From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 29, 1987

From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 29, 1987

29 March 2017

DUNDRUM — Dundrum could soon become the site of a completely new type of tourist accommodation in Northern Ireland.

Planning permission for a motel, with an adjoining filling station, has been granted for an extensive site on the outskirts of the village. The site is now up for sale and it will only take one enterprising buyer for the project to go ahead.

For a cool £30,000 the potential buyer will be able to buy the site with a frontage of almost 700 feet, with ready-made planning permission for a motel and with possibilities of expanding it even further to include a bar and restaurant.

Mr James Wilson, the Castlewellan estate agent handling the site, said the motel would be ideally placed to catch the tourist trade heading for the Mournes and Newcastle.

“It is in an excellent position as the growing number of tourists in the area would probably make full use of the motel facilities to stay overnight,” he said.

Motels, which are very popular in America, have so far not caught on in the province, but the possibilities for the Dundrum site look very promising.

COMBER — A ban by education chiefs on youth club discos in a Comber hall has been slammed by a local community group.

Mr David McCutcheon, chairman of Comber and District Community Association, said the Andrews Memorial Hall belonged to the people of the town and its surrounding district.

He asked: “What right has the South Eastern Education and Library Board to refuse anyone permission to use the hall?” He was referring to a decision taken by the Board recently to ban weekly discos run in the hall by the Enler Youth Club in Comber.

The Education bosses said they banned the discos because the hall had been left in an “unsatisfactory condition.”

BALLYNAHINCH — The Millbrook Lodge Hotel was packed when the first ever wrestling programme was staged in 

Ballynahinch. 

The King Kendo v Jamaica Kid bout, billed as the return of the clash of the television titans, ended sensationally with both contestants being disqualified for fighting outside the ring.

After the bout the Jamaica Kid threw out a challenge of fight King Kendo for a £500 stake.  The bout would be a no-holds-barred contest with no posts, no referee and no rules! King Kendo took up the challenge and they agreed to stage the fight at the Millbrook in six weeks’ time.

The other bouts saw Young Apollo tackle Bruce Macdonald and Docker Dave Stalford getting disqualified against El Bandito for illegal use of the ropes.

The all-girls clash did not materialise as Miss Lena Lovelace, the sensational blonde bombshell, was unavailable due to injury. Her opponent, Vivacious Viv Martel, the 48-28-36 sex siren, decided to wrestle a male opponent in Mel Hewitt.

DOWNPATRICK — The silver jubilee of the Rev John Pedlow’s installation as minister of Downpatrick Presbyterian Church was generously marked by the congregation’s 170 families.

At their annual meeting they handed over a number of gifts. Mr R J McBride, senior elder, handed over a wall clock and rocking chair to Mr Pedlow and Mrs M Reid presented Mrs Pedlow with a hostess trolley.

Mr Gerald Furey paid tribute to Mr and Mrs Pedlow’s work for the congregation and their immense popularity throughout the neighbourhood. Mr Pedlow thanked the congregation for their warm-heartedness, their continuing co-operation and their overwhelming generosity.

CLOUGH — Brownies and Guides of 1st Clough Company have been demonstrating their thriftiness by raising £55 for the Lorne Appeal Fund. The cheque was handed over to Mrs Des Cockfield, appeal organiser, at a special ceremony.

The young people raised the money by ingenious methods and a great deal of hard work. Brownies filled empty Smartie tubes with as many coins as possible and Guides earned £2 by doing such jobs as collecting potatoes and working in shops. The money will go to Lorne House in Belfast, a new centre for Guiding and Guide training.

PORTAFERRY — Portaferry councillor Mr Brendan MacPolin has given a warm welcome to the projected scheme for a new jetty and boatslip for the seaside town. Tenders for the scheme have been invited by Ards Borough Council after what Mr MacPolin described as “many difficulties” were sorted out.

“This scheme will add considerably to the tourist amenities of the area and will provide an important facility for what is one of our fastest growing leisure activities,” he said. “Portaferry has considerable advantages in this regard and I am determined that the most should be made of them.”

DRUMAROAD — A night of music, dance and presentation marked the conclusion of eleven years’ service to Drumaroad and Clanvaragan parishes by Rev Dr Joseph Maguire.

Dr Maguire has now left the area to take up a new post as parish priest of Downpatrick, but his many friends in the two parishes gave him a most enjoyable and generous farewell.

Over 500 people from all sections of the community in Drumaroad and Clanvaraghan gathered in the Drumaroad Community Centre to show their appreciation of Dr Maguire.

On behalf of the parishioners, Mr James O’Boyle, principal of Drumaroad Primary School, and Mr John Cavanagh, principal of Clanvaraghan Primary School, presented Dr Maguire with a colour television and a wallet of notes.

Dr Maguire also received a bone china tea set from Drumnaquoile GFC and Hurling Club and Drumaroad GFC, the presentation being made by the two club chairmen, Mr Dan Fitzpatrick and Mr Brendan McEvoy.

BISHOPSCOURT — Twelve hundred weight of potatoes were stolen from an out-farm belonging to Mr Pat Curran, of Bishopscourt Road. Police in Strangford or Downpatrick would welcome any information and would like to interview two men seen in a grey of blue Frod van in the area.

CROSSGAR — A musical excursion around the British Isles is the treat in store at the annual concert of Crossgar Choral Society. Members of the society will be presenting their own show ‘In Song Around Our Isles’ in the War Memorial Hall.

The performances will be the culmination of many months of hard work put in by the members of the society, who have been rehearsing each week since September in a prefab at the home of the society’s president, Mrs Margaret Rodgers.

This is the society’s sixth annual concert and the money raised will be going both to the choir’s own funds and to help the struggling War Memorial Hall. Afterwards, the show will go on tour with evenings in Downpatrick, Killough, Saintfield and Belfast to raise money for charity.

The musical director for the show is Mr Bertie Rourke and the producer/choreographer is Mrs Angela Bradley. Accompanist is Mrs Stella King and the stage and lighting is in the hands of Mr Frank Bradley and Mr John Perry.

KILLINCHY — Nineteen cups and shields, over 100 certificates and 13 proficiency badges were handed out to members of Killinchy Young Farmers’ Club at their annual parents’ night.

The presentation of prizes and certificates took place before friends and relatives of the Young Farmers who packed the Bishop Hall in Killinchy.

DROMORE — The loss of 61 pounds by a Dromore housewife has meant the gain of £100 for Cancer Research.

Mrs Hazel Stewart weighed in at 19st 7lb back in October when she began her sponsored slim-in. Many of her sponsors were customers at the petrol station where she works. Encouraged by the ever-falling figure on the bathroom scales, she forged ahead to lose a total of 61 pounds.