From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 15, 1980

From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 15, 1980

15 April 2020

DRUMANESS — A group of Drumaness residents have formed a committee to help put a businessman back on his feet following an incredible series of mishaps.

A fire last week destroyed Mr Gerry Rice’s business in the village and damaged the pre-fab accommodation in which he has been living with his wife and ten children. It is the latest jinx in a long series of mishaps which have bedevilled the garage proprietor.

The Rice family moved to Drumaness in what seemed the final chapter in a long running wrangle over a smoke problem at their home in Carlisle Park, Ballynahinch.

The fire destroyed almost everything and it was in response to the “raw deal” which Mr Rice was getting that the Drumaness committee was formed.

The Drumaness Community Action Committee is only eight-strong, but a spokesman pointed out that they had the backing of the whole community.

A collection was taken around the Drumaness district last week and raised more than £600 for Mr Rice. Since then donations have been pouring in and already another £100 has been collected.

The spokesman added: “We think he [Mr Rice] is getting a raw deal and we are determined to do something about it.”

BALLYNAHINCH — Work is well underway on a £13,000 environmental improvement scheme for Ballynahinch Square.

The scheme, which will give the much-maligned square a major facelift, has been brought about after much pressure from the local chamber of commerce.

The chamber has been pushing for the resurfacing of the square for over a decade, but the breakthrough didn’t occur until late last year when negotiations between the owners, the Ker Estate, and the Department of the Environment were finally completed.

The scheme will entail the resurfacing of the square, the planting of shrubs, the building of a ‘sitting wall’ and the re-use of flower boxes. It is expected to be completed within several months.

NEWCASTLE — The Northern Ireland Tourist Board is to pump £1,000 into Newcastle’s Harry Ferguson Festival this summer.

Newcastle Town Committee, organisers of the festival, were pleased to hear of the Board’s agreement to sponsor entertainment at a cost of £1,000 when they met last week.

More than half of this amount, which was requested by the Town Committee, will go towards bandstand entertainment.

However, the committee also discussed a reply from Down District Council regarding £1,000 assistance towards the festival. They noted with regret that the council was again unable to give them any support.

The committee agreed there was great interest in the town on their ambitious plans, particularly the initiative to build a replica of the Ferguson monoplane, and it was agreed that an appeal for funds to local businesses, hotels and guest houses would have to be made in the near future.

Mr Ferguson’s daughter will be coming to Newcastle on July and it is hoped she will attend the Miss Newcastle ball, which will be held in the Slieve Donard Hotel that night, and the festival parade the following day.

DOWNPATRICK — A call has been made this week for the public to help stamp out vandalism in the Downpatrick area.

It comes from Downpatrick councillor, Mr Cecil Maxwell, who felt he had to speak out after three incidents at Downpatrick Cathedral last week when excrement was littered around the building.

“It is sad that a holy place is vandalised, especially in Holy Week,” he said. “The time has come for the general public to stop this sheer vandalism.”

Appealing for more co-operation from the public with the police, Mr Maxwell pointed out that other churches and schools in the area had also suffered severely at the hands of vandals.

CROSSGAR — Crossgar Choral Society’s ninth annual concert, Sing A Rainbow, will be presented next Tuesday and Wednesday in the War Memorial Hall, Crossgar.

Such is the standard of this musical event that the society plays to full houses every year and there is no doubt that this year’s production will be correspondingly attended. Annually, each new show is taken on tour for the benefit of various charities

On April 30 the show will be performed in Killyleagh High School in aid of Glendhu Children’s Home and on May 9 in the Downshire Hospital, Downpatrick, in aid of the hydrotherapy pool at Knockevin School.

Angela Bradley is the choreographer and producer, Bertie Rourke is the musical director and Stella King is the accompanist. Frank Bradley takes care o the lighting and David Eynon is the stage manager for this happy and hard working crew.

SAINTFIELD — Mrs Margaret Atkins, wife of the Secretary of State, Mr Humphrey Atkins, visited one of Northern Ireland’s largest mushroom factories in Saintfield on Monday.

Mr Robert McBriar and Mr Eric Patterson, joint owners of Overdale Mushrooms, told Mrs Atkins that the business, which was set up over 30 years ago as a glasshouse nursery, later changed to mushroom production and now employs 36 people.

Mrs Atkins was shown over the facilities and saw the various stages in mushroom production.

ARDGLASS — Plans are at an advanced stage for this year’s Ardglass Herring Festival, which will take place early in August. Although the festival has been shortened to five days, the organisers have drafted a programme as big as last year and only the final details remain to be worked out.

On the opening day, Tuesday, August 5, Guinness are sponsoring a superstars event and the organisers have managed to attract local and national stars. There will also be a quiz and a dance to the popular Luv Bug.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings are given over to children’s events. Adults events on Wednesday include a GAA programme and on Thursday there is a whelk-eating competition and a yard of ale drinking competition. Friday’s events include a pram race grand prix around the town with substantial prize money.

Saturday is the day for the sportsmen and outdoor events, beginning with a clay pigeon shoot at the harbour and ending with a soccer programme including Ardglass Old Crocks versus an Irish international Old Crocks.

These are only a few of the many events lined up by the organising committee.

BALLYGOWAN — The village of Ballygowan reverberated to the sound of pipes and drums on Saturday. The occasion was the mini pipe band contest organised by Saintfield Pipe Band, which attracted almost 500 pipers and drummers.

The annual Easter feast of piping is the curtain raiser too the start of the full contest season, with the two adjudicators from Scotland commenting on the big turnout.

A new trophy, to be competed for in Grade 4, was presented by Mr David Hunter, a former member of the Saintfield band who was home on vacation from Canada. Mr Eddie McVeigh, from Ballynahinch, president of the Royal Scottish Pipe Bands Association, later congratulated the pipe majors on their work in preparing for the event.

BALLYWARD — A Ballyward man, who has almost 20 years of management experience abroad, is to head up one of Northern Ireland’s newest industries.

Mr Mike Gordon is the chief executive of American Monitor International, a joint venture between the parent company based in Indianapolis and the Northern Ireland Development Agency.

The American Monitor Company manufactures diagnostic equipment for hospital and industrial use and the new company based in Belfast will be responsible for production and marketing for Europe.

Mr Gordon, who is 42, is an honours graduate in electronics from Queen’s University, Belfast, has wide experience of manufacturing processes in various parts of the world. His career spans training with Metropolitan Vickers (now part of GEC) and the Bristol Aircraft Company in Great Britain, as well as Amalgamated Wireless Australasia, the largest electronics company in the southern hemisphere, and Algeria’s National Oil Company.