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wee shops

Thinking back to my childhood and the wee shops in Lisburn. Anyone remember Ginny Blacks?. Carlisles grocery shop opposite Cummins butchers in Bow Street also comes to mind. In the 40s my mother shopped there ( sometimes on tick ). I also remember Johnny Finches market garden beside the Lagan. That is over 60 years ago. Where have the years gone?
donald

Re: wee shops

I well remember Ginny Blacks I was often in there as a kid before and during the war. It was a kids paradise although I think the only thing I purchased there was a couple ofdinky toys (remember those).so it must be around 70 odd tears since U was in it. Carlisle's Grocery store was where Jim Collin's Father started off in the Grocery business, he of course in the mid 30s opened up his own Grocery Store on the Longstone.
There were several wee shops that I liked as a kid. Dowling's and Livingstone's on the Longstone and then of course when I went to work in the Post Office in Railway Street there was Smalll"s right facing the Post Office. I knew the two sons Raymond and Gorden,Raymond went to work in Scotland Yard and Gorden went to New Zealand but later returned and I met up with him in Sydney on his was home and we had a night out on the town, Gordern really got his eyes opened as Sydney was just beginning to liven up with new liquor regulations. He got married on his return to Lisburn and during the early 60s I bumped into him in Lisburn Your right Donald where have the years gone its now over 68 years since I first left Lisburn Mauri

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millers shop was there beside jinny blacks also turners vegetable shop with accomadation on second floor,jimmy thompsons grocery shop also close by

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aI mentioned previously a shoemaker in Bow Street. I think it was nearly opposite Antrim Street, and may have been there only in the forties. I used to like watching the little head nod on the wooden doll, a pretend shoemaker. I wrote a composition at school saying that was my favourite shop window. My teacher thought that slightly odd, I recall, as did the son of the shoemaker, one Sean McStay, a lad who once had the misfortune to be shorter than I was.

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Another was William Dick´s bicycle shop beside the police barracks, I think he was of German origin. Thinking about it there were quite a lot of German names in and around Lisburn. I remember reading that after the war the International Red Cross organised that about a million German orphans were offered temporary homes in Ireland and as a form of thanks the German Government erected a monument as acknowledgement to this.Ireland and its people are still respected as friendly and helpful by Germans.
donald

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Billy Dicks wasn't quite beside the Police barracks but close. He had the contract for reparing the Post Offfce bikes of which there were quite a few. He had a louid voice that you could hear a mile away. He also had two lovely daughters that were occasionaly in the shop thwy were much older than me unfortunatley.????

Another shop that comes to mind though this one was not so wee was "Moores" in Warren park I remember being in there before the war with my friend Sammy Toppinmg we must have been about seven years old and Sammy decided he wanted a chocalate bar so took ne then took off without paying and me after him. OLd man Moore also came after us to get his chocalate bar back and also went to Sammy's house and told his parents, he had a sore backshide for awhile. Mauri


























T

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Mauri How about Mc Cormick's !, Chitticks were Ronnie Watkins use to shop ! Maddens, and wasn't there a sweet shop called O Haggens beside Jinne Blacks ? and the bold Johnny Carlisle's,and Skelly's beside Ginesie's
Quinn & Downeys pub sorry I'm all over the town (sorry City) now, which proves nothing last's forever more's the pity Kind Regards Ted

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Nellie Rooneys paper shop,mickey pogues pub and Tom Crosseys shoe shop stewarts coalyard,Sandy Bradley barbers shop where i got my first haircut were also in Chapel Hill,and Haddens was it the undertakers had a yard there also,in later years Jimmy Martin barbers shop,

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I remember seeing a "nodding doll" in a shoemaker's window. I was fascinated by this and used to stand for ages looking at it. The one I saw may have been in Piper's Hill.

I remember Ginny Black's wee shop. The goods were laid out all over the place. I remember my mother used to buy delft there. It was great for browsing around as a child because it kept just about everything - odds and ends, this and that.

I'm sure you all remember Boyd's big shop at the corner of Railway Street. Boyd's had their own chemist's shop as well next door. I can still smell the coffee on entering the store. Hardly anyone here drank coffee then - probably only the posh people. The rest of us were poor.

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Donald
Another was William Dick´s bicycle shop beside the police barracks, I think he was of German origin. Thinking about it there were quite a lot of German names in and around Lisburn. I remember reading that after the war the International Red Cross organised that about a million German orphans were offered temporary homes in Ireland and as a form of thanks the German Government erected a monument as acknowledgement to this.Ireland and its people are still respected as friendly and helpful by Germans.
donald


I made a blunder it was one thousand not one million children who were brought to Ireland but the Irish folk donated £1,000,000 to help relieve the hardship in post war Germany

http://www.independent.ie/regionals/wicklowpeople/news/glencree-to-hold-reunion-of-wwii-adoptees-29498274.html

donald

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Hi Ann I am just wondering about your nodding doll I wonder was it the one in the cobblers beside Montgomerys he had it for years in the window, further down you had Drakes the butcher Allens fruit shop and Campbell's bakery, Barney there was another Funeral Directors Jellys ? it might have been in Castle St, Regards Ted

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Right on Ted, McCormicks was a good shop to browse in yess Ronnie Watkins from whadt I hear spent some time in Chitticks which led to time in the Crumlin Road.??Did you know Billy Drake the butchers son who lived in Warren Gardens. IN late 1948 I was on leave after being away for 18 months and was ata party in Thieval Barracks, Billy was much older than me but joined me in a drink there at the ripe old age of 18 I was quite honoured. Mauri?.

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Ted, as usual you are correct about the shoemaker's. I believe it was beside Montgomery's right enough. I wonder what became of that wee doll? It was brilliant. I think I would still enjoy watching the head go up and down, hammer in hand, and mending the shoe. Have I reverted back to my childhood?. Maybe I never left it!!!!!!!!

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If I see one about I will definitely put your name on it , Regards Ted

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Hi...Can anyone tell me the name of the Butchers shop at the top of Bridge Street looking from town centre it would have been on the left....and the name of the Pet Shop close by (circ 1965)
Thanks
Regards
C

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Colin, not sure about the butcher's myself but I know someone on the Exiles will know.

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Hi Colin Any chance it could have been Billy Lawson's ?

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Hi Mauri, If my memory serves me right Bill was quite tall, I think he then owned a butchers shop beside Sweeneys in Smithfield he died quite a few years ago I think he belonged to the tennis club in Trinity Terrace now also long gone, as for myself I am returning this week to Belgium to visit a grave and a couple of monuments recognizing the deaths of a Grandfather and two great uncles both brothers and while there will probable raise a few beers to there memories both at Tyne Cot and Ypres, so here's wishing all a very happy Easter Kind Regards Ted

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Ted, that's nice of you to remember your relations who lost their lives.

Enjoy your trip.

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Ted, enjoy your trip wish I could joinyou, can't believe its over six years since Joy and myself done s tour in that part of the world,actually a coach tour that started in Belfast

Did'nt Billy McConnell uho used to work in Davis's Butchers shop in Bow open up his own shop at the top of Bridge Street??, Mauri

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Hi Mauri, Regarding Billy Mc Connell he had a shop in Bridge St, Some time ago I got Jim to post a photo of him and some of my family on Easter Monday in the Castle Gardens a lot of years ago on the forum photo's Got back last night from Belgium and France. Tyne Cot. Vimy Ridge, Ypres,Thiepval, there were 4 of us which made up 3 generations and it was quite busy as they are doing a lot of work for the Centenary , I really wish you could have been in our company we would have appreciated your fountain of knowledge, it was a very enjoyable and sad experience as it makes you aware one never learns from history or they just ignore it . Regards Ted

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Hi Ted, Glad you enjoyed the trip, yes when you think about it,you wonder how man could be so stupid to start something that results in the death of millions especially in the 2nd world war, and the way things are going in the Ukraine could well result in another war,though I sincerely hope not. Mauri

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Ann,there was a nodding doll in Pipers hill, next door to Charlie Postles barber shop.There was Maggi Moores wee shop at the corner of Linnenhall street and Donachays at the top of Hill street.The best ice cream in town was at Kitty Molloys over the road from Jim hannas blacksmith shop.
There was also a bicycle shop next to Boyds chemist on Railway street where we took our radio batteries to be recharged.
I remember all the wee shops and I think the butchers shop at the top of Bridge street was called Greers.It's a long time ago and I might be wrong.

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Leo, I remember a nodding doll inside a shoemaker's window in Market Street (I think). It always fascinated me as a child. I'm sure there was another one in Piper's Hill too. I saw one recently, it may have been in the Mall but I'm not sure. Still as comical today as it was then. Not too many wee shops in Lisburn now. Even the Candybox at the corner of Antrim Street closed a year or more ago. We still have Sweeney's and a shop where Connolly's was. Same type of shop, different name. There are still small shops attached to garages. We have two on our road and sometimes they're cheaper than Tescos, not for everything but enough.

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Hi Ann & All

Anyone remember (JIM MADDENS groceries)Which extended down to Smithfield square ?
Best wishes to all !
Tommy

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Tommy, I remember Maddens grocery shop. My mother normally shopped in Liptons but occasionally she went to Maddens. Tommy, a funny story about grocery stores. I was visiting my aunt and uncle's home in Church Sreet. I was young and my cousin Pat and I were playing outside the house. My aunt asked Pat if she would go down to the Maypole for her. I was delighted as I thought the Maypole grocery shop was an actual "maypole", as in a park. I was sorely disappointed when we arrived at this old shop called The Maypole. Tommy, we Low Road people weren't in the town much so a Maypole to me was the maypole in Hilden Park.

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Ann,

The best story of all was at Christmas one year my cousin, from Church St. & I were sent on an errand to Cumins butcher's shop, at Haslems Lane entrance, for one pound of sausage meat. We were about 9 years old, or maybe younger.

The asistant told us there was nothing left but turkeys & my cousin said "Give us a pound of that then"

We never lived it down......Pat