Lisburn Exiles Forum

(Site is no longer operational pending a major long overdue overhaul of the entire website. Thank you for your patience. Site should still be visible and searchable for old posts.)

The Lisburn Exiles Forum is dedicated to the memory of James Goddard Collins (The Boss) who single-handedly built LISBURN.COM (with a lot of help from many contributors) from 1996 to 29th November 2012. This website was his passion and helping people with a common interest in the City of Lisburn around the world is his lasting legacy.


Lisburn Exiles Forum
Start a New Topic 
1 2 3 4 5
Author
Comment
Re: Belfast

Donald, when you mentioned the Continental, it reminded me of going there for lunch once a week or so. That was in the 1950s, when I worked in the Irish News Office, and I always ordered the same dish - thick pork sausages, mashed potatoes and veg.

Re: Belfast

Tom,

Very interesting postings on here, glad you happened on the Forum, love to remember the old days" & all the familiar names.

You will not know Lisburn if you visit this year, it has changed beyond recognition. I preferred the old one, it is full of strangers now, hardly see a familiar face, wheras before everyone was a friend or foe!! [


Pat

Re: Belfast

Hi Tom thanks for the update Re! The Lucchesi Family many years ago I worked for Elmore's Fish Shop and I visited the cafe daily delevering fish, and of course the kitchen was always buzzing, years later I also deleivered to The Golden Arrow in Enniskillen to Silvano, Tom I do hope you enjoy your return visit
Regards Ted
PS Dabbler that back entrance was used often when the RUC was knocking on the front door of Eastwoods Bar as well as a short cut from the Toss Ted

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Donald Was it Rossie's

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ted
I spent more time round that toss than I did round the chapel.
Rossi's - wasn't that an ice cream shop? I remember Rossi's ice cream being as good as Kitty Malloy's.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ted
Donald Was it Rossie's[/quote

Ted I cannot remember, there was a wee shop attached to the cafe where we went down from the Tech at Lunch time and bought single ciggies, I once heard that on the first floor of that building inquests were held by the RUC. It was beside the side entrance to the Cathedral in Castle St. and was there before Montgomery,s opened.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Donald, I just remembered, this second, I did not like Montgomery's chips. Too greasy.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Loved Montogomery's fish, which I heard later was rock salmon. Went to buy it & did'nt like the look of it, too much like an eel, only pinky white. Cheap too.

Ted or Jim will know if I am right. Whatever it was it tasted lovely & fresh from Montogomery's.

Couldn't beat Millars chips in the Low Road. Only drawback was they were very slow & had a yarn with everyone they knew on our side of the counter.

Pat

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Hello Dabbler (would love to know the origins of the name)

Johnny Rossi was the nephew of my grandmother (her maiden name was also Rossi). The family eventually moved to Belfast's Antrim Road area where they resumed business. The Rossi's were originally from Edinburgh - I recall the thick Scottish accent of my grandmother which seemed out of place with her Italian matron's appearance and demeanour (hair in bun and always wearing black). She managed the Olympia Cafe in Bundoran until it was sold in the sixties. It was also owned by Battisti & Sons. She moved to the Cafe Rex in Omagh where she lived and worked until she passed away around 1966, a year or so after Tomasso's death.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Hi Tom
It is good reading your memoirs.
'Dabbler', I guess, is someone who dabbles. I have dabbled in many things, but wasn't much use at any of them, so I like the nom de plume.
In fact, I pinched it from Arthur Logue, who, I was told over fifty years ago, was The Dabbler. Arthur was the eldest of the Logue brothers. Billy, Patsy and Danny would never have known that I knew Arthur. I just had a wee drink with him one time.He was drunk when I met him, and talked absolute nonsense. That's another good reason for me to use his false name.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Hi Dabbler, Re Arthur Louge, I think Arthur is in the photo of the Retreat that Jim posted last week left hand side near the front Regards Ted

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Hi Pat, I find that hard to beleive in the early days Mongomerys sold only Cod and if you remember it was cooked to order Stewarty? Topping was frying then and you could see him putting the fish in the pan, never in all the years I deleivered to Mongomerys did I ever see them get Rock Salmon (Coley) just like the Niagra you got what was ordered and they insisted on quality and if it wasnt up to standered you took it back to were got it. ( No Arguments) honest.
Regards Ted

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ted, When did Stewart Topping start working in "Montomery's". I know he was related somehow or other to Charlie Montgomery and his wife whose name I forget. Stewart lived in Warren Gardens and I remember as a kid he worked in Belfast so I was surprised to hear that he had been working in Montgomery's, maybe he was retired and working there part time. His brother Victor I think also opened up a greengrocer's in Castle Street, correct me if I am wrong. Mauri

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ted, Just remembered Charlie's wife's name, wasn't it Lena or something like that.? Mauri

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Hi Mauri, Re Montgomerys I honestly can,t remember Montgomery's without Stewart'y and thats from the 50's as for the greengrocers I am not sure but there was a shop down beside Moodie Parkers and I am sure his first name was Victor, I have a feeling Stewart'y was related to the owners of the pub called "The Stores" which was down a yard adjacent to Jordan's shop, as for Mrs Mongomerys first name I have asked around but cant get an answer, she always attended the confectanory & Tobacco shop, Mauri sorry I cant be of more help maybe Donald will come up with something, Regards Ted

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ted, wasn't Montgomery's sweetie shop a magical place? It wasn't like any other confectioners. I loved to look at the big glass jars of sweets, so many different kinds you hardly knew what to choose. Montgomery's had sweets that no other shop kept. I loved calling in on the way to the pictures and buying a quarter pound of chocolate teacakes which were one of my favourites then.

The ice-cream parlour was unique too, all those wee circular tables and the different coloured jellies in the kitchen - orange, green, yellow, red. Then the concoctions of ice-cream - oysters, ice-cream sundaes, milk shakes, everything you could desire. AND it was spotlessly clean too.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm away again - that Mantovani has a lot to answer for.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ted, there was a Victor Parkinson who had a shop in Seymour Street. Would that have been the one you're talking about?. He later worked in the Lagan Valley Stores.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Dabbler, Montgomery's chips were never greasy. I wonder are you mixing the shop up with another one?

Montgomery's fish was beautiful and it was cod all right; pure white and so fresh it just broke away. I remember their chips too, golden and crisp. MMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Hi Ann Thats the shop I was thinking off, so it wasn't Topping, sorry Mauri, as for Mongomerys sweet shop it really was a one off, Christmas in particular Ann did you ever stand in that shop and look into there living room there was always a lovely fire in the grate the smell of the choclate and Tobacco all the Christmas wrappings, it really was a fairyland I used to think Santa lived there but then I was a late developer Regards Ted

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Yes Ted, Stewart Topping and Herbie Topping who ran the stores pub were brothers, there Dad lived a couple of houses down from where I lived as a kid. Will respond more later am on my way out to Toronto to a funeral (another one). Mauri

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ted
Hi Dabbler, Re Arthur Louge, I think Arthur is in the photo of the Retreat that Jim posted last week left hand side near the front Regards Ted

Ted
The photo would have been taken about twenty years after I met Arthur, so, difficult for me to recognize him. My guess would be the balding man second row from front, left, as you say. Strangely enough, I think I DO recognize Michael Moran. But I'm getting old.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ann
Dabbler, Montgomery's chips were never greasy. I wonder are you mixing the shop up with another one?

Montgomery's fish was beautiful and it was cod all right; pure white and so fresh it just broke away. I remember their chips too, golden and crisp. MMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Ann, I do not remember a sweete shop. The chips I recall did not match Ginesi's, or even Fusco's.
But, as I keep saing, I'm gettig old.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Dabbler, the sweetie shop was one of 3 shops Montgomerys owned. They had the chip shop, an ice-cream parlour and next door, the last shop in the row, was the confectioners.

Ted, I well remember looking into the living quarters of the shop and seeing the bright fire and cosy room. Do you remember the large boxes of chocolates that were displayed on the high shelves around Christmas time. As well as Cadburys I seem to remember Needlers as being a good chcolate too.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Coming from the Convent Hill, Montgomery s sweetie shop was the first, then the chip shop and after it the ice cream parlour´. When I was courting herself and we met in Market Sq. to go to the pictures on Saturday nights when I could afford it I stopped there to buy her a box of sweets. The shop was always warm and clean.I remember once when I gave the lady half a crown to pay for the sweets which cost about 1/6 she gave me change. I pocketed the change without checking it and she reprimanded me in a friendly way , saying " You must always check your change, I could have given you too little"!
A lesson for the future.
donald

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Donald, I think Low Road and Hilden people frequented the Castle Street area of Lisburn more than those from other parts of the town. That's why I think Dabbler can't remember Montgomery's sweet shop. He probably wasn't round there that much.

The Convent School being in Seymour Street, girls attending it, wherever they came from, would have been familiar with Montgomery's, having to pass it each morning. Not so the boys attending the Boys' School in Chapel Hill, which was their misfortune. Well, unless they were from Hilden or Low Road.

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Ann, Didn't that Victor Parkinson used to have a shop in Antrim St on the left turning in from Bow Street.? Mauri

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Mauri
Ann, Didn't that Victor Parkinson used to have a shop in Antrim St on the left turning in from Bow Street.? Mauri


Mauri
Victor Parkinson had newsagents shop in Seymour shop beside Georgie Wrights hairdressers and also sold sweets.
donald

Re: Belfast/Ritz

mauri
i remember a victor parkinson shop in antrim street just below the corner house left hand side.

dabbler
i remember montgomerys chips as very nice. but i think i remember greasy chips at lower fusco,s near the picture queque. but memories are funny at times?
tom

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Mauri,

My aunt had a friend lived in Antrim St. near Parky's (as she called him) shop. Nice wee dark haired man.

Donald,

Was the shop in Castle St. not called Parker's,.? The shop was dark & the men were tall & country looking, strong fellows.

Joe tells me one of the sons was a carpenter, who worked in Connor & Bailey's.

Pat

Re: Belfast/Ritz

Does anyone remember the shop next door to Parkers in Castle St.?

Two little old ladies owned it & when at the Convent the nun used to send two of us with the Black Baby money in a bag to them. They emptied the small coins onto the counter, all the pennies & half-pennies. We watches, mesmerised, as they deftly flicked each coin from the counter into another bag, counting as they went swiftly through the pile. When am counting change now that is the way I do it too.

Then they gave us the value in large coins or maybe a £5 note.

I was one of the lucky ones to always take the money to them & they gave us a sweet or a toffee for ourselves too.

I forget the name of this shop, it was real old fashioned & sold all the old fashioned sweets, dolly mixtures, clove rock, brandy balls, bird's nests, kali-suckers, lollipops, liquorice strings & pipes, sweetie cigarettes & real & cigarettes in 5's packets.

The two old ladies were out of the past as well. Wore long skirts & shoulder shawls. We loved going there & escaping school for a half-hour each week.

Anyone remember it.? Was it Anderson's.?

Pat

1 2 3 4 5