How about some name rememberance's from the Longstone end of town including Warren Gardens, Tonagh Park, Manor Street etc. I may not be able to remember a lot about the folks in this part of town but I am sure there are others out there who can. Jim Collin's Father's grocery store was of course the largest and most popular store in the area and even more so when he added a small fish and chips to it and then later a small snack bar.
Some of the people that come to mind from around there were the McKees one of whom went into the RAF after the war, then the Shields family, Jim opened up his own photography studio after being a bus conductor for a good number of years, Billy went into the Army and later settled in England and their sister Yvonne lived alone for years, their Father had a shoe repair business in Gregg Street.
Then there was three families of Topping's, Herbie had the "Stores Pub" in Bow Street his son Sammy worked in the Post Office with me and then immigrated to Canada a few years after the war. I was with him when he died of cancer in 1971. The other Topping family lived on the other side of the street, Martha,Sammy (uncle of the other Sammy) and Eva.
Tommy Long who worked in the Post Office lived in the first house in Lismara Terrace then the older Toppings parents of Herbie and Sammy,next door to them was the Richardson family too many of them to spell out here then a retired Police head constable Mr.Taylor and his two adult siblings.next to them the Dawe family,then the Toppings and beside them the Turners, Mr Turner being a Police Officer at Sprucefield, then the McConaghy's Mrs McConaghy being a teacher at Brownlee. Bette stop here or I might get spammed. Mauri

hi mauri
jim shields was a good photographer he took our wedding photos very nice album he put together

Nothing wrong with your memory Mauri.

We seem recall years ago better than yesterday.

I have lost my house keys with all my fobs attached AND I used them a few days ago, only thing I remember about them is taking the fob out of the grocery trolley.

Have searched every handbag & the car, but no sign of them. Will have to get St. Anthony's help.

Pat

Pat, Hope you have found your keys by now sometimes they will turn up in the most unexpected places. Yeah my long time memory is pretty good but don't ask me what I had for dinner last night????.

I could go on and on about the different families I remember in the these areas but probably of little interest to our regular contributors who all seem to come from the other side of town with the exception of Barney. Hey Barney do you remember Bobby Dowling whose parents had the shop, he immigrated to the USA but didn't stay as he found out you had to work, at least thats what he told me in the Stores pub he used to frequent, then he went over to England for a job but didn't last long there either.
There were several characters from the top of the Longstone and Causeway End Road, Dixie Munn the artist with only stubs for arms was one then there was Davy Knuck Knuck, never knew his real last name the nickname was because of the way he talked.
Anybody remembr the McConnell sisters from Belvoir Terrace all five of them, two married American soldiers and moved to the USA after the war, Meta the eldest married a British soldier however she died then her sister Eileen married the widower there were also three brothers who were around for a long time.
Thats it for now. Mauri

Mauri, I was speaking to a certain lurker this morning who lived in Chapel Hill. If this gentleman would come on, I'm sure he could tell us all about his exploits and mention names around the Longstone area. Come on, D, don't let the Low Road and Hilden hog the Forum.

Hi Mauri Staying on the Longstone there use to be a sweet shop just passed Tom Crossey's shoe shop alas the name eludes me at the moment, it may have been Irvine ?
but that's a long shot anyway many years ago we went into a bar on the Costa Del Sol that, believe or not specialized in Irish Coffees and of course sure we were there why not sample one and low and behold the owner of the bar stated that it was his mother that had the shop in question so we had another couple of his coffees and we bought 2 Giraffes in the pub as well from an African hawker , don't know were they are now ? Hope this finds yourself and Joy well Regards Ted

Mauri Regarding the Shields family I well remember Jimmy as he made a couple of pairs of shoes for my father manys a time I took shoes over to him for repair or collected them and he was always good for a tanner or so a very nice man he was, and regarding the Toppings there was also one known as Stewarty Topping who was a fryer in Montgomerys Chippy and there was some connection with the Montgomery family, Regards Ted

Hi Barney If my memory serves me right Rex in question married Tommy Just's daughter Sheila

Ted,
I am afraid you are wrong about Sheila Just. She married Kenny Reynor.

Low Roader Sorry about that I swore she married a conductor, in the meantime I'm obliged to you for correcting my mistake Regards Ted

Roy,Ivan,Jimmy and Rex Topping were brothers orignally from the Old Warren area I forget the names of their parents. Sammy (Buzzer) Topping was a cousin and a son of Herbie & Anne Topping who ran the Stores Pub in Bow street.but which was acturally owned by Herbie's father Harry Topping who also lived in Lismara Terrace.
Stewart Topping who served in the RAF during the war lived on the opposite side of the street with his sister Martha and neice Eva and yes he worked in Montgomery's ice cream parlour as Charlie Montgomery was his brother in law married to Lena who was Stewart and Herbie's sister. Stewart also worked occasionally as a barman in the "Stores Pub" but went into business for himself later on opening a store I think in Castle Street this would be in the early 60s.can't remember the type of store he opened I think it was a shoe shop though I could be wrong.
Another Topping family (no connection) had the only pub on the Longstone untill the Father died of cancer during the war, there were three sons, Harry,Sydney& not sure of the third one's name who went away in the Merchant Navy. The widow ran the pub for a short time then it was sold to somebody and the name of it changed and although I was in it many times while on leave I can't remember the name. It was one of the first pubs in Lisburn to have a real comfortable lounge
Mauri

yes Mauri i remember dowlings shop on the longstone street left hand side go up from the chapel,Sadie Dowlings 2 sons,just below the shop were the Patton family old Matt the father took on to me during the card games they used to play 9 car Yankee which i then had a good knowledge of it and had to sort out his hands for him,he was father of young Matt and lena (spitfire)in those days we worked in stewarts mill together, also in that area was the McGaws family Dan and Ann who i can remember another family i cannot recall the name now used to keep pigs and an Eddie Falloon looked after the pigs then for them there was also a family of painters lived in that vicinity then also,i recall Dixie munn and Davy Knuck Knuck also him and another man used to have a set to about who would open the car doors when a wedding was takeing place in the area,Bobby Griffen maybe was the name,griffen was a nasty type of person compared to Davy
dowlings shop moved across the street later on'thats it as far as i can recall now

sadie also had a daughter who as far as i can remember inherited the shop when Sadie died

just remembered there was a wee shop between Livingstones and Dowlings ,McConnels it was called,next door to the embroidery factory

Barney, Did that embroidery factory used to be the Band Hut where they had socials etc ? Yes I also remember McConnells small shop though I can't ever remember being in it. Didn't Eddie Faloon work for the Thompsons who lived opposite Beck's shoe repair shop they had a big back yard with pigs & poultry. Cambell Thompson's taxi busines was on the other side of the street, I think the younger Cambell opened a Funeral Parlour on the Dublin Road facing Christ Church,am I right. Mauri

I ENJOYED READING ABOUT Stewart's Mill workers, the Patton family. Matt, tall and skinny, was a darned good boxer. I remember him saying that he envied his younger brother's broader shoulders. Lena was broader than either of them; but the Pattons were a fighting faamily, not to be teased - including Lena.

You see, I knew there was life in other parts of the town. Good to hear yarns from other areas.

Ted,

That wee shop you mention, was it Ada Weir's, sold old fashioned sweets & chocolates. always loved Raspberry Ruffles. Small dark little old-fashioned shop, liked it.

Pat

Ted,


Rex Topping married a girl called Smith who lived below Jus'ts shop near Wright's the barbers. They lived for years in Rosevale Park & reared a family there.

Pat

My father's family owned Toppings on Longstone Road. My father, Thomas Topping, is the brother of Herbie, Harry and Sidney. After serving in WWII, he joined the Merchant Navy as Mauri accurately noted. He eventually settled in Montreal, Canada and raised a family. I'm researching the family tree and came across your site. I have an old photo of my grandfather, also named Thomas Topping, standing outside the pub with some other gents.

Hi Elaine, With respect but I think you have got one too many in the Longstone pub Topping family.there were only three brothers Harry,Sidney and Tommy.Herbie Topping lived further up the Longstone in Lismara Terrace and he also run a pub called "The Stores" in Bow Street. Your Grandmother when she moved out of the pub had a little house just down from it, quite often when I was on leave in Lisburn I would see her standing at the front door. Are you still in Montreal?? Are any of the Topping brothers still alive??. Mauri

Hi Mauri,
There were 4 Topping brothers. Herbie was the only one that I met when he visited us during the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. I have come across the other Herbie you reference in my research, but as far as I know, he is not related to my family. All of the brothers have passed; my dad Tommy was the last at 92 years of age in 2010. I now live in Toronto.
If anyone has further info on the Toppings of Longstone, I'd love to hear from them.
Elaine

Hi Elaine, You are of course quite correct,my memory not as good as I thought it was??. There were two Herbie Topping's and like you say not related. The last time I saw any of them was when I was on leave from the USAF and was walking down Royal Avenue in Belfast and bumped into Sydney,he couldn't get over me being in American uniform and especially the Air Force as the last time I had seen him I was in the Navy. I never knew or met your Father at least not as far as I can remember. What part of Toronto are you in? My wife and I live in Barrie. Mauri

Small world! I'm in an area called Swansea, but better known adjacent areas are High Park and Bloor West Village. Small pocket that runs north/ south between the lake and Bloor St and east/west between HighPark and the Humber River. Have lived here since moving from Montreal in 1988.

The Pub that the Topping family had on the Longstone was renamed ``Caldwells` and then sold again I believe and renamed something else. Not too much that I can tell you about it though during the early 60s when I was in Lisburn a couple of times a year I used to be often in the lounge bar which was a new addition to the old pub. Mauri

Hi Mauri , I think that bar became known as Murdochs?

another character was Jimmy McCormack who lived in pump lane /ridgewayst just a few doors from me back thenJimmy used to carry water from a well on causeway end road to the houses along that road when he finished in the late after noon he would close every gateway to the houses along the road a simple bur harmless man he was and loved by all who knew him

Was that the same Jimmy who worked as a trucker and "bobbin slider" in Hilden mill in the 50s and 60s? The doorman in the new Hibs club in Chapel Hill was also called Jimmy McCormack.
donald