In the years that I have particapted on the Forum I have only come across one person that I knew in my childhood and that was Brendan McTeer (probably spelt that wrong sorry Brendan}. Though I am quite sure there must be others around. I remember being in Lisburn one time after a long absence and standing at the corner of Railway Street and Market square just watching the people go by and not spotting one that I knew.

And yet one time in Sydney Australia I was walking along Martin Place and of all things I bumped into an uncle of mine who I thought was in New Zealand, so it was nice to go and have a drink and talk about family and Lisburn

Another time that I unexpectedly met up with friends was when the ship I was on was returning from Korea and we were in Hong Kong harbour, I met up with two other lisburn guys that I knew one on the ship that was relieving us and the other stationed in HK so the three of us had a wild night out on the town. Those were the days????. Mauri

Hi Mauri,Episode's you describe confirms the world is smaller than we think ,many years ago friends whom I meet and grew up with in digs in Essex when single and worked with in Ford's foundry later we all got married formed great friendships and then over the years we gradually returned to the different counties in Ireland, Consequently many years later we decided to get together for a weekend in Dublin and on the Saturday Evening after an enjoyable dinner we decided to hit the pub and The Craic was 90 and out of the blue a guy who was a janator in the foundry locker room a real character by the name Dublin known by all saunters over with the well known salutation "How boy's,hows she cutting " since our last meeting with him he had married, divorced and resided in Australia and returned to Dublin this extended the company to two couples from Dublin two from Cork and myself and Pat from here,Mauri this was a session that still lingers,of the four blokes I am only aware of two of us left sadly ,Regards Ted

Mauri, when I am in Lisburn now I hardly ever see anyone I know.

Were you in the Graveyard today ?

Ted, yes I attended Cemetery Sunday yesterday. I saw your sisters but not you. There was a good crowd even though the weather wasn't great _ heavy showers which thankfully cleared up and let the sun come out. It's a great occasion as you know and the graves so full of colour with all flowers and plants. It's also a time when I see people I otherwise wouldn't. A nice tribute to those we hold dear and are still with us in spirit.

Hi Ann,sorry I missed yous I was under the umbrella probably, we were lucky we got the short period of dry time,there was a good turnout taken into consideration the weather, ran into a few old friends and had a bit of craic and got back to the car before the heaven's opened,catch up again ,regards to Dominic,

Hi Ann,Ted, What exactly is cemetery Sunday? do they have an outdoor service in memory of the departed?, I have relatives buried in the old Dublin road cemetery and also in Belfast City Cemetary, but have never heard of services in those two graveyards. Last time I was in Lisburn I visited the cemetery but couldn't find my relatives graves, however there is now a large memorial stone so should be easier the next time I am in Lisburn. When I go I'm going to be scattered to the four winds on the Atlantic coast.???? Mauri

Hi Mauri.

If I had known that you were going to your relatives grave ,I could have given you directions to the grave of your relation ,in the cemetery ,and the location ,of the grave ,on the Dublin road . You have got the photograph ,that I sent you a while back .
Hope all are well ,and keep sending the stories ,of your travels ,as I like all others enjoy .
Take Care !
Thomas

Mauri, Cemetery Sunday is just as you guessed. Once a year, in June, an outdoors service is held in the cemetery, prayers are said and each grave is blessed with holy water. It is a lovely tradition and gets a very big turn out each year, whatever the weather.

Yes Tommy I still have the photograph you sent,many thanks, glad you enjoy my little stories now and then, just hard to translate the atmosphere of a howling gale on to a computer????. Mauri

Ann, Sounds like a really nice tradition, shame the other cemetaries don't do it as well.?? Mauri

Mauri, It is a nice tradition as you get the opportunity to meet with old friends and school mates,though I must say they are getting thinner on the ground,also you get to know were different family's graves lie and you can scan the different family's, this year because of the weather very little was seen as we were mostly under umbrellas but I still ran across cousins etc ,Regards Ted

Ted, in case you don't know, Jameson's is reduced to £ 18 in Supervalu from next week. Dominic will be interested too. Saw this in a Supervalu flyer which came this afternoon.

Ann,By chance on Tuesday last I called in to SuperValue and Jameson was over £20 so I settled for Bush @ £16 which was the same price Lidl was charging the week before,I'm afraid I stayed up for the election last night and there isn't much left in the bottle must get a refill,in the meantime thanks for the update,

Hi Ted

Although I am not a serious drinker ,I enjoy a wee whiskey , and some times a guiness
I was picturing yourself with the bushmills , maybe next time you should use a dummy teat , so as to slow the input down a wee bit HaHa!
Seriously as long as you enjoy , and are not causing any harm to yourself ,and others . Bushmills is my favourite also .
Regards! to yourself and all .
Tommy

Tommy
nothing better than a litre of good Bavarian beer, accompanied by a roast pigs knee ( Schweinshaxen ) and a Bavarian band playing on the stage. Eamon lowercase can confirm this.
donald

Donald, I'll take your word for it (about the pig's knees, etc). Nothing strange or startling to report today so far.

My sister and I talked on the phone today, she had just been to the Cemetery you mentioned to visit our grandmother's grave, and recently buried, our aunt Ruby Keery who some of you may have known, there was a brand new grave stone with inscription on it of the two. Granny was Mary Gilliland.

While she was there, a woman looked at her, then approached and asked who she was. Turned out it was someone we haven't seen since we were children called Angela Dicky, I think she had an older sister called Monica. Isn't it amazing that if you stand and look at someone for long enough you can recognise them even though it was so long ago since they saw each other.

My sister said the place was a picture after the Cemetery Sunday and she really enjoyed being there.

Liz
I remember your Hilden grandparents (Thompson ) well, also your brother Will who was a boyhood friend. Gilliland was a name that I always associated with Hillhall. Lots of people who lived and died in Hilden were buried in Hillhall Cemetery, possibly because they were originally from there and their parents were buried there.Hillhall Church has a very interesting history which can be read in Mavis Heaney´s book = "Lisburn _ Life in the County Down". I recently visited it during a trip to norniron as the area around there brings back childhood memories . Gracey,s factory, for example and Ferguson,s shop. I remember as a child the Braniel Hall being built and where Hillhall school once stood Nisson huts which once housed German POWs. Easter Monday spent at the Glens where we lit fires and roasted spuds.
donald

Hi Donald, Did you ever pick Raspberry's for Graceys, it must have been around 1950 (My God) and they use to pay us a Tanner for every full can you picked and it really took some picking to fill a can,the thing I earned most was an appitite as a day in the fields certainly gave you that,Regards Ted

Liz wish I had known your sister as we could have had a good yarn about YOU. she could have filled me in on your exploits as a child. Glad she enjoyed the day too. Small world.

Ted
yes I did but to tell the truth we ate more than we gave up. Another job was strawberry plucking at the field beside the hill on the road leading up to Hillsborough. We were recruited outside the Chapel on Sundays by the owner. We were made to whistle in case we ate some.
donald

"Whistle while you work". I wonder is that the meaning behind the words in this old song. You never know. I recently received a book about the real meaning behind nursery rhymes. Some of them are believable, but I'd rather just think of the nursery rhymes without the deeper meanings.

My late brother, Malachy, and some of his friends used to go "purtie hoking" for Simpsons. I imagine it was hard work too, but the young ones had to work for their pocket money then. I'd like to see any of the youngsters today picking raspberries or "purtie hoking" .They'd look at you!!!!!

Morning Donald, That field may have been Tom Marley's ?it was situated beside the wireless transmitter on the Dublin Rd, I must have went to a different mass!

Ted
it´s so long ago I couldn´t be sure, but he paid well for those days.
donald

Ann
I "purty hoked" also, it was back breaking and the wages were very low, about 8d per day if I remember correctly. We got a snack at 10.00 am and our lunch also, served in the barn.
donald

Donald , Slight change in subject !last night on the BBC news there was a peice done on a reunion @ Mackies, in attendance was one of the Mackie family who discribed how he i himself served his time in the factory, there was also some reminision by some of the old work force, I am not sure if you can get BBC catchup but it was on the 6-30 pm news , Regards Ted

Ted
that was something which impressed me about the Mackie family, the sons had to complete a practium to see how the machinery was made. They were addressed by their forenames such as Mr Jim, Mr Sam etc. In the Ulster Star a few years ago one of the Mackie family celebrated her 104 birthday in Lisburn in March 2013. Marian Mackie McIntyre a German born lady who met her first husband Lavins Mackie who was on a sales trip in Europe. I enclose the link as it is very interesting.
donald

http://www.lisburntoday.co.uk/news/marion-marks-her-milestone-birthday-1-4929152

Thanks Donald,

Ted
when you read the article and compare the life of luxury some had compared to others then you must shake your head and ask how could there be so much difference.For example my Gran, born around 1890, started work around 1900 as a "half timer" and walked daily from Derryaghy to Hilden mill,married, reared 6 children and before I took her in the middle 1960s to Derry to visit her son had never been any further than Hillsborough. I often compare that generation and the generation of our grandchildren and the luxurious life today.
I think I once mentioned it here before, I was engaged as a stewart about 30 years ago in the middle of Munich by the Trade Union on Labour Day ( 1st May ) to prevent participants from climbing onto the flower pots and other decrative ornaments in the middle of Munich where the demonstration was taking place.An elderly person approached me and smiled, stroked my ample stomach and said " These times will go, you will think of me"! He was correct.
donald

Morning Donald,Sleep is hard to find this morning, it's 3am being Father's day I had a little to much of every course juice of the grape included,however your description of your Grandmother's travels previous to Derry really puts things in perspective of the things we today take for granted in our own lifetime we are aware of People who's world consisted of the distance from house to work and hand to mouth and Father's Days and Mother's Days,weren't in there vocabulary ,like your Granny my own Mum use to relate how her Mother tried to make ends meet as her husband was killed in the 1st war and had 3 daughters to bring up,of course these stories meant little to us then , but going back now we have observed more changes than any generation before us and one thing we don't seem to be able to control with all our new technology and medicines is war,something's just never change,I will try and sleep now,Say Good night Donald,