Hospital stay helps Zena put pen to paper

Hospital stay helps Zena put pen to paper

3 July 2013

A NEW book which provides a unique insight into life in Killyleagh over 70 years ago has been published to wide acclaim.

Entitled Childhood Reflections of Killyleagh, its author started writing the book from her hospital bed in Italy where she ended up just two days into an eagerly-awaited trip to Lake Garda in October 2011.

Zena McCallister, who for many years taught at Killyleagh Primary School, launched the book recently and all proceeds will go to Women’s Institute charities .

While in Italy, Zena fell and broke her leg and was admitted to hospital where she was to spend the next 10 days. But the Killyleagh woman couldn’t speak Italian and the majority of the hospital staff weren’t fluent in English which made communication rather difficult.

As she lay in hospital, Zena’s thoughts turned to her childhood days in Killyleagh, remembering people, places and family names, the latter of which are now but a distant memory.

And as those memories flooded back as she walked around Killyleagh in her mind, Zena jotted down notes on the back of a hospital menu card.

Remembering the town’s past proved to be the perfect tonic as she nursed her broken leg and whiled away the long hours in a foreign hospital.

When she returned home to Killyleagh, Zena’s notes proved even more invaluable and when she “started putting her thoughts into sentences” Childhood Recollection of Killyleagh was born.

Her book concentrates on a 10-year period starting from the early 1940s when Killyleagh had 12 grocery shops and six drapery businesses through to the early 1950s when family names such as Thistlewaite and Stotesbury were common place in the town.

Zena’s walk begins at Barrack Brae which is now part of the Shrigley Road and moves through to Sabbath Brae, now known as Castle Lane. It’s then off to Front Street (High Street), Cow Street (Catherine Street) and Mill Lane (Plantation Street), Irish Street, Patterson’s Row, Seaview, Cottage Row, Brydon’s Row, Bridge Street, the Net Walk, Shore Street, Cross Street, Church Hill, Back Street (Frederick Street) and Breakey’s Brae before ending in Dufferin Place.

Killyleagh has changed dramatically over the past seven decades and Zena’s book, which is superbly illustrated courtesy of photographs supplied by the families of Norman Smyth and Sammy Watson, is a must read.

“I was fortunate to be able to source photographs to match by childhood memories of the town and in putting the book together I was introduced to the world of laptops and memory sticks,” laughed Zena.

The former primary school teacher said she’s also indebted to Clive Scoular for his help and said 200 copies of the book have already been sold.

Later this year, Zena is off to India and Sri Lanka with the Associated Countrywoman of the World (ACCW) organisation which is affiliated to the Women’s Institute. The Killyleagh woman is attending the ACCW’s world conference in Chennai.

“We will see the work which the ACCW has supported in both countries following major disasters and the trip will provide me with a chance to see where the proceeds of my book can be spent,” she explained.

Killyleagh councillor Billy Walker is encouraging people with an interest in the history of the town to get a copy of the book. He paid tribute to Zena for a “superb publication” and is delighted the proceeds from the book will be used to help Women’s Institute charities.

He added: “Zena’s misfortune to find herself in hospital in Italy has resulted in the publication of a superb book which provides a fascinating insight into Killyleagh’s past.”

• Miss McAllister’s new book is available from Barratt’s News-agent and Killyleagh Post Office.