. With its evening classes and youth centre, and various community activities - like the annual Christmas party for the elderly and the annual school play in the 1980s (Annie Get Your Gun and Dracula Spectacular spring to mind) - the Manor opened as separate boys' and girls' schools in 1959 (the girls had to share the boys' buildings at first as their own were still under construction). The school later became co-ed.

    
An aerial view of the Manor Schools - Boys' and Girls', around 1960, with a section of Arbury Road and Arbury Court. Note Arbury Court was yet to gain its library and large supermarket building, and Campkin Road was still the Manor Farm Drive.

The side of the Manor School 'new block', built in the early 1970s, the tower block and boys' gym beyond.

The school was built in the Park Meadow of the old Manor Farm - which is how the 'Manor' name came about - and the school's boundary fence took the shape of the enclosure of the farm buildings - the shape of the garden boundary of the old Manor Farmhouse, which stood on Campkin Road (opposite Arbury Town Park) is still clearly visible today.

Did you go to Manor? Do these stir any memories?

Andy's Manor School homework diary. Here, you were supposed to write down your various homework assignments. You could also write anything else that appealed to you. Like 'Cambridge United Rule' or whatever.

In the old days of the Manor - the '60s, '70s and '80s - boys had to wear a tie. But, as a fifth year, you had the chance to purchase a special fifth years' tie, with the school badge embroidered all over it.

Here's Andy's old Manor tie. This design had to be worn by all boys for their first four years at the school. Why the knots? Andy can't remember how they happened.

Manor School football hat-trick, March, 1982: Andy actually watched this match. Were you there? Did you play? Was 'Spolton' Keith Spolton? 'Corcoran' is certainly Kevin Corcoran, and 'Steggall' (should it be Steggalls?) was Mark.

The attempt to close the school in 1983 was thwarted by a determined effort from the Arbury community. This was the badge that declared your support to retain the Manor. It was also in the early 1980s that the Manor became a community college.

The official logo for the Save The Manor Campaign - SACC - Save Arbury's Community College. 

Councillor Janet Jones, Chair of the Manor governors, said: '... the people of Arbury will make this their campaign and fight to save their school.' 

Councillor Peter Cowell, vice chair of the Manor governors, said: 'The Manor is a central focus in Arbury and its possible loss would do immeasurable damage to people of all ages in the community.'

The Manor launched its own pupil newsletter - the Manor Banner - in 1983. This cover is faded, but still legible. Click on image to enlarge. Fascinating article on 'School leavers' future prospects'. Amazing to realise that the Grafton Centre was still under construction back then. Chris South, of the 'Cambridge Evening News' helped the editors by supplying the headline lettering for a lot of the articles.

The Manor celebrated its silver jubilee in 1984.

The Manor School in 1982. The classroom at the top of the tower block with the person at the window was Mrs New's English classroom. Was it Mrs New at the window, we wonder?

The old Manor School boys' gym and a glimpse of the 'new block'. The large trees stood in the garden of the old Manor Farmhouse. Until fairly recent years (I'm not sure when) there were three. Who planted them? Aha!

Part two of Manor Memories is here.


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  1. AnonymousOctober 5, 2022 at 7:41 AM

    The 1st member of my family that want to the Manor was my mum. She was öne of the 1st girl pupils and has been telling me stories of her time there .
    She was then followed by my aunt and my 2 uncles.
    Yrs later I went to the Manor, then my brother and then my sister.
    My neice left the Academy (the new name) 2yrs ago and my nephew now goes there . So for us it was a real family school.
    I loved my time at the Manor and have such happy memories and although by the time I left in the Summer of' '83 it had gained in my eyes an unfair reputation it was a school that taught us skills to help us through life ,taught us to be more accepting , to be aware of others and the list goes on. And much of that was down to the teachers like Paddy, Mr Hunter to name but 2
    Some of us were not that academic whilist there but it gave a good grounding which helped many of us achieve so much more once we went out into the big wide world.
    I got to do so much at my time at the Manor from the school musicals, singing in the choir, old peoples concerts, singing at the Albert Hall and painting murals on the school walls.
    And most of making life long friends that even after all these yrs still are in touch with and look out for one another.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arbury EstateOctober 5, 2022 at 12:08 PM

      Dear old Paddy Radcliffe! A Manor legend. Thanks so much for this. The school musicals became quite renowned and we have a newspaper article about the murals we're soon to upload.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousAugust 31, 2023 at 5:31 PM

    When I left the Manor in 1995 both Mr Hunter and Paddy Radcliffe were still going strong. Legends indeed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arbury CambridgeAugust 31, 2023 at 6:40 PM

      They are! Loads of photos from the Manor days here. Will upload some soon!

      Delete
  3. AnonymousJune 22, 2024 at 7:47 PM

    I had the pleasure of studying at the Manor School in 1978/1979 whilst living in Cambridge. I'm from Brazil and my father was a chemist at Cambridge University at the time. Next July/2024 I will be visiting Cambridge and I want to see the School again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arbury, CambridgeJune 22, 2024 at 8:55 PM

      Thanks for writing. The Manor has been demolished, but its successor, the North Cambridge Academy, now stands on part of the site and much of the original Arbury Estate is still recognisable. Arbury Court still stands opposite the old school site, and the Arbury Town Park and Arbury Community Centre are still alive and well in Campkin Road. Arbury Community Centre is 50 years old this year. The Arbury Carnival continues, and the 2024 event attracted an estimated 5,000 visitors. I don't know if you ever attended the Arbury Adventure Playground on the Nuns Way Recreation Ground. That has gone, but there will still be much to stir happy memories if you take a stroll around the district. Thanks again for getting in touch. We're glad you have happy memories of the Manor School.

      Delete

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