From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 25, 1977

From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 25, 1977

25 January 2017

DOWNPATRICK — Two highly talented young Downpatrick children hope to have the nation falling about in laughter when they appear in Crackerjack on BBC1 next Friday.

Anthony Frew, aged 12, and his ten year-old sister, Linda, both from Bulls Eye Road, do a great line of impressions of well known showbusiness personalities.

In fact, they so impressed the judges at an audition for the weekly ‘Young Entertainer’ spot on the popular children’s programme that they were immediately asked to appear on the show.

The Frew children’s act includes impressions of John Wayne, Windsor Davis and Don Estelle, Laurel and Hardy, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. Anthony is currently “working on Frankie Howerd.”

Their mother, Mrs Bernadette Frew, heard the auditions announced over the radio one morning when she was doing her housework and consequently wrote to the BBC about her talented pair of youngsters.

“But I never thought it would come to this,” said an amazed Mrs Frew, who flew over to London on Tuesday with her children in order to tape the show, which will be watched by millions of viewers.

Both Linda and Anthony are excited about appearing on Crackerjack, but they are a little nervous. “We have never been on TV before,” Anthony said. “I’m a bit nervous, but I’m not actually shaking yet.”

Linda’s school friends have been keeping her going about being a big TV star ever since news of the Crackerjack appearance came through. “They were singing ‘You’re a Star’ the other day, but I think they will all be watching the programme,” she said.

NEWCASTLE — A ball to choose Miss Newcastle 1977 will be held in the Slieve Donard Hotel in early March. The event is to be organised by Newcastle Town Committee, who are grateful to Mr Pat Curran for allowing them to use the title of Miss Newcastle.

Further details about the contest are expected to be revealed in the near future.

CASTLEWELLAN — One of the biggest attended auctions in Co Down in recent years took place in Castlewellan at the weekend.

The sale of Mr Ronnie Nesbitt’s land and equipment was held at his farm at Lower Clarkhill, Castlewellan, before a crowd of nearly 2,000 buyers.

Two firms of auctioneers, James Wilson & Son, of Castlewellan, and Craig & McCracken, of Rathfriland, supervised the auction which took place from 1pm to 6.15pm on Saturday.

It is understood that Mr Nesbitt’s farm was sold for a figure somewhere in the region of £95,000 

to Mr Charles McCrum, of Newcastle, while the highest price for a single piece of machinery was £3,500 for an International 475 tractor sold to Mr Smith, of Rathfriland.

Some 60 head of cattle were sold at an average of £30 per hundredweight, bales of hay at 65p each, barley straw at 40p per bale, corn at £4.25 per hundredweight and barley at £75.50 per ton.

Mr Nesbitt was well pleased with the sale of his land and goods and now plans to move to another farm which he has bought outside Bristol.

STRANGFORD — Police in Strangford are concerned about the continuing cases of sheep worrying in their area.

Ronald Johnstone, of Cloughey House, Shore Road, had two ewes killed in the latest outbreak on Thursday. Two days later, Mrs Magee, of Drumroe Road, Ballyculter, reported three dogs worrying sheep and cattle on her land. Fortunately, none was injured.

These latest incidents have distressed police who are appealing for dog owners to keep a tighter check on their animals.

BALLYNAHINCH — Residents at Grove House old people’s home in Ballynahinch have received two chiming clocks from some enterprising members of Plessey Recreational and Social Club.

The money to buy the clocks had been raised by the efforts of three members — Gordon Fitzsimons, Terry Graham and Jackie Dalzell — who held a sponsored run from Ballynahinch to Dromara last autumn.

The clocks were presented to the 40 residents of Grove Hosue during a social evening held there last Friday. Members of staff and their families were also present at what turned out to be a very enjoyable evening.

Members of the Stag’s Head Darts and Social Club have also been visiting the Grove House residents. They presented each resident with £10 and a box of chocolates.

The matron at Grove House, Mrs Joyce Mullan, told the Recorder that many other organisations and individuals from Ballynahinch and the surrounding district had shown similar generosity and kindness.

KILKEEL — A £50,000 trawler, which was swept on to the beach at Kilkeel last Thursday, looks likely to remain there for some time. Efforts to refloat the fishing boat proved unsuccessful and salvage operations had to be carried out instead.

The boat was rammed against Kilkeel pier as it returned after two weeks fishing off Cumberland. Fishermen in the harbour rushed to the aid of skipper Tommy Johnston and his four crew members and they were brought ashore safely, despite the high seas.

The boat had taken a heavy pounding from the rough waves and was washed 500 yards from the pier along the beach where she now lies on her side.

COMBER — Work on the planned new £240,000 Comber sports complex seems unlikely to start before 1980, according to a report presented to Ards Borough Council.

The complex is one of five major schemes which the council will be carrying out with grant aid from the Department of Education.

The biggest of these will be a £760,000 centre for Newtownards and finance for this will not be available until 1978 at the earliest and will be spread over three years.

Because of this the council’s recreation officer, Mr James Ritchie, recommended that work on the Comber centre and the other projects be left until the last two years of the current five-year programme, which runs from 1977 to 1981. By this time most of the expenditure on the Newtownards scheme would have been incurred.

SAINTFIELD — The rider of a NSU Quickly was taken to Downe Hospital on Tuesday morning after his moped was in collision with a GPO van on the Ballynahinch Road, Saintfield.

NEWTOWNARDS — An event which is sure to interest all dads and lads in the Co Down area will take place this weekend in the Queen’s Hall, Newtownards.

The ‘Speed Show ’77’, organised by the Northern Ireland Junior Motorcycle Club, is open at 6pm on Friday until 10pm and on Saturday from 10am until 6pm.

The top stars in motor sport are expected to be ping in from time to time. One notable person is certainly expected to be there — Newcastle’s Tom Herron, double TT winner and Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year.

CARRYDUFF — A 14’ 6” caravan, owned by Mrs Russell, of Church Avenue, Carryduff, was stolen from outside her home on Tuesday afternoon.

Apparently the thief drove his car up to the caravan, hooked it on and then drove off. It is thought he had attempted to steal another caravan in the same area.

ARDGLASS — Ardglass Sharks basketball team got off to a promising start in a tough away fixture with Stranmillis Old Boys, but went down 71-60 in the end.

A hard-working man-for-man defence held the Stranmillis danger men in check after 15 minutes the Sharks had edged in front 24-21.

However, in the last five minutes of the first half, the Sharks’ disciplined play broke down and the home side established a 33-26 lead.

The margin between the sides was almost constant throughout the second half, with Oliver Denvir’s accurate shooting keeping the Sharks well in the game.

With three minutes left Stranmillis led 65-59 and in the closing stages they made sure of victory.