My original posting disappeared midway, so I'll leave out most of the flowery descriptions about Canal Street and the pretty little houses there. Enough to say that the secluded, tree-lined avenue reminded me of a boulevard in Paris. I realise that the sceptics will call me fanciful, but I don't care. Each to his own and that was my impression of the area.







Anyhow, we walked through the grounds of the Civic Centre and took more time examining the sculptures there. I may have mentioned some time before about the stone seating depicting the months of the year. On each month there are rows of names of people - I expect from the town. After examining all the names I have to say I didn't know anyone there -probably all too young.! There were quirky little paving stones too with "Hickory Dickory Dock", showing thee mouse and the clock. Also, "I spy with my little eye" and various other curiosities, which children will enjoy. The Diana, Princess of Wales, garden was a sorry sight. It needed a good weeding which wouldnt take very long and seemed such a shame, belittling the tribute to the late Diana.








We eventually reached the line. The Lagan was still and smooth and the sun reflected on the water. With the trees still lush, the glitter of the water, and the cloudless blue sky, it made a lovely scene. It just reminded me of how lucky we were to have had this place as a playground when we were young. Every day, running down the 41s, along the towpath, sliding down to the wee pool - that was happiness; a ready made play area. Swinging on the bars too. Wi;; cpntinue later.

I had to cut my posting short as someone came in. I was reminiscing on playing down the line when we were children. We were very lucky, as I said, to have had this ready made playground. We never thought at the time of how children from the town and other built-up areas filled their days. If the weather was bad, we had the EMB Hall as an alternative play area. Inside the hall, to the left went the young children and to the right the older ones. I remember reading books in the small hall to the left and playing games. There was also the Wee Park, just across the road. I loved this park and we all played there in the summer too. We had no problem with places to go and I don't think we appreciated all this at the time. Memories, memories. What do the children do now? Computers, tablets - oh dear I must be getting old.

Ann
as you know I was born and raised around the area which you so aptly describe.One of the last memories of my mother who died in 1949 was struggling up the 41s with my brother in a pram and me holding onto it. Then the 41s went along the high wall to where those small houses in Grand St. stand where Brigid Watters then lived, now part of the rear gardens of the new houses in Hughuenot Drive across from where you lived.That area was a field until around the end of the 1940s.I still remember when the mill had "twelfth" holidays, some of the male employees volunteered to work cleaning out the "back race" to earn a few bob extra. All the workers only got one weeks holidays then and on that Friday came down to the dining room to get their wages. No Continental holidays then, maybe a day trip to Omeath if you were lucky. When I was in Lisburn a few weeks ago I walked down the line to Hilden and was shocked to see how down come the mill and Hilden school has become. Surely the council could have done something to prevent this.Another mistake they made was allowing the old court house, donated by Sir Richard Wallace to de demolished and be replaced by an ugly concrete building.
donald

Donald

And the wee park over the county down doesn't exist any more!!!

Liz
things like that could only happen in norniron
donald

liz,
as boys we played in the wee park over county down.
ann your walk down the line, we did it also last august from the civic centre, very nice. we walked to hilden, lambeg and round the old mccabe home in green lane, lovely.
also later on from lambeg to drumbeg and round the church. but later had to have a pint in drumbeg pub to recover??.