Today was our company's annual pensioners party in the Lowenbrau Keller, one of the big Munich Beer halls. Quite a lot of hot flirting took place as usual between the 75+ year old Frauleins and Fritzes. Like my Gran used to say, " the time would have been better spent praying for a happy death" Every year less and less from the older colleagues. But that's life! Ionly drank 3 half litres of non alcoholic beer and a double capuchino, my fasting time is half way through now thank goodness and am looking forward to a nice cool foamy beer and some aromatic cheese with a salty Pretzel. For the beginning of December we arranged to go to Cloister Andecs as there is on the first Advent weekend every year a Nativity scene there with live animals and persons. Only the Christ child is a doll. It's very impressive, especially if snow has or is falling and the accompanying Nativity market is lit up around 4.00 pm. The place is packed with groups of OAPs who drink no beer, they just bring hot herbal tea and cake with them and block the seats and benches for us boozers.
Donald

Hi Donald .
I was talking to an old school chum of yours . Harry Mc Kitterick , and he took me on an educational tour of the Barbours Mill were my mum had worked when she was younger . It is very sad to see the mill in its run down state , as my photos will show , but this is progress. He sends his regards , and he did not recognize you the day you called .
All best wishes .
Tommy

Donald, you should be proud of yourself. At a party and drinking non-alcoholic beer, you must have good will power. I used to have but wouldn't say that now.

You'll be well slimmed down for Christmas. As for me, welllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Tommy
thanks for the message from Harry, isn,t it sad to see the mill so dilapidated and run down. Sir Milne or his forefathers would turn in their graves if they knew. I remember as a boy awakening every morning to the sound of the horn and hundreds of workers marching from every corner of the surrounding areas to start work, my Gran bustling around at midday getting the dinner ready for the " workers ". I even remember the annual " twelfth " holidays being just one week and the workers having to come down to the Dining rooms in Mill St to collect their wages on the Friday they were on holiday. The front street was black with people. No flying to Spain then, an occasional day trip to Warrenpoint was the highlight of the year. It was before my time but Joe Marmion from the back street told me when he was a boy a lot of the workers came and worked barefoot, hard to believe today. I thought about that last time I was home in Lisburn and was shopping in Lidl. I observed a young mother who could not get the one pound coin ot of the shopping trolley and simply pushed it aside and walked away. That was a day,s wages not so very long ago.
Donald.

Barber should turn frequently in his grave, making money out of slave labour.

erred, put in wrong comment position.

Yerman
I used to think that also but changed my opinion, Barbour provided houses, income, schools, etc, for his workers and their families, which was much more than other employers did, It was seldom that employers large or small provided such benefits for their workers. Granted, like all business people they made a profit but they also felt responsibility towards those who worked for them. I don't want to sound polemic but as was said here before on this site if those of that period who were dependant on their wages had perhaps joined forces and strove together to better their lot instead of allowing mistrust to separate them they might have benefited socially and financially as did their likes in other parts of Britain and Europe
Donald