My daughter gave me a box of eating apples recently from her garden. They have been stored in the garage for a week or so now and I wondered what I could do with them. I remembered my mother making toffee apples around this time of year. She called them candy ball apples. They were placed on a tray in the kitchen and didn't last too long. I decided to have a go at making these myself.. I bought the golden syrup, read the recipe and produced 9 toffee apples yesterday. Not all of them were up to my mother's standard, but not bad for a first attempt. The family enjoyed them. I couldn't resist eating the excess toffee that dripped onto the tray; delicious at the time but not good for the teeth. I was expecting one of my fillings to come out as I chewed merrily away, but thankfully none did.







I also made a Christmas cake yesterday. I haven't baked my own cake for years now, as the shop ones are almost as nice. However, I don't like the nuts, cherries and peel that they all contain, so I decided to bake my own once more. It's not a cheap alternative by any means considering all the dried fruit, butter, eggs, etc. but it turned out beautifully. It contains at present 5 tablespoons of Hennessy brandy and a good splash of Madeira. I have the cake wrapped and stored in the attic. The recipe advises me to open it carefully now and then and add some more brandy. It should be a winner. I may even make another one. The females may enjoy reading this and I apologise to the males, but I couldn't think of another topic this morning.

Ann,

toffee apples were a favourite amongst the kids in Hilden, we could buy them for 1d in some local shops. Another manufacturer was Dan and Lizzie Fitzsommons who made them at home on the hearth plate of their fire and sold them also for 1d . The sticks were made from chopped firewood and the standard of hygiene was no doubt meticulous and we enjoyed them. There were other sources around Hilden, maybe Pamela could tell us more.

donald

Did you chop the sticks yourself for the candyball apples ? But seriously that cake would be worth sampling ! Regards Ted

Ted you are up early today, Gabriel is still in bed, am enjoying reading the book, noticed a couple of things which do not correspond with my childhood memories but still fantastically written and interesting.
keep in touch
donald

Hi Donald, Hope you servd Gabby his breakfast in bed this morning ?to be honest I was still in bed when I posted but made it to the pool for 10-10am done a few lenghts had a sauana and a shower then a late breakfast, glad you liked the book I was very interested in the Barbour Family and the charitable events they sponsored also your coment on JD Barbour driving up Mill St in the sports car, it was a Jaguar XK 120 J D lived in Dalboyne on the Belsize Rd and I remember it vividly it was silver 2 seater and W P Barbour who lived in Windy Brow further out the road drove a Rolls Royce , were they brothers Donald ? Kind Regards To All Ted

Ted, I'll keep a slice of my cake for you. It has to mature for some weeks. Will be ready for Christmas. Think I'll make another one now that I have all the ingredients.

Donald I hope Gabriel and Kathleen are enjoying their holiday. Don't be pouring German beer down him.

Ted found this but it does not mention a WP Barbour
donald


The Barbour family


The Barbours of Hilden, who were the last of the entrepreneurial linen families to move into the parish, originally came from Scotland to Lisburn in 1783. William Barbour leased, in 1824, a bleach green in Hilden which had previously belonged to Samuel De La Cherois. Samuel’s mother was Marie Madeline Crommelin, a sister of Louis Crommelin. William had married Eliza Kennedy a few years earlier in 1821 and they had 13 children. Three of their seven sons went to the USA to set up textile businesses. The gravestones on the elaborate and imposing monuments provide a wealth of information about the family in general and the main line of descent in particular.



The main line from William (died 1857 aged 78) to his great grandson John Doherty (1906-1937) can be traced fully and there is information about the families of two of Willliam’s sons who went to America and set up branches of the family business there. In addition to dates there are interesting and invaluable details which help to provide a wider family history including:



a) The family of another great grandson, also called John Doherty (1906-1966),

b) The marriages of John Milne and his younger brother Harold Adrian Milne to American cousins,

c) The deaths of John Milne’s i) only son, John Doherty, aged 31, without issue, in an air crash in 1937, ii) elder brother, Frank, aged 70, at sea in the Mediterranean in 1936 and iii) sister’s husband, Thomas Andrews, on the Titanic and

d) The origin of the forename Milne, given to John Milne and his male siblings, which came from the maiden name of their mother, Elizabeth Law Milne of Edinburgh.
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Hi Donald, This is incredibly interesting especially the way these families married each other , some time ago I attended a couple of Lectures relevant to the Linen Barons of this area and I missed out on a tour which showed their private residences or what's left of them today and I am sure reading Who's -Who and recalling the lecturer some of these marriages must have been arranged ? Regarding W P Barbour I'm afraid there was some scandal years ago were he was charged and the case in question was published in the New's of the World and regarding W P I'm not sure that he may have left the country altogether, but I remember him as the biggest tipper at Christmas God Bless Him May his given hand never wither , Regards To All Ted

Hi Donald Regarding the Barbours especially W P Barbour I found this John Dogherty Barbour (1824-1901 had a family of 4 he was married to Elizabeth Law Milne (1846-1934) Elsie Milne Barbour, John Dogherty Barbour James Barbour and Willam Patrick Barbour, and as I said before J D lived on the Belsize Roadin a house named Dalboyne later he moved into Conway and WP lived in Windy Brow also on the Belsize I cant acount for James Regards Ted

Ted, During the war I delivered a couple of telegrams to the Barbours in "Windy Brow" on the Belzize Road, one sure had a magnificent view of the Lagan valley from there. Mauri

Mauri ,without a doubt it was some house and its elvelevated position gave it that panoramic view of the valley Regards Ted

Hi all. My youngest son bought the book on Hilden for me. I sat down this afternoon to have a look through it. The book is very interesting indeed and I saw people that I had forgotten about. Two of my brothers' names are mentioned in the Roll of Honour as well as others. It was a strain on my eyes trying to see and read (even with the assistance of a magnifying glass) but I enjoyed it.