Going back 50 years, who remembers Willie Dick? He ran a bicycle shop beside the old police barracks. A quiet man. There was another bicycle shop in Bachelors Walk but I cannot remember who owned it.
Another exotic person was Dr. Storch the chiropidist who had his practice in Bow St, he was an Austrian who fled the Nazis and landed in Lisburn.
Donald

Hi Donald,
I remember Billy Dick's shop very well. It always seemed very dark inside. There was shoemakers (McArdles next to it) I don't know about the cycle shop in Bachelors Walk but there was one called Fletchers in Railway Street. I got my first ( and only) new bike from there - a Raliegh with a Sturmy Archer gear change. I can tell you I was "no goat's toe" cycling about the Low Road.
Mrs Low Roader has just informed me that there was a cycle shop in Bachelors Walk, so there must have been one!!!

hello all/
i also had a bike bought for me in fletchers in railway street also a raleigh but it was secondhand
but did did the trip to the lough and maze to swim on many occasions

i think the bike shop in batchelors walk was an offshoot to watsons garage he sold bikes as well as selling petrol
on the way to and from brownlee we used to see the son i think ? riding his big penny farthing up and down batchelors walk
good luck tom

Tom,
Did Watsons Garage sell cars?
I remember being home and driving a Chrysler 180 and going to Watsons for a new light cover.

BTW do you remember the huge Redmond Jefferson yard at the back of the picture house and right through to Bachelors Walk - or is old age really going for my memory?
LR

Low roader
I remember a really huge fire in, I think, a builder’s merchant yard opposite the back of the picture house in Graham’s Gardens. I was very young. My da carried me there on his shoulders. Exciting stuff.
Dabbler

Either JC Patterson or Smyth Patterson had a shop front on the same side as the Picture House, facing the statue of General Nicholson, ( another forum theme? ) their yard ran down to Grahms Gardens, Redmond Jefferson was near Woolworths and their yard ran out into Smithfield, if my memory serves me correctly. In my youth facing the pit was a garage owned by McCaughey. Redmond Jefferson always kept a lime pit in the back , the lime was good for whitewashing the back yard.
Donald

The bicycle repair shop in Batchelors Walk was owned and run by a chap called King Floyd (99% sure) before Fred Watson took the premises over as a garage. Bought my first new bike in William Dicks, a Humber, in 1948.

bob,
good to hear from you . i only seem to remember fred watson with the garage.. do you remember the big penny farthing?
low roader
i don,t know if watson sold cars, i think he just repaired them
tom

donald,
general nicholson would be an excellant forum subject. he was always there but no one seemed to know a lot about him
tom

Tom,
Yes, I remember the penny farthing. I think it passed to F. Watson with the premises, can't be sure though.
Bob

Hi folks, Just thought I would chip in my twopence worth on the subject of Watsons garage in Bachelors Walk. Not only did he sell petrol and bikes but he also sold and repaired cars.
I know about the cars as my Faher-in-law bought one from him. A brand spanking new one at that.
There was also a bike shop at the bottom end of Chapel Hill. I think his name was Duncan but not sure on that. I know my brother got his first bike from there. There was also one in Railway Street.

Passing comment. I have been looking at some of the changes that the city fathers have made to Lisburn and a pretty place it has turned out to be. Big changes since I last saw it in '66. Well done Lisburn.
Regards
Mercury