Hi all, attended the Writing our Life class today and enjoyed it, as usual. We do more talking than writing, but it's all informative.

The girl from Paraguay had another true family story to tell which, again, was fascinating. With her accent and the different lifestyle she had, I could listen to her forever.

Anyhow, she announced today that she and her husband are going back to Paraguay in January. I believe they are going back as missionaries. She invited the class to visit. She said she would love to see everyone there in her home place. I would love to, but don't know whether anyone else feels the same.

The farming couple are in China at present, doing what I don't know.

Some of the class are really talented, including the girl from Paraguay. I feel that my stories are boring in comparison.

This week we have to do a piece on a particular place to which we've been which stirred the imagination or which we felt deeply about. We have to include our 5 senses.

I'll have to knuckle down as I have a few places which would fit that category. Choosing which one will be difficult.

Will have to start it early in the morning as that's when I have my best ideas.

I don't think I'll ever be famous (for writing) but I do enjoy the class. IF I do become famous, well, you're all my friends and I'll post you a copy of my first work!!!!!!! Autographed of course. Something like Viv out of Emmerdale. Well, no, I wouldn't bring myself to her level right enough.

This week we have to do a piece on a particular place to which we've been which stirred the imagination or which we felt deeply about. We have to include our 5 senses.

Does that include your NONsense?

Hi LR, again I've lost my contribution to the Forum. Can't even remember what I was talking about.
Anyway, Friday night, 2 sons here for dinner - an Ulster Fry - bacon, sausages, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs, fried potato bread, wheaten bread.

I still have to have dinner - garlic potatoes, bacon, sausages, egg. wheaten bread, potato bread , I say "I "but I mean "We" , hubby

Hi all, having a late dinner tonight. Thought I might have had a call from sis , coming home from the Castle tonight.

Anyway, we'll hear all shortly.

Night all.

Ann,

Why not do a piece on one of your American visits, should be very interesting.

Are you having with your e mail, as much as I am.


Katie

Ann,

I watched a Johnny Depp movie last night called "Sleepy Hollow", it was very good, and no I am not a J.D. fan.

By the way your sincerity is never in doubt with me, I do appreciate all your kind words of encouragement.

Beano

Katie
What exactly were the Ryan's. Would it possibly be the place where it was said the coffins could be seen sticking out of the bank, back of the convent?.
Jimmy

James or Jimmy, I think you're as naive as me. I never was in the Ryans but heard all about it from Katie in her younger days.

Next time you're over, we'll have a wee peek down the Ryans, only for historical purposes, of course.

Hi Beano, glad to see you're still on the Forum. I have seen Sleepy Hollow a few times. Headless horseman and all that - isn't my favourite JD movie but thanks for thinking of me. (not because of the headless horseman of course).

Keep well. Keep on writing in.

Hi Jimmy,

The Ryan's was through the Arch in Tom's photo, though the Arch was all grown over, then you went down a line of very steep wooden steps (mostly broken) it was just a wilderness of long grass and weeds. The day a few friends and myself were dared to go down it, I ran with my eyes shut and then back up again. Many a time my friends and I would go to the opening of it, but we were too afraid to go any further, we were told stories about it when we were young, yes it was backing unto the Convent tennis court and meadow. (you never hear of a meadow now).

Davy, nuck nuck used to shout at girls, do you want sweets to go down the Ryan,s (I'll say no more). That is why everbody shouted back at him and then ran, though he could'nt run very fast.He was alway waiting for us coming out of school, one day he grabed a younger girl, she was screeming, a crowd of use ran back to her and somebody kicked him on the shins he let her go. (I won't say who)

I also know of a house not far from Tommy's, Nuck, Nuck went to complain about her son, the mother took him by the collar and chased him from her door.We were all hiding and watching, then we cheered. (not very nice of us)Ann will know the mother, they lived in Church Street.

I was always a good runner, not anymore.


Katie

Katie
I would not have gone into the Ryan's to save my protestant soul,just looking over the wall and seeing the tangle of undergrowth and hearing tales of the place kept me on the straight and narrow (for a while). You did not answer one of my queries though, were there coffins sticking out of the bank of the river or possibly the "race"?.

Where in the Back Lane did you live?. I travelled that way each day to the Central School from 1941 until 1948 and can recall memories of the lane. One of the most vivid is of an old woman with a shawl sitting on the stoop enjoying the sun and having a smoke from a clay pipe, she lived at the bottom of the lane on the left hand side. It was also in the Back Lane that I saw my first corpse laid out in a coffin, just called in with a chum to pay our respects to some old lady who had died. There was a Sadie Jenkins who lived at the top of the lane, a good Irish dancer.

Enough for now, I must go have lunch and then prepare for the remnants of a hurricane that is going to hit Prince Edward Island overnight.

Jimmy

Hi Jimmy,

Best of luck in "Hurricane Noel", saw on the Weather Channel what is happening on the East Coast. Not what you would call a promising weekend. Keeping our fingers crossed you have no damage.

Beano

Jimmy,
I never heard of any coffins sticking out of the ground, are you not thinking of the very old graveyard at Millbrook.

I never lived in the Back Lane, I came from Barrack Street in Smithfield, but I like you, remember the old lady with the black shawl smoking a clay pipe. Dabbler would maybe know of her too. Many a time I skipped round the Back Lane up to Hill Street and home.

Hope the Hurricane is not too bad and it gets over quickly. Will say a little prayer for you all there.

Katie

Hi Jimmy, I never remember Anne mentioning any hurricanes.

Seriously, though, hope everything passes over smoothly. I told you the seasons were "up the left".

Take Care.

Hi all, talking about Davy "Nuck Nuck" and I really hope I don't offend anyone by calling him that name, but that's how he was known.

I lived in the Low Road and went to the Convent School, as did a lot of other girls from the Low Road.
One day a certain girl began shouting "Nuck", "Nuck" over at Davy, who was always hanging around the school as we came out. He reported this to the head nun who asked the class which Low Road girl had called Mr Stewart names. We all knew who it was but were afraid to say anything. SO, ALL the Low Road girls were brought out and given 6 slaps each.

My late Aunt Annie told a perfectly true story about coming down the Low Road in the blackout during the war. She had been leaving a visitor up to the end of the town and was coming back home when Davy stepped out and jumped on her back. She fought and wrestled with him, got away and began running, he after her. When she got to Garvey Terrace she went over and knocked very loudly on one of the doors, pretending that she lived there. No-one came out and by then Davy had caught up with her again. He sneered and hissed, "you don't live there, I know where you live" and once again took a charge at her. My aunt was a very quiet person but she was very frightened so she lifted her foot and gave him a good kick on the knee, then took to her heels and ran all the way home. When she got into the house my grandfather, who died in 1944, asked her what was wrong as she was in a bit of a nervous state. However, she never told because she said they would not let her out again if they had known.

It was only in later years that she told us about her exploits that night in the blackout.

Ann,
Do you remember Henry McQuillan?

Lowroader
I remember Henry, he live in Delacerios Ave. in the Mill houses near where the Hughes family lived. As boys we used to shout after him as he was always good for a chase.
Donald

Low Roader and Donald. Yes, I certainly remember Henry McQuillan. He walked in a very effeminate manner and nearly always wore a raincoat.

Rumour was he carried an umbrella inside a rolled up newspaper as a weapon for anyone who made fun of him.

Thank goodness, never had the experience of finding out.

There were some characters about then.

There was another man who used to stand at the Hilden bus stop when I worked in Belfast. He wore blue-rimmed glasses and there was something about him too. Can't remember his name.

Do any of you remember the blind man, Charlie Doherty? He was harmless as far as I know - heard he had lost his sight in the First World War. He went about with a stick and I seem to remember him wearing a tweed coat. He used to sleep in the air raid shelters, poor man.

Then, up at the Convent, tramps used to gather in the yard and the nuns would bring out leftovers to feed them. In those days the Convent had a boarding school so there would always have been good meals provided.

They also used to sell beef dripping at one shilling for a jampot full. My mother always bought her dripping there.

Not a lotta people know that!!!!!! I'll have to stop repeating this stupid saying.

Ann
could the man with the blue rimmed glasses have been Arthur Ireland who lived together with his mother in Richardson's Row Hilden and was a manager in the Rubber Dinghy factory in Dunmurry ?
Donald

Donald, that name rings a bell. You might be right.

Have been watching a few programmes on TV. One of my favourites, "The Royal" finished tonight until the spring I suppose. Then, there was the second part of "Strictly", followed by Coronation Street.

After that heavy evening's work I'm ready for the Land of Nod.

'night all. Notice the quotation marks!!!!

Well, it was only one quotation mark.

Here we go again Ann, I knew Charlie Dogherty didn't he use to collect rags amd jam bottles etc untill he went blind. I'm going back to the 30s and 40s now which is probably too far back for you.??

Ann
I'm almost sure it was Arthur Ireland. He was a bachelor and lived alone after his mother died. My Aunt Tessie once when they walked together from the bus stop at Hilden bend to the village asked him why he did not look for a girl and marry. He replied he preferred a good book. A very wise man!
Donald

Donald, you're in trouble if your wife reads the Forum.

Maurice, I was born in 1941 so I only remember Charlie Doherty when he was blind.

Talking about reading. I'm sure a lot of you know Jim Maxwell. Hope he doesn't mind me mentioning his name. Anyway, I met him one day before Christmas last year. As he is a bachelor, still living in the old house in Lawnbrook Drive, I asked him if he was going to one of his family for Christmas lunch.

"Not at all", he replied. "I'll have a big fire on, get a Dickens' book down and I've bought myself a large sirloin for lunch". "Perfect". I must say I envied him a bit, because Christmas in my house is bedlam, far worse than "Headless Chicken Day".

Wouldn't it be great to sit before a big roaring fire with the TV on, browsing through one of Dickens' works and then having only yourself to cook for. Then a nice lie down on the settee. Well, it would be nice for ONE day but then would be too lonely for me the rest of the year.

Jim told me he takes a walk down the line every single day, meets big brother quite a bit.

Jim Maxwell was another Hilden school friend. He had a younger sister whom he was very fond of, used to take her everywhere with him. There were 2 older brothers also. They had a big tree in their garden and lived beside Peggy Hogart, her nephew Walter worked in the Tax office in Portadown in the 60s, he was about my younger brother,s age. The Hamilton family lived there also and I think James O`Neil who paints lived across the street. I have one of his original paintings, an Irish scene given to me by my cousin Ed.
Donald

Donald, you are correct in all you said.

Hold onto that painting as it may turn out to be valuable.

My oldest son used to go fishing with a friend who did a bit of painting - landscapes, etc. My son bought a couple from him. In fact, I have one hanging in my kitchen. I know that sounds strange, but it's a painting of fishing rods, tackle, a painting IN a painting and a big bottle of Famous Grouse in the foreground. It really is class looking.

This person is now asking thousands for his paintings and is sought after by galleries, etc. so you never know.

Maurice I tried to e mail you but can't get through on the address you have listed.Ken.

Jimmy, Just been reading this one of yours again, I see you live on PEI, I was just down there in August, done a tour from Halifax along with 40 plus Americans on a bus. We really enjoyed the Island and going across the new bridge though it wasn't as big as I thought it would be. Stayed overnight in Brackly Beach I think it was and also spent the day in Charletown. Contiued on across the ferry to Pictu and along the Cabot Trail. Can't remember all the places would have to look at our guide book. Glad the end of Noel wasn't as strong as expected. Maurice

Ann
Old age is starting to get the upper hand. It was John Maxwell who was with me in Hilden school, not Jim. Pat and Jim were older and attending grammar school. Their father was a hotel manager in Belfast. Gordan Graham who was an electrician in Hilden mill lived facing them? Duncan, Lyness, Patton, McMaster are names which come to mind also lived in Lawnbrook Drive then.
Donald

Donald, re Pat Maxwell. I am almost sure he was the one who joined the RUC and was shot dead during the roubles.

Still see John about (he worked in the Citizens' Advice Burea in Lisburn).