Hi all, just read this in this morning's paper. A London-based developer Galliard Homes has unveiled plans for the hilden Mill site.

The company has submitted a planning application for its £100 million scheme, which will include a mix of apartments, light industrial units and office space.

Blah , blah, blah, "the regeneration of the Barbour Thread factory combines authentic restoration of the listed mill buildings with contemporary architecture, to create a new urban mixed use village of Hilden in the process cleaning up a brown field site, opening up public access to the Lagan and providing homes and jobs.

There will be a regeneration of Hilden Village and a re-opening of the Lagan Canal.

Well, things are really changing.

Maybe I'm being sentimental, but I still liked the old Hilden Village, the big shop, the Mill and especially the ice-cream man who we had a ride with from Leamington to Hilden and then back again.

Hilden was a wee village on its own, lovely wee houses and always a bit of life about it.

Changed times. Ah well, we have to go on.

With all the talk about Barbour's, I haveto relate this little story. Whilst I was working on the Cruise Ship "Caronia" back in the early sixties, one day on my way down from the Bridge I got talking to an eldery American woman, who said you have a Northern Ireland accent where are you from. When I told her Lisburn, she said you must know my relations, the Barbours, turned out she was from North Carolina and was related to the Barbour family. I think she owned tobacco plantations and cruised all year on the Caronia, she had her own suite. Wish she had been younger??? Maurice

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

Yerman, I have no idea what the wages were back then, but Iam sure they were not very much, I do recall talking to an older guy in the "Stores Pub" one time in the early sixties and he was complaining about the size of his pension which I think he said was only six shillings a week,can't remember what mill he had worked in for upteen years but there probably was not much difference between any of them. When you think of it things were tight for everybody back then (except the Barbours etc.) not the disposal income there is today. Though there are places today no matter where you are that still pay slave wages if they can get away with it. Walmart is a good example. Maurice

Maurace
That old man could have been Davy Edgar from Hilden, he drank there.
In the late 50s I think the state pension was around two pounds ten shillings per week.
In the early 60s Fitters, Bricklayers or Joiners earned about 10 GBP per week = 500GBP per year. But rents and mortgages were a lot cheaper, a semi in the early 60s in and around Lisburn cost around 2,000 GBP,That means a 2,000GBP house would have cost 4 years salary. Compare wages today, if the Belfast Telegraph is correct about the cost of house prices = under 200,000 GBP is nothing to be had. That means the house prices have increased 100 fold, have the wages increased also 100 fold? I am out of touch with salaries in Norniron but for the salaries to have risen accordingly a fitter would have to earn 1,000 GBP per week.If my calculations are correct then the people were not any poorer than today. Granted medical care and state benefits are a lot better today
Donald

Thanks Donald as soon as you mentioned his name I remembered, Davy Edgar it was I can still see him sitting there in his old top coat and cap. I will comment on your remarks about wages and employers later am on my out to a party. Maurice

Maurace
Davy Edgar was another original Lisburn character. He worked in Hilden mill all his life, never married, wise chap.My dad knew him well, told me a few stories about him. He was a fire watcher during the war, that entailed sitting on the roof of the mill watching for the approach of German bombers. His mother spoiled him rotten. One funny story was , he came home from the mill for dinner one Friday, his mother asked him what he would like to eat. He asked her what the choice was. She replied that he could have fried herrings or soup. He replied " Ma I,ll sup the soup while the herrings are frying!"
Donald