AS A CHILD IN WESTEND 1937-1943   Part 1
Brian Blighe

Preface

What follows is an account of my own memories of Westend in the eight years of my childhood following my family's move to Thornhill in 1937. It should be noted that at that time Thornhill was in the Parish of Westend; St.James was our parish church and the red brick school (now the Hilldene Community Centre) was therefore our designated Infant and Junior school. My account of people and events etc.. is completely from my memory and I have not referred to archives, nor records of any kind. I hope the reader will excuse any inaccuracies of dates or names that may occur, nevertheless, my memories of those eventful years are still strong and like most 'seniors', clearer than those of more recent years.

St. James School 1937 - 1943

My family moved to Thornhill in the autumn of 1937; within days I was introduced to Westend School by my mother, who had brough me on the back of her cycle. I was placed in the tender care of Mrs Stuchberry, of whom I was immediately terrified. From then on until I moved up to the senior school in Hedge End in 1943 I walked to and from school every weekday, occasionaly getting on a bus at Thornhill crossroads if the weather proved too bad. The walk took us from our home in Shelley Road up through Pine Drive (then a cul-de-sac), through the woods to Moorhill then down the length of Telegraph Road to the school. I recall a large white house that stood back from the road where now stands part of the reservoir; it had a gravel drive leading to the house via a wide metal gate. To go past the gate in 1937 was to run the gauntlet through a barrage of stones hurled at every passing child by a group of about fifty boys who were orphaned in the Spanish Civil War and were quartered there.
(see website - http://www.spanishrefugees-basquechildren.org/C6-9-Moor_Hill_Southamptn.html ).

MOORHILL HOUSE

After a few such experiences I would run as fast as possible into the shelter of the trees, then throw a volley back while I had cover, then be off quickly in case they dared to climb over the gate. Several years later I went into the house (Moorhill House, once owned by West End's great benefactress Harriett Haselfoot) often, when it was occupied by a family whose son Jeffrey was my schoolmate, it had an imposing entrance and wide staircase and about seven bedrooms, most of them with only bare boards for flooring and empty of furniture, but affording masses of space for playing in. There were seven classes at St. James School, two infants and five standards, the latter numbered one to five; pupils would move on to senior schools, particularly to Hedge End County Scondary as it was grandly titled. The classes were divided from each other by folding wooden walls. The  children sat two to a desk, in classes of about 30. There was no central heating as we now know it, but each room had a solid fuel stove at the front. Children in the front rows kept reasonably warm in the winters, while those at the back shivered and in very extreme conditions were allowed to keep their coats on. Milk was provided in those days, one third or two thirds of a pint per child per day. - Continued on page 3