NEWCASTLE — Residents in Newcastle’s Bryansford Road are angry because delay in completing a £110,000 sewerage and road construction scheme outside their front doors is costing them money.
Traders say business has fallen by half, holiday landladies complain of cancelled bookings, delivery men can’t deliver, householders grumble about the difficulty of getting their cars in and out and housewives fight a perpetual battle against dust and dirt from excavations.
The road has been up for about six months. “We were told it would be ready by Easter,” said an angry Mrs. Kathleen Byrne, who, with her son John, has run the Anchor Bar since her husband died six years ago. “I’ve lost all my lunchtime and evening customers,” she said, “and my lounge carpets have been ruined by cement dust from the road.”
Mr. Turlough O’Hare and his wife, Pauline, who runs a washeteria, described the situation as “disastrous.” The couple report a 40 per cent in trade. “I’m still trying to get my initial outlay back,” said Mr. O’Hare.
“Hardly a customer,” said Mr. Percy Ogle, who has run the Corner Shop for the past 30 years. He reports a 65-70 per cent in custom.
DOWNPATRICK — Members of East Down Civil Rights Association plan to have a 12-hour fast in Downpatrick tomorrow. Outside the local post office, from 9am to 9pm, they will conduct what they describe as a “token of solidarity with the long suffering men on hunger strike in Long Kesh, Armagh and Belfast jail.”
In a statement yesterday, the organisers said: “We hope to counteract the deliberate lack of coverage presented through the supposedly free news media. The main ‘political’ opposition group in the town is wilting shamefully, so we take it upon ourselves to bombard the people of this area with the truth.”
They call on all local groups who profess to be interested in freedom and justice to send along representatives to take part in the protest and add: “But more welcome will be you, the people of Downpatrick, who must show the rest of the North that you are still alive.”
ANNSBOROUGH — Fire Brigades from Newcastle, Downpatrick and Rathfriland engaged in a lengthy battle at the weekend to contain a blaze which swept through Irish Flax Developments’ plant at Annsborough. A huge storage shed containing approximately 800 tons of flax was completely destroyed. Damage is estimated at £40,000.
A passer-by saw smoke coming from the building shortly before 6am and alerted the police and fire brigade. The first unit to arrive found one end of the 60-yard long building well alight. As they tackled the fire a number of incendiary devices went off along the length of the plant and soon the building became an inferno.
A fire authority spokesman said that although the plant is fitted with a sprinkling device, it was incapable of coping with the blaze. He said at one stage 1,500 gallons of water a minute were being used by the four units in attendance.
BALLYNAHINCH — Ballynahinch Chamber of Commerce came to life on Monday night when there was an excellent attendance at the meeting. As a result of the recent bomb outrage in the town, the early part of the discussions was centred on compensation and security.
Other topics raised were the newly suggested parking arrangements for the town, the removal of the toilets from the Square, the removal of letter boxes, and the proposed construction of the new by-pass road.
Regarding the bypass road, inquiries are to be made concerning the start of the work, and it was strongly felt that the construction of this road would do much to alleviate the traffic problem of the town.
PORTAFERRY — Phil Holden is the owner of a £3,000 island which he really doesn’t want. It’s at Ballyhenry, just north of Portaferry. In the true sense of the word it is only an island at high water; there is a rough causeway connecting it to the shore.
Mr. Holden bought it with a view to adding to Strangford Lough’s recreational and tourist facilities by providing a boat park and slipway, a picnic area and children’s pond, as well as a selection of small motor cruisers for hire and sale. In all, he budgeted to spend £15,000.
But it wasn’t until all his plans were laid that he got the slap that’s still hurting him — refusal of his application for planning permission by Down County Council planning office, aided by the National Trust and Queen’s University, which has a marine biology station at Portaferry.
SAINTFIELD — Saintfield’s 28th annual agricultural show and gymkhana takes place tomorrow at the Demesne and entries are almost 250 up on last year. Over £700 prize money is available and there will be 55 cups and special prizes on offer.
“We have an excellent return of entries,” said Mr. John Beck, show secretary, who added that the success of the show was due to a large, willing and enthusiastic group of stewards under the presidency of Dr. J. S. McKelvey.
CROSSGAR — A former Crossgar man, Mr. Hans Stevenson, now head postmaster in Newry, has been awarded the MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list. Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. H. Stevenson, Ballyalgin, Crossgar, he served with the RAF during the war and on his return was attached to the Downpatrick Post Office.
KILLYLEAGH — Mr. Hugh R, Bennett, of 41 Frederick Street, Killyleagh, was appointed an assistant engineer in the surveyor’s department at yesterday’s meeting of Down County Council.