From the pages of the Down Recorder, July 16, 1974

From the pages of the Down Recorder, July 16, 1974

16 July 2014

CARRYDUFF — Local Orangemen celebrated the 284th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne at Carryduff this year in one of the biggest demonstrations ever to be held in the area.

Over 4,000 marchers and bandsmen assembled at the field at Carryduff to start off the procession and in doing so broke tradition. Instead of assembling at a certain point and then walking to the field, Orangemen this year gathered at the field, paraded through the district and then back to the field for the speeches and service.

The main speaker at the Carryduff meeting was the Imperial Grand Master and the Grand Master of Ireland, the Rev. Martin Smyth. In an unequivocal condemnation of those who used violence in the pursuit of their aims, he said that in a democracy the normal processes should be respected.

Mr. Smyth, in a call for a massive restructuring of, and recruitment for, internal security forces, said local men of undoubted loyalty and integrity should be employed for this task. He called on all loyalists with their Orange brethren to serve Ulster to the best of their capabilities.

STRANGFORD — There was a slight reduction in the number of passengers and vehicles which made use of the Strangford ferry service during the four-day period at the Twelfth weekend this year compared to the corresponding period last year.

A total of 11,539 passengers and 3,935 vehicles crossed the lough, whereas 12,215 and 4,052 made the same journey over the same four days last year.

Meanwhile, Viscount Brookeborough, Unionist member for North Down, has called on the Government to take over the Strangford ferry as it is merely an extension to the roads system.

DOWNPATRICK — The backlog of domestic refuse collections in Downpatrick has been brought up to scratch, Down councillors were told at a meeting.

At a previous meeting the council chairman, Mr. Edward McVeigh, had ordered overtime working until the situation returned to normality. Last week Mr. Cecil Maxwell said that up to a fortnight ago the service in Downpatrick was very poor, but since the previous meeting the backlog had been cleared completely and complaints appeared to have died down.

But Mr. Terence McKee warned that unless a second domestic scavenging vehicle was used in the town, the council could be faced with another backlog in the future.

He wondered how, with only one lorry operating, the present staff were able to provide the same service as that provided by the old urban council workmen when there were several hundred more houses on their collection rota.

A stand-by lorry was no good, he said. There should be two lorries operation in Downpatrick.

BALLYNAHINCH — Northern Ireland had its first every success in the British Isles Women’s Outdoor Bowling Championships when Mrs. Eileen Bell, of Crossgar Road, Ballynahinch, clinched the singles title in Wales. Mrs. Bell, a member of the Saintfield Bowling Club, became eligible for a crack at the title when she lifted the Irish singles championship in the finals last year.

In Wales she defeated Mrs. King, of England, in the semi-final by 22 shots to 9 and then accounted for Mrs. Clarke, of Scotland, in the final by 21 shots to 11. In honour of the achievement, Mrs. Bell was presented with the championship cup and a gold medal.

This has not been the first bowling success for Mrs. Bell. In her short six-year career she has won several indoor and outdoor titles both in singles and pairs competitions. Among her major successes last year were the ‘Bowler of the Year’ award and the National pairs championships at Balmoral.

CROSSGAR — Elizabeth Miscampbell can rightly be described as one of the top students in the Ulster College School of Economics — and she’s got the awards to prove it.

Apart from a teacher’s diploma for satisfactorily completing a three-year full-time course in domestic science and in the principle and practice of teaching, 21 year-old Elizabeth gained three other awards.

Elizabeth, of Killyleagh Street, Crossgar, received her awards at a presentation ceremony along with 54 other students. A former pupil of Down High School, she hopes to take up a post as a home economist in one of the local schools in the not too distant future.

Elizabeth has to concede that much of her talent in the cookery field may have been passed down from her mother, Mrs. Wm. Miscampbell.

NEWCASTLE — Mountpottinger Salvation Army held a special service in Newcastle Presbyterian Church. Captain E. J. Hassard conducted the service and gave the address.

The church was filled to capacity and the band sang a collection of hymns and choruses. An octet composed of bandsmen sang an unaccompanied song. The collection was in aid of the Salvation Army.

SAINTFIELD — Robert Young didn’t quite know what to make of the strange kite-shaped object which appeared on his land at 77 Cahard Road, Saintfield. But when investigations were made it proved to be nothing more than a meteorological weather balloon measuring five feet by one-and-a-half feet.

The balloon was complete with instruments including eight cups attached to wires. Apparently the balloon was put up that day and had possibly drifted from Long Kesh before falling to the ground.

KILLYLEAGH — The death occurred in hospital of Mr. Mortimer Sturgeon, of 10 Church Hill, Killyleagh. He was aged 78 and a member of a very old Killyleagh family.

Mr. Sturgeon was of a quiet and reserved nature. A carpenter by trade, he was employed with the Killyleagh Flax Spinning Co. for more than 30 years until his retirement about ten years ago. Interment took place after a service in Killyleagh Parish Church to the adjoining burying ground. The Rev. R. E. Conn officiated.

CROSSGAR — Two cars, a Morris Oxford and a Peugeot, collided on the Kilmore Road, Crossgar. The driver of the Morris Oxford was Mr. James McLeigh, of Loughinisland, while the Peugeot was driven by Mr. Charles McCrum, of Castlewellan. A passenger in the Morris received injuries to a leg.

MOURNES — The police mountain rescue team was one of three teams which combined to rescue a 15 year-old youth who had been on a 30-mile walk in the Mourn Mountains as part of the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme. Within an hour, the boy, Ian Curran, of Loughbrickland, was located and taken to Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, where he was released after treatment.

NEWCASTLE — Members of Edengrove Presbyterian Church, Ballynahinch, held their annual outing to Newcastle on Saturday when they were blessed by beautiful weather. Not so fortunate were the people from Kilmore Presbyterian Church when they visited the same spot on Tuesday. The rain, which persisted for parts of the day, dampened their enthusiasm.

SAINTFIELD — A Mini and an Ulsterbus were in collision outside the Ulsterbus depot at Saintfield on July 12. A passenger in the Mini sustained slight injuries and was taken to Downe Hospital.

FARM PAY — Minimum rates of pay prescribed by the Agricultural Wages Board for Northern Ireland have been increased by a further 80p per week for each whole-time farm worker and 2p per hour for each part-time farm worker.

The minimum wage rate for male workers over the age of 20 had been £21.40 per five-day week from February 1974, but this was increased in May by the special cost of living supplement to £22.60. Now this has again been increased by further cost of living supplements, which raised the rate to £23.40.

The basic minimum rage for a male adult worker remains £21.40 per week (with lower rates for women and younger workers) and overtime rates will continue to be calculated on these base rates.