From the pages of the Down Recorder, November 27, 1979

From the pages of the Down Recorder, November 27, 1979

27 November 2019

DOWNPATRICK — Silver-tongued Anthony Frew, from Downpatrick, talked his way to four silver medals and three cups at the Warrenpoint musical feis this week.

Fifteen year-old Anthony, was awarded the Tinnelly Motors Silver Salver as the most promising over 14 year-old in the speech and drama section at the feis.

His performances were described by the adjudicator, Miss Gloria Gordon-Aubrey as of a very high standard, fully meriting the award.

Anthony also won the Balmoral Hotel Challenge Cup for ballad and the Reed Corrugated Cases Ltd Challenge Cup for the best passage from Shakespeare.

HIs four silver medals — all for second place — came in the ure reading, poem, passage of prose and an excerpt from a play.

Earlier Anthony had been on top form at the Banbridge drama festival lifting the McMurray Cup for ballad. He also won a bronze medal for his acting a dramatic duologue along with his younger sister, Linda.

Indeed the dedicated Anthony was called back onto the stage on the closing night of the festival to repeat his cup wining performance — the judges considered it the highlight of the festival. 

CROSSGAR — Four members of a Crossgar family have grabbed the headlines and prizes in a national painting competition.

They are the Gill children and they took the honours in the competition organised by the Ulster Bank and the Northern Ireland Ploughing Association during this year’s world event at Limavady.

The children are nine year-old Ann, who won first prize in the under ten section, five year-old Richard, who was highly commended for his entry in the same section, and David and Samuel, both 12, who were also highly commended for their section in the 10-16 years section.

Other local winners were Francis Kelly (9), from Downpatrick, who finished runner-up to Ann Gill in junior section and two other locals finished in the first three of the senior section.

David Lyly Thompson, Carryduff, won second prize wile 11 year-old Finbar McEvoy, of Artana, Dromara, was third.

However, all their paintings were destroyed when the marquee they were displayed in at the match was blown away in a gale — and now they are being asked to get out the paint brushes again.

The organisers want the children to repaint their exhibits so they can be send on to New Zealand, where the next world ploughing contest is being held in May.

NEWCASTLE — Six pure bronze bells, valued at more than £8,500, are being erected in the bell tower of St John’s Parish Church in Newcastle — and if everything goes well, they should be peeling by Christmas.

Work is going flat out, with experts from England and Newcastle trying to ensure the bells will be in place on time, and a special team from the Church are taking bell-ringing lessons to try to make it one of the most memorable Christmas services in the Church’s 148-year history.

The bells, being installed by a Loughborough firm, will replace the solitary bell in the tower, and should add a new dimension to Sunday services at the Church.

The rector, the Rev Noel Warren, is hoping that the sound of the new set of bells will be heard on Christmas morning. ‘It’s going to be a difficult job having the six heavy bells ed, particularly as the tower chamber will have to be strengthened.’

‘However, we’re hoping the experts can have it ready on time. The sound of the new bells ringing across the bay and being echoed from the mountains will be marvellous, and add a new dimension to our Christmas services,’ he said.

The cast pure bronze bells cost more than £8,500 but it will take a further £4,500 to have them installed.

PORTAFERRY — Lone yachtsman Declan Mackell is midway across the Atlantic on his single-

handed trip around the world.

Declan, who set out from Portaferry at the end of May this year, is now heading towards Barbados in the West Indies on the fourth stage of his trip.

He had stopped in Gilbraltar and Declan worked as foreman for an American for constructing a marina there. And they helped him out, stocking up stores on his 32-foot yacht, ‘Seanious’, when he left.

He has had umpteen narrow scrapes already on his journey, almost coming to grief with several bigger boats.

Even so, he is said to be pleased with the way the boat is handling especially on the trip to Tenerife.

On that voyage he faced winds up to force nine. Declan had a short stop-off before leaving on the next stage of his trip to Barbados on Saturday, November 17.

But Declan has still not reached the halfway mark on his journey and when he eventually reaches Barbados, he will head through the Caribbean Sea and out into the Pacific Ocean.

His route back to Portaferry after than, will be by Australia, New Zealand, the Indian Ocean and Cape Hope.

BALLYNAHINCH — Ballynahinch’s £60,000 Baptist Church will be officially opened on Saturday afternoon — just 14 months after work began.

The Church, built adjacent to the old Baptist Church, which now becomes the Church Hall, has been erected almost entirely by members of the congregation and will meet the growing demand.

Apart from the church itself, the new building includes a minister’s room, a kitchen, five classrooms and a sizeable sound proof room for mother and children.

The idea to erect a new building came only a few years ago, as it became difficult for the existing Church to hold the growing congregation. There was a strong need for youth premises, but it was finally decided to build a new Church and convert the old one into a hall. Plans were lodged by Mr Joe White and drawn up by the treasurer, Mr Charles Dunlop.

SAUL — A demand for a footpath in Saul, from the primary school to the village, has been knocked on the head, Downpatrick and District Road Safety Committee heard at the recent meeting.

The committee has been campaigning for the footpath for some time and new the Department of Environment has told them that although a footpath was desirable, there was no money available to start work on it.

Members raised a number of issues affecting the area at the meeting, including improving the Flying Horse Road. The committee has been told by the Department of Environment that work is to start within the next three months on a section of the road, provided the necessary land can be acquired.

DOWNPATRICK — Fiona Lascelles, of Quoile Youth Centre, is the first winner of the Downpatrick Lions Club youth award scheme.

Fiona received a £10 cheque and new goes on to the regional finals to be held in the Banbridge.

The three other entrants in the award scheme were Thomas Creaney, nominated by St Patrick’s High School, Elaine Dickson, nominated by Downpatrick Young Farmers Club, and Heather Woodrow, nominated by Down High School.

Each candidates spent 15 minutes in conversation with the judges’ panel of Mr S Wilson, Mr Pat Higgins and Mr Kevin Feenan, representing a cross section of education industry-commerce and youth and community work.

CROSSGAR — A large number of parents and friends attended the enrolment services of the Girls’ Brigade and Boys’ Brigade at Lissara Presbyterian Church on Sunday.

The GB enrolment service took place service took place in the morning with the Rev James Harper, of Ballygowan, the special preacher. Mr Harper also performed the enrolment.

The officers of the company are Miss Rita McClurg, captain, Mrs Helen Tate and Miss Mary Harper, lieutenants, and Misses Elizabeth McClure, Fiona Jennings and Mrs Wendy Lennon, sub-officers.