From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 3, 1974

From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 3, 1974

3 December 2014

DOWNPATRICK — The keys of the ambulance for major accident and cardiac cases will be handed over to Sir Thomas Brown, chairman of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, at a ceremony to be held at Downe Hospital today. Miss M. Hawthorne, a former matron at the hospital, will perform the duty.

Miss Hawthorne was matron in 1967 when, to mark the bicentenary of the hospital, she, with the support of her nurses and the agreement of the management committee, decided to set up a fund, to be known as the nurses’ bicentenary fund, for the purchase of major items of medical equipment.

The nurses then sought the opinion of medical staff and a decision was made by the management committee on the recommendation of the latter that the fund should be for the purchase of an ambulance specially equipped to deal with major accidents and cardiac cases.

When this was known great public support was forthcoming, an example being a donation of £1,000 from a voluntary organisation working in the district. In the past year the sum of £2,800 has been donated to bring the overall total to £5,624.

Although this is not a fully equipped cardiac ambulance, it is so equipped that treatment can be given before the patient reaches hospital. With reference to accident cases, treatment can commence at once. It is intended that when a call comes, the ambulance will be manned by a doctor and a nurse. At the same time help has been assured from local general practitioners.

Altogether many people have helped the district committee in this project, including the former Northern Ireland Hospitals Authority, the area board and its transport staff, a local engineer who fitted the equipment, and the staff of Downe Hospital.

SAINTFIELD — Of local schools Saintfield Secondary School was perhaps the best prepared for the changeover in the new school leaving age and solid planning laid a solid ground for a successful step forward.

The staff at Saintfield started early preparations for making the 15-16 year-olds, who normally would have left the school, part of a new five-year course. In effect today’s pupils in the group started on this course when they were back in second form.

The headmaster, Mr. W. J. Finlay, explained that in common with the rest of the educational filed his staff knew that the school leaving age was being raised to 16 a few years before the act was implemented. This then enabled him and his staff to get to work on a scheme that would be valuable to both pupils and the school.

The additional year has become part of a progression for those who have been “forced” to stay on, something which Mr. Finlay believes is vital. “A complete revolution in the educational process would have been bad for both the school and the children. Both would have suffered. It is better to have progression,” he said.

In this way the group who, prior to 1972, would have left school at 15, have become just another part of the school life, not something different or a burden on the school staff.

NEWTOWNARDS — Newtownards is to have Ireland’s largest regional shopping centre — a £7million investment which will provide 300,000 people living within half an hour’s drive with shops under a five-and-a-half acre roof.

The Ards Shopping Centre, as it is to be known, is at Circular Road where customers will be able to stroll and shop in the super comfort of an air-conditioned, climate-controlled environment. It is based on the concepts of covered shopping which are still new in much of the UK. The sheer size of the development and the facilities and services it will offer are quite remarkable.

The site itself is planned to be hub of a new road system. There will be 180,000 sq. ft. of shopping floor space, all under one roof. It will be bigger than all of the retail facilities in Bangor put together in 1966 — at 161,000 sq. ft. It will provide 1,000-plus jobs direct and indirect. Free parking will be available for some 1,400 cars.

It will include a department store of 70,000 sq. ft. already pre-let to Woolworths. At the other end of the development Stewarts Supermarkets Ltd. will be operating a superstore in conjunction with Pennys. Linking the two will be a 800 feet long covered mall, which will contain dozens of other shops.

KILLYLEAGH — A fine turnout of members and friends at Killyleagh Camera Club’s meeting on Monday night were treated to a slide/tape presentation entitled ‘Western Horizons’ by Mr. Alan Jennings.

Colour slides taken in Kerry, Mayo and Donegal, accompanied by tape commentary and matched music, showed off the beauty of Western Ireland in various moods, from full sunlight over Bantry Bay to a wild winter storm off the North Donegal coast.

CROSSGAR — The annual enrolment service of the 1st Crossgar Company Boys’ Brigade (junior and senior sections) and Robins was held on Sunday morning in Lissara Presbyterian Church.

The chaplain, the Rev. S. A. Matthews, enrolled Mr. Robert Dickson as captain, Miss Jean Robinson as leader in charge of the Robins, lieutenants, Ian Cochrane, Denis Lennon, Fred Adams and Dermot Nesbitt; w/officers, Noble McNeely and Alan McKeown, six NCOs and the boys. The lessons were read by Mr. Ian Cochrane and Mr. Dermot Nesbitt, and the prayer after enrolment was offered by Ian Deboys.

KILLINCHY — “What the panel thinks” formed the programme of last week’s meeting of Killinchy Young Farmers’ Club. Ranging from views on gambling to what the panel thought of mixed schools, many of the answers proved most amusing and even prompted some of the young farmers to express their own opinions.

BALLYNAHINCH — Mr. Sammy Ferrin, who has been organist at Ballynahinch Congregational Church for the past eight-and-a-half years, was the recipient of two presents on the occasion of his resignation on Sunday night.

He received a clock, on the behalf of the choir, from Mrs. Phylis Totton, and a cheque, on behalf of the church congregation, from Mr. Gibson McKee. Mr. and Mrs. Ferrin live in Newtownabbey, but have always faithfully made the long journey to both services on Sunday, and to choir practice on Thursday nights.

WIND — The gale force winds which swept the province on Sunday night left behind a trail of havoc in East Down. An articulated trailer and container was blown over at Killard on the Ballyhornan coastal road, and a car belonging to Mr. Armitage, of Plantation Street, Killyleagh, was damaged when a tree at Kary Hill, Downpatrick, was blown down. No injuries were reported.

Several roads were blocked by trees, including the main Belfast to Newcastle Road at Seaforde Demesne and the Quoile Road, Downpatrick. A tree also blocked the road at the Lakeside Inn, Ballydugan.

SUNSHINE — People living in East Down should have more to smile about since the sun shines more often here than anywhere else in the province. Northern Ireland as a whole has an average of about 1,300 hours of sun a year, but occasionally it exceeds 1,500 hours.

RESTAURANTS — Cuisine in the Down area is at a high standard according to the Egon Ronay good food guide. Three local restaurants have been singled out for praise in the latest edition of the organisation’s report.

Top of the list was the Barn restaurant, outside Saintfield, which was awarded star rating, surprisingly high for a place which opened two years ago after its conversion from an outhouse.

The Millbrook Lodge, Ballynahinch, gained a 60 per cent rating with a specific mention about its “friendly personal attention.” The third local restaurant is Balloo House, Killinchy, where the “true Irish hospitality” is featured.