From the pages of the Down Recorder, June 27, 1978

From the pages of the Down Recorder, June 27, 1978

27 June 2018

DOWNPATRICK — An unexpected last-ditch bid to establish prestigious housing and education headquarters in Downpatrick was made last night by Down Council’s chairman, Mr Eddie McGrady.

In a fiery speech, which Stormont officials are sure to study, he has outlined a three-point package of expansion for the county town and showed that he is prepared to fight every inch for his demands.

Firstly, he wants Downpatrick to be the centre for a regional headquarters for the Housing Executive, a function he claims the town has been “so unjustly denied”.

Secondly, he wants the town to have the new headquarters of the South Eastern Education and Library Board “rather than continue the outdated and environmentally disastrous policy of concentrating their offices in Belfast”.

Thirdly, he wants the Secretary of State to intervene to transfer to the Downpatrick area a department of the civil service. This, he said, would be in keeping with the policy of decentralisation of administration out of Belfast.

Speaking at an SDLP branch meeting, he said: “We in Downpatrick have had considerable growth, but growth in people only. Increased population unrelated to job opportunity is a recipe for discontented community.

“A person without a job is a person without an objective in life and as a consequence the whole quality of life for that person and his family suffers dramatically.

I have in the past repeatedly and consistently called upon all government departments and agencies to activate the Regional Strategy concerning Downpatrick and to implement the introduction of new jobs and services.

“As a last resort I appealed to the Secretary of State to hold an inquiry into his department’s failure to act. This he refused out of hand.”

CARRYDUFF — Squadron Leader Arthur Thomson Lowe, at present serving with the Royal Australian Air Force, has been awarded an Air Force Cross in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Squadron Leader Lowe is the son of Councillor James Lowe, of Carryduff, and his wife, Valerie, is from Ballylesson.

The citation for his AFC includes several things, the main ones being his outstanding service in the RAF and his exceptional flying skill and disregard for his own safety during rescue operation in West Irian, New Guinea, last year.

“He disregarded his own safety and displayed exceptional flying skill, resolution and devotion to duty in searching for and rescuing the survivors of a crashed aircraft in West Irian, his actions resulting in the saving of the lives of the survivors.”

BALLYNAHINCH — Workers at Down Council’s offices in Downpatrick were surprised to find a most unusual picket line at the front gates on Friday.

Ballynahinch man Gerry Rice, who has fought the authorities over a smoke problem at his Carlisle Park home for some time now, brought out his entire family to man the picket line.

From wife Gemma, with her placard reading ‘we shall be overcome’, down to the latest addition to the family, a six month-old baby with the poster ‘smoke made sick’ plastered across its pram, the angry Rices were there in force.

The picket lasted for two-and-a-half hours on Friday morning and a further one-and-a-half hours in the afternoon. It has continued all this week with the family manning the gates from four until five o’clock every afternoon.

Mr Rice said: “The smoke was coming into our house again on Wednesday night. We have had to put the youngsters out on many occasions and we don’t want the same thing to happen this winter.

“Over the week we are hoping that other people will join in and support us on the picket line and we are planning something special for next week’s council meeting.”

As yet no council officials have approached Mr Rice about his family’s picket. Last Thursday Mrs Rice stared her own protest when she barricaded the gates to the council offices with her car for an hour and a half.

“We have already contacted the Rev Ian Paisley’s office to enlist his support and we are awaiting an answer from him,” Mr Rice added.

COMBER — A shock decision to the swimming pool from a £250,000 multi-purpose centre in Comber sparked off a row this week.

Tempers flared at a meeting on Monday night when Ards Borough councillors were told that the swimming pool has been taken out of the scheme in Castle Street.

The council’s recreation officer, Mr Jim Ritchie, reported that the first two stages of the scheme — for a community hall, squash courts and sports hall — would be going ahead, but that plans for the swimming pool were to be put on the long finger.

First to attack the change was Alderman Jim McBriar. “I don’t agree that we should not be given a swimming pool in Comber and I think we should press ahead to try to get it,” he said.

ARDGLASS — An Ardglass man turned on the style at Greenmount Agricultural College in Antrim by attaining four awards during the 1977-78 session.

Derek Vint, of 9 Ross Road, took third place in the one-year certificate course in agriculture, thereby qualifying for a distinction certificate, and he also received a special reward for his project work.

He won the Rev Robert Moore memorial essay prize and also a travelling scholarship award which  entitles him to a visit to the Royal Agriculture Show in Stoneleigh, Wawickshire. Derek is one of 30 people in County Down who received awards from the college this year.

NEWCASTLE — A young Belfast boy had a lucky escape on Sunday when he was rescued by a stranger after falling into the sea at Newcastle harbour. Gary McDonald, of Cregagh, had been playing with some friends at the harbour when he slipped and fell into the sea.

A man who was nearby, William Rennie, of Finaghy, Belfast, dived into the sea and grabbed hold of the boy. 

However, they both got into difficulties because of the freezing water but were eventually dragged aboard Newcastle Yacht Club’s lifesaving craft by Gerald Poland of Castlewellan.

KILLINCHY — The opening and dedication of Killinchy Presbyterian Church’s new £100,000 plus church hall took place on Saturday afternoon. The hall will be used by various church organisations including the Sunday school, badminton club, Girls’ and Boys’ Brigades and the youth club.

“We had simply outgrown the other hall”, said the church minister, the Rev C W McKinney. The dedication ceremony, attended between 650 and 700 people, was conducted by the Rev S A Matthews, moderator of Presbytery.

The Very Rev W A Montgomery, former minister at Killinchy from 1927 until 1941 and a former moderator, performed the dedication of the hall and gifts which included a piano, a lectern, a platform table, kitchen equipment, chairs and some furnishings. 

BALLYGOWAN — The 65 pupils of St Mary’s Primary School, Ballygowan, had a surprise in store for the recent visit of officials from the Ulster Institute of the Deaf. Not only did they present a cheque for £224, they also recited the Lord’s Prayer for two deaf women using sign language.

DRUMANESS — A party of 42 senior citizens from Drumaness went on a trip through the Mourne Mountains on Saturday.  The outing was organised by Drumaness Ladies Social Club.

Three buses from the Health and Social Services took the senior citizens through the Mournes to Warrenpoint where they had a two hour break to look around the shops.

Afterwards they went to Kilkeel where they had afternoon tea in Mourne Presbyterian Hall. The party returned through Newcastle to arrive home in the evening. 

BRYANSFORD — A Bryansford man is still trying to trade the opener of two bullocks and a heifer which wandered on to his land two weeks ago. One of the bullocks is red and the other is black. Anyone with information about them should contact Mr James Joseph Devlin, of Trassey Road, Bryansford, or Castlewellan police.