From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 21, 1976

From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 21, 1976

21 December 2016

DOWNPATRICK — An extraordinary claim that working class districts in Downpatrick are being deliberately neglected and left as eyesores has been made by a group of trade unionists.

In a strongly worded statement, they have said that it is a “public disgrace that such places are allowed to exist” and they have also accused Down District Council of negligence in not cleaning up the ‘eyesores.”

The trade unionists, members of Down District Trade Union Council, feel that is only because the areas in question are situated in working class parts of the town that they haven’t been cleaned up.

“If these eyesores were in other areas of Downpatrick, then something would be done to tidy them up a lot quicker,” said Mr Bill Hampton, secretary of the Trades Council.

One of the bitterest complaints concerns the area behind the bowling green at old Stream Street. They claim they have been trying to get something done there for 14 years and have raised it with the present council and the old Urban Council.

“Nothing constructive has been done by the powers that be,” Mr Hampton said. “It appears that Down District Council and the Public Health department care little for the residents of this rat-infested area.”

NEWCASTLE — A new hotel for Newcastle, costing in the region of £250,000, is expected to be ready inside the next ten months.

The hotel is to be built on a picturesque six-acre site on the Castlewellan Road and will comprise 12 bedrooms, a function room, dining room and lounge and grill bars.

The hotel will be owned by Burrrendale Hotels Ltd, of which Mr J J Small, is the proprietor. Mr Small is a Newcastle building contractor and this is his first venture into the hotel business.

Mr Small told the Recorder that tenders for the scheme are to go out in February and he is hopeful of having the hotel functional in the autumn.

He pointed out that tourists were flooding into the resort and that the number had greatly increased over the last few years to such an extent that virtually all hotels had been booked out.

BALLYNAHINCH — A Ballynahinch woman who never had a television, is now the proud owner of a portable set — and it didn’t cost her a penny.

Miss Julia Carvell, of Windmill Gardens, won the Ferguson Consort portable television in a competition run by the Northern Ireland Electricity Service and Electrolux Ltd. Anyone who bought an electrical appliance from Electrolux over a special six-week period automatically qualified for free entry.

Miss Carvell said she never expected to hear anything more about the competition. Hence her surprise when she was recently presented with the TV at the Electricity Service’s showroom in Ballynahinch.

KILKEEL — The funeral of the 19 year-old Kilkeel policeman murdered in Portadown last week took place to Mourne Presbyterian Church, Kilkeel.

Constable Norman Campbell was buried with full RUC honours from his home at Knockchree Avenue. The RUC band led the funeral cortege to the church where the Rev McDavid McGaughey officiated.

Several thousand people attended the funeral and many more lined the streets, some crying openly. The pall-bearers were the young constable’s RUC colleagues. Neither the Secretary of State nor the Chief Constable was in attendance.

Constable Campbell was killed outright when he was hit on the head by a hail of bullets shot from a passing car as he was going close to a security barrier in Portadown.

ARDGLASS — A young Ardglass man joined the priesthood in the first ordination to take place in the historic St Mary’s Church in Dunsford.

Father Charles Cross was ordained by the Most Rev Dr Eugene Arthurs, who was particularly pleased to bring a student from the parish to the priesthood.

The newly ordained priest is the son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Cross, of Ross Road, Ardglass. He attended St Mary’s Primary School in Dunsford and St Anne’s Intermediate School in Ardglass.

He then entered the Juniorate of the John of God Brothers where part of his tay was spent working with mentally handicapped children. He made his profession of vows in 1970. since then Fr Cross has been based in St Paul’s Retreat at Mount Argus.

Father Cross took up his duties the next day when he said his first pass in the packed church of St Mary’s where he had been ordained only a few hours before.

DRUMANESS — A 16 year-old Ballynahinch girl was elected ‘Miss Drumaness’ at the annual queen dance held in Drumaness GFC.

Katherine Mahood, of Crabtree Road, was selected from a host girls at the dance held in the village hall. Katherine, who enjoys pony riding, started work recently at the Plessey factory in Ballynahinch.

BRIGHT — One of Co Down’s most outstanding golf courses has been closed to the public. The privately-owned Bright Castle Golf Course overlooking the picturesque Tyrella coastline has shut down because of a high rates demand by the Department of Finance.

Mr Arnold Ennis, course owner, claims the rates bill is too high and says he can no longer afford to keep open a recreational amenity that has been a smash hit success.

“The rates people are skimming off my income,” he said. “They don’t seem to have a clue about the overheads involved in running a golf course. This bill simply means it is no longer worthwhile to keep open the course.”

The irony of the closure is that the course was being prepared for a major development scheme which would have greatly increased its popularity. Plans were being drafted to form a club and it was hoped to provide bar facilities.

“My plans did not of course take into account a high rate demand,” Mr Ennis continued. “I will just have to scrap everything. It took years of hard work to get it the way it is and it is shattering to have to abandon all my plans now.”

KILLYLEAGH — Killyleagh’s new football pitch is in danger because it happens to be a short cut between two housing estates in the town.

Residents of the estates are using it as a path and Col Denys Rowan-Hamilton, the local councillor, has warned that unless this stops the pitch is going to be useless.

Col Rowan-Hamilton said some way of blocking the access across the pitch would have to be found and an alternative route provided. An iron railing around the pitch might be a solution.

PORTAFERRY — The lack of “informed involvement” by parents in education has been criticised by the headmaster of St Columba’s Secondary School in Portaferry.

Mr Liam McQuillan told parents at the school’s prize day that close liaison was essential in the education of young people.

CROSSGAR — Mr Hubert Gabbie, from Crossgar, has been nominated for the County Down seat on the Northern Ireland Pigs Marketing Board. His nomination was confirmed at a meeting of the  Donard Group of the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

TREES — Demand for Christmas trees has risen sharply with the two major forests in the area supplying up to 1,000 more than this time last year.

Castlewellan Forest Park, the biggest suppliers in the area, have a 25 per cent increase to cater for, while Tollymore Forest Park, the other major suppliers, have found that demand has exceeded supply.

Mr Harold Hutchman, head forester at Castlewellan, explained that more than 3,250 trees had been distributed. Mr Dominic Fitzpatrick, head forester at Tollymore, said that 1,050 trees had left his forest.

Commenting on the reason for the swing back from tinsel trees to the real tree, Mr Hutchman said that it could be because of the spray developed that makes the tree keep its moisture longer and thus gives less bother with falling needles.