From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 25, 1976

From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 25, 1976

27 January 2016

DOWNPATRICK — Talented cabaret star Mark Scott — better known locally as Tommy McCabe of Downpatrick — goes before the public next Sunday in the most exciting, most rewarding fortnight in his part-time professional career.

As he is about to take on the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar at St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, he simply says: “I’m very lucky.”

Apart from playing the violin since childhood and coming from a musical Glasgow family, he did not try to put his talent to any profitable use until about eight years ago when he saw an advert seeking a singer in the Belfast cabaret scene.

By day Tommy is an Electrolux service representative. By night he is Mark Scott, who heads the Marksmen showband at Belfast’s Abercorn. Singing, cabaret acts and little skits are part of his musical, witty world.

How does he feel about the most important, biggest — and strangest — part he has ever taken, a part won after an intense, hour-long audition?

“People ask me if I think it’s right to act the part of Christ,” he says. “One cannot avoid thinking what must have been in Christ’s mind. He knew what was going to happen. He had to face up to it.”

NEWCASTLE — Two masked men held up a breadserver in Newcastle on Saturday evening and made off with his day’s takings of between £150 and £200. The incident happened when Mr James Smith, of Dunahilly Park, was uploading his van at the Hughes bread depot on the Castlewellan Road,

Two masked men burst in and forced him to lie on the floor. They took his wallet, which contained the day’s takings, and the keys of his car, a red Renault 12. The men then made off in the car which was later found abandoned nearby on the Downs Road.

Newcastle police are investigating the incident and would welcome any information to help them with their inquiries.

KILLOUGH — Farmers in the Killough area feel frustrated because Department of  Agriculture engineers will not commit themselves to undertake a drainage scheme which the farmers claim will alleviate flooding of 1,000 acres.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union’s Donard Group has been urging the Drainage Division engineers to carry out what has become known locally as the Strand Lough scheme for a long time. The division did carry out minor works and said they would make periodic observations during the winter to see if tees would have the desired results.  

Some time ago the engineers said that the minor works would reduce the water level by nearly one foot, whereas a two feet reduction would be required if field drain pipes were to return to being effective.

Local farmers, who claim they have not seen departmental engineers take observations periodically in the area as promised, have taken observations themselves. They emphasise that the results of the minor works are better than expected and more than sufficient proof the experiments value.

The farmers say the success of the minor works is more than enough to merit a full drainage scheme being undertaken..

BALLYKINLAR — Although the siren in Downpatrick failed to operate on Saturday morning, Downpatrick firemen, by use of their alerters, were able to answer a call to Ballykinlar where a wooden bungalow had caught fire. The firemen spent two and a half hours fighting the blaze, but the bungalow, which housed two families, was burnt out.

BALLYNAHINCH — More than 400 workers at the Plessey Telecommunications factory in Ballynahinch will not at present be affected but the plans to shed 1400 jobs in the coming months. A spokesman for the factory said that they had sufficient orders to keep the jobs safe.

“Although there has been a cutback in Post Office orders we are hoping that tan increase in export markets will leave us relatively unaffected.” he said.

The announcement of a rundown in the firm’s workforce was made by the chairman, Sir John Clarke, in London this week. Altogether, they plan to shed 1,400 jobs in the coming months as sales volume and profits continue to dip.

KILLYLEAGH — A 13 year-old boy took a Poppy Appeal box from a Killyleagh cafe on November 8 last year, Downpatrick juvenile court heard. Two other juveniles, a 15 year-old boy and a 14 year-old girl also appeared in court charged with receiving money from the box.

The 13 year-old was placed on probation and the other two juveniles were each given a conditional discharge. The parents of the girl sent a £2 donation to the Killyleagh appeal organiser.

PORTAFERRY — Portaferry’s new advance factory will be completed before the end of the year and at least one manufacturer has shown an interest in applying for tenancy of the 3,000 sq ft building.

The news was delivered last week to North Down Convention member Lord Dunleath, who has been trying for more than two years to have a factory sited in Portaferry.

He said: “In the past I have had on casino to refer to Portaferry as being the forgotten town of the Ards. I trust that the coming of the advance factory with its employment potential will herald a new era of prosperity for the district.

Lord Dunleath hoped that in the future there would be more good news, including improved car parking facilities, a cleaning up of the foreshore and a public amenity area where people could relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Strangford Lough and its coastline.

SAINTFIELD — WITH Lifeboat Week this year in Saintfield beginning on February 9, the chairman of the local branch of the RNLI, Col. MC Perceval-Price has made an appeal to the public.

He said: ”With the severe storms of January 2 fresh in our minds it is hoped that the public will subscribe generously, remembering the dangers which such storms cause to ships at sea and the consequent necessity to provide our lifeboats with all the most modern (and expensive) apparatus.

“Their crews, all volunteers, are always ready to put to sea, no matter that the conditions may be and serve our support.”

STRANGFORD — The Rev James P McCloskey, who has been parish priest at Strangford for the past ten years, died early on Sunday. He was in his early 70s.

Fr McCloskey was ordained at the Irish College in Paris in 1931 and ministered successively in St Anthony’s Parish, Belfast, Castlewellan, Kilkeel and St. Peter’s, Belfast, before becoming parish priest in Strangford.

Since his arrival in the locality he was responsible for the building of a new church and the renovation of the primary school. The funeral took place to St Malachy’s cemetery, Kilclief, following concelebrated mass.

CASTLEWELLAN — Cowgirl Mona Burn rode into Belfast city centre at the weekend looking for action — and she got plenty of it.

For Mona, from Castlewellan, went down not the clean the city up but to distribute leaflets encouraging people to spend their holidays at home this year as part of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s drive to promote the province’s many attractions.

Mona, who was giving a special mention to the Newcastle Festival, also called with the Lord Mayor, Sir Myles Humphries, inviting him, the Aldermen and the citizens of Belfast to attend.

KIRKISTOWN — Ulster motor racing received a reprieve this week when the 500 Motor Racing Club announced that racing will definitely continue at Kirkistown this year.

The province’s only racing circuit was inspected by an RAC delegate last year and afterwards the owners were faced with a bill of £35,000 for basic improvements.

However, the possibility of the owners losing the licence was ended this week when an agreement was reached to allow the track alterations to be phased over the next two years.