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Mandale Close, BOURNEMOUTH, BH11 8EU

In the heart of the 1950s West Howe council estate, the houses in this short cul-de-sac actually form an unbroken line into the similar Springwater Close, the two closes meeting end-to-end with a wide footpath providing a single thoroughfare. The sign is a modern one, from 2010-15 when this more modern, abstract emblem rather than the traditional town coat of arms as the working logo of the council. This is photo no.257 of a series of 453 in my coronavirus lockdown walking project: See https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/My-2020-Coronavirus-Lockdown-walking-project for the complete set of photos.

Mandale Close and Springwater Close are two parallel roads which meet end-to-end via this public footpath. Although the vehicular carriageways do not meet, the houses continue without interruption, as if it were a single road. See Image for a view from down by the railings.

Typical 1950s semi-detached council houses are the fare around here, as we are near the centre of the large West Howe council estate, which was built in the early 50s. The sign is a modern one, dating from around 2014-15, by which time the council had replaced the coloured logo, which had been prone to fading after a while, to simple wording BOURNEMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL in smaller type. This is photo no.254 of a series of 453 in my coronavirus lockdown walking project: See https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/My-2020-Coronavirus-Lockdown-walking-project for the complete set of photos.

Mandale Close and Springwater Close are two parallel roads which meet end-to-end via this public footpath. Although the vehicular carriageways do not meet, the houses continue without interruption, as if it were a single road. See Image] for a view along the whole path from Mandale Close, behind us.

The West Howe estate's roads are all surnames of servicemen from the Second World War with a local connection. The only road to have a word before the surname is Pilot Hight Road. Pilot Officer Cecil Hight was a New Zealander who flew Spitfires in the RAF. Coming under fire in August 1940, his aircraft was hit in a major air raid over Bournemouth. It is thought that he diverted his plane to avoid the town centre and it crashed in the Meyrick Park area - he died as a result of parachute failure. (See Image) The modern road sign here has an image of a spitfire - a nice touch.

Mandale Road is one of the main roads within the West Howe council estate, and it has an unusual 90º bend here, running ahead and to our right, while to the left the road with vehicle priority continues as Draper Road. The sign is a modern one, from 2010-15 when this more modern, abstract emblem rather than the traditional town coat of arms as the working logo of the council. This is photo no.258 of a series of 453 in my coronavirus lockdown walking project: See https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/My-2020-Coronavirus-Lockdown-walking-project for the complete set of photos.

Looking along this broad public footpath that leads down to Moore Avenue (see Image). Many of the footpaths on the West Howe estate and thereabouts have been given names in the last couple of years, a safety initiative whose intention is that, in the event of calling for help, one's location can be more easily described. This one has been named Spitfire Walk, no doubt a nod to the fact that the estate's roads are all surnames of servicemen from the Second World War with a local connection. The only road to have a word before the surname is Pilot Hight Road, from which we are looking. Pilot Officer Cecil Hight was a New Zealander who flew Spitfires in the RAF. Coming under fire in August 1940, his aircraft was hit in a major air raid over Bournemouth. It is thought that he diverted his plane to avoid the town centre and it crashed in the Meyrick Park area - he died as a result of parachute failure. See also Image

One of two road signs with Spitfire images at each end of Pilot Hight Road, Bournemouth. The road was named in memory of RAF Pilot Officer Cecil Henry Hight from New Zealand, aged 22, who died 15 August 1940 in the Battle of Britain, and the only Allied airman to have been killed over Bournemouth town during the Battle. These new road signs with Spitfire images replaced the ordinary ones at Pilot Hight Road in 2010. Image

Many of the footpaths on the West Howe estate and thereabouts have been given names in the last couple of years, a safety initiative whose intention is that, in the event of calling for help, one's location can be more easily described. This one has been named Spitfire Walk, no doubt a nod to the fact that the estate's roads are all surnames of servicemen from the Second World War with a local connection. The only road to have a word before the surname is Pilot Hight Road, to which this path leads. Pilot Officer Cecil Hight was a New Zealander who flew Spitfires in the RAF. Coming under fire in August 1940, his aircraft was hit in a major air raid over Bournemouth. It is thought that he diverted his plane to avoid the town centre and it crashed in the Meyrick Park area - he died as a result of parachute failure. See Image for a view down the path from the other end. See also Image

A quiet road in Bournemouth with a woman pushing a pushchair wondering why I'm taking a photograph.