From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 24, 1979

From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 24, 1979

24 April 2019

NEWCASTLE — Newcastle Town Committee have been turned down in a £1,000 financial assistance request by Down Council. The Town Committee asked for the money to go towards a two-week festival they are organising in the town this summer.

But councillors bluntly pointed out this week that they have already pumping enough money into the resort for other activities and had already sufficiently helped the Town Committee.

Councillors pointed out that the council had spent a “very considerable amount of money” in promoting a nine-week summer entertainment programme in Newcastle and had given specific help to the Town Committee in the funding of a joint press conference, advertising and publicity material, as well as providing Radio Newcastle and other facilities.

Because of all this “it would not be appropriate to gibe a cash grant in addition.”

However, the decision did not go down well with Castlewellan councillor Mrs Ethel Smyth, who said it was regrettable that the council had decided to give nothing to the Town Committee.

She thought that if the council could not help by giving the full £1,000 they should at least have given a part and she hoped the council would have another look at the request.

Newcastle councillor Mr Norman Bicker, a member of the Town Committee, said he hoped the council might be able to do something, but he realised there was already a big council programme and he agreed that it was not possible to allow more money.

The council’s recreation officer, Mr Bryan Coburn, also pointed out that there was already considerable investment in finance and labour in Newcastle and he felt it would not be appropriate to give more.

BALLYGOWAN — Bicycling Ballygowan minister, the Rev James Harper, peddled into town last week with a beaming smile on his face for he had just taken part in a smash hit 30-mile cycle to raise funds to build a new hall in his area.

Mr Harper led a team of 50 modern bikes into Ballygowan on an 89 year-old penny farthing, which had been loaned to him by cycling enthusiast Albert Watson.

The sponsored 30-mile bike ride took in Raffrey, Derryboy, the Pikestone, Crossgar and Saintfield. Between £750 and £800 was raised.

It’s not the first time Mr Harper, minister of Ballygowan Presbyterian Church, has come up with unusual ideas to raise money. When ministering in Killyleagh he took part in a sponsored bed push and also cycled on a tandem.

Coping with the penny farthing proved easier than Mr Harper expected. “It was remarkably comfortable and I felt really refreshed after the journey,” he said.

“There was only one problem — it had no brakes, but the police helped us by going ahead to make sure the way was clear.”

The penny farthing dates from 1890 and is 6ft 3in high. Mr Harper only got one half-hour practice to get the feel of it before setting out on the lengthy journey.

DOWNPATRICK — A proposal to locate a regional museum in Downpatrick has been supported by the South Eastern Education and Library Board.

Board members want to be involved in the museum’s management together with local councillors.

The recommendation is that the museum should be the responsibility of the district council, but Board member Mr Jack Magee believes the concept is too narrow.

Board members want top priority to be given to recruiting a pool of staff for regional museums and that they should be seconded for proper professional training to acquire a professional qualification.

Meanwhile, Down Council is pressing ahead with its own plans to establish a museum in Downpatrick.

The council museum was started before the announcement that Downpatrick had been nominated as the location for a regional museum and it is believed that the council museum will be used as the basis for the regional museum.

Councillors have accepted that it will be some time before money will be made available for the appointment of museum staff, so a full-time curator is now needed to enable their ‘Down Museum’ to progress properly.

It has been confirmed that until the appointment is made, Mr  Albert Colmer, chairman of the Lecale Historical Society, will continue to act as curator.

STRANGFORD — The Strangford Ferry fares will be increased next week, despite strong protests from Ards and Down councillors and members of Portaferry Development Committee.

Representatives from all three groups recently met with the Department of Roads Service, which operates the ferry, and were told that the increases were the absolute minimum which could be implemented.

Down councillor Mr John Ritchie said he was told that the fares should meet at least 50% of the service’s running costs, which now stood at nearly £260,000 a year.

KILLYLEAGH — The blueprint for Killyleagh’s one-day festival of family fun in June was revealed at a public meeting in the Cooke Hall in the town.

The planned programme, ranging from car slalom, marathon darts, senior citizens’ talent contest and yard of ale competition, makes impressive reading, attempting as it does to involve the whole community.

“We must put Killyleagh on the map,” was the message message hammered home at the meeting by Mr Winston Maguire, chairman of Killyleagh Town Committee.

The organisers received an enormous boost when local hotelier Mr Harry Briggs offered free of charge for three nights the main hall of the Dunmore Hotel.

The organisers have appealed for sponsorship, especially donations for prizes.  The townspeople will not only enjoy the one-day festival, but any profits made from the event will be ploughed back to provide Christmas lights for the town’s streets.

DRUMAROAD — Outbreaks of sheep worrying hit the area at the weekend when more than 20 lambs were savagely attacked and killed by marauding dogs.

Mr P J McGrady, a farmer from Drumaroad, lost ten lambs over the weekend, He spotted a black dog with white spots on his land and he rushed into his house for his shotgun, but the dog had gone when he went outside.

BALLYNAHINCH — A pair of talented Ballynahinch sisters, Lesley and Gail Newham, are among four students from the South Eastern Music Centre who travelled to Grantham in Lincolnshire with the British Youth Symphony Orchestra this week.

This is the second year in succession that the sisters have been chosen to join the 120 young musicians from all over the UK who will be giving concerts for the next two weeks.

Mr David Newham, father of 19 year-old Lesley, who plays a horn, and 17 year-old Gail, an oboeist, is director and advisor of music for the South Eastern Education and Library Board.

STRANGFORD LOUGH — A speedboat with the engine still attached was found drifting in Strangford Lough close to Don O’Neill Island on Saturday by Mr Paul McCann, of 18 Springvale Park, Dpwnpatrick.

The speedboat was taken to a temporary mooring at Castleward Bay provided by Strangford Sailing Club. Later, when police checked on the speedboat, they discovered that it had been removed from the mooring.

It is believed that the owner of the boat had taken it away, but Strangford police would like the owner to confirm if this was so.

KILLOUGH — Down councillors have run into snags over their plans to provide playing fields in Killough.

The council has applied to the Department of Education for a vesting order for land, but two objections have been entered by residents and the Department won’t proceed until all possible alternatives sites have been investigated.

SPA — The sixth annual inspection and display of First Spa Company of the Boys’ Brigade took place in the Arnold Hall over two nights last week. The company chaplain, the Rev C D Adams, presided on both evenings.

PORTAFERRY — A new inflatable lifeboat is to be based at Portaferry RNLI station. A twin-engined Zodiac Mark 4 inflatable boat is to be stationed at Portaferry early next year for extensive evaluation with a view to its permanent establishment there.