Yes Barney, His father ran the Stores pub in
Bow Street. Mauri

I remember the "Brasserie'at the Taxi rank near to the door of the "Assembly Rooms'.It didn't last long if I recall,A little bit upmarket for Lisburn at the time. That Cinema opposite Joe Kavanagh's "I buy anything" shop in Smithfield was called "The Central" I think it's nickname was 'The Jampot',I believe you could gain entry ,for two clean Jam-jars at one time,before my time.There also was 'The Lyceum' near Duncairn Gardens,The Clonard,and the Diamond on the Lower Falls Rd.The Alhambra in North St.Had a Bar in the Balcony where you could stand with a Pint and watch the Movie........Frank

Frank The Brasserie was above a Drapers shop in Market Square, as boys we used to smirk over the name as it was similar to an item of ladies underwear. The Central was nicknamed in my time "The Smithfield Ritz ". I was never in there but some one told me that the seating was long wooden forms. I heard that story about the jam pot as entrance fee but I think you did not give the jam pot up at the pay box, you went to a grocery shop nearby and then jam pots were like lemonade bottles and when buying jam you had to pay a deposit which was returned when you gave the pot washed back.
Reminds me of a chap from Liverpool telling us about his aunt who was addicted to Bingo. When she had no cash she went to a shop where she got credit, got a case of lemonade on credit, came home emptied the contents down the sink and took the empty bottles to another shop where she got the deposit and used this as entrance fee to the Bingo!

It was called the News and Cartoon (watched 'Cry the Beloved Country' there as a schoolboy)

Tom
The Mayfair cinema became the News and Cartoon, the Contential Cafe was opposite the GNR Station in Gt Victoria St not too far from the Mayfair cinema, next door to the Crown Liquer Store we used to go there when we had a few bob for tea, bread, butter , chips and beans for 1s/6d in the late 50s.
donald

I remember Mrs Prendergast who worked in the ticket office.
She had three daughters Pat, Moya and Maureen,
They lived in a house beside the Infirmary,

Opposite them lived the Lenaghans, Jim, Sheila,I Think there were two other boys and Mona Moran who I think was their cousin

Gerry, Sheila Lenehan is alive and well. She moved house recently from Derriaghy to Dunmurry. I speak to her in town from time to time.

I remember a girl called Moya Prendergast although she would have been older than me. If I'm correct, she had long hair which was kept in plaits.

Another senior moment
The Lido was opposite the GNR in Belfast not the Continental.
Anyone remember the name of the Cafe facing Connelly s paper shop in Castle Street?

Mauri,I Googled' The Ritz cinema Belfast NI,'great website,a fount of information.Even The Central in Garfield St.and its Jam-pots gets a mention on one of the sites.I didn't know The Beatles appeared at the Ritz on stage.........Frank

Frank, Laurel and Hardy also appeared on stage at the Ritz Cinema. Apparently, they were "past their best" at this time but still.

Donald, when you mentioned the Continental, it reminded me of going there for lunch once a week or so. That was in the 1950s, when I worked in the Irish News Office, and I always ordered the same dish - thick pork sausages, mashed potatoes and veg.

Tom,

Very interesting postings on here, glad you happened on the Forum, love to remember the old days" & all the familiar names.

You will not know Lisburn if you visit this year, it has changed beyond recognition. I preferred the old one, it is full of strangers now, hardly see a familiar face, wheras before everyone was a friend or foe!! [


Pat

Donald Was it Rossie's

Ted
I spent more time round that toss than I did round the chapel.
Rossi's - wasn't that an ice cream shop? I remember Rossi's ice cream being as good as Kitty Malloy's.

Donald, I just remembered, this second, I did not like Montgomery's chips. Too greasy.

Loved Montogomery's fish, which I heard later was rock salmon. Went to buy it & did'nt like the look of it, too much like an eel, only pinky white. Cheap too.

Ted or Jim will know if I am right. Whatever it was it tasted lovely & fresh from Montogomery's.

Couldn't beat Millars chips in the Low Road. Only drawback was they were very slow & had a yarn with everyone they knew on our side of the counter.

Pat

Hello Dabbler (would love to know the origins of the name)

Johnny Rossi was the nephew of my grandmother (her maiden name was also Rossi). The family eventually moved to Belfast's Antrim Road area where they resumed business. The Rossi's were originally from Edinburgh - I recall the thick Scottish accent of my grandmother which seemed out of place with her Italian matron's appearance and demeanour (hair in bun and always wearing black). She managed the Olympia Cafe in Bundoran until it was sold in the sixties. It was also owned by Battisti & Sons. She moved to the Cafe Rex in Omagh where she lived and worked until she passed away around 1966, a year or so after Tomasso's death.

Hi Tom
It is good reading your memoirs.
'Dabbler', I guess, is someone who dabbles. I have dabbled in many things, but wasn't much use at any of them, so I like the nom de plume.
In fact, I pinched it from Arthur Logue, who, I was told over fifty years ago, was The Dabbler. Arthur was the eldest of the Logue brothers. Billy, Patsy and Danny would never have known that I knew Arthur. I just had a wee drink with him one time.He was drunk when I met him, and talked absolute nonsense. That's another good reason for me to use his false name.

Hi Dabbler, Re Arthur Louge, I think Arthur is in the photo of the Retreat that Jim posted last week left hand side near the front Regards Ted

Hi Pat, I find that hard to beleive in the early days Mongomerys sold only Cod and if you remember it was cooked to order Stewarty? Topping was frying then and you could see him putting the fish in the pan, never in all the years I deleivered to Mongomerys did I ever see them get Rock Salmon (Coley) just like the Niagra you got what was ordered and they insisted on quality and if it wasnt up to standered you took it back to were got it. ( No Arguments) honest.
Regards Ted

Ted, When did Stewart Topping start working in "Montomery's". I know he was related somehow or other to Charlie Montgomery and his wife whose name I forget. Stewart lived in Warren Gardens and I remember as a kid he worked in Belfast so I was surprised to hear that he had been working in Montgomery's, maybe he was retired and working there part time. His brother Victor I think also opened up a greengrocer's in Castle Street, correct me if I am wrong. Mauri

Ted, Just remembered Charlie's wife's name, wasn't it Lena or something like that.? Mauri

Hi Mauri, Re Montgomerys I honestly can,t remember Montgomery's without Stewart'y and thats from the 50's as for the greengrocers I am not sure but there was a shop down beside Moodie Parkers and I am sure his first name was Victor, I have a feeling Stewart'y was related to the owners of the pub called "The Stores" which was down a yard adjacent to Jordan's shop, as for Mrs Mongomerys first name I have asked around but cant get an answer, she always attended the confectanory & Tobacco shop, Mauri sorry I cant be of more help maybe Donald will come up with something, Regards Ted

Ted, wasn't Montgomery's sweetie shop a magical place? It wasn't like any other confectioners. I loved to look at the big glass jars of sweets, so many different kinds you hardly knew what to choose. Montgomery's had sweets that no other shop kept. I loved calling in on the way to the pictures and buying a quarter pound of chocolate teacakes which were one of my favourites then.

The ice-cream parlour was unique too, all those wee circular tables and the different coloured jellies in the kitchen - orange, green, yellow, red. Then the concoctions of ice-cream - oysters, ice-cream sundaes, milk shakes, everything you could desire. AND it was spotlessly clean too.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm away again - that Mantovani has a lot to answer for.

Ted, there was a Victor Parkinson who had a shop in Seymour Street. Would that have been the one you're talking about?. He later worked in the Lagan Valley Stores.

Dabbler, Montgomery's chips were never greasy. I wonder are you mixing the shop up with another one?

Montgomery's fish was beautiful and it was cod all right; pure white and so fresh it just broke away. I remember their chips too, golden and crisp. MMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Hi Ann Thats the shop I was thinking off, so it wasn't Topping, sorry Mauri, as for Mongomerys sweet shop it really was a one off, Christmas in particular Ann did you ever stand in that shop and look into there living room there was always a lovely fire in the grate the smell of the choclate and Tobacco all the Christmas wrappings, it really was a fairyland I used to think Santa lived there but then I was a late developer Regards Ted

Yes Ted, Stewart Topping and Herbie Topping who ran the stores pub were brothers, there Dad lived a couple of houses down from where I lived as a kid. Will respond more later am on my way out to Toronto to a funeral (another one). Mauri

Ted
The photo would have been taken about twenty years after I met Arthur, so, difficult for me to recognize him. My guess would be the balding man second row from front, left, as you say. Strangely enough, I think I DO recognize Michael Moran. But I'm getting old.