Can anbody tell me what the Orange Hall in Railway street is used for now. It used to be a popular place for dancing every Saturaday night also the odd concert. Although I was only at a couple of dances in it the ones I was at I really enjoyed. Although on one occasions I nearly got into a fist fight with a couple of ignorant loud mouth would be tough guys one of whom I knew from school days. Mauri

Mauri ' The hall is still there and fresh it is 'I can't elaborate to much about it as I don't live in the town now sorry City' but obviously the lodges still meet there as for the dancing Mauri that social life we experienced then has long gone, as was the odd rumble on the stairs with the squaddies and the local hards. as for asking a girl to dance today you would have to surgical remove her mobile phone first as its an assessary she can't be parted from. maybe in Canada its different.Ted

Thanks Ted, Think its about the same here in Canada, although some of the Veterans Clubs still have dancing on special occasions, but as far as I know certainly not like the old days?? Do you remember the band hut on the Longstone beside Topping's pub.they used to have some good nights in there with the old time dancing. Mauri

Hi Ted,







I enjoyed that little bit about the "squaddies and the Hards" I was at one dance in the hall and that is exactly what happened it looked like it was pre-planned, anyway I never went back. There was six of us who ran around together, we danced at the Legion because of the Showbands who were great, like Dave Glover, Johnny Quigley and Big Tom.great days.

Beano







Beano

Morning Beano,Myself and Noel Clarke on a Saturday night use to catch the last train out of Belfast and we would have made the Hall for the last couple of dances some times you clicked and acompanied a girl home as the lights in Lisburn then weren't great ,anyhow that's another story but I did witness a couple shindigs on the stairs but always from a distance.

Morning Mauri, Believe it or not I never did frequent the hall to dance , but I was out of a job at one period probably 55 /56 and I was offered a job in that hall as it was then set up as a Swiss Embroidery Factory were I was to be taught the process but I only stayed until I raised the fare back to England were I ended up in Fords at Dagenham. I had forgotten about the hall it was beside Cadwells pub then ?

Hi Ted
Would Noel Clarke , have Been the good looking guy ,who travelled on the train ,with Billy (Beano) myself and others , to the dances at the Fiesta .
Regards!
Tommy .

Hi Ted and Tommy,

Noel was a nice guy, if it's the same guy, we must have been familiar with you at that time Ted.. There were two guys used to get off the last train at Hilden Halt, I think their names were Leo and Dennis, does that sound familiar to either of you???. I couldn't be sure of the names but I do remember they were both very friendly young guys.

Beano

Tommy, Beano & Donald I am afraid the forum is playing up again as I did answer this just now and it dissappeared , however I do mremember Dennis Conner's, did he end up in Cork ? and of course Eddie Traynor, Noel Clarke and John Mormon and sometimes Bobbie Graham and myself got of at Hilden ,and Jim Neil who always carried his dance shoes ( I didn't have any we was poor )and a few more carried on to Lisburn, Regarding Noel (RIP) he worked in Duffs cabinit factory also he was with Ernie Mc Carters and he ended up in Mc Gowans on the Moira Road, we went a lot to the Plaza, Kingsway,Feista, and Sunday nights were great at Maxims , Beano I am sure we must have been on the same train on many occasion , they were the best of times , we aways seem to have to run for the last train and we use to cut through Amele St were there were always girls outside the Crown looking for a light and we had always to run past them as the train wouldnt wait, Regards Ted

Ted
I think Dennis Connor worked in the Tilley Lamp as an archetikt in the 60s, the family lived a few doors down from us in Mill Street. He had a brother who worked in Hilden mill. ( who didn´t?). Hilden names from the past keep coming back, Dennis Connor, Joe Keenen, Seán Hughes, Jim McArdle, Malachy Bowers, Bobby Richenson Jim Shields,Billy Freeman, but to name a few. All a few years older than myself but I faintly remember them in a higher class in Hilden School.
donald

yes dennis had brother named david his brother was called after my father is dennis still on the go he is a cousin of mine they used to live in Gregg st for a while then moved to hilden