From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 24, 1976

From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 24, 1976

24 August 2016

SILENT VALLEY — The continuing heat wave and the low level of the Silent Valley reservoir have led to the imposition of further water restrictions which will take effect from tomorrow. From then, the use of hosepipes and sprinklers for watering parks, playing fields, golf courses and recreational areas will be prohibited.

Almost the entire eastern side of the province will be affected, including parts of Down and the whole of the Ards peninsula. These restrictions will be on top of the existing ban on washing cars or watering gardens with hosepipes which was introduced at the beginning of May.

In May the level of the reservoir at the Silent Valley stood at about 80 per cent, but they are now under half full. According to a spokesman for the Department of the Environment, there is enough water left for 50 days of normal consumption.

He said: “We again appeal to people to conserve as much water as possible. That is why these latest restrictions were introduced.

On Tuesday afternoon the Secretary of State, Mr Merlyn Rees, toured the Silent Valley and Ben Crom reservoirs with officials of the Department of the Environment to see the situation for himself.

CASTLEWELLAN — Day trippers planning to visit to forest parks in Down this weekend have been given some strong advice from the head forester at Castlewellan Forest Park — use your common sense.

Mr Harold Hutchman warned of the dangers of cigarette butts, litter and bottles in his park where the danger is probably higher than it has ever been for this time of year.

His advice comes at the end of a week in which local firemen have death with more than 60 fires, many of them in tinder dry gorse. Fire chiefs have also been calling on the public to be more careful in the countryside.

With forest parks becoming a more popular place for visitors, Mr Hutchman explained that he and his men depend a lot on the co-operation of the public. He warned of the dangers that could result from a carelessly ped cigarette butt in the 30,000 acres of forestation in Castlewellan and in the other forests in the area, such as Tollymore, Drumaness and Drumkeeragh.

Smokers should make sure their cigarettes are properly extinguished. Ideally they should be put out in water. “One thing they should not do is drop a butt in vegetation and stamp it out. They cannot be sure that it is extinguished this way and a tiny spark could start a fire,” Mr Hutchman said.

The head forester also appealed for people to take home any litter they had left at the end of the day. Bottles can be a particular hazard. If they are broken the strong rays of sun could set the grass alight.

DOWNPATRICK — A goodwill gesture has turned sour for former Down gaelic footballer Danny Kelly. The Downpatrick man helped out during a recent GAA festival week in his native town and it cost him a valuable wristwatch.

He removed the watch to take part in a penalty kick competition and that was the last he saw of it. The watch was presented to him by the Armagh and Down Men’s Association of New York when the Down team won the famous World Series in 1968

Each player and official received a watch, valued at several hundred pounds, and the names and date are inscribed on the back of each one.

Despite exhaustive searches Danny has yet to find the watch and this week he appeared for help to the Down Recorder.

“It is not the money value of the watch, but the sentimental value which matters most. If anyone has found it, or if it was stolen, I appeal to those who have it to return it,” he said.

Danny stressed that no police action will be taken if it is returned and he is offering a reward. Any information can be passed through the Recorder offices.

NEWCASTLE — Motorists visiting Newcastle are being warned to secure their vehicles before leaving them after a spate of thefts from parked cars in the area.

Altogether police are investigating seven instances in which cars were broken into and a quantity of articles stolen over the past week. Some of the items taken were a set of tools, two pairs of sunglasses, three cassette recorders, a transistor, three stereo car radios and a number of tapes.

The thefts took place in different car parks, the majority happening at night time when no-one was about.

The parks concerned were at Mourne Golf Club, Downs Road, Valentia Place and Annesley Park, all in Newcastle, and one in Dundrum.

BALLYNAHINCH — The Ballynahinch steel firm, Kirkland Intake, have won a £1 million order from Nigeria — their second in three months. The latest contract is to make, supply and erect structural steel for a Leyland commercial vehicle plant.

Kirkland’s Nigerian  connection was revealed at the end of May when the company announced that they had signed an ‘agreement of association’ with the Nigerwest Steel Company Ltd. At that time they won a big contract to supply steel for a new wing of a university in the country.

Before the deal was signed in May Kirkland had been negotiating on major contracts in Nigeria for six months.

Kirkland, who also have a factory in Portaferry, plan to expand by moving into premises in Downpatrick within the next year.

KILLYLEAGH — Her gift for words has won eight year-old Joanne Kerr a leading award in a national competition entered by almost 50,000 young writers.

Joanne, from Frederick Street in Killyleagh, will receive a £5 prize for her entry in the 18th Daily Mirror Children’s Literary Competition.

She gained her award as a pupil of St Mary’s Primary School, for her poem entitled ‘ Prayer of the Hippopotamus, which will now be published in book form under the title ‘Children as Writers.’

Sir Jack Longland, the educationalist and broadcaster, headed the panel of judges.

PORTAFERRY — Twenty-nine year-old Portaferry folk musician Des McHenry returns to Canada today after spending several months back in his homeland. Des, well known in local folk circles, left for Canada several years ago to take his BA degree at a Toronto university.

He’s a banjo man, keen on electric folk music and intends eventually to come back to Portaferry and form a group specialising in this kind of music. When he makes the odd journey back home, he performs at one-man concerts and has become a big attraction in the Portaferry area.

COMBER — Comber police have appealed for information to help them in their inquiries into an armed robbery on the outskirts of town on Saturday. Two youths, one armed, held up a Northern Dairies Milk roundsman as he emerged from a lane way on the Ballygowan Road. They made off with a sum of money.

DROMARA — A Dromara man came within a whisker of winning the Northern Ireland small-bore rifle championships recently.

Bertie Aitken, who travelled to the venue in Surrey, tied for first place with two others, but under the rules of the competition finished third. He scored 192 from 50 yards and 191 from 100 yards.

HORSE RACING — Record crowds are expected for Monday’s Bank Holiday race meeting at Downpatrick. As the local course fights for survival, the meeting will be seen as another chance for racegoers to prove their affection for the Downpatrick track by turning out in their thousands.

The meeting has been expertly organised by Downpatrick draper, Mr Joseph Rea, and has attracted large fields for each of the six races.

The recent spell of hot weather is sure to add to the attraction of the meeting and although the ground will be firm, it is certain that racing will not be affected.