This is an appeal to the older members amongst us!
My dad remembers a parachute bomb of some size landing on the spire of Christ Church in Redhill Street but not exploding and the navy bomb disposal unit (no idea why the navy) came and disarmed it. Can anyone help me with a near date please? Or any ideas where I might look?

Hi Lesley
Talking about the church spire Mick is currently painting a picture of Windsor House with the 'swings' in front of it (as it was). The church is also in the picture with the factories. He mentioned that the spire was rebuilt at one time and if you look at the picture of Nash's garage you can see the spire has scaffolding round it. We also found a picture of children playing on the boat in the 'swings' and this is going to be put on the site shortly.
I will put the painting on the site when it is finally finished. It has been ongoing for a few months now and he hasn't even got to the playground yet. It is also growing and soon will be too big to get into the house.

Hi Lesley,
I wasn't aware of the Christ Church bomb but the Navy may have been called in because it was a mine that had been dropped.The Navy seemed to handle such things.The small group of us who attended Hampstead Sea Cadets(Peter Hayward,Norman Riley among others) would remember Lt.Cmdr Gidden who had been awarded the George Cross for defusing a land mine dropped on the Charing Cross railway bridge across the Thames.
I hope someone recalls the Christ Church case.
Mike McDermott.

The bomb on the steeple has been a story told in my family for ever. It's true the parachute on the bomb was snagged on the steeple and, obviously, did not go off. There was, however, a second bomb (+ parachute) from the same raid which landed on the Redhill Street gardens next to Bagshot House. This too failed to explode although had it rolled a bit more, Bagshot House would have been no more. As, in fact, would my father and his father as the second bomb landed underneath their window (possibly 21), and by extension, ME! It seems the papers made a bit of a fuss about it at the time and in subsequent years. My mum thinks 1940 or 1941.
Good luck Lesley, hope this helps.
Tony

Thanks everyone, I will tell dad, it's funny the older he gets the more he seems to remember from the early part of his life and he will be pleased others remember too.

Hi Wendy
I wondered whether Mick had finished the painting by now?

I am in the process of writing my life story. I figure that if I don't write it all down, it will be lost. Trouble is that I start to ramble a little when I write. I am about to start my 2nd year at Rutherford School and have passed the 13,000 word mark. At this rate, anyone reading the book will be asleep while I am still at school!!!

I have just written to JJ for the CD. I want some of the photos to include in the book. I keep thinking that there must be thousands of lost photographs of our swings. Wouldn't it be lovely to see them all?

Happy Days indeed.
Regards
John

Hi Lesley, Have just sorted my Computer out . Shot he old one & purchased new.
The Christ Church Bomb. This Im told when very much younger was a 500 LB Land Mine Attached to Parachutes that Twisted Round the Steple ,the bomb landed on the pavement by the vestry which cracked under the Weight.On this particular night some time in 1940, a string of four 500lb Land Mines were dropped in a line from Lords cricket Ground towards Euston Station. The last two in the chain dropped One onour Church The other Took out the Houses in Augustus Street & Stanhope Street. Had the Land Mine Expolded out side ChristChurch it would have been Good Night to Ascot , Bagshot & a good part of Windsor.
I understand that one of my relations Cut a section out of the Silk Parachute, this being made into a wedding dress for my aunt Jean, John Daws Mother.
Hope this helps
Regards
Les Horne ( Count Von Matterhorn)

Hey Von Matterhorn I see you have promoted yourself to Count. Well I for one do not recognise your new found status. Von Matterhorn (son of Matterhorn) was bestowed on you by a council of your Elders and Betters at the Essex Bar-B-Q a few years ago and as far as I know you have do nothing since to deserve the elevated rank of Count. Owning a new computer does not count towards being a Count.

On the subject of this Forum string I feel I have to let you know that Leslie Greenleaf has fallen off our radar as she has gone to South Africa to help the poor and needy or something like that.

Great to see you are still ‘alive & kicking’ old boy
JJ

Hi John. Mick did finish the picture and is now hanging in pride of place in the bedroom. It took him months and I will try to put it on the website. He is now painting the allotments looking down towards Windsor. As he is trying to do it as it was then and now as it is now you need a good memory.

Hi Wendy
Thank you for letting me know. I will keep a look out for the painting on the website.
Take care
Regards
John

John,
Unfortunately the KACF Website is closed down so I will not be able to put Mike's painting on there but I will look to see if I can put it on here.

If you are on Facebook then the painting is on our KACF facebook wall.
JJ