From the pages of the Down Recorder, November 21, 1918

From the pages of the Down Recorder, November 21, 1918

21 November 2018

CROSSGAR — The death knell of Crossgar War Memorial Hall will toll tonight when the doors close for the last time in its 28-year history.

Unless an eleventh hour meeting tonight can create a renewed interest in its future, no reprieve will be granted. The hall committee have issued an ultimatum to the local townsfolk — unless you are prepared to support and use the hall, then there is no alternative but to close down.

Mr W J Cochrane, committee chairman, said:The hall has not received the support from local organisations as it should have and as a result it has lain vacant for some time. The problems of vandalism and high running costs have made it virtually impossible to keep going any longer.

Crisis points are no strangers to the harassed members of the hall committee. Two years ago they ran into trouble when funds for the hall completely petered out.

The hall fell into an appalling state of disrepair and a public appeal to raise £2,000 was launched. Only £1,400 was raised and since then the management committee have an uphill battle to survive.

While the hall belongs to the community and is run by a committee appointed at public meetings, the nature of the trust deed, under which it is held, means that it cannot be taken over or run by the district council.

The hall’s usefulness became redundant as the old style of social functions was replaced by nights out at licensed restaurants and by public house entertainment.

Mrs Katie Williams, the committee treasurer, said: “Although we still have money problems, the main thing we have to break down is apathy among the townspeople. Nobody is interested in what happens to the hall and the groups who do use it refuse to pay a realistic price for its hire.

LEGAMADDY — Pupils at Legamaddy Primary School turned the clocks back almost 100 years when they were given the chance to experience of the lifestyle of the Victorian era.

More than 30 pupils from the school paid visits to the Ulster Folk Museum and actually stayed overnight, living and cooking in conditions that existed at the turn of the century.

Mr John McGrath, school principal, said the children lived in a thatched cottage which came from Fermanagh and slept in a town house brought from Rowlan Street in Belfast.

The pupils’ main meal consisted of a vast pot of Irish stew, cooked in a three-legged cauldron on the turf fire. Activities on the visits included grinding wheat in a ‘quern’ and using the resultant flour to bake wheaten bread in a pot over.

NEWCASTLE — A cover-up has been ordered for next year’s Miss Newcastle contests organised by Down District Council.

Councillors decided this week that entrants for the popular beauty event will not be allowed to wear bikinis because some of the costumes at this year’s event were “totally inappropriate.”

From next year all entrants must wear one-piece swimsuits and council officials are confident that the new regulations will not adversely affect their summer season centrepiece.

The man behind the cover-up is council chairman Mr Eddie McGrady, who is unrepentant about there reasons behind the move. “We have a reasonable duty with regard to the type of entertainment we put on and we should be aware of the propriety of the occasion,” he said.

He was supported by Mr John Ritchie, chairman of the council’s recreation committee, who felt that the one-piece costumes worn by entrants in the recent Miss World finals “did not diminish their appearance.”

DOWNPATRICK — Downpatrick Chamber of Trade this week finalised a £2,500 plan to provide the town’s shopping streets with Christmas illuminations. The official switch-on will take place on December 1 at 6pm.

It’s an ambitious scheme by the go-ahead Chamber and most of the joey for the project will come from the local traders themselves. Businessmen n the area have already been contacted and Chamber member Fergus Kelly said he was delighted with the response.

“We are looking for almost £2,000 from local traders and so far we have had a very 

good response,” he said. “We naturally hope all traders will contribute to the idea which will make Downpatrick a bright and attractive place for Christmas shoppers.

The lights will be installed by Downpatrick contractor Mr Gerry Hynds and all the town’s shopping streets will be covered. 

The main concentration of lighting will be in the busiest shopping precinct at Market Street, St Patrick’s Avenue, Irish Street, Church Street, Scotch Street and English Street.

The lighting is one of a number of Christmas shopping ideas by the Chamber, which has already agreed on late night shopping each Friday before Christmas.

Down Council has agreed to make a large donation of the Christmas lights scheme.

BALLYNAHINCH — A Ballynahinch school has set its sights on alleviating the problems in under-developed countries by collecting old spec tales and sending them off for use in the Third World.

Pupils at Ballynahinch High School have been bringing in dozens of unused spectacles over the past week and it is their intention to have them reconditioned and repaired and sent off to under developed countries.

Already more than 100 pairs have been collected and each day the total soars as pupils hunt for unwanted spectacles among their friends and families.

The idea came from Mr Jimmy Davidson, a teacher at the school, who is a member of the recently formed Newtownbreda Lions Club, who have been trying to gather as many old spectacles as possible.

He explained: “We asked the pupils to go home and try and find as many unused pairs of spectacles as they could and bring them to the school. 

Our Lions Club can then pass them on the Missionary Optical Service in Cornwall, who will deliver them to areas which are in dire need.

“The spectacles can be reconditioned and repaired and then used by many people who are being taught Christianity in the Third World, but cannot even read their Bibles because of poor eyesight.

“The pupils have responded well and are obviously eager to help underprivileged people who can’t afford spectacles.

CARRYDUFF  — Plans are in the pipeline to build a large recreation centre, including four playing pitches, on a 25-acre site at Lough Moss, Carryduff.

At a recent meeting of Castlereagh Borough Council’s Recreatrion Committee a report on possible recreation provision in Carryduff came under discussion.. The committee agreed to recommend the project to the council and to instruct an architect to prepare plans.

SPA — Spa Presbyterian Church’s new lighting system was officially switched on at a special ceremony on Sunday. Seven year-old James Brown performed the task on behalf of the packed congregation.

The Rev C D Adams, who gave a brief account of the church’s 106-year history, said oil lamps were the main source of light until the introduction of electrical bulbs in 1927. In 1939 mains electricity had arrived and was installed at a price of £64.

KILLOUGH — A scheme to provide ten new homes in Killough has been approved by the Housing Executive. 

The site will be the rear of the recently completed Executive scheme for 13 houses which are nearing completion in Castle Street.

Work on the homes is expected to start in early 1980 and the estimated cost is £134,000. 

The homes will be heated by solid fuel open fires providing domestic hot water and serving radiators in living rooms, together with electrical convector heaters in bedrooms.

TYRELLA — Tyrella District Homing Pigeon Society held their annual dinner on Thursday when fanciers and friends gathered in McLeigh’s Lounge, Ballynoe. The biggest cheer of the night went to Mrs Lue and Son when they received their cup for winning the open standings in the NIPA race from Wexford — the first ever open win for the club. Chief guests were Mr and Mrs W Parkes, from Killyleagh.