Has the subject of the "Fly side" in Lisburn been discussed yet. Was,nt it something? All the young people met there on a Sunday night & paired off some for life? We had something special there? No one will convince me it is a better life for the young people now? Bow St. Antrim St. Bachelor,s Walk then up Railway St. packed with fun & games for all. What can compare to it now? Nice to make your aquaintance on this page, were u one of us on the "Fly side of long ago"? Let,s relive some of the old memories.

Hi Henpickerento,

I was a Fly Side Stroller, never had much luck though.
There was also a Fly Side on the Malone Road , going up past Queen's University on the other side .My destiny was to be elsewere.
Welcome to the Lisburn Exiles.

Tommy .

Up early and got the rubbish out - and the recycling bins. Do they do that in Lisburn? By the way, did you mean HenpEckerento?

The fly side continued up the Magheralave Rd down the lover's lane unto the Antrim Rd as well. I can't remember the name of the lane but the army closed it as it was on the perimetor of the camp I presume after the camp was bombed. Can you remember the lane's name ? Yes, we recycle in Lisburn but we still have to take glass to private recycling.

I have names of places in my memory, some of which may have had different names, and some of which almost certainly don't exist today. My dad often mentioned the Dog Kennel Loanin. I can't recall, if indeed I ever knew, where that was. There was a Lovers' Lane, perhaps off the Magheralave Road, though I don't really remember where even that was. And a Dummy's Lane, left off the Antrim Road going toward, I think, Ballymacash. Out there, was there a Black Mountain? I think I picked blueberries there , with my dad, for Granny to make jam. Blackberries of course, but blueberries were rarer.
But 'Henpickento' wants to talk about the Fly Side.
Yes, that was fun, even for a spectator like myself. Most of the time the lads leaned up against the wall while the girls paraded by in their finery, stopping to chat, and sometimes pairing off with one of the lads.

Sunday night was " Fly side night " in Lisburn long ago. The best " Observation post " was the steps at the Picture house as it was slightly raised. Like Dabbler said the girls in their finery parading in pairs around Market Sq, us boys, hair sleeked down with Brylcream, shoes polished , chomping at the bit.
Oh to be young again. Oh well off to celebrate Bavarian Beer Day, I remember an old fitter in Mackies almost 50 years ago telling me two things, Nr 1 " You will look back and think how short life was" . Nr 2." Eating and drinking is sex for the older generation "So - off for some !!! (Beer of course ).
Donald

Donald, methinks Nr 2 is enforced!

Dabbler et all
Did you ever notice that the girls always walked on the " Fly Side " in pairs? I once heard that this was beneficial to both parties. The good looking girl had no competition and had her pick of the fellows and the lesser good looking girl got what was left over. Both were happy. The same could apply to us fellows I suppose.
Donald

Donald, I always went home with m' mate. What does that tell ya? No, we weren't!

Was it Stockmans Lane ?

bob you,ve got a great memory i was trying to think of it but it is stockmans lane i think as you say. it was part of our gang,s walking tracks as boys
i seem to remember it as being alive with midgies so don,t know how the ' lovers' coped with it?

Tom

I think the Midges went to bed at dusk. I coped OK.

Bob

Murphy's lane had a lot of dolling dens in it.
" Fortycoats ", can vouch for that as he and i were chased by a frequent user once.
Lord Downshire

Hi Dabbler,
"Peck" looks the job right enough, I like your sense of fun. It was what me Da used to say to us when we asked him who said or did something & he did,t want us to know. Henpickerento r Henpeckerento. Take your pick - or peck.

Who r u telling, Tommy? U must have had some luck. I always make my own. There were plenty to go round on the fly-side, r were u too particular.?

Hi Margaret, let u into a secret. We ( use the royal we as there were always more than 1 together) never left the town for Magheraleve Rd,etc, unless we had "clicked" Then we headed for there, Duncans Dam, The Rookery, The "Dummy,s Lane" then sometimes back down the Belsize Rd.

Hey come on Dabbler , a man like U a spectator, r u pulling my leg r what? U could have kept the girls in quare fettle with ur chat. That was the trick chat them up then u "clicked"

Donald u r a learned man >Do u know when the "Fly side" petered out? It was going strong in 1952.

Lord Downshire the blundell hill on carnreagh road was well used as a dolling den, the ban road in dromore was used as flyside many moons ago, gooooood day Fortycoats.

Being henpecked m'self, that seemed the more likely.
As we all say when we get older, if only I knew then what I know now!
Yes, I would have talked the hind legs off them - or something like that!

Dabbler, I wish I had known you when you were in Lisburn. I was born in 1941. Was that before you time? Anyhow, you're great craic.

Henpicker
I " spotted " on the fly side in the early sixties it was then the whole go, after meeting my girlfriend now wife 1961, me being a good Irish Catholic immediately stopped spotting and did not even think about such evil things.
Donald