Andy Foot, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset

The Southbourne Shell House

Until February 2001, when it was mysteriously & suddenly demolished to make way for a modern apartment block, one of the things Southbourne was best known for was the Shell House situated on the Overcliff Drive at Southbourne. It was the dedicated work of George Howard, whose reward for all his effort was the pleasure that it gave to all who saw it and the very large amounts of money that the shell house collected for charity. In 1988, Christchurch Hospital named their new patients' activity centre the Howard Centre in recognition of the family's fund-raising efforts. But neighbours said fewer people had donated in later years and the wishing-well was frequently plundered by teenagers.

The Shell House was created by the late George Howard in 1948, believed to be in memory of his son Michael, who died from meningitis at the age of 14. The ex-military man was a shell collector who once said: "Shells are the only things in this world that grow more beautiful after death."
I have recently been in contact with George Howards Grand Daughter, Carol Mason, who has been kind enough to explain the circumstances of the closure & demolition of the Shell House, Her message is displayed below as I know many of you are interested in the story behind the history and eventual closing of the much loved Shell House. I have been contacted over the years by many people asking all sorts of questions about the Shell House, not just from locals as it was for many years a top attraction for the many holidaymakers that come to Bournemouth throughout the year.

Message from Carol Mason: 30th May 2007

Hi AndyI was amazed to see that you had a site dedicated to my Grandfathers beautiful Shell House.It was a very special place for many locals, tourists and friends and family of George and Sarah Howard. I myself spent many childhood years at the House and garden, even clearing the wishing well of coins, cleaning and helping to distribute the money to so many worthy charities.I understand that you and so many others were dismayed at the destruction of the garden, so I will try to explain the reason for this.My father Ray Howard, loved the garden, and helped his Father George to run it. George died and left his wife Sarah and my Father to continue it's charitable legacy. Grandma died in 1989, leaving my Father and the family to continue the running and constant upkeep of the garden. When I was a child and growing up around the garden, there was never any problems with vandals or thieves. But during the late eighties and nineties, the garden was constantly vandalised, money boxes that were bolted down, broken into weekly, and the famous wishing wells emptied of their coins. Statues that Grandad had lovingly placed were either smashed or stolen. One being a huge bronze, of a man on horse back killing a lion, set in concrete. This was stolen one night! It must have been a large operation, as the bronze must have weighed 1/2 a ton, nobody heard a thing and the police were not interested. So this was happening almost every week.It is soul destroying to see something that a loved one has spent so many years building, being slowly violated.My Father and the family spent many years after George and Sarah had died, trying to keep the garden alive. Everything in life has a time span, and nothing lasts for forever. The spirit of the Shell House and my Grandfather had been slowly eroded. Believe me, it took incredible strength on behalf of the whole family to end the Garden. Maybe we should have made public our intentions to demolish the Garden, but it was hard enough without all the adverse comments and publicity that would have ensued if it had been made known.We made the decision as a family, and grieved as a family.It is so heart warming that even now the public still remembers the 'Shell House' with fondness, and I thank you from all the family for keeping it alive for others to remember.
Yours Sincerely, Carol Mason.

A friend of mine enjoying a visit to the Shell House some years ago
(He's 6' 7" tall now!)

This photo taken at the Shell House around 1980 was sent to me by Sara Spiegel who is pictured here with her Mother & Brother.

18/09/2007
Thank you so much for your website on the shell house. My 84 year old mother is staying with me and today we drove up and down Overcliffe Drive looking for it as she visited it many years ago with my father and wanted to see it again. It brought back many memories and we are so sorry to hear about the vandalism and subsequent closure.
Margaret, Corfe Castle