I still wonder what is going to happen to Hilden Mill. We have discussed it here for years but now for sometime it has not been mentioned. No doubt for some here on the site it does not interest them but for lots of us who were born around there, our forefathers , parents and even ourselves it was part of growing up. Lets hear something about it.
"The sound of the horn,
the tramping of feet
The knockers up
rousing the workers from sleep"!

donald

should take a bulldozer and flatten it a s a p. the years haven't clouded or romanticised my memories of it. it was exploitation on a grand scale of illiterate and semi illiterate people of the area. (this should get all your juices flowing)

Eamon Lowercase has not answered for a while, maybe he is down at the mill blocking the bulldozers and protesting against it being neglected
donald

Donald, I'm sorry no-one has responded to your posting about Hilden Mill. I dont have time this morning, but I promise I will recall some memories of my time working in Barbour's, most of which were very good.

Ann, I never worked in Barbours Mill but did deliver a few telegrams there during the war and one particular delivery stands out in mind, the telegram marked Priority was for a woman who lived down the Low Road, I think it was Grand Street, there was no answer but a neighbour told me she worked in Barbours, normally I would have left a message but because this telegram was informing her that her husband who was in the Army had been killed in an accident in England I headed for Barbours, I remember going up in a big elevator and the woman was brought over and I handed her the telegram, when she opened it and read it she screamed and tried to attack me,I couldn't get out of there fast enough as some other people tried to get her under control. One other sad delivery was a telegram to inform a couple that both their sons had been killed in Italy. Can you imagine how they must have felt. Mauri

Maurice I remember you telling that story before
Very sad way to hear such news, in your workplace with no privacy to deal with such a shock. People had it hard all right.

In the early 50s a telegram was something seldom, I remember when the telegraph deliver came to Hilden on his motorbike us boys ran behind him to see who was receiving it. The majority of them ( telegrams ) came from abroad and often were news of tragedy or death in the family of the receiver. The telephone in the gatehouse of Hilden mill was then the only phone in the whole area and sometimes the gate man ( Tommy Philips or a ex German soldier Wilkie?) came to inform someone that a caller from abroad was on the line.



donald

Ann, My apologies for repeating that story about Barbours, it was only after I sent it that it occured to me that I had told it before, "Ah Well" no harm done ????. Mauri

I started in the Examining Office in Hilden in 1961, shortly after I was married. It was an easy job; there was a lot of laughter, and not a great deal of work from what I remember. I loved going into the office each day. I was young and didn't have a worry in the world. I worked with a girl who came from Dromara. I still remember at 10.00 am, which was our teabreak, she always, without fail, produced 4 cream crackers and cheese and had these for her break. I can't even remember what I ate myself, maybe a currant square from the canteen but I do remember the very strong tea.

Mauri, a good story is worth repeating. It was a good story even though it was very sad.

I left my job in the Examining Dept when I became pregnant with my first child. However, when he was only 5 months, I went back (only because the manager sent for me and asked me to return) and my mother looked after Gregory.((at her suggestion). I worked on for another 3 years or so until I became pregnant with my second child. This time I wouldn't return for another 7 years, by now my family had reached 4 - two boys and two girls. I got a job in the Research Dept this time, working for the Director of the department as his secretary. Again, I loved this job - it wasn't difficult, nice surroundings, lovely staff (mostly) and we had many many great nights out. Seems an awfully long time ago.

I left my post in the Research Dept when Dominic got a job elsewhere and we moved house. However, when his job didn't work out, we returned to Lisburn and he got another job. Once more, I obtained a position in Barbours, this time working for the Director of Personnel. This job was quite unlike the others, not much laughter here I soon found out. The man I worked for was full of himself, very loud, and very unpopular with everyone, even the other directors. It was an extremely busy job, which was fine, but he didnt appreciate anything, too wrapped up in his own importance. People sympathised with me but I needed the money. I stayed on for maybe a couple more years before obtaining a job with the Health Service, where I stayed until retirement. Donald, I could tell much, much more but it would take a day or two. I'm sure Pat could add a story or two as well.

Hi all,

My whole working life was spent in Hilden offices, except the last year, when I changed jobs.

I started as an office clerk,writing tickets by longhand, gradually being promoted, until I was in charge of the Order Dept. which entailed translating from the Worldwide customers into Mill language.

E.G. 1000lbs 25's No1 Machine Thread. 4 ply. Reverse Twist. Makeup 8oz balls. Soft finish etc

It was my life-long experience of working in different Departments at the Mill that gave me the knowledge of all terms of Linen & Nylon specifications.

I loved the work & the people (some more than others) & only for the Troubles I would never have left for the Imperial Civil Service in 1973.


Being in charge of a Department where the workers walked out at will to a rabble rousing gathering with Mr. Paisley at the Mill gates didn't suit my idea of management.

My working life since aged 16 till 1973 in Hilden Mill was the most enjoyable of my life, loved every minute of it, the people & the Management too. No regrets.

Such is Fate we never know what comes next....even now.

Pat

Pat , Ann etc..
I was brought up accompanied by the sound of the mill horn. 1959 aged 15 I started working in the Winding Dept.. Alfie Clarke and Johnny Perry were the foremen there. Billy Long´s brother was the maintenance fitter. Jim ? Spence from Pipers hill was the oiler, his sister Maisie also worked there.. Next door was the wet spinning Dept. where the spinners and doffers worked barefoot!!! I worked there for 1 year until I got an apprenticeship in Mackies.
donald

Twice I've been spammed after trying to post more about my time in Barbour's. What's the point?

Here is another story about the "Barbours". While working on the cruise ship "RMS Caronia" which in its day and long before cruising became popular with the masses was the ship to cruise on, the shortest cruise being the North Cape which left New York and first port was in Iceland then over to Sweden,Norway,Finland, Germany, Poland and then round the UK to ports in Scotland and Ireland finishing up in Southampton.

At some ports we had to use the ship's launches to take the passengers ashore due to lack of docking facilities, I think it was at Zoppot in Poland that I was on the gangway helping passengers into the launches when an older American woman who heard me speak said what part of Northern Ireland are you from?, when I replied Lisburn she said do you know the "Barbours" I said well I know of them, turned out she was a relation of Milne Barbour and was from South Caronlina, just cannot remember the family connection, maybe some of you Barbour employess have heard of her. Mauri

"OOPS", I misspelt "Carolina" in my last posting somehow or other an n got in there, I just type too fast???. Mauri

Mauri, never worry about a spelling mistake. I type too fast also and sometimes type in an extra letter. What an oul typing error between friends, eh?