Dabbler/Donald,

Dabbler your spelling was the same as the one I got on a summons from "Ginger". I supposedly threw a firework in front of a car, it was actually Dominic Ginesi, but I was the one our friendly cop caught. I went to court and was fined half a crown, which thankfully, Mr.Ginesi paid.

Beano

Beano
I liked that one.

I, together with three mates got summonsed in 1960 for cycling at Dunmurray four abreast, what a lot of criminals we were then. Some Lowroaders were taken to court I remember for " progging " Hilden orchard.
I imagine the Justice would be happy today to be mainly confronted with such " Criminals"!
Donald

Lillie's chip shop was in Bridge St. on the left hand side going down, they sold hot pies & peas & was crowded after the night classes in the Tech. They sold ice-cream too I remember being refused any more after eating copious amounts with another glutton. A Mr. Mc Carthy threw us out. Happy days. Joe Burns.

I must correct my mistake about Lillies chip shop. It was Refaussies Ice-cream parlour Joe Speirs (since deceased) & I were thrown out of that night. Lillies was below that, his daughter went to Lisburn Tech same time as my wife. Time plays many tricks on the memory or was it the Guiness & the Jameson???? Joe

These are all 'smiley' little stories for an old sentimentalist like me. Except the reference to Harry Chapman, who, I confirm, was not a nice man.
I cannot recall Grizzle Dalzell, but the name rings loudly in my mind, probably from tales I heard in childhood.
Wee Davy Jones, as I wrote previously, I knew fairly well. He once pinched my wee skinny ten-year-old thigh with his man's hand that matched only the size of his head. That was at the corner of Antrim Place, facing Batchelors Walk, where he often stood. The Scotsman named Davis, again mentioned some time ago, often stood there as well.
Charley Docherty usually got a handout of some sort when he knocked our door with his knobbly stick, though my mother was least able to afford what she gave. Poor wee woman, I'm not sure if she was very generous, or if she thought it would bring her luck. She always had knives and scissors sharpened when doorknockers offered, and rarely refused a sprig of heather from a gypsy.

Dabbler,
Davy Jones once owned an old Armstrong Sidley car with pre select gears which stood at the entry to " Buggy Row". Shortly before his death he married and I,m almost sure there were offspring. His custom made car can still be seen in the Transport museum near Bangor. I attended his funeral sometime in the late sixties, I would almost bet the cortage left St Patrick,s Church, but cannot be sure. if my memory serves me right Father Joachim ( Little ) was related to him.

my father big frank graham used to carry davy jones to the dart matches out at reids corner when he threw for the pride of ulster.

How come no top darts throwers from the oul sod?

I thoroughly enjoyed your story about Billy Dalzell (Grizzle) I recall my grandfather telling stories of Billy and his prowess in being able to read and write and was called on to read the telegrams and letters for his friends and neighbours. I think i can recall that he was a great pigeon fancier. He was my grandfather's brother.
Lady Clanwilliams owned the Montalto estate in Ballynahinch or Hinchnaball as was affectionately called

i remember Mickey Sharky from Hilden,it was said he once took a girl to the "Pictures",and at the cash box he bought one ticket,The girl complained "I have no money' He said 'I will pay for you ,you can pay me later" Iam sorry but that is the story I heard,60 years ago...Frank

I remember Hughie Cunningham from Haslems lane and his wife Minnie,rag & bone man with a horse called "Airborne"He won a bit of money on Airborne when it won the The Grand National and bought the horse soon after,she wore a shawl and they had a half -door ,very traditional....Frank

A character on the Longstone was Dicky Doods ,I would like to hear about him!...frank

It is alleged that Micky Sharky once took a girl to the Picture House in Lisburn.At the ticket box he bought only one ticket.The girl very embarrased said " I dont have any money" he says "that"s OK I will lend you the money" the girl went inside with him ,but was so mortified after 20 minutes,she left the Cinema in tears and ran home to her Mum,and told her the story.Her Mum took her back to the Cinema and caught Micky coming out."here is your money you miser"she says"Micky says there was no hurry,you could have given it to me to-morrow"I believe he was some sort of clerk or under-manager at Barbours Mill.......Frank

I remember Davy Anderson,we were good friends during our schooldays.He lived directly opposite St.Josephs Hall .Sorry to hear of his death,last time I saw him was 1955 in Wuppertal in Germany where he was Stationed and I was Hitch-hiking during the Summer holidays.He loved the Army!Very nice chap!....frank

I recall Eamon o"connor Trinity Terrace ,one of our oddballs along with his friend Jimmy Nelson Insurance agent, The first caller when a new baby arrived,both harmless characters in the scene....Frank

Geordie Wright was faster..Seymor St.

Hi my name is Deborah Searson and I come from Manchester.
My grandad was sammy castles he was married to may castles who had Margaret (my mam) Eva, Mabel, elizabeth, Jackie,Thomas (who is very poorly with cancer now), Trevor and Samuel (samuel who sadly died very young in an acciden). They lived in ward ave in Lisburn.

Sadly my grand parents and my mam are no longer with us. My mam (Margaret, I lost to cancer in 1997).

My dad Robert Searson was from cookstown but he also died here in Manchester in an accident at work.

Would be great to here of any stories about any of my relatives as I never got the opportunity to spend time with them in my later years.

Did you also know when we was kids and I used to go back to Lisburn with my mam, wee davey jones wanted to marry her and I remember staying at his house he had a little ladder up to his bed and a funny little car.

Be nice to hear from you
Deborah Searson
From manchester

Deborah, nice to hear from you. I remember your mother, Margaret, also your uncle, Jackie. We all lived in the Low Road. Your mother and Jackie lived around Grove Street, not sure exactly where. I suppose I got to know them when we all went paddling in the Wee Pool during the long summer months when we were on school holidays. Your mum was a nice girl. I didn't know her very well, only as someone in a crowd of girls playing games, including myself.

Your uncle Jackie I seemed to know a bit better. I think it's because he is still living in Lisburn and I get to say "Hello" to him now and again.

I hope someone else will have more stories to tell. I know everyone likes to hear of their family's early days. Jackie could probably fill you in too. I saw Jackie a couple of months ago although he didn't see me - I think he was talking to someone in the town. Hope he is still well.

Good Luck.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these old posts again, and felt a wee bit sad to hear of the death of Margaret Castles. I remember her working as a teenager in the Island mill. She was a quiet girl. Her dad's reputation as a very tough man was enough to protect her from unwanted attention.
Deborah, I never knew you grandad, but I was very much aware of his reputation as an ex-boxer.Once, a hard wee mate of mine got a black eye in a pub in Lisburn. The guy who hit him was a bit of a handful. The next day he sent for my mate to meet him at the same pub, apologized, and bought him a drink. My hard wee mate later told me that your granda was there, and said, in front of the whole pub, that if he thought it would be any use, he would take the guy outside and give him a good hiding.
In short, nobody messed with Sammy Castles.
It is around sixty years since I knew your mother, but I DO remember, and feel sadness at your loss.

Hi Dabbler,I remember all these characters from the 1940's&50's. doe's anyone recall a man called Sonny McAnally. he lived next to the salvation army opposite the market. he was similar to Harry Chapman and dealt in scrap metal.
there was a man called Billy Goldie who lived up the green, he was an odd sort.

Leo



Your name drew me back to this entertaining episode.



I am very surprised that you recall Billy Goldie, who is at the very earliest of my memories. I DO recall that he lived on the lower end of Bullicks Court, not up on 'the green'; about number eight actually, on the far side of the byre before it was demolished; and I clearly recall that everyone knew that Billy was an atheist - or so said my ma.

The characters that I remember in Lisburn are. Dixie Munn the artist with only tiny short arms. Bobby Griffin the cripple who used to attend just about every funeral in town and also had a running battle with "Nuck Nuck" Davy Stewart and of course Charlie Dougherty who I first saw in the late 30s doing his door to door rounds. Police Constable Chestnut I also consider a character, he lived in Warren Park Drive with his family, his son Billy went to the Central with me and later joined the RAF he also had several daughters whose names I'm not sure of but I remember being in Lisburn one time in the early 60s and going to a dance in the Orange Hall and walking home after the dance with several girls going my way and one was a Chestnut whose name I can't remember. Who could also forget "Sticky Sloan" the doorman at the Picture House, Mauri

Mauri, I remember some of the people you mention, including Sticky Sloan. I think the man who attended all the funerals was John Jefferson from the Low Road. He was harmless but a nuisance as he joined anyone going up the Low Road and commenced a conversation about various nonsenses. My mother encouraged him much to my dismay.

I can still smile when I think of wee Billy Dunleavey repeating the words from a song: They're coming to take me away haha! Even then, I thought how true that could be. God bless Billy, one of the daftest characters I knew. If there is anyone out there with a nasty story about Billy, P ISS OFF!