Hi Folks
As we were house hunting recently, we viewed a house that had a large monkey puzzle tree in the garden. I smiled as I often think back to the one or two that were near Largymore school on the other side in a front garden. As children we used to like to stop to admire and wonder at these odd trees. I wonder if they are still there? Anybody know?

I wonder why I wonder at such odd things, anybody know that either?


Liz

Hi Liz,

I will see if this goes through before I do another post. They now say you have been scammed. I do miss the Forum


Here goes!!!!!

Beano

Hi again Liz,

Well I got through this time, I don't know what I am doing wrong????

I remember the monkey trees very well, they were in the front of Rush's garden, all us kids were fascinated by them. I don't think they ever changed,just another memory as you say.

Like you I get something into my head, without realising it, but myself, it is always about Lisburn. By the way I will check the trees out when I am home in August

Ann,

Been thinking about meeting up with you,even if it's only for coffee,looking forward to that. I will get your phone no. off Tom McKay. I lost all my phone numbers and e-mail addresses when my computer crashed a few months ago and slowly building everything up again.

Thomas,

You only live about 15mins. from Carrick so I hope to see you and Evelyn again, I will call you.

Billy (Beano)

Beano, I'm really looking forward to meeting you in person, not forgetting Doreen of course. I hope some others will turn up as well, maybe big Ted and even Tom and Evelyn and Eamon lower case. I hope the weather is good for your visit and I can imagine how much you're looking forward to seeing Lisburn again. It's not really the same town any more, but then nowhere stays the same. See you in August, all being well.

Liz, I'm the greatest dreamer ever. Maybe that's the reason I was always good at writing - vivid imagination. Whenever I see the plant called "snow in summer" it brings me back to East Down View. A woman called Mrs Magee had this plant or flower in her bit of a garden at the back. I used to play with her niece and I always remember that plant from those days. Another flower which takes me back to my home in Huguenot Drive is lilac. I remember the big lilac tree which grew in our neighbour's garden but which also spilled over into ours. I still love the scent and I have a miniature lilac bush in the front garden. However I still prefer the larger version. The flowers don't stay for long and are not for keeping indoors at all as they just die. However, in their short lifespan they are beautiful. Many other things evoke memories - a tune on the radio, a certain scent, a turn of phrase. Memories are made of this.

Liz, I should have asked where you are thinking of moving to? Are you having any luck at all? Stressful time but exciting too.

beano,
i envy you for being in lisburn in august. i was there last august and loved every minute of it.town is still lovely and i was homesick for a few months returning to australia.
i think you in canada are so lucky, ireland is about 8 hours ? away the same time about it takes us to get to china hong-kong vietnam, all around there. i landed in dublin last august and that was 28 hours flying time. ah well, we do have the lovely weather, so can't have everything. good luck on your trip. tom

Hello Ann

Yes, we are doing a big move, leaving Cambridgeshire and going down south to Devon We have sold our house and buying a flat by the sea, if all goes well as we haven't had survey reports yet. It is still in the fairly early stages, but if all goes well we hope to be gone by the end of September. Clearing out has commenced and is almost overwhelming and very tiring this hot weather. However, although we will be sad at leaving, we are also very excited about it. We also will be nearer our two daughters who have settled there years ago. How about you are you settled for life?

Hi Tom,

We are looking forward to going back, my sister Liz and all her clan are coming from England. My nephew has rented a group of three town homes at Dundrum Bay for a week, sleeps around 20, by the sounds of it we are going to need it. Doreen and myself are staying in Carrickfergus Aug.4th and 5th.and again 13th-16th, then we finish off in England and fly home from London Sun.24th......
We hope to visit Lisburn a couple of times, as I would like to meet Ann and Dominick, hopefully Ted and anyone else who remembers us.

I still think back to the days when we nearly froze playing the bugle at the Cenotaph, such a long time ago....great memories.

Beano

Tom, I can hardly believe it's a whole year since we met in Lisburn on your visit home. I'm sure you were homesick all right. However, as you say, you have the sunshine and outdoor life. I imagine if you were living here for a while, you'd soon wish to be back in Australia. We're never content, are we? Talking about myself here. No doubt, we'll be talking about you when Beano meets up with us. We have a tendency to mention all the other Exiles at our get-togethers. Enjoy the sun as it's in short supply here. An odd day or two recently and it was headline news.

Liz, I believe Devon is lovely. We've never been but it's always mentioned in the travel programmes. What a perfect lace to retire to and a view of the sea as well. You wouldn't ask for anything more. Best wishes with your move when the time comes. Keep us posted on everything when you get time.

Liz, we moved to this bungalow about 25 years ago. I loved it from the first viewing and haven't changed my mind one single bit. We live in a very quiet neighbourhood, our bungalow is just the right size for the two of us, not too big nor too small, and we'll not move again. Dominic enjoys doing the garden and we're both happy here, so this is where we'll stay.

ann,
yes it's a whole year since i met you, dominic, donald, his wife, and your brother and his wife in witherspoons?. i still think of it often, a lovely occasion. i'm in gold coast now and weather is sunny 24 25 every day. but i still wouldn't mind sitting in a pub somewhere in town, or drumbeg arms [i like it there] watching the rain on the windows.
ah well, another time hopefully. keep well tom

Hello Beano

Couldn't find Lynmouth on the map, but yes Devon is very lovely. Many thanks for your good wishes. You and Doreen not long ago made a big move and I hope you have fully settled, but I must say, even thinking about the move causes me stress! Doesn't pay to wait until we are older to move, I am taking ages sorting and just thinking about it tires me!

I hope you and Doreen and the family have a great time near Newcastle. I love the place. We were there a few days just after Christmas for a wedding and during high winds the waves came crashing over the wall across the road. It was very exciting just watching it from a distance. I love the sound of crashing waves, but this was something else!

God bless

Liz

Hi again Liz,



Lynmouth is north Devon close to Exmoor and 700' above the village of Lynton, there is a cliff railway that runs up and down between the two villages.....beautiful places.



Baeno

Hi Beano, Here"s wishing you a rather belated best wishes for a safe and enjoyable trip to Ulster it sure will be nice meeting up with family and old friends have fun.

Re Devon,in my early days in the Royal Navy I spent quite a bit of time in Devon as Devnonport was my home Port Division and have been back there a couple of times since settling in Canada once for a HMS Vanguard reunion and once to visit with family connections of Joy's in fact after the "Vanguard" reunion we drove to Portsmouth for another reunion, this one was for HMS St.Vincent the Boy's training establishment where I done my early training.

Liz, I am sure you will enjoy the move especially being closer to your daughters, All Best wishes. Mauri

Liz,

Best of luck in your new surroundings, Devon sounds lovely, hope the sun shines for you as the weather is mostly good there in Summer. Never been but read about it in books,another name on the travelling list, along with Cornwall. Flying over England, it seems in places, lovely countryside & so close to Ireland we should really be familiar with it. Probably the English currency being high puts us off.

Beano,

Happy days in the old country again, may the sun shine on you & Doreen but as every exile says the weather doesn't matter. Will be thinking of you meeting Ann & Dominic & some others in Lisburn, especially Tom. Sorry I can't join you but these knees restrict me nowadays & no sign of an operation after nearly a year.

As the old saying goes,"F.... them, I am off to Canada in September"

Pat