- UK Information
- Southampton Information
- West End Local History Museum and Heritage Centre
Based in a former one appliance fire station the Heritage Centre features the history of the fire station, Captain Arthur Rostron of the Carpathia and other Titanic links. Other features include the semaphore signal station at Telegraph woods, the former worhouse [South Stoneham] later Moorgreen Hospital and C. B. Fry who was capped for playing cricket and football for England.
Other characters of interest include Mr Biggleswade of whom his friend W.E. Johns based the Biggles stories for boys
and not forgetting the St Barbe Baker family ["the man of trees" who did much to use forestry to prevent soil erosion in Africa.
The centre has a good selection of maps of the area and detailed records of the Haines Brothers who built many of the local houses.
The museum is open on Saturdays between 10am and 4pm [on the Saturdays adjoining bank holiday weekends and during the Christmas break, the museum does not open but visitors can telephone the secretary Mrs Berry 023 8046 2490 or the curator 023 8047 1886 to confirm any date].
On the first Wednesday of each month the society has a guest speaker in the West End Parish Centre at 7-30 pm.
Article contributed by:
John G. Avery
Submitted on: 31st August 2006