Now that we are approaching the summer holiday season for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere I would find it interesting to hear anyone’s favourite holiday spot at home.
Mine would have to be Newcastle as it has many happy memories of camps with the Boys Club. The amusements do not appear to have changed much over the years and the walk along the promenade towards the harbour still evokes happiness as does recalling the times we climbed to the top of Slieve Donard from the park and came down out by The Bloody Bridge and walked back into town.
My second most favourite spot would be Portstewart, simply because it was the scene of our first family holiday - a week at a B & B on the sea front up near the convent.
Low Roader

Hi Lowroader,

I recall doing the things you mention in Newcastle and Portstewart in the late 40,s.
One particular instance happened to a good friend [Namely 40 Coats]of mine and myself while on a Sunday School Excursion by train to Newcastle. One train daily in and out of Newcastle.
We 2 got carried away in the little row boats and forgot about the time . Needless to say the return train had left us stranded,and with NO Money in our pockets. What were we to do. We decided to go to the Police Station and have them contact the Hillsborough police, and they in turn could get in touch with our parents,[ who were not amused].!!!
As I tell the story today. WE SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE SLAMMER.!!! The Lord.

newcastle was always a great place. i always go there
even now on trips home.
christ church clb used to hire a church hall there and we all slept on straw palliases for a week getting cigarettes out of the machine in the amusements and a guilty puff on the beach do you remember that beano?
also a tent in portrush every year for the big motorcycle race. was it north west 200?
good luck to all

A day at Omeath on the 12th with great Uncle Ned, walk to Lisburn station through Wallace Park, train to Warrenpoint ( stopping at Gorawood, Poyntzpass, etc ), boat over to Omeath , filled to capacity, Accordian player entertaining us, immediatly upon arrival buying things which couldn,t be bought or were more expensive in the North at the stalls each side of the Landing Jetty with the money we got sent from Aunt Mary in America.
Meeting Great Uncle Barney and wife Cassie in Doyles pub, ham sandwiches, orange mineral. Then an afternoon Jaunting car trip to Calvary and Carlingford.
Home to Lisburn in opposite sequence, into bed, tired but happy.
Donald

Bangor for the row boats/ Newcastle for amusements and fun/ The Mournes, Annalong, Kilkeel, Castlewellan Park for scenery and nature loving stuff/ Terrella and Dundrum for beaches/ Butlins holiday camp for a wild time/ The Tara bar in Omeath for a Sunday drink ( or Presho’s barn at Revarnette) Donald, do you remember the cheap cigarette lighters that were sold at Omeath with the flip up cap, they lasted for ever?

Hello Sean, I’m not sure what year, but I remember a few names from the late 50’s early 60’s from up Warren Gardens. Larry Fullerton, Kenny Evans, Kenny Kane, Margaret and Jim Beatty, Tommy Morrison, Winston and Victor Robinson

Terry

Terry
how could I forget them , the company I worked for used them to advertise their product, I still have some ,if you collect lighters let me have your address I,ll send you one
Donald

Hello all,

Newcastle was always my favourite and for all the things Lowroader mentioned. Yes Tom I remember well the CLB "camps",wonderful memories. I remember our first family holiday so well, it was at a farmers cottage at the Ballycopeland Windmill near Millisle,it was two weeks of sheer heaven, how easy we were to please back then.

Beano

Newcastle and Portrush were my favourites, but how well I remember the boat trip to Omeath, it was usually a rough crossing. But it was worth it to find all those treasures to bring home.
Incidently, Margie and Jim Beatty are my cousins. Margie still lives in the same house and Jim is in Canada. Haven't seen him since we were kids.
I am in Pennsylvia, USA.

If I remember rightly, there were two colours of boat on the Warrenpoint - Omeath run - Blue and Red (or blue and White).
Warrenpoint was a favourite place for bus trips as was Dundalk at that time.
Rationing was still in place at home in those far off days.( I am giving my age away here)
Low Roader

With you all the way on this on Low Roader,my Mother and another lady from Mercer St. used to run buses to both Warrenpoint and Dundalk. I remember one time being with them and I wasn't very old at the time, they wrapped yards of curtain material round me and stuck cooked ham inside my coat, I looked like Billy Bunter. I don't know how we got away with it.

Beano

Sorry about the typo. that should be Pennsylvania.
Sylvia L.

It is funny that you should mention bus trips Beano as we used to have them from The Low Road also.
They were organised by Stanley Keery (from Victory St, Tommy Roberts and my daddy).
They also went to Dundalk and Warrenpoint and sometimes to Portrush. They were very well organised as everyone had a seat number allocated. Us young ones were accommodated on wooden planks placed in the aisle between the seats. Heaven forbid if you were late back to the bus as the three of them would ban you from the next trip. In those days they (and the SS trips) were our only “holidays”.
I still remember tales told by the men who were taken of the bus by the Gardai at the border to be searched and the tales of the “hammerings” they got if contraband was found made our hair stand on end. I would venture a guess that there was just a wee bit of exaggeration used in order to get the “sympathy vote.”
I well remember that cigarettes were a favourite commodity( I wonder if they still do Sweet Afton and Afton Major.)
There was always a loud cheer when we left the customs post at Newry and the bus was soon like a “pea souper” with cigarette smoke.
Those really were the days you know.

I don't ever remember going to Dundalk, but I do remember that my dad, Billy Thompson used to. This would have been after the rationing, in the mid '50s. He must have gone on a bus run. Your remark LR about the gardai brought back memories which are a bit scanty. My mum had told us children dad had gone to get us Easter eggs, but the hour was late and dad hadn't returned.............

Sunday morning revealed a battered dad who had had a good beating by the gardai. We listened to him in awe as he described his ordeal, and at the end he said dramatically with a roll of his eyes, AND THE EASTER EGGS WENT ROLLING DOWN THE STREET!

Happy Easter everyone!

Liz

Lowroader
Another favourite holiday spot for a day trip was Tyrella, sandy beach, where, after paying two shillings to drive through the owners land you were allowed to drive your car onto the beach. It was a favourite spot for Pete Richard , Hugh McWilliams and that gang on Sunday, they stocked up on Saturday with Guiness and grilled chickens from Elmores. We were lucky if we got a few sandwiches with us. Once when I worked in the Tilley Lamp we were allowed to borrow the gas grills I spoke about. I think I borrowed the Tilly Twosome and my girlfriend ( now my wife ) and I made a pot of tea and heated soup. Like Lowroader said " I was no Goat,s toe ".
Until I came home and my Dad kicked my ass as the message reached him that I was driving our old Austin up and down the beach and salty sand was known to cause corrosion to the chassis. Some kind neighbour had nothing else to do but knock our door and squeal on me.
Donald

Donald,
I am ashamed to say that despite, literally hundreds of visits to Newcastle and many drives past the entrance to Tyrella beach I have never been on the actual beach. Many people I know confirm your description of the place and I promise I shall make a point of going there on my next scheduled visit home in July.
Have you ever been on The Alantic Drive on the north west coast of Donegal. It is spectacular with strands like main roads.
Magilligan strand is another huge beach.