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Pilot Hight Road, BOURNEMOUTH, BH11 8EX

These workmen are working on behalf of Fibrocity Holdings Ltd, and installing fibre optics.

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

A residential road leading to Maclean Road.

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

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. (See also Image) This footpath leads down from Pilot Hight Road and comes out on Moore Avenue just ahead. Opposite is the turning for Cunningham Place, leading to Cunningham Crescent which is the centre of the estate, with shops, library etc. See Image for the view up the path from the pavement ahead, and Image for the view from the top end behind us.

A lollipop lady guides these people across the road and stops any oncoming traffic - but the road seemed very quiet.

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.

A short link road from Moore Avenue to Cunningham Crescent in the very heart of the West Howe council estate. Behind the sign, we see terraced council houses – West Howe has the whole gamut of housing, from these to semi-detached houses and bungalows to blocks of flats. The sign dates 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.99 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.