hello everyone, i am originally from lawnmount crescent, and when i saw people talking about the king family it brought back some lovely memories, veronica used to babysit for us when we were kid's, and i used to run about with gary and michael, veronica's younger brother's, i remember when phillip died it was really sad, so many of the younger lawnmount crescent boys died in accidents, alan humphries, jim lyness and also one of the mcmillan boy's, i was young but it was so sad. does anyone remember the portis family from lawnmount or the donegan's from lawnbrook.

Hi Donna, I and my family lived in Lawnmount Crescent
from around 1963 until 1974 approx. No 1 actually. Pat lived across the road at No 2.

I have many, many happy memories of Lawnmount Crescent and some not so pleasant as the "troubles" commenced. Pity. During the "troubles" we had our windows "put in" during July. My daughter was only 7 months old and her bedroom was the one that was attacked. I never forget that glass shards covered her wee face. Luckily, she never moved or she would have been disfigured.

After that, every 11th night, the boss and I sat up all night WATCHING. Not blaming anyone, there are bad people on both sides. Our next door neighbours were disgusted when they heard what had happned on 11th night. They were out that night. Good people, good neighbours.


I remember all those young fellas who died. My cousin's son, Philip King, killed in a road accident, aged 18 or so. He was a twin. His brother is still alive and well.

I also remember young Lyness, a police constable, who was killed, also in a car accident. (Victor?) Cannot be sure of his name, but a lovely, young lad who was was a neighbour.

Wish, as I suppose everyone does, that we could go back in time.

On that note, I'll say "goodnight".

RIP VAN WINKLE.

Pat

Hi donna,
Do you remember which one of the McMillans got killed we used to live across the road at No 27 I remember Dennis John Billy and a daughter I think was called Jennifer I spoke wih Bobby in 1998 when was back home I don't remember it being mentioned when I went back in 2000 they had gone.
Cheers Gordon Dowds

Gordon, do you remember the house we lived in? It was an end house and the steps ran up the side of it and led to the McMillans and other houses. We had a very big garden and by the time the boss had the huge hedges cut, it was time to start over again. Pat lived directly across the road in an end house too.

I remember the McMillan family. There was John, Dennis, Billy & Paul (twins). Paul died and I never knew the cause, some illness anyhow. Then there was Thomas and Simon. The only girl was called Kim. Another brother has since died. All I can tell you is that it is NOT Simon or John as I was speaking to someone recently and she told me they were still alive. Their father died over a year ago. I saw the mother in our GP practice recently and she's just a wee old, white-haired woman. So different as to how I remember her from those days.

Gordon, forgot to say that Thomas is still alive too.

i think paul died of cancer, thomas i think married one of the gordon girls the eldest one called barbara from lawnbrook drive. do you also remember the constellas, they lived across the road and their daughter was a lovely girl, though for the life of me i can't remenber her name.

Donna, Thomas did marry the late Gordon Graham's daughter. They live not far away from us, just down the main Pondpark Road.

The girl Costello was called Ursula. She worked for years as a receptionist in a hairdresser's in Antrim Street. More recently, I heard she had taken up photography and took photographs of new born babies in Lagan Valley. She had a nice looking brother. I think his name was Damien. Their late father worked in the Dyehouse in Barbour Threads. Nice people. The mother is still alive and well.

hi ann,
now that you say the name i remember it, she was a lovely girl and i remember her brother damien he had black hair and a moustache, did he play football? ann do you remember the kingsberries, i used to play with two boys called anthony and kevin, and a younger girl called arlene, the mum's name was kathleen, she had a sister called mary, there was a lot of them,francie, christine she was a nurse in the lagan valley, i think kathleen moved away not sure. godness this brings back so many memories.

Donna, you mean the Kingsmores. I remember them all well. The mother is now dead. Paul, a son, also died a few years ago from a massive heart attack. Don't know what happened to the rest of the family unfortunately.

There was a family named Kingsberry in Lawnbrook Drive. The son was called David and the daughter Glynis. I knew their parents, worked with their father actually in Barbour Threads. (that place again).

Donna, when did you live in Lawnmount? I mean, what year?

Thanks for the info Ann I do remember the steps and your house I remember when we had the tail end of a hurricane go through and nearly blew us off the steps must have been in the sixties I think, the Bain family lived next to the McMillans and Peggy Dunlop lived next door to us she lost her daughter to an asthma attack and Mrs Bain died in her sleep the year of the big snow storm when we had to dig ourselves out of the front door, I remember the Smiths (Declan)he was in the Army and the Addises(Selby)and further round was an old deaf and dumb couple can't remember their name my mum used to talk to them in sign language I remember the Kingsmores they lived at the bottom of the hill across the road and Hills shop my mum used to send me for 5 woodbine.
Gordon

Gordon, Peggy Dunlop was in the maternity ward with me when my eldest was born in July 1962. She had a little girl who turned out to have some sort of syndrome. She was a lovely wee girl, you would never have known there was anything wrong with her. That wee girl didn't die as I still see her in town with her sister, very occasionally mind you. I think I remember the other daughter dying right enough.

Mrs Dunlop hadn't much health herself but she was a friendly and pleasant woman.

I knew the Bains too - some of them worked in Barbour Threads (that place again).

Knew the Smiths as well. Geraldine lives in US this long time.

Gordon, wasn't Hills a great wee shop/supermarket? I remember coming home at lunch-time from Barbours, rushing up to Hills for a few messages, coming home, maybe hanging out clothes or made the beds - whatever. Had a quick lunch and back to work - all in three quarters of an hour.

Could I do that now? - NO WAY.

Gordon, do you remember the Young family. Vera and Andrea? Vera was at the Tech same time as me.

Gordon, do you remember the boys who used to set fire to our hedge? Do you even remember our hedge being set on fire? I don't know what age your were then. Let me know. I DO remember Simon McMillen in a nappy running around the green. Would you have been in nappies?. I think Simon is now a schoolteacher of English as my daughter went to evening class with his wife, and she was able to tell her this.

Setting the hedge on fire was nothing to do with the Troubles mind you, as they hadn't started, just devilment. That was an awful nuisance. I would be making the dinner and happen to check the baby in the pram at the front door. What I was confronted with was our hedge on fire. Hubby was at work and I was at home with at least a couple of small children. Of course, I ran over to the hedge but by that time the perpetrators had long gone. I can't remember what I did at the time, goodness knows. The steps were a thoroughfare and our long hedge was just adjacent to the steps. I always blamed the Dalzells although I heard later that it might have been the McIlweens. Do you remember them? I mean, the McIlweens?

I can also remember cleaning the windows, in the evening, particularly upstairs. I was able to place myself out through the window, sitting facing the window, on the window ledge, and clean away. I could see all over the green. God, I was so young then and so full of energy, as was the boss. I can still remember (wish it was now) that I couldn't sit down. I had to be doing something, cleaning, playing with the children, whatever. The boss was kept busy, after a whole day's work in Belfast, doing the large garden. He would have been in the garden until 11.30 pm in the summer evenings.

My oldest son remembers that we always sent him to bed when "The Avengers" started.

Happy Days.

What about "Dr Finlay's Casebook"? Loved that on a Sunday night.

AND what about "Dallas", later on though. Eveeryone discussed the episode of "Dallas" next morning in work. One day my mother was walking up Leamington Place. Our next door neighbour was walking in the other direction, coming down. He shouted over to my mother "Mrs Lavery, who shot JR"?

Donna, re the Kingsmores. My eldest son tells me it was Mickey (Michael) who died from the heart attack. I know he had at least one son, who was in the house on the night Mickey had the heart attack. He and his wife were separated, I think, and Mickey had the son that weekend.

God Bless Him.

Ann,
NoI don't remember your hedge being set on fire but I do remember the Dalzells I was born in 1952 moved to Lawnmount aged 2 from Magheragall moved to Knockmore in around 1964 Liz Bain moved to Knockmore when she got married. I came to Australia in 1971 had not been home in 27 years then went back in 98 got the bug and have been back 5 times since and will be home again in July this year.

Gordon

Gordon, we just about missed each other in Lawnmount. We moved there around 1963 and you left in 64.

Maybe see you in Lisburn in July.

hi ann,
been away all weekend, it's a big holiday here in cyprus, so have been on the beach,bbqing and flying kites for katharn deutera loosely translated green monday or clean monday the official starting of lent in the greek calendar, i lived in lawnmount from august 1968, when i was born we lived at the other side then just across from the dalzell's and the magees, but my nanny lived in number 19 rachel portis, she did the granny shift in barbour threads, all my aunts also worked there ray, violet, agnes and my uncle billy johnston who lived just up from you,in a flat above victor and mina lyness, my mother was isobel portis, and my aunt rose worked in the tea packing, montgomery bells i think you called it, she was married to rinty graham, our family then moved to number 19 when my nanny went to live in rathfrisland, i left lawnmount in 1990 and moved to old warren for a couple of years before moving to killowen grange, we left killowen in 2000 to move to cyprus, where we still live. it's so nice to hear some old names, sorry to hear about kathleen, i remember mrs dunlop she was a lovely woman, she had a son also, i remember a family that lived in your house, well the kid's anyway, bronagh would have been the youngest, an older sister called heather and a boy called ian, are they part of your family? i remember geraldine also, she used to play a lot of football, and her brother francie as well.

Donna, small world. I don't remember your mother, Isobel, but I do remember your aunt Rose. I remember she had a son, just forget his name. He had fair hair and looked a bit like a nephew of mine. Is your Aunt Rose still alive? I remember the sisters too but wouldn't have known their individual names.

Victor & Mina were good neighbours who lived a couple of doors from us. We lived next door to the Corkin family. Do you remember them? Then, across the road, next door to Pat, was Mrs McHenry, next to that was Fay Smith.

You're lucky to have the year long sun in Cyprus. It is quite cold today and late this afternoon the rain started. I console myself that they're April showers in March.

Donna, the girl named Bronagh is my niece and god-daughter. She is my sister Pat's youngest and Bronagh now lives in Canada. Her sisters were called Sheena and Deirdre, her brother were Kieran, Ternan and Aaron. Do you remember the names?

Ian, Fiona and Maura McHenry lived next door.

Our house was straight across from Pat's, an end house. If you remember Bronagh, you might remember Colette, my daughter, who is the same age.

hi ann,
yes my aunt rose is still alive and well, raymond is her son, he works abroad a lot and only visits lisburn occassionly, my aunt rose remarried and now lives in hillhall, yes i think i remember those names but only vague faces, the girl i played with now and again had brown hair and eyes, with freckles on her nose and she used to wear her hair in braids.

hi ann,
i remember ian, he had a boxer dog and used to ride a motorbike, i think he played with the heasley boys or maybe the smyth boy's, do you remember them? their dad was george smyth the postman, mina and victor used to mind me when i was younger, i loved them and their little black poodle called pepe. do you remember the people who lived next to them they had a big dog called major/captain and it used to wear this muzzle, i was terrified of it. ann, do you remember a woman called teasie who used to live next door to the marr's family just down form vera and walter king, again this was another lovely woman, who was so nice to all us kids.weather here was glorious again today ann, but once the sun goes down at about 4 o'clock it get's cold, but then again it's a lot better than home, so i suppose i really shouldn't complain, ann thanks for the replies, you are bringing back some very nice memories for me, take care, donna

Donna, yes, Ian had a boxer dog. I don't remember the motobike but that could have been after we left. There was another sister, Alison.

I knew Teesie - her surname was Watters. She had a big family. She's still alive and well although has been living over the Co Down for donkey's years now. I see her occasionally.

I do remember the wee black dog - I had forgotten about it. The dog you mention, Captain, or Major, did it belong to the Harveys? They lived on the other side of Fay Smith. I remember taking one of the children up to the doctor. When I came back our young cat was lying dead in amongst the flowers. I was told that Harvey's dog had been seen "worrying" it.

The other Smyths I remember too. They had two sons, one who wore an eye patch for a while to correct a "lazy" eye.

I also remember a girl called Johnson. I think she worked in the mill. She was quite plump, with rosy cheeks and fair hair. She would have been related to you.

Other names to remember are Heasley and Carroll.

yes, ann you are right the dog was owned by the harvey's, i couldn't remember their name, i'm glad teesie is alive and well, though she must be a right age now, the johnston girl is my cousin lorraine, she now lives in delachorois avenue, married with two kid's and a couple of grandkids, ivan was the boy who wore the eyepatch, he also had a brother called david, the heasley boy's were kenny and thomas, thomas used to play table tennis for northern ireland, the heasley's also adopted a girl called cathy i used to play with her and the kerr girl's maria, cathy, patricia and roselene, they had two brothers called michael and robert, micheal used to work in vincy dornan's butchers next door to gabriel's butcher's, do you remember them? they are related to the grogan's from hugenot drive.

Donna, yes I remember the Kerrs. I remember their parents better, but I do remember a couple of the sons. I cannot remember the daughters at all. The Kerrs lived round the corner from us I think.

The butcher Gabriel, who you mention, now lives in Florida. Donald, one of the regular Forumers, is married to Gabriel's wife's sister and they've just gone over for 3 weeks' holiday. Better than serving pork sausages, eh?

Donna, remember the end house we lived in, the one with the steps running up the side? Well, a detached house has been built in the large side garden. It's newly built and for sale. The garden that the boss trimmed so beautifully and tended so lovingly. Whoever would have thought all those years ago that a house would now stand there.

ann, never would have believed that a house now stands in your old garden, but then again it was massive, it ran from the bottom of the steps to the top, i went on a website, and they seem to be doing a lot of redevelopement in lawnmount and also hilden, is the park still there, the big green hill, and the green just in front of your house, where they used to play football,are danny and patsy care still alive and well? do you remember the rooney's or the finlay's.

Donna, I'm replying late tonight. I can't sleep - I think it's down to the lack of alcohol. I went to bed but had to get up again.

Anyway, to answer your questions. The big green is still there. The "wee park" you and I knew and loved went to wreck and ruin. Don't even ask!!!!. Recently, a new "wee park" was developed. Not anything like the old one, but children are playing there and that's the main thing.

The EMB Hall is no longer there. Flats are built on the ground now.

I cannot remember the Rooneys, except for a couple who lived in a flat opposite Hills. They had a son; was that the ones you mean? Danny Kerr died quite a few years ago. I never see Patsy, but I am sure she is still alive.

Talk to you soon.

Donna, just looked back on your questions. I forgot to answer one. The big green hill you talk about (the horses' field, as our ones called it) is now a housing development.

Donna, how long is it since you were home?

You wouldn't know the Low Road now, never mind Lisburn.

Donna, do you remember the Sterritts?; I only remember Barbara and Anne's names but there was another girl.

hi ann,
it's been almost 7 years since i was home, i now the horsie's field is now hilden court, i remember the fun we used to have on the witches hat in the park, many a day i used to go home feeling so sick, but it was fun at the time... the rooney's had a son called robert don't know what ever happened to him, sorry to hear about danny, he was a very quiet man.. i remember the sterrits, but only barbara and anne, one lived in the flats next to the braithewaites and one lived in glenmore, what about the mcardles they lived above teesie, i think maybe they emigrated to america, sean used to drink with my dad now and again,do you remember the woman mina who used to live above mr's mcclure in the flats just across from walter and vera, she was really a bit weird.going to have a wee drink myself tonite ann, am working 2 moro, but am only painting, we are doing a bit of refurb to our bar and restaurant before the season start's. take care and i hope you sleep better 2 nite. donna

hi ann,
just read on one of the other pages, that your hubby is going in for surgery, hope all goes well for him,take care, god bless.
donna