Source: BHS Newsletter 123, Summer 2003

Henry Westwood, a Brighton pioneer and father of Robert and Douglas owned and operated a chain of merry-go-rounds. Henry originally lived on the north west comer of New and Bay Streets in a tiny cottage. The late Mrs. E.G. Rigby of Brighton wrote in the B.R,S. Newsletter of September 1966, "Children were less sophisticated at the turn of the century and it was like a glimpse into fairyland to peer through the paling fences and see the merry-go-round horses resting in the shed at _restwoods. Another inhabitant was an ancient white cockatoo known around Brighton as Cocky Westwood. His life unfortunately came to an end when a passing dog dragged him off the fence,"

Circa 1916, Douglas Westwood and his wife Jane purchased Finchal, 299 New Street where Percy Grainger had been born (this lovely old house originally had a smithy, mens' rooms and two storey stables in the garden). Robert, the brother of Douglas owned an adjoining house which ran back from Finchal; in the early days, this house had been a small farm. During the early 1920's, the brothers decided to subdivide some of each of their land and thereby created Newbay Crescent, a smaller street became Opawa Street. In the late 1950's, the second home was demolished and along with it the Opawa Tennis Courts, which had been another of the Westwood interests.

Anne Bailey

The photograph at the top of the page was donated to B.H. S.. in December 1966 by Mrs. Betty Day, daughter of Douglas Westwood and grand-daughter of Henry Westwood; Betty's mother Jane Westwood died on 11 August 1966.