I lived at 37 Bridge St. with Rebecca Allen and daughter Eva (who was disabled). I attended Brownlee School (Andy Thompson headmaster) and I was also a member of Lisburn Boxing club in Quay St.
I worked after school in Billy Raineys (Hairdresser)in Bridge St. and when I left school I went to work in Stewarts Spinning Mill near Buggy Row.
I would love to hear from anyone who may remember me or from anyone who has been associated with any of the above. Names that come to mind are Dessie Clarke (whose dad was caretaker of the Cathedral)Bobby Gilmore,Dickie Hanna,Joe Boy Collins,Billy Gordon, Joanne&Gerald Graham,Scohles Butcher, Armstrongs (news)etc.

Hi Billy
I worked in Stewarts from 50 till 53. Haven't lived in Lisburn for fifty years, but I knew Dessie's brother Maurice, and just about remember Dessie, who was older. Both boxed.

Hi there. I know Gerald and Joanna Graham. They lived a few doors from us in Huguenot Drive. Don't see Gerald about much but see Joanna now and again. She looks well.

I also remember Dickie Hanna, but never see him now either. Can't help you with the rest.

Billy, hubby tells me that Dickie Hanna's people were the lock-keepers at the Island Mill Locks.

Joe Boy Collins was a boxer and married a girl called Teresa Gorman, very good looking girl, dark haired.

Joe Boy Collins died years ago. I didn't know him myself but I remember his wife - she was in a pantomime that Katie and I and Katie's "sweetie" were in. Happy Days.

I was only in the chorus but Katie had a "bit" part. Sicken ya.

In May Blair,s book " Once upon the Lagan " is a photo of Dickey Hanna, he worked for the Lagan Navagation. I think there is also one here on the forum somewhere
Donald

Billy, If you can a copy of the book "A 1950's trip down memory lane" by Mavis Heaney published by Shiloh Publications you will really enjoy it. There are photographs of a lot of people you would recognise. I don't remember you but I lived on the Saintfield Rd and would have been at the Tech in 1953 so would have passed your house on my way to school. There is also a book out lately about Bridge St which would be of great interest to you. You could purchase both books in Easons shop on Bow St. A lot of the people you mention are in it. Unfortunately Dickie Hanna passed away quite a while ago and so did Bobby Gilmore, they were relatively young . I hope you will be able to find both books I really enjoy them. Margaret

Billy,
Your email address, and details on the exiiles page have got me almost as confused as Ann's. Pinkerton or Allen? I remember Joe Allen - who lived near and went to Sloan Street school with Dickie Hanna. Maurice Clark and Maurice Leatham, and, I feel sure, worked at Stewarts Mill in the early fifties.

Wasn't there also a Dickie Hanna who was the son of the Blacksmith that used to be at the corner of Linehall St and Smithfield, I think he later went into used car sales and had a place on the Dublin Rd. Would somebody correct me if I am wrong,

Brothers Jim and Albert Hanna, mentioned a few years ago on here, ran the blacksmith opposite Smithfield during the forties. At one point, I believe that there was insufficient income to support both, and Albert went to work at Altona.
I have a clear and vivid memory of the premises, the anvil and bellows, of the brothers, especially Jim, and indeed of several of the horses that he shoed there.
More curious still, my doting brain has just had a flashback to the bellows in my granny's lounge in Ballymacash.

Jimmy Hanna worked with Jackie Ross and myself, also Len Allen at Langford Lodge, Jimmy drove us in his citreon, Always slept in and the local cop used to help us get him up as he passed by on his walk. Jimmy had a fire bell in a bucket and you could hear it plain in the street, but Jim slept on. Ended up we drove with Jack Ross.

Jim
Wake up! With all this talk of forward in the spring, back in the fall, I'd have thoought you'd have sorted out the time. Yes, I know it's your day off.

More seriously, Paul Orr's Fire Brigade site is a credit to him. Not yet up to your standard, but improving. I have a very faint memory of Wesley Orr, and was saddened to learn of the tragic death of yet another famous name from my childhood. Unless I am mistaken he was a brother of Stanley.

Jim and Albert were exactly as Dabbler mentioned, (Blacksmiths Smithfield) it was there family home and business,the John Hanna, who sold cars in Barrack Street was not a relation.

Dickie Hanna died a lot of years ago and was married to Dickie Orr's daughter,Dabbler should know this family as they lived in Linenhall Street.

Maybe this is a little help to you.

Katie

Re: The Hannas.
Jim Hanna worked in Altona.
He was a fitter working on Canberra Bomber wings and tails.

I know this to be true as I was his apprentice for a coiple of years before moving away from Altona.

I'M surprised that in memories of Lisburn up to 1953, nobody has mentioned Bobby Griffin or Davy,I can't remember his last name but as kids we called him "Davy nuck nuck.Also not to forget Davy Jones, and then there was Sticky Sloane the doorman at the picture house, and what about "Chestnut" the policeman, There are probably some more that I have forgotten about.

Maurice,
The subject of Davey Jones and the other Davie from the Low Road have been extensively covered in Forum subjects.
Sticky Sloan has also been covered a few times with reference to the Picture House.

Bobby Griffin is a new name. I think he was a county Downer so perhaps you could set the ball rolling.
I knew him from visits to the Wee Park (also the subject of many posts).

LR

Lowroader
Bobby Griffen has also been talked about here. His standard greeting was the latzest results of of the Lisburn cricket team and everyone was addressed as " Aul Han " . It went something like this " Lisburn 366 all out aul han !"

We also discussed John Jefferson from the Lowroad who attended all the funerals in and around Lisburn,
Donald

Pat
When you worked in the Examining Dept in Hilden mill did you know Alice Goodmann who lived at the top of Victory St.?
She was of German origin I,m almost sure, a very quiet woman.I once heard her husband was a Serviceman who met and married her in Germany and she returned to Norniron with him. Do you know if this is correct?.
Donald

Donald, Pat is off for a few days. Will tell you all later. Another spree, anyway.

I remember Alice Goodman very well indeed. She worked in the Netting Dept and was always late. Many and many a time she got locked out at the back gate. We could see the gate from our house in Huguenot Drive. She then had walk round by Hilden to get in by the front gate.

She said she had a shower every morning before she came out to work so I suppose that's why she was late. We didn't even know what a shower was then!!

I remember a workmate tell that during the war Alice used to say "Oh, the poor Fuhrer" and they were ready to lynch her, only she didn't mean any harm and they knew it.

She was a nice, quiet. She has a nephew who lives in Lambeg.

Ann do you have any details of the book that you mentioned about Bridge Street? I have got Life in County Down by Mavis Heany.

Dabbler This is the same period that I worked at Stewarts Mill - can you remember the chap who use to operate the lift who lost his hand apparently in one of the machines and use to wear a leather cap over the end of his arm? I worked in the 2nd building where I weighed the cans of "tow" (I think that is what you called it). Can you remember Billy Gordon and his dad or Pat Mc caughety, Croft family, my boss was David Coburn?

Dabbler regards my name /e-mail address my surname is Pinkerton, but I was brought up by the Allen family in Bridge St. from birth virtually and consequently everyone knew me under the name of Allen.
Does anyone remember the Allen family ? Rebecca whom Im lived with had 3 sons as far as I reember Sammy who had a coal business in Quay St. George who was a builder and Joe.

Billy, I don't think it was me who spoke about the book.

Must have been someone else.

Billy, I mentioned the book by Mavis Heaney "Life in the county Down" also the one about Bridge st. I bought both of them in Easons in Bow St Lisburn I especially enjoyed the county down book as I lived before I was married. The book goes from street to street mentioning the people who lived there in the 1950's. You would know a lot of the people as in those days we all came up Bridge St. It's full of photographs. Dickie Hanna is in it. Are you related to Sammy Allen the coal man ? Margaret

Do you remember Willie Irwin who was the joiner in Stewart's Mill ? He was my Grandad. He was a lovely man. Margaret

The Jim Hanna I knew lived in East Down View. He was Margaret and Gwen's father and was married to Isobel. Where there two Jimmy/Jim Hanna's in the Low rd. ?

Billy
Your down to earth comments are, to me, interesting and illuminating. I remember the lift driver, who used to run the diddley clubs, and take bets. I knew Pat McCaugherty, but do not remember him at the mill. I cannot honestly say that I remember Mr Coburn or Mr Irwin, though I sometimes recall people long after I see their names here. I started at fourteen, and reached the grand heights of trucker. You may know this meant taking cages of yarn on bobbins from the spinning room to the reeling room.
Tow was indeed the name of the product.
The reeling 'master', when I was there, was a handsome young man with dark wavy hair called Eddie. He must have been studying, because I remember Shaun Hamilton calling me into the office to be asked if I could do square roots, with which Eddie was having problems.
See what I mean, Ann? Why didn't I use my brains?
I do remember many people at Stewarts, mostly female, though John Reid was the boss in the spinning room, and wee Eddie macAlinden from Lurgan used to change the rollers. Jim Spence worked there, as did Edward Kidd, the brothers Patton, their cousin Bobby, before he went to Hilden Mill, and young Roberts.
Katie, I didn't know anyone in Linenhall Street called Orr in the forties or early fifties. I didn't even know Dickie Hanna was married, though I had heard of his early demise.

Billy
Just a few more names. Jim Hamilton - I'm not sure if young brother Ian worked there - had a fight with Shaun Bushe in the field behind Buggy Row, next to the mill. Jim was at least a stone heavier, and did bodybuilding over the County Down, but young Bushe gave as good as he got, and they shook hands and called it a draw. Nice way to spend your lunch break.
Davy Anderson, later killed in Cyprus by a sniper's bullet, worked at Stewarts. He lived in the entry opposite the chapel. Billy Thompson, the Smith twins, Kevin Gillian, Kevin Toman - funny how you think back to youth, isn't it?
I could start a discusssion on dialectic materialism, but it wouldn't be much fun, even for me, whereas this is.

Margaret could you give me the title of the book about "Bridge Street" so that I can order it from Easons - Do they have a website?
I lived with Sammy Allens mother in Bridge Street until 1953.Reference Dickie Hanna I remember he had a half brother named Brendan who drowned in the Lagan just outside his house at the locks as his father was the lock keeper.
Me and Dickie were great friends through the Boxing Club.I was sorry to hear about his death.

Ann : if you see Gerald or Joanne Graham please remember me to them (thats if they can still remember me). I remember Joanne was a spinner and I use to weigh the cans of "Tow" for her and I also remember Billy Gordon was always trying to get a date with her. Gerald was a very good footballer as Billy was, who also played drums in the pipe band.

Hi Billy .
Welcome to the Lisburn Exiles . I hope you enjoy it as much as i do , as i am just a young pup in the Exiles membership . Are you related to Sammy Allen Jnr , coalman . I remember Sammy carrying bags of coal through my mum and dads house in Church St, it was a scary sight to see the heavy bag , manhandled out to the back yard . Men of iron . Sammy also did a bit of motor repairs . I also remember his father calling to collect the money in payment for the coal. Regarding Bridge St it is now in the process of renovation , the shops at the top , are being gutted , and also Menarys is to be the new Post Office . THe Castle Gardens is starting to take shape . And the Tecnical College is to demolished , and a complete new complex to be built . Changes in Lisburn .
All the best .
Tommy

Dabbler:Some of the names ring a "slight" bell that you mention who worked at Stewarts but I couldnt be sure as I think I knew most people by there first name only. I remember the Furphy family - mother and two sons and Pat McCaugherty who use to think he was Irelands answer to Bing Crosby. There was the two Croft sisters I think you called one of them Joanne who lived on Buggy Row and also Billy Gordon and his dad and a name that has just come to me Jim McClelland who I think played in goals for the works team?