Hi all,
Are some of the old shops still there in Lisburn.
I used to be in one just about every day.
It was Evans music store on Bridge Street, always had the latest guitars, amps etc. and music at the time.
Met Rod Stewart there one day too!
John

hello yes Evans is still there but I think the building might be for sale

Just closed last week I heard
Donald

Don,
What a shame, i can remember them supplying all of the big groups with equipment when they visited Lisburn to play at the Hat.
John

What about the home & colonial shop and the chinese restraunt up stairs in the square.

John, the home and colonial is long gone and where the chinese restaurant was is now part of the Linen Centre. If you go into the Lisburn page photographs you'll find a photograph of Bow St Maybe you should keep your memories !

Yes Margaret you could be right!
But i guess we all have to accept change at times.
Well what about Elmore's and Greens are they still open for business?
Regards
John

Ginny Blacks, Carliles grocers, Corner house pub to mention another 3
Donald

Elmores is away but an extended Greens seems to be flourishing. Chitticks has been sold as well. Ktty McLaw's ice cream is still sold in Sloan St. I'm not sure if Kitty's name is spelt correctly but you know who I mean.

Here's a daft, but serious question for you guys and gals:
Where is the most likely place, near Linenhall Street, that I would have bought my comics, and our newspapers?
As I write, I have absolutely no memory of a paper shop, though I must have used the same one hundreds of times.

Sweeneys?
Donald

Hi John .

A few shop's are still in business in Lisburn , Green's is going strong , and very popular , and a great meeting place for old friend's , also Shannon's Jeweller's , at new premises ,at the old bank. In connection with shop's The Gold Lion from Jordan's shop in bow street , is alive and well and positioned above a sewing machine shop in Bridge Street . He is not as gold as in the day;s of my youth , but grey like myself.

All the best .

Tommy

For all the golden oldies Shannons used to be Boyles

And before that the pawnshop where I got my first suit in the fifties
Donald

Thomas, when I was in Bridge Street last summer we went into a shop opposite the lion. That is when I noticed it across the road, and ask the shop assistant was it the real thing that used to be in Bow St. She said it was a replica, and the real thing was in the Lisburn museum. But I was delighted to see it nevertheless.

Liz

Hi Liz .

I am guessing the shop across the road was PRESHAWS drapery . The lady in the Sewing machine shop , was the owner's wife and she said her husband had brought it from the bow street shop. I think someone is telling us two wee fib's , i shall do a Paul Temple and check it out in the museum . I am glad that like me you got a buzz out of seeing the Lion , imposter or not from bygone day's . And i hope yourself and family enjoyed your stay in Lisburn.

All the best .

Tommy

Regarding suits wasn't there a tailor shop in the square up past the timber yard could have been called Burtons maybe.
Always remember the magic navy blue suit i got from them with the vest and cloth buttons with two 4" side vents on the jacket.
what a suit..
John....

john
i remember a burtons taylors there just about opposite where the linen museum is now also a lot of us? 125cc bikies used to congregate on especially a sunday night
i think they the taylors that is had a hire purchase going and a good suit bees knees stuff was available for 5 bob or so a week complete with buttoned vest was all actually very neat and i think comendable and added to everyone's esteem on a friday night at the vario
us dances tom

The two 4" side vents created a flap at the back which we jokingly referred to as a flatuance flap, using a more homely word of course.
Donald

Yes Donald those were the ays.
They don't make suits like them these days, quality plus i'd say 10/10.

Anyone ever go into Ned Keanery's sweet shop in Greg st. Ned was a real chararcter and loved a good laugh when you went in for 2 park drive.

Hi John
Was his wife call Lily? I certainly remember her, large lady with ginger hair, I used to buy my sweets there. Would you remember the Tate family that lived further up from the shop. Irene was my age, her dad used to drive McKeown's cows down the road.

Liz

More likley a Provident cheque was the form of payment in those days. I remember my Aunts Nellie and Kathleen running a hair and shoe " draw " in Hilden mill in the fifties. That meant 40 people got together and formed a club , each paid a shilling a week for 40 weeks which the organiser paid in to the shop or saloon each Saturday morning and lots were drawn to see whose turn it was to get a pair of shoes in Tylers or a hairstyle ( for ladies ) in Fan Wilsons in Market Square . Another 2 old shops.
Donald

Donald, that rings a bell, but where was Sweeneys?
A ludicrous thought enters my head as I write that: A song - Donald, where's yer trusers? Sorry, mate, I'm back in the fifties again.

Sweenys was in Smithfield at the corner of a street on the same side of the road as the two pubs with Bailies auction rooms in between, heading towards the Dublin Rd. It was there we got off the bus and shopped when going to visit relations in the Lagan Valley hospital, it was the only place in Lisburn where grapes could be bought. They sold almost everything. Coming from Bow St out of Haslems Lane it was almost opposite, I remember going with my mother to the Tuesday market in the late forties to buy chicks to rear in our back yard at Lisnatrunk to supplement our food ration
Donald

Hi Liz,

I think you are talking about Lily Kernaghan, she had a wee shop down below Kearney's, there is an article on Web site somewhere about her and her sister.

John,
I remember Ned Kearney very well, he used to get me to do some orders for him as I used to ride message bike for Billy Refausse at the corner of Gregg St.and Hillhall Rd.Ned was a character, do you remember Margaret Green his assistant for a number of years.
I remember all the "Green" girls,they used to live on the Hillhall Rd.beside Spences farm before they moved to the Tonagh estate. Incidentally their brother Mal used to belong to a club in the big hall.

Beano

Hi Donald .

I remember having a Blue Diagonal Double Breasted Suit , and a pair of thick soled shoes brown , nicknamed Brothel Creepers. Boy i thought i was no goat's toe , dressed up .

All the best

Tommy

Donald, by all that's holy, your description took me right back to the shop. Yes it was indeed Sweenys, where I shopped as often, if not more often, than at Malloys or Cochranes. Old age, or what, I don't know, but that is smashin', remembering that. Thanks!

Hi Liz
My wife asked about some info on some hair dressing salons, if they are still going.
Fran Wilsons ladies hairdressing salon and Joanne's (Clark).
John

Hi Liz
I'm not sure and also the Tate family name really rings a bell.
I can remember a plumber and his name was Tate but can't think of the first name could of been Ernie maybe.
John

Hi Beano
Big Mal Green yes i remember him at times when he came in to the big hall and remember Marg as well.
My grand mother was Mary McClinton(nee Mary Green).

Beano you were kept busy mate with delivering the orders, we lived at no 33 Gregg St. across from my old mate Danny & his wife Mildred Clarke. We all had some good times together.

John..