Today´s Ulster Star. Quote

Calls have been made for the Council and the SEELB to transfer the former Hilden Primary School building to the local community after it became a target for arsonists.

The building has been lying derelict and there have been a series of break-ins. We have heard that people have been in the building and have stripped it, there has been drinking and anti-social behaviour.



Time to sort this problem out, it would be an ideal place for a youth club.

Our and no doubt lots of the generations before us "Alma Mater" deserves better treatment. If the Barbour family who built and financed this place for decades only knew what was happening to it they would turn in their graves.

donald

Such a shame Donald,

I think the village of Hilden, the Mill, the School, the EMB & the Park should have been preserved for posterity.

The whole area of Hilden is destroyed now, the Lagan & banks grew up with weeds & rubbish. The Mill Race & path & the iron bridge gone to ruin.

The old days were bad days for the workers (6am to 6pm) but at least we had beauty in our surroundings.

Lisburn Council is losing a fortune in tourist trade as well. After all exiles like to visit the "old sod"

Some people in power unfortunately have no artistic minds. They don't see the "big picture".


Pat

Pat
Another Cardinal Sin was the destruction of the Court House beside the Railway Station which was donated to the town by Sir Richard Wallace. The E.M.B. hall in Hilden has also disappeared.
donald

Donald & Pat, we have just returned after a walk down the line. You'll both be glad to know that building has commenced on "Hilden Village", a development of Victorian town houses. These first lot are in Bridge Street and look in keeping with how Hilden used to be. An artist's impression of the houses looks very impressive, with parking spaces for cars. The mill has become very dilapidated and part of it is so close to the houses that we think the plans are to renovate these buildings. To demolish them when the houses are built would be crazy. The Lagan is messy all right, although the towpath keeps our feet clean and is great for walking. As we passed Hilden School, I remarked on how run-down it has become, with the playground overgrown and weeds growing all around. I hope something is done about this lovely building before it's too late. Will keep you posted on further developments.

Ann/Pat
I saw the foundations in Bridge St.when I was over in July. In my youth it was considered moving up in the world when you were allocated a house in the "Front Row"! ( Mill St. ) despite some of the houses there having to collect their drinking water from a pump . My gran would never give her address as Mill St but insisted on calling it "Main St" as that sounded swankier. The photo in the Star of Hilden school shows how dilapidated it has become but I see they have demolished the high wall that separated the boys and girls playgrounds. We were not allowed to sit together in the double classroom desks or play together in the playground in case we committed mortal sins. I remember faintly the cookery room to the back of the building, there were sinks and wooden fired ovens where the girls were taught to cook for their Lords and Masters! Early in the 50s it was transferred into a classroom and the girls then attended Lisburn Tech to learn how to cook.
donald

Donald, I didn't attend Hilden School, as you know. However, my 4 brothers were schooled there and received a top class education. I believe Mr Woodende was a strict disciplinarian but well respected by pupils and parents alike. Maybe the pupils didn't appreciate his enthusiasm for their learning at the time, but I know a lot of them in later years would thank him for his fairness and interest in their education. Hilden was a great wee school, with the mill nearby and a nurse there for any minor accidents, the canteen for lunches, the wee park for play, the EMB for wet days. Most of the parents worked in the mill so were never far away in case of any emergency. It was a great set up and children today will never know what they're missing, even with all their computers, PCs, tablets, etc. etc. I hope part of this village atmosphere returns with the rebuilding of Hilden.

Ann
My parents and all my Aunts and Uncles were pupils. The school was built 1911 I think, before that there was a classroom in Hilden mill where the "half timers " were taught. My paternal Grandfather, Tommy Watters, born 1886 attended it. In the 50s lunches were delivered from the kitchen in the Central school, I think they cost about 8d per day. I preferred to eat there as they served a dessert which was a luxury then. The tables held about 8 pupils and half went to the serving table and brought 2 desserts, one for himself and one for his neighbour. On the way back to the table we studied both plates to ensure we knew which one was the biggest. A chap from the Lowroad used to amuse us by pretending to insert the salt cellar in his nose.
donald

Donald, the late Tommy Roberts RIP is the person you mean.!!!!!!

Ann
Tommy was in my class, he was a year older than me, always joking and acting the wag. He started working in the Polishing Dept. in Hilden around 1959. After the crisps with "the wee blue beg" = a poke of salt went out of fashion, Tayto introduced Cheese and Onion, they cost 4d. A crowd of us were on our way to the Tivoli cinema in Finaghy and Tommy bought 6 bags which he ate all through the film. On the way home he had a good "throw aff".
By the way how many out there remember "the wee blue beg"?
donald

Donald, that was Tommy all right. I told before about how he used to chase us round the backs of the houses in Leamington. He never caught us, maybe he was afraid and maybe he was right. I remember the wee blue bag with the salt. What did we do before potato crisps?

Ann
it happened to me more than once, that opening and stuffing in me a bag of crisps that I bit into the wee beg.
After the crisps became pre salted and the wee bag disappeared an norniron comedian once wrote a poem about the wee bag, called " Bring back the wee blue bag"!
donald

I often wondered what happened to the Roll books when Hilden school closed down. If anyone knows I would appreciate them telling me as I would love to look into them
donald

Do any of you think that a complete change is due for the educational system?



I am quite competent at English, and intermediate maths has probably always been within my scope, but I cannot remember either being of any use to me. I worked in the mills in my early days, on the buildings for a year or two, and generally did manual jobs.I felt a bit cocky at times, feeling that I knew more than my bosses, but really, wasn't all that academic stuff rather a waste? Most of us are convinced that University is the goal to aim for. Why? How many of us, or our grandchildren, will NEED a university level education? What is worse, how many kids will struggle through an academic education for which they are totally unsuited?

Dabbler I wouldn't disagree with the points you raise but in today's world I am afraid to even apply for a decent position one must have proven qualifications hence they are forced to have to take the exams cruel as they may seem, That's Life !Regards Ted

Ted
That is exactly what I mean.Kids need to learn practical lessons. What use is being able to recite from Shakespeare if you're probably going to serve in a shop? (If there are any vacancies).

Dabbler / Ted
I agree to a certain extent, in our youth we served an apprenticeship to a trade such as fitter, bricklayer or carpenter, Today you "study" these professions. In USA it is similar. I mentioned it here before but an expert once asked a provocative question that since the invention of calculators is it necessary to teach mathematics in schools as all you need to do is give the equation into your calculator and press the button!
Dabbler: Subjects such as Shakespeare, Wordsworth etc. as you know increase the pleasure of life. How many parents often denied their daughters further education and University even though they were more intelligent than their brothers with the reason being given as " You will marry and get children therefore you do not need a degree"! How many, male and female teenagers were made leave school by their parents as early as possible and sent into the mills to labour for a pittance. A Roman Emperor once said that only with a healthy and intelligent population can a country achieve anything. John. F. Kennedy was also cited as saying "There is only one thing more expensive than education and that is lack of education"!
donald

Dabbler, I don't know enough about the education system to know if a change is needed or not. However, as regards further education, I fully endorse this. I agree with what you say in that the qualification obtained might never be used. I get that. However, in my opinion, education is never wasted. I think it's wonderful that the young people nowadays can avail themselves of a degree of learning previously open only to the well off. This leads to confidence and the ability to converse on a variety of topics Having a good educational background stands by anyone, whether they use it or not. Dabbler, Dominic says you will like his theory on the subject. He says that it's a Conservative government ploy to keep people in education until they are 30. This way, the unemployment figures are kept low. Take your pick.

Ann
Many, very many, children, just do not have the brains to take advantage of an 'improved' education system. I was not aware of that fact when I was a young 'lefty'. I thought those evil Etonians were keeping higher education for themselves. I guess there are non-academic rich kids who are protected by family wealth, and who somehow get 'sneaked' into jobs that they are barely able to manage, but that's a different story. Theoretically, IT is the future, and kids should be guided towards learning 'code', but I suspect that, IF they could all do well in this subject, we would have too many seeking similar non-existent jobs.

Dabbler
We are all born with the same amount of brain. Environment, upbringing and financial situation of the family contribute to how much qualification we achieve. In earlier times lots of children with learning difficulties were left behind in school, made fun of and called stupid of daft. Today there are special schools with learning methods adapted to those kids needs. You mentioned here that it often happens that kids with learning difficulties from wealthier families achieved better qualifications than similar kids from families with lesser income because they were able to afford private tutoring.
Thanks to special schools and more advanced methods of education this gap is closing. It should be only natural that parents want the best for their children and support and encourage them to achieve an elite position in later life and not like I mentioned earlier that often in the past children were taken from school as soon as the law permitted and sent to work.
donald

Donald, learning difficulties was not primarily in my mind. Rather, an inability to cope with the constant pressure of academic work and exams. I don't think you seriously believe that everybody can become a Shakespeare or an Einstein. What I meant was that, highly intelligent or not, the child of, for example, Donald Trump, will never be out of a job.

Dabbler
I agree,Donald Trump´s son will probably never have to serve in McDonald´s to supplement his wage, but an employer, when interviewing applicants for a job will, in his own interest choose the one who is better qualified. Not only academically but I heard that some also search the Internet, for example Face book
donald

We all agree I think that a degree of education is necessary in these times. However, intelligence doesn't always succeed without personality. I was reading in some newspaper or other over the weekend that when promotion comes along, the person with the best personality will be offered the job in most instances. That is, of course, everything else being equal. SO, education alone isn't enough just on its own if you don't have the skills to manage staff and keep everyone happy.

Ann
if two or more equally qualified persons in a company are being considered for promotion it is often the one who has no commitments is chosen as a family father or mortgage holder if passed over is more unlikely to leave because of his commitments.
donald

Donald, you were on early this morning. Could you not sleep?

Ann
my bad conscience kept me awake, I must have robbed birds nests as a boy. Seriously, herself, Denise and Kilian went to the Olympic Park yesterday and I was so exhausted I had a lie down in the afternoon and awoke around 03.00am. This was Munich airport before WW11 and Chamberlain landed here to Negotiate with Adolf the document"Peace in our Times"! and after WW11 the ruins of bombed out Munich were dumped here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympiapark,_Munich

I had told Kilian earlier about the Russian- Orthodox Chapel who an Immigrant Russian ( Timopfui)? built here from pieces of the ruins and now is a protected building after almost being demolished during the building of the Olympic games park in the 70s. We had planned to cycle there but the weather was so bad we drove there and herself and his mum Denise accompanied us.
donald

Donald, I'm in a terrible hurry this morning. Appointments and all that. Will explain later. At the same time I'll have a gurn about the inefficiency of the services in both North and South of Ireland for even the simplest thing.

Donald, sorry I haven't time for my spiel about inefficiencies all over the place, including another one this morning. I may have more by the time we get back from holiday. I'll do the posting about all the complains when I return. Take care and give Eamonlowercase my best wishes for his musical evening or whatever. Good idea and kind of him to think of that.

While I understand to a certain extent the feelings some ex pupils of a school may have for their primary place of education I don't share in those feelings as if my old Lisburn school the "Central" were to be destroyed tomorrow it wouldn't bother me a bit and how about some of the other schools in Lisburn that are now none existent.

eg. Lisburn Free (The Raggety Bab), now there is a school that goes back to the turn of the century and before but not a whisper about its closure years ago and whatever its used for now.

How about Sloan Street School is it still going. and Brownlee is it still operating then there was Lambeg and Ballymacash schools are they still going?? and Hillhall??

When I joined the Royal Navy I went to the Boy's training establishent called HMS St.Vincent for a whole year, it closed sometime in the late 60s and not a tear was shed though to be fair there is now a St.Vincent association with about 500 members of which I am one. "Oh" I almost forgot Belfast Post Office Night school, now there was a hell hole?? riding a bike all day then three hours a night for three days a week and you were expected to be attentive, I am quite sure everybody cheered when they closed that one. Mauri

"Oh", One other school that I forgot about and I doubt that anybody else reading this remembers it and that was "Nickolson's up beside Christ Church which was closed when the Central was opened in 1934, it was turned into a more or less recreation centre for Christ Church, the CLB used to hold its displays in it and also used for Sunday School etc, an Aunt and Uncle of mine went to it, my Aunt before I was born and my Uncle transferred to the Central when it opened. Mauri

Mauri

I remember Nicholson's. Not that I was ever in it, but I remember my mum saying it was once a school. That was at Christs Church where I went as a child with friends, when I didn't go to Canal St Sunday School at the mill, or the Prespyterian Church in Sloan St, or the Salvation Army with the Haire family.

Anybody else go to Churches in Lisburn?

Liz, The Haire family you mention, that wouldn't by any chance be Tom Haire and his family, Tom had the Plumbing busines on Wadsworth Road but also used to teach Sunday School in the Raggety Bab. You say you went to Christ Church as a child, so did I with my Grandmother who was a good singer and could be heard all over the Church, she used to sing solo at Downpatrick Cathedral though I wasn't around then. Mauri