By Marion Morgan
Do any readers remember the Wayside Halt, in the seventies? This was in the years just before the presbytery and old school buildings were sold to the Housing Association. If you came out of the presbytery in Trenchard Street and went through the garden, you then crossed the old playground and went up some steps to the car parking area at the higher level, before eventually coming out again on Lower Park Row. Between the two flat areas connected by the steps there was a wall and a lean-to shed.
With the support of the parish priest, Fr Norbury SJ, we had the bright idea of making this into a serving and sit-down area for the many men and women of the road who passed through and rang the doorbell for tea and a sandwich. So from 2.0 until 4.0 every weekday, members of our parish, with help from some ladies from St Bonaventure’s and elsewhere, served all comers.
In the winter we served soup as well, kindly made by Mrs Marks the housekeeper. We often had as many as 20 people in an afternoon: I still recognise some of them walking around in Bristol.
One of the most moving moments of my life was when we organised a Christmas Dinner for them in the old St Joseph’s Chapel. Mrs Marks cooked the turkey and vegetables which we had prepared and we carried it across the yard. We had a short service of a carol or two and a reading about the shepherds coming to the manger. This was read by one of the vagrants. It had never meant more to me.
Eventually the Wayside Halt was closed down, but by this time the Cyrenians had opened up a proper day centre so there was no more need for it. But I have fond memories of cold and draughty afternoons in the otherwise fuggy warmth of the Wayside Halt.
.JPG)
