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Herrns Alai

Remember the "Herrn man" coming around on Fridays with his horse and cart selling Ardglass Herrings . He made the housewives alert of his presence by shouting "Herrns Alai". Us boys ran behind him and completed this with" fresh and stinkin, come to the cart an see them blinkin"!
donald

Re: Herrns Alai

Ha, ha, what a memory, also the rag and bone man, "any regs, any regs!". "Only what I am wearing" was my mother's reply. Seems like a hundred years ago, doesn't it in this very changed society. Thank God the days of Friday night's wash down in the tin bath in front of the fire has gone, especially when the Insurance man called for his money!

Re: Herrns Alai

Liz
I remember them also,they collected rags and gave a cup or other piece of Delph in return. Sometimes us kids got a balloon. Very, very occasionally in Hilden we were visited by a horse drawn roundabout which I think cost 1p. This came to mind at Xmas when I was playing a DVD with Irish music and songs.One of them " Mickey´s roundabout", a song about a Belfast man , Mickey Marley who owned one.Billy Chapman was another tradesman who came with a horse and cart selling vegetables, later his daughter took over the round with a motor van.
There were also the horse drawn carts from Hilden Mill? I remember as a boy we used to follow them to the Barbour´s rubbish tip at Tullynacross and asked the cart-man for a lift back to Hilden.Another adventure was a ride on a Lighter along the Lagan Canal from Scott´s Locks down to Hilden which my father took me in the 40s occasionally.
donald

Re: Herrns Alai

Any Co. Down men remember the pub at the Union Bridge? I think there was an untertakers there also. I read that the Lighter men called in there ( the pub ) for a quick one.
donald

Re: Herrns Alai

Donald I remember it well but for the life of me the name eludes me at the moment. with second thoughts was it Hall's

Re: Herrns Alai

Ted
I think you are correct, maybe Beano can remember. Dabbler if he looks in would also know.I think my grandfather had a pint or two there.
donald

Re: Herrns Alai

Ted and Donald,

"Halls" it was, owned by George Hall, it was my Dad's favorite pub. They had a great dart team called the Borderer's, the name was because of the close proximity to the Lagan which at the time separated Antrim and Down. George also ran a football pool, usually lasting about four weeks at a time, the prize was about 60 pounds, good money at the time.

Beano

Re: Herrns Alai

herrings,
in the air force before i was sent abroad i was stationed for a while in an raf camp at ballyhornen. in afternoon the clerks there went to ardglass post office to get and send mail and we were sometimes sent as escorts with a wee trunchon. when the clerks were in the post office we went to the harbour to see the boats coming in. the crew were on deck and women were walking along the side of the boats on the harbour. the men on board were throwing herrings to the women, wives daughters don,t know, but you couldn't have got fresher herrings anywhere?

Re: Herrns Alai

Tom
My wifes mother is from Ardglass and her family worked with the Herring dealers, cleaning and gutting them at home earning a few shillings. Another place for Herrings was Skerries near Dublin, when we went there in the 60s on holiday we went down to the pier and when then boats came in we bought a dozen for 2/6 = a half crown
donald