Badminton at the Kelly Hall

April 17, 2024April 18, 2024 David MartinLeave a comment

“Members of the Holy Trinity Badminton Club, Portrush, pictured with trophies won in a very successful season.”

The Kelly Hall was used too for bowling and the Church Lads Brigade and other activities under the auspices of Holy Trinity church, Of the Holy Trinity Badminton Club, Cyril Davison started it up in about 1970, and I started playing there when I was still primary school age. It met first in Dunluce St hall – I guess that site became the Gold Rush arcade. The club was amazingly popular, so much so that Cyril had to arrange us in pairs, lined up either side of the hall, hitting the shuttlecock across to each other – as he said, it was the only way to ensure that everyone got a chance to play and practice.

The club then moved to the Kelly Hall when it was refurbished. The club developed really well and there were a few of the teams at various levels in local leagues, with awards like in the photograph above.

League match nights, and regular club nights – and some mucking about nights. One evening we were warming up before a game, knocking the shuttle around. One comes over and I swish at it. Unfortunately my partner Kathleen Diamond reaches to catch it, to start serving to start the match. But both her hand and my badminton racquet suffered in the collision. But at least me delivering the ‘Tele meant that I had pocket money to buy the replacement.

*Jonny Dobbin & Cyril Davison, 1991; Cyril & Margaret Davison, 30 June 2022*

Cyril & Margaret Davison were really marvellous, set up badminton at Portrush when I was a kid, working to get the Kelly Hall refurbished and courts marked up to play there, and got the badminton club up and running and doing rather well in the area leagues. Jonny Dobbin says about the 1991 photo, “That was the year that I won the most improved player in the Ballymoney and District league. Cyril coached me – and he was the reason that me and others from the club achieved local, district and country honours.”

I look for photographs of the badminton club but do you remember the 1970s, the days before mobile phones and not a million photographs of everything? I had only found the one photograph of the club, and then Clive Shorter produced a few more, of 1977. But David Downs says, “If only we had camera phones back then, knock knees Martin wouldn’t want any images around a badminton court even if he was OK at it.”

That photo, below right, of me practicing in our house, about 1974. My knock knees pose must have been good enough to earn those little medals and prizes, encouragement for improvement over the year.

My regular playing group was that under-16 team shown on the left (and all the lads were golfing buddies too – though I have no idea why Andy H has a shuttlecock on his nose). It was great tragedies that Sandra C and Janette K, school classmates, were taken away too early from us.

George Shorter remembers Cyril’s great humour. “I always remember Cyril walking into the Kelly Hall and asking ‘Can anyone ride a bike?’ If you replied Yes enthusiastically, he replied, ‘Well come and help me get this stuff out of the car.’

About 1977, and into the dizzy heights of the Minor C league, and photos include Tom Hentry, George Harkness, Tommy Peters, Eva O’Neill, Sandra and Heather Crawford, Thelma, and Cyril & Margaret, Sammy & Sadie and ‘the splendid array of trophies’
(all badminton newspaper cuttings courtesy Clive Shorter. But oh dear I can’t remember all the names, let me know of any blanks !!

A story from me? It is Easter holidays from school. One afternoon, me and Kyle and George and Mark McC get the Kelly Hall door key to go in to play for a few hours. Oh, nuisance! the bowling mats are spread out. We push them over to one side and set up the badminton net so that we can play.

Later, the caretaker tells us: she had spent hours doing the laying out the mats and vacuuming them, to perfecto bowling green flatness for the match that evening. And we had just pushed them over to one side against the wall, and then pulled them back after our games. She had to do the preparation all over again. And we got the rollicking.

Ken Mcallister: “We used to watch the caretaker lock up after setting up the net for the evening, and Denny Mcaleese and I watched him putting the key under the mat. Two hours playing badminton – pure luxury.”

About 1977: Sammy & Sadie Kane, Clive Shorter, Cyril & Margaret, Tommy Peters, Thelma, Elaine Adjey, and oh dear but I can’t remember all the names – well it is 45 years ago !!

As well as at the Kelly Hall, Cyril also did badminton coaching at the primary school, including to Jonny Dobbin in the mid-80s. The badminton strip and the football strip are surprisingly similar! (“Those horrible sports strips for all sports. Absolute nipple wreckers!” , says Jonny.)

Photos, 1986. Sports strip, similar between badminton and football teams?
Cyril also taught badminton at the primary school, teaching Jonny in the mid-80s. Badminton. Starting back row left. Jonny Dobbin, Miss Steele, Richard Hassan. Front row from left. Shane McDonald, Richard Kettyle, Peter Smyth, Stephen Mckenzie
Football. Starting back row left. Richard Hassan, Jonny Dobbin, Edwin Burgess, Rowland Robinson, Nigel Smyth, Miss Boyd. Front row from left. Peter Elliott, Shane McDonald, Peter Smyth, Jason Quigley, Richard (Archie) Kettyle, Stephen Mckenzie, James Allen

Cyril was heading towards retirement in the late 1990s, with some months back and forth to Spain, continuing to coach badminton to kids in Spain. Jonny Dobbin, back in Portrush after uni, stepped up to take the club forward in the late 1990s.

Raymond Mcneill: “Well done Cyril & Margaret! An account of badminton days gone by. When the Saturday night at the was brilliant, ending with fish & chips and Match of the Day! it!!”
David: yup, agreed! Battered sausage and chips at the Dolphin, on the way home!

On the left: winners of the Ballymena & District League & Cup, 1999: Clive Shorter, Jonny Dobbin, Cyril Davison, Steven Hastings; front: Sharon Kennedy, Margaret Davison, Margaret Weir
Right, back row: ladies Sharon Kennedy, Margaret Davison, Margaret, Pamela Smyth
Front row: William Snelling, Stephen Hastings, Clive Shorter, Jonny Dobbin, Tommy McCarroll

Left: the junior members who represented Ballymoney and District at the Jack Wilson Trophy (all Ulster under-17 years old badminton districts) – Andrew Harte, Johnny Dobbin, Anne Hopkins, William Snelling, Aslan Bucukoglu
Anne Hopkins. “Yes me in centre. I was only around 13 at the time and don’t remember much about it but I remember going to Donegal and playing badminton in the tournament.”
Right: the Junior badminton club in 1991. Back row left to right: Alan Stewart, Steven McMinn, Jonny Dobbin, Cyril Davison, William Snelling, Chris Graham, Richard Weir. Front row: Rosemary Payne, Katherine Snelling, Claire Mclain, Anne Hopkins, Andrea Weir

Jonny records, “Cyril & Margaret were so awesome, they coached at the badminton club from about 1970, and they taught me at primary school sports as well, in the mid 80s. So appreciative of Cyril’s coaching, and that Cyril was the reason that me and others from the club achieved local, district and country honours.”

Aslan Bucukoglu: “Thanks for this article. I play 3 times a week during the season in Edinburgh and I remember Cyril every time I step on the court.”

Karen McQuilkin: “I have so many wonderful memories of playing badminton at Trinity Hall. Cyril was the heartbeat of the club, and I am very grateful to have been coached by him. “

Geoffrey McKillop: “Cyril was a real gentleman, a unique character, someone I knew very well back in the late 70s early 80’s … A great badminton player in these times, very involved in Holy Trinity in Portrush at that time along with Margaret his lovely wife. Both of them were very giving of their time & gave so much back to their community..… “

When I played in the 1970s, badminton club nights were Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Church Lads Brigade, CLB, with folks like buddy Kyle Miller, met in the hall as well, on Fridays. And George Shorter in Hamilton Place says he was in those two organisations and also in the Bowling club – he was in the Kelly Hall every evening of the week. At least as important as badminton skills, I’m sure that tact and diplomacy are important parts of any town or church activity, like with the Kelly Hall where so many different groups and users were vying for the hall. But I think Cyril and Margaret, and Sammy and Sadie Kane, were really great at just ensuring everything went smoothly. I think it was Sammy that pulled together a few bowling evenings, where the badminton folks would play the bowling club. As you would expect the bowling club won, but at least my rink managed one draw, our best result. I remember at that evening that Sammy spoke about the value of church togetherness and of the younger and older folks being together. Sammy was also a leader in the CLBs as well and the lads appreciated his leadership, with courtesy and respect.

And the example of contribution to the community too: sometimes with Cyril’s coaching would be interrupted as he heard the fire station siren and dashed off to serve the community. And the club played variously in Coleraine and Ballymoney and Ballymena district leagues. Jonny says of lots of late nights through the week and lots of inter-district events at the weekends, and really appreciated that senior members gave up a lot of their time to ship the younger players around the church halls of Ulster and then up to Belfast for the ‘majors’ games.

Steve McMinn: “Great article David. I played for Cyril and Holy Trinity for years and extremely honored to have been mentioned in the article. Since then I have played badminton all round the world. I recently moved home, where I still play and set up the local kids club at UUC, now called ‘Smashers’. I’m pleased to know that Cyril had recently found out that I was coaching the kids club and I was hoping to re-connect. I hope that gave him great satisfaction, as it would not have been possible without him. Thank you for sharing his story as I talk about him all the time, and I am glad he gets that recognition for all his work. With thanks, Steve.”

So, years of playing and coaching badminton at the Kelly Hall in Portrush and of supporting the Coleraine and Ballymoney and other leagues and clubs in the area, and their work and service in the community. So much respect for Cyril and Margaret Davison, for the parts they played in training up youngsters in badminton skills with others following on in coaching in various places based on their example, and all with the life lessons from their example too.
———
Newspaper cuttings & photos, courtesy Clive Shorter, Jonny Dobbin, Andy Herron, David Martin

There were especial tributes to Cyril Davison, is this version:
https://portrushstories.wordpress.com/2022/11/05/cyril-davison-a-tribute/

Link to Index of ‘Portrush Tales’ topics, you will find stuff of interest, I am sure!
https://portrushstories.wordpress.com/2023/09/14/index/

Portrush - Great Institutions · Shows · Sports · The story of Portrush

The summer of ’79 / Best years of our lives

September 19, 2023September 20, 2023 David MartinLeave a comment

It is the summer of ‘79. That summer seemed to last forever. Those were the best days of my life.

Teenage years.
Roller-skating is on a roll.
I am walking around the town with my brother. We are outside the Silver Sands cafe near Morelli’s corner.
A young next-door neighbour, Karen McAleese, roller-skates by, does a little spin and pirouette, stops to say Hello.
Me, no good at balance sports, I am so impressed. How do you do that??? how did you do such a graceful turn and come to a halt, right on that precise spot???
I am really curious as to how stable the skates are: I touch one of her skates, gentlest of touches, to see.
The skate scoots away, Karen goes splat, falls on her nose.

I am a senseless idiot sometimes.

I had written up one other blog on Rollerskating around Portrush, there were some loose ends that I wanted to clear up….

Sindy Smith: ‘Hi David, I’ve enjoyed reading your blog on the roller discos, it brought back so many happy memories of carefree days. We worked in the shop at Margoth Caravan site and would spend our free time in the roller disco, upstairs on Dunluce Ave. We would skate for hours.

‘We went a shopping trip to Ballymena for a pair of Blue Roller boots – it must have been the best £20 I ever spent as they gave me so many hours of enjoyment.

‘That Dunluce Ave hall, from memory there were pool tables there too. And I remember a Portrush girl around my age was always there too. She was a brilliant skater, well, better than me, and I always tried to copy her, going backwards and doing fancy turns. I did master it in the end.

‘At the end of the Margoth season we got taken to the Miss Portrush competition in the ‘Counties – always the highlight of the year.’

Portrush, glamour, 1970s, Helena Alcorn: ‘Photos are a heat of Miss Portrush held in the Arcadia – Mary Law, Betty Edgar und moi. And that is me, taken at White Rocks. The Miss Elegance took place in Northern Counties and was open to all women, meaning older women, and married women could enter. No bathing suits. Lily Rohdich was main judge of it.’

And Sindy contines: ‘Every year, Maurice Smyth took the Margoth staff to Miss Portrush – maybe he got free tickets or something. It was held in the Northern Counties in what seemed like a very grand hall. And it was probably my introduction to live music, with ClubSound. I thought they were famous because I had their LP!

‘It felt like a grown-up night out… I thought I was the Belle of the Ball, coming down that big staircase. I had a photo of me with two of the Clubsound band members & the resident Irish wolfhound – I think he was called Finn – but it got lost between my three house moves!’

I try to get more about roller-skating at Portrush but everyone I ask is very vague: Did you skate at Dunluce Ave, or Causeway St? Was it upstairs, or downstairs? Oh I don’t know really. Was there music playing? What did you wear? Oh I don’t know really. Nothing special.

The person in the skating photo, glitzy red top, looks really into it, as if she would remember. Sindy says, ‘She was a work friend, and now is well-known local journalist Gillian Anderson.’

Gillian is elusive – various routes, no reponse. I try a message to a FB contact of her’s, a Graeme Anderson. Excuse me, but might you be Gillian’s brother? Graeme responds quickly – from Canada! ‘No, not related but I have known her since she worked at Margoth Caravan Park.’ He passes on my enquiry to Gillian and finally I make contact with her:

David: Hallo hallo, please are you the person who is in this photo? Might you have good memories of being there – any good stories, to add to my write-up?

Gillian: ‘Hi David, it is indeed me – that photo, quite some time ago. Memories? To be honest I don’t. We worked in Margoth Caravan Park, now Skerries, it was during school summer holidays so it would have been 1978 or ’79. We worked either 9-4 or 4-9 and then we would have gone to either Causeway Street or to Dunluce Avenue. We didn’t really dress up, it was just what we wore before going on to work. Black jeans and a red shirt – it looks shiny but that is just the way the camera flash has lit it up.

‘Later I bought my own roller boots, at Lillywhites sport shop in Edinburgh when I was there with my parents. I always enjoyed it. I was OK at it, I’m not sure I would say I was very good lol. It was always a lot of fun and as far as I can recall we went for a couple of years.

‘I wish I had interesting stories for you but sadly not. I just went there with friends before and after work – no broken legs, no holiday romances for me lol.’

OK thanks Gillian for your time. A little boring though. I will just have to make up some juicy stories about her myself.

(1980s: raft race, Radio 1 roadshow, uni fresher’s week (photos courtesy Caroline Dorsett)
Man, we were killin’ time, we were young and restless, we needed to unwind, but I guess nothing can last forever
forever, no Yeah

Oh, Caroline Dorsett / Snodden tells me, ‘I used to work with Karen McAleese in Rowland’s shop! This is where me, Karen and Sharon McFall along with Rowland and Mary Johnston used to pour most of the trendies in Portrush into their Levi’s, with the aid of a coat hanger. That was fun, trying to get someone who was a size 14 into size 12 jeans. With effort we usually managed it, although couldn’t guarantee that they would be able to fit into them when they got home, and far less be able to breathe. ‘

Photos courtesy Caroline: Rowland’s staff, night out at the Greek restaurant
(David: I remember that restaurant, opposite the train station. A family dinner, I was about 12, feeling big that I had started drinking coffee, and I asked for Greek coffee. A bit shocked at the espresso cup, 3/4 full of a black tar sludge that would be used for road-making…..)

As I didn’t get any juicy stories from Gillian, I go back to Graeme in Canada and ask, Might you yourself have more memories of that time?

I have developed ‘Martin’s Law of Memory’ which says that, The Further You Are Away From Portrush, The More Details That You Remember’ – I got great contributions from Michael White living in New Zealand, and description of Croc-na-mac housing from Brian Carlin now living in California; and here, a great story from Graeme, now in Canada.

He mentions that he knew my brother Trevor when he worked in Coleraine. ‘I used to put a lot of challenging work across his desk, and he was so good at making it all come together.’ And Trevor remembers, ‘Yeah I almost cancelled his holidays unless he finished a particular piece of work.’

Same Anderson surname but Graeme says, ‘I’m not related to Gillian at all, but I have known her since she worked at Margoth Caravan Park. I was friendly with her brother. Like most I do have fond memories of a ‘magical’ time.

‘The roller disco was an important place for the kids that weren’t going to Kelly’s and the Arcadia just yet. It had a mix of regulars, locals from Portrush and the broader Triangle and rural area, and of course visitors to the town. It mainly catered to the late teens, more so than families. It wasn’t very big, was made by closing half the pool room upstairs in the amusements on Dunluce Ave that I think became the Golden Nugget. They put steel barriers, like on the West and East Strand promenades, down the middle of the room, keeping pool tables to the right and the skating on the left. The skating area was small, and if I remember correctly you had to go one way around the rink.

Photos courtesy Caroline Dorsett: ‘Upstairs at Dunluce Ave – me on the left, with Sharon Kennedy (Graham) and Joe McAuley who was DJ at the roller disco’
Sindy Smith says, ‘It could well have been Caroline Snodden, the good skater that I tried to emulate. A pretty blond girl … i had no chance.’
Caroline says, ‘Well my skating was better than my badminton.’

Graeme remembers about music, that they built a music stage at the back. ‘There were a few DJs that worked there, especially John Devenney certainly spent a lot of time on the decks. Music was very much of the time – a mix of new wave, disco and Two-tone / Ska. John was a Big Beat fan, so you heard ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’ and ‘Tears of a Clown’ a lot. I do have a clear memory of the Jam going straight in to the Radio 1 Charts with ‘Going Underground’, and John blasting the song to loud cheers when he announced it.

‘Occasionally the regular crowd was joined by the older ‘really cool’ crowd around town – Aluminium (Alan Simpson), John the Mod (John Marchin), Monty Montgomery etc – all of us younger kids wondering how they could be so effortlessly cool, looking like Bowie, with pleated trousers, double belts, and silver tips in their hair. That was really the only ‘dressed up’ group that you saw, with many others trying their best to look like rude boys/ girls, with the die hard punks thrown in.

Wow, fantastic photo! Alan Simpson: ‘Here’s a rarity from the vaults .. David Bowie was always the ultimate inspiration.’

‘As these groups got older they graduated to Chesters in the evenings, where the Catering College students from Leander House also hung out. Some of us also spent time in the Sunset Lounge upstairs in the Central Bar. It was run by the Dargan (?) family, and the Coulsons. Their daughters, Margaret & Marie-Louise I think, used to open the back door up the steps from Mark Street Lane to let their ‘younger’ customers in. The younger staff from the ‘Counties also hung out there, and used to get us in to the swimming pool as ‘staff’.

‘Chesters ‘became the place to go in the evenings, especially over the winter. Two vivid memories from there are Alan Simpson DJ-ing one afternoon on the little roof over the main doors to a crowd on the steps and on the grass in front of the old ‘Dole Office’, now 55 North.

Another was of Karen Smith having a birthday party in there. She was called out to the front to speak into the ‘mic, and then Alan played Sunday Girl for her, and stood her up on a beer crate in the middle of the dance floor to dance with her. As you see from the photos, Karen was not as tall as Alan!’

Talking about that rollerskating hall, Sheila Kane writes: ‘Oh I remember a roller disco in an upstairs hall along that row where the old Coastal Bus depot was, in Dunluce Avenue. Great fun, but I never quite mastered the sleek turn required when you reached the wall at either end… I had to do a rather awkward shuffling turn on skates thing! ……I only ever went a handful of times one summer with school friends …. maybe 1979 or 1980?? I just remember the great disco music and hiring the roller skates.’

There was the rink at Dunluce Ave, then August 1980, and news that another rink opens, the ‘Causeway Roller Disco’ – at the Palladium Ballroom venue (where Dana had her professional breakthrough) with its nice sprung dance floor that softened the blow when you stumbled and crashed your head.

Standin’ on your mama’s porch, you told me that you’d wait forever, oh, and when you held my hand, I knew that it was now or never. Those were the best days of my life oh, yeah, back in the summer of ’79

Graeme continues, ‘Going back to the Roller Disco: the lack of room in Dunluce Ave was addressed by the opening of the Causeway Roller, in the hall which became St Patricks Hall. I believe the guy behind it was Jim Armstrong who ran a plumbing or electrical business. He had Iain Mclements and myself doing the music most afternoons. I do remember Paul Rogers making an attempt at the longest skate world record in there at one stage – I think he was from Ballymoney, and was known as ‘Candy’.

‘The Causeway Roller had a much larger floor space, and attracted people from all over. I really don’t remember a lot else about it as we simply went in, did what we had to do, and then left. The decks and music were up on a mezzanine, so you didn’t really interact with the skaters or anyone else, as you were up there by yourself. The music in there was much more mainstream pop, and dance / disco, which was Iain’s thing.’

Sindy Smith: ‘Oh Graeme’s stories jogged my memory a little. I can picture John Devenney from Beresford Ave in Coleraine, him in baggy trousers and a flop of hair that regularly got swept aside

‘Vivid memories of Chester’s, and I have a photo of that very night that Aluminium set my sister Karen on the crate to dance. She sported a Kevin Keegan hairstyle at the time .

‘Julie Turbitt, Pauline & Rosemary Bratten, Linda McDonald, all Portstewart girls, were also regulars at the time, and our other friend Janice Graham from Ballymena and Melissa Gowdy from Glengormley were caravanners and worked with us on Margoth in the shop.

Photos courtesy Sindy Smith: ‘From the left, the girls are Linda McDonald, Pauline Bratten, Janice Graham & my sister Karen Smith. Janice was from Ballymena, her parents had a caravan on Margoth and she worked in the shop with us.
‘On the right is Cara McClean from Portstewart, and a girl Douglas from Coleraine I think.’

We would work until 9pm, then go the the site toilets for a quick change of clothes – if Maurice Smyth was in a strop and didn’t allow us to change in the shop kitchen – then boogie the night away without a care how we were getting home… it was usually barefoot until we got to church corner and start thumbing a lift!

‘Working in the shop was great ’cause we got to meet the boys before we got to Kelly’s or Chester’s, and there were a few wee romances along the way. I couldn’t possibly divulge names but photographic evidence may still be available lol. The Dolphin or Kelly’s hole in the wall was a popular meeting point for the way home. I was able to do all this while babysitting on the site at the same time.. I was about 14, we didn’t own a car, mobile phones didn’t exist, and my parents must have been blind to the smell of alcohol so you could get away with a lot more in those days .’

Caroline: ‘A few of the Barry’s staff that we met with – Ross, Davy, Dave at the Speedway, Ian – I only remember him being called Minging – in charge of the Ghost Train.’
=========

In closing, Graeme humbly says, ‘So nothing too exciting from me either, just memories of very fun times. A few sad memories for me too – one being Tracy Doak, falling and sitting in the middle of the floor with everyone skating around her, and she was just howling with laughter. Such a beautiful person, taken way too soon. Others who are sadly long gone, and others who are still around, and others who are far flung across the world…..’

I think nothing too exciting is nice, isn’t it? Teenagers having fun, enjoying life, friendships, laughter.

Graeme continues, ‘Thank you for sharing this, David. I think it is wonderful that you have taken the time and effort to deservedly capture the memories in this way. I learned when my own parents passed that not only their own story but the history of the community often passes with them. Thank you for what you do – your contributions to the Portrush sites, and your own blogs do a great service to somewhere I will always treasure and regard as ‘home’. I am also very glad my own family began there, and attended primary school there before we moved to Canada.’

Me and some guys from school, had a band and we tried real hard, Jimmy quit and Jody got married.
The summer of ’79. Oh, when I look back now that summer seemed to last forever and if I had the choice
yeah, I’d always wanna be there. Those were the best days of my life..

PS Karen McAleese never spoke to me again, after that incident.
============================
Private photographs, treat with respect please, courtesy Sindy Smith, Helena Alcorn, Caroline Dorsett, Alan Simpson

Barrys · Dunluce school · Family · Portrush - Great Institutions · Primary school · School days · Shows · Sports · The development of Portrush · The story of Portrush

‘Portrush Tales’ by David Martin – Index of topics

September 14, 2023December 10, 2023 David Martin4 Comments

15th September 2023: now, milestone of 100,000 views, 115 episodes, 62,000 viewers in 95 countries – thank you, and thank you for your contributions to this enjoyable social history story of Portrush people !

Portrush Tales – me & my family’s & your stories ; the history of the town and the peninsula, going back to the year dot – Vikings, Normans, Strongbow, Dunluce castle and the two Portrush castles, the O’Cahans, the McQuillans, the MacDonnells ; the ‘Great Institutions’ like the lifeboat, Barry’s, CSSM, the Northern Counties, the Metropole, the Girona, … ; the music scene, from ballrooms to the Kiln-an-oge to the Arcadia ; growing up, & school days at Portrush and Dunluce ; golf, badminton, tennis ; cinemas and Portrush Panto ; Jimmy Molloy and the Harbour Bar; ……. Enjoy!

New!
Three sweet shops:
(1) Ross, the Rock Shop
(2) LV Ross, Lower Main St.
(3) Stockmans, the Seaside Supply Store The summer of ’79 / Best years of our lives

(I) Benvarden: into the Lion’s den
(II) Causeway Coast Safari Park

Portrush, Ramore Head – Siganl Station, WWII

from Croc-na-mac neighbours, the Edgars:
Postcards from Portrush: Donkeys on the East Strand
Postcards from Portrush: Donkeys (II) on the *West* Strand

Sgt. Fulton – last of RIC, first and last of RUC
Empire builders, Organ grinders, Spanish ladies – it’s Portrush Carnival!

Postcards from Portrush: Landsdowne, the ‘Counties, & The White House

Portrush fishing fleet
@ Portandhu –
(I) ‘No Man’s Land’ at Portandhu – – early years
(II) ‘Nobody’s Child’ at Portandhu – bringing it up to date

@ the harbour –
(3): “Fifty trawlers a week” at Portrush Harbour
(4) “Portrush as new fishing port: History is repeating”
(5) Portrush: HQ for Fishing fleet? Good times, bad times
(6) The Portrush fishing fleet

The Carnalridge sagas:
(I) the Bankhead years – based on Trish Gray stories, 1960s
(II) Bankhead, Revisited – based on Reba Jackson stories, 1950s, and earlier
(III) the McIlgorm years – based on Ian McIlgorm stories
(IV) the Millar Years – David Millar, head 1980 – 2010

The White House Tales, by Gerald McQuilken:
(IV) Socialising, by Gerald
(III) Styling, by Gerald
(II) Skiving, by Gerald
(I) Starting, by Gerald

Blog: “Leadership at The White House“

Development of Croc-na-mac & Rodney Squares, & Hamilton Place
1946 – the Year of the Prefab –
Croc-na-mac: Tin Huts to Steel Pre-fabs to Brick Homes

Portrush Tales: The Two Sheilas – Sheila Kane & Sheila Brown

“Postcards from Portrush” based on the postcard collection from Sheila Brown
(I) The story of Eglinton St.
(II) the West Strand & Harbour
(III) Harbour Tales
(IV) the Recreation Grounds, renewed
(v) Landsdowne, the ‘Counties, & The White House
(VI) Diving at the Blue Pool
(VII) Portraits of Portrush: Patton of the harbour
(viii) Donkeys on the East Strand & the Causeway
(ix) McNaughten & the Causeway

4th July 2023 ( 2 1/2 years): 106 posts, over 91,000 views, 56,000 visitors, 88 countries 🙂
21 Dec 22 (2 years): 84 posts, 71,000 views, 44,000 visitors, in 75 countries !!
25 May22 (1 1/2 years) 53,000 views, 32,500 visitors
04 Dec 21 (1 year): 40,000 views, 62 posts

Cyril Davison – a Tribute
Her Majesty the Queen – Silver Jubilee visit, 1977

The Strand Ballroom in Portstewart:
– Part I – the Ballroom of Romance
– Part II – from Helen Shapiro to Engelbert Humperdinck to Eric Clapton

“Portrush Tales” from Michael White now living in New Zealand – great set of Inst friends, teenagers in Portrush around 1960 – great fun and friendships!
– Part I – from The Other Side of the World – Michael White
– Part II – to The Farthest Shore – Michael White

Readership – almost 100 countries with Portrush connections / interest !

‘Portrush Tales‘ read mostly in UK of course, but almost 99 other countries – United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, France, Netherlands, Italy, South Africa, Sweden, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Greece, Jersey, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Switzerland, Cyprus, Qatar, Norway, Guernsey, Tunisia, Isle of Man, Hong Kong SAR China, Kuwait, Finland, Thailand, Malaysia,Bulgaria, India, Philippines, Czechia, Slovenia, Indonesia, Ecuador, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Japan, Zambia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, Romania, Uganda, Dominican Republic, American Samoa, Taiwan, Gibraltar, Somalia, European Union, Brazil, Moldova, Côte d’Ivoire, Colombia, Croatia, Argentina, St. Lucia, Hungary, Maldives, Kenya, Malta, French Polynesia, Ukraine, Algeria, Cayman Islands, Bahrain, Mauritius, Fiji, Angola, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Seychelles, Panama, Israel, Cook Islands, Serbia, Albania, Andorra, Lithuania, Saint Maarten, Iceland, ……

100 years of Badminton at the Kelly Hall

Our Mum: Maud Martin 1926-2022

Rollerskating at Portrush – into the Guinness Book of Records

Dana / The Brown Sisters series:
(I) Dana -Coming to Portrush
– Dana (Rosemary Brown) arrives to the delights of Portrush
(II) Dana – Summer job at Minihan’s, Portrush
– as young teenager, Dana works at Minihan’s shop, signs at Fawcett’s & then the Palladium
(III) The Brown Sisters at the Portrush Palladium !!
– 1964, summer season in the Edwin Heath show – her break into the big time!
(IV): from Portrush Palladium to Eurovision and beyond
– after the Palladium season: school, Eurovision – but with continuing connection with Portrush

Podcasts – Dana / Rosemary & Susan Brown
Dana – Part 1 – Coming to Portrush
Dana – Part II – Summer jobs at Minihan’s
Dana – Part III – the Brown family
Susan – Part I – from the Palladium to Decca Records and 5-year contract
Susan – Part II – Fun at Portrush
Susan – Part III – Music & The Big Nights in Derry

(IIa) Ramore St. development, 1960s
– from Ramore St, Garden Ct, Quarry Ct, ….. to the maisonettes
(IIIa) Portrush Ballrooms: the Palladium & Arcadia
– you know the Arcadia, but do you know the Palladium?

Leander House – “The Leander Girls”
– that house that was next to the Blue Pool – so rich in Portrush history
The Metropole – Ministry of Finance – Portrush’s biggest employer
– the most-read blog!
Portrush cinema (III) the forgotten Film Festival
– 1994, with Stephen Frears – but oh no-one went to it, no-one remembers it!
Portrush floods – August 1960
– the big floods around Dhu Varren
The photographer of Portrush (3) Destruction, 1976
– that dreadful night in Portrush, August 1976

Great institutions
Jimmy Molloy and the Harbour Bar
Portrush – the Harbour – amazing history of the harbour
Gregg’s dinghy pool, Portandhu lido – and my summer work with the Council
Leadership at The White House
The Night the ‘Counties Died – the Northern Counties – on the site of the ancient abbey
The Metropole Hotel – Decline and Fall
Landmarks of Portrush: Castle Erin
‘Teas and Ices’ cafe and the Great Train Robbery
Hamilton Place and the Charge of the Light Brigade – rather surprising discovery, with great history of the place!
the Recreation grounds – 100 years
Portrush CSSM – Summer is here!
Kelly Hall: Badminton, Burning, Bullets, Bayonets
“The Croc-na-mac boulevard!” – the development of the best street in town 🙂

My Dad: Sergeant Martin – ten years after his passing, in 2010
My Mum: Maud Martin (in Madelayne Court in Portstewart, celebrated her 95th in October)

The Photographer of Portrush
(1) L’Atelier studio – the studio on Main St, described by Trish Gray (nee Patricia Lee)
(2) Lee family album, 100 years – 1880s to 1980s, story richly illustrated with your photographs
(3) Destruction, 1976 – that dreadful night in Portrush, August 1976

School days
I. Portrush schools – growing pains – the development of schools in Portrush
II. Portrush Primary School – Infants, downstairs
III. Portrush Primary School – Seniors, upstairs
IV. Portrush Primary School and the West Germany football team
V. Portrush Primary School – P7 and the School Trip

PODCASTs (in a silly voice though): Episode 1, Episode II, Episode III

Sunday School Excursion to Portrush – coming to Portrush, excursion in 1950s

On the bus to Dunluce School – school days, teachers, activities, badminton successes, sports, ….
Dunluce School plays Billy Liar, 1980 – hilarious stories from Sheila K in Sixth Form !

The 1960s & 70s
the Belfast Telegraph: Portrush and the sizzling ’70s – news through the decade
Portrush floods – August 1960 – the big floods around Dhu Varren
Portrush, 1960s – the Swinging Sixties! – news through the decade
Portrush, 1960s – On the beach! – my toddler years, bliss!

That’s entertainment – Music, Cinema, Theatre, Barry’s
Portrush music: Showbands to Stranglers, ’60s and ’70s – Kelly’s, the Arcadia, Kiln-an-oge, ……

Barry’s –
Portrush, Easter – My Day in Barry’s
“It is the cacophony of noise and the flashing of neon lights and the smells of sickly popcorn and of grease that hits you when you walk in the front door of Barry’s. And the electric sparking of the Speedway. And the excitement. It is Easter Saturday, the opening day of the season…”
Barry’s and the Wall of Death
Barry’s and the Helter Skelter

Portrush cinema –
(I) 125 years – Pavilion, Palace, Picture, Playhouse – the story of cinemas in Portrush
(II) The Playhouse, year 2000 – awesome write-up of the years working at the cinema and cinema-going
(III) the forgotten Film Festival – 1994, with Stephen Frears – but oh noone remembers it!

Portrush Town Hall, theatre, pantomime, musicals, Waterworld –
Act I: Dramas at the Town Hall, 1870 to 1970 – Town Hall, start and first 100 years
Act II: Portrush Panto, 1970s and ’80s – the next 25 years until the demise of the Town Hall
Act III: Pantos – Waterworld 1990s, and at Town Hall 2010s
Act IV: Waterworld – The Musicals – late 1990s
(Act V – Performances at the Riverside – well the gap is there, but you will have to write it !)

Causeway Coast
“You must see the Giant’s Causeway” – Portrush development was strongly based on the GC
The Causeway Tram: “It was only a tram”
The Girona: Robert Stenuit in “The Dive” – finding the Spanish Armada galleas, Girona
Dhu Varren – The town between the ports
Coast path – Tides, Typhoid and Tornado – the walk to Morelli’s and through the stories of the coast path
West Strand and the Boxing Day curse – family stories and mishaps….
Mishaps on the East Strand – family stories and mishaps….

Golf
the Sandhills and the Triangle – the start of Portrush golf
1100s: Did the Vikings play golf? with The Open, 2019

The development of Portrush
1850s – The Steam Train Cometh – & the railway station, quarrying, train line and bridge to the harbour
Portrush – Living on an Island – wow so interesting look at the geography of Portrush!
PODCAST – Living on an island
The 1800s: of Trains, Tram and Tourists – boom times for Portrush and the Empire
The 1700s: of Trials, Tears, and Transport – Portrush impoverished, & big migrations
1600s – a Century of Trouble – the plantation of Ulster, Bushmills whiskey, MacDonnells & Dunluce wealth, civil war, destruction of Portrush castles, the Girona wreck
1100 – 1600: the Normans are here! – Norman invaders, Strongbow cider, Dunluce castle, Portrush abbey
1100s: Did the Vikings play golf ? – the Viking era, & war hollow, & the Open Golf, 2019 !

Mayday! Mayday! Portrush lifeboat
(1) Prepare to launch       – 1840s and leading up to the start of Portrush lifeboat; and films of launch, 1960s
(2) Tragedy and Awards, 1889-91 – fatal lifeboat call-out, rewards for quiet herosim
(3) Saving lives, 1900-1980 – rescues and heroism
(4) from A to B: Argo to Bergen   – the BIG call-outs, 1960 & 1965
(5)“What’s It All About?” – other news, buildings, training, developments, rescues

Lifeboat: the Bergen Incident    – the 1965 incident, recounted by Fred Williams
PODCAST (listen): The recording of Robert McMullan’s voice, of his view of the Bergen incident, is here.

With best wishes,
David Martin November 2022
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Portrush - Great Institutions · Shows · Sports · The development of Portrush · The story of Portrush

Empire builders, Organ grinders, Spanish ladies – it’s Portrush Carnival!

July 19, 2023July 28, 2023 David Martin2 Comments

We found the awesome photograph of our neighbour Sgt. Fulton, with the photo caption, ‘Carnival Day at Portrush, 1935’. Oh looking at newspaper archive, the Carnival was such a big event, so many really fancy costumes! And many of the familiar Portrush surnames, be it grandparents, uncludes, aunts, ……. of people that you know.

Oh, I find that there were TWO carnivals that summer, with fancy dress, and other events of fireworks, and bands, ….. there was a lot of stuff going on in 1935!

That’s Sergeant Fulton there on the left, with the three stripes on his sleeve, supervising the carnival day procession as it goes past the train station, in summer 1935.

Then, thinking about the events that happened that year…. Early in the year, the Sports Committee, the organising group, met in March to review the previous season’s activity:

But oh dear, the Committee had organised 18 events in 1934, but ALL except one were dreadful weather, washed-out, and visitors numbers were poor. And they had experimented with adding band promenades last year, quite a lot of expense, but they ‘had not received the support anticipated’ – no wonder as band promenades are pretty boring. It was a great effort by everyone, especially Capt. Shutt, but financially overall they were in deficit and disappointed. Mr Cunningham, the Town Clerk – that’s him in the photo below with Sgt. Fulton, on that Carnival day – tries to cheer everyone up, that taking the weather and everything into consideration there was no cause to be down-hearted, and with Council support there were more prosperous times lay ahead.

So, suitably encouraged, they continue with their plans for a big series of events for 1935: fancy dress carnivals, bowling tournaments, fireworks, military band entertainment, military tattoos, hard court tennis championships, and also swimming galas and yet more band concerts. Actually a program that sounds pretty familiar to me, growing up in Portrush! Plus ça change.

Excitement for the year’s activities is building…… There is a great celebration for the King’s Silver Jubilee, in May, with children’s events and a torchlight procession to a huge bonfire on Ramore Head.

And then Wednesday 17th July, is the opening event of a summer of fun in Portrush, with a parade beginning at 3pm (just like the time showing ion the train station clock):

It was the Belfast Military Band who led the July procession (and later in the summer, it was the Leicestershire Regimental Band who led the carnival in August).

And good news, the weather was ideal, the crowds thronged the streets and flocked to the natural grandstand of Ramore Head to enjoy the judging of the fancy dress. The competitors were your grandparents or uncles and aunts! There are the surnames Clarke, Ross, McGuigan, and in the centre is the family of Capt. Shutt himself, winning a prize as a basket of flowers.

Alan McF: “Brilliant David, thank you! I laughed at the pics of the young ladies in fancy dress, especially the one of a young Pat Anderson with the little ukulele. I run the local uke club here in Portrush, Ukes At The Port. “

There were about 11 categories of fancy dress, 200 participants were mentioned, and a roll call of winners as long as your golf club, the surnames that you will recognise – there’s Knox, Heron, Graham, Stewart, Lee, Chalmers, McFetridge, Diamond, Brown, Gregg, ……..

Imaginative, stunning costumes includes ‘Italian girl’, ‘Old Russia’, ‘Heading for the last round up’, ‘the Sheik’, ‘The Result of Revaluation’, ….

I’ve included photos of Carnivals for other years around 1935 where there are names that might interest you; the set above is of 1932 and has McFetridge, O’Neill, Kane, McCullach, Hepworth, ….. and the list of winners in the categories continues, you will probably find some nae that you will recognise.

Lucy S: “Another great collection of stories and photos. Loved the fancy dress of the cotton pickers – imagine the outrage today lol . Thank you David for sharing. “

The July carnival was a great success, and a bit later in July, fireworks, a Portrush tattoo, with special trains laid on:

So, summer 1935, and all is bliss. The town has successfully deflected the development plans away from Mr. Stephens of the Ministry of Fish’s plans to make Portrush an industrial-scale herring fishing port, to being holiday and health and relaxation. The Causeway tram trundles tourists out to the Giant’s Causeway, and there is increasing wealth. The photo above shows a nice array of sedans waiting around the train station and the town hall. The banner across the street advertises Fireworks 14th August – it really is this this year, 1935, with its
‘COLOSSAL DISPLAY OF FIREWORKS’
as in the advert below:

And ‘THE ORIGINAL MONTOS in Daring Aerial Acrobatics’ and ‘NOVEL AERIAL ACT’ ? Well, don’t think of Red Bull aeroplanes and parachuting onto the recreation grounds, rather instead think of tumblers, acrobats. Still, very impressive and novel I’m sure.

And hard court tennis championships? A feature in my teenage days too.
(I wasn’t much good at tennis: I played in the championships just once, losing pretty rapidly in my one and only match. I think I was the Null Points, of a Eurovision Song Contest.)

The blog about the recreation grounds mentions the fancy dress competition, and of kids last-minute grabbing sheet off their bed, cutting holes in it, and going as the Holy Ghost, only to find other kids have done the same! The photos here, wow what marvellous effort went in to the fancy dress outfits! Costumes included archers, knights and their Ladyes, modern misses and Victorian dames, empire builders, fishermen, ……. – a rich and colourful variety.

The centre photo above is of two ‘Empire Builders’ – McAllister and Diamond, neighbours at Quarry Court, behind the harbour.
Ken McAllister asks me, “Which is the most expensive street in Portrush? Answer: Quarry Court – because it is full of Diamonds”, he says.

I ask him if he knew Sgt. Fulton. “Yes indeed David, I knew him well. When I worked in Barry’s he used to sit in the office and have coffee. My mother was working in her house looking after Frank and Louise so I was careful not to step out of line because he would tell her. He was tough but fair.

“Oh I just remembered: I got a part time job as message boy in McCulloch’s fish shop. I was 12, and there was an older guy there called Curly. One day we got a delivery of salmon in, and Curly must have arranged to sneak one and throw it over the side wall to his mate. Sergeant Fulton must’ve saw his pal who ran off, but lo and behold, over came the salmon. Curly shouted over, Got it? He got a muffled reply, Yes.
Two minutes later the sarge walked in to the shop with the salmon! Curly was sacked but not charged “

And a few days later, after the Carnival, there was fireworks and a band promenade that was broadcast on the BBC to great acclaim. And the Sports Committee had the chance to reflect and celebrate the activities’ great success – 25,000 people enjoyed the events, 8,000 to each of the big events.
(Is 8,000 a big number of visitors? It sounds a bit small to me?)

Photographs above, of the carnival in 1932, with the Cunninghams (the family of the town clerk), of Misses Fairley and Butler as a Spanish couple. And below, of Portrush belles old and new, and the monstrosity of Loch Ness trundling through the streets.

Helena A writes: “Isn’t that just wonderful. 1935, and the town was buzzing. Carnival was a big thing. I was entered for them all in the 50’s. My Mother loved getting me dresses up… Rose of Tralee… Doll in a box… Queen of the North.
And do you remember sitting on the hill at Recreation Grounds watching the fireworks? They which always ended with fireworks displaying, ‘Good night!’

Happiness at the seaside at Portrush. Postcards of the time from Sheila Brown’s collection are of bliss, happy, holidaymaking. There’s postcards in the 1930s, swimming in the harbour with the big diving boards used for swimming galas, the bustle of the train station and the Town Hall and of Eglinton St. and the trams…..

In the wider scheme of things though, I’d say that 1935 was the turning year, the end of bliss and happiness and holiday feeling. Times are changing. King George V celebrated his silver jubliee in 1935, the new king, Edward VII in January 1936, him with Mrs. Simpson, and the year was spent in abdication crisis. Tensions are building internationally too, with Mussolini in Italy, Hirohito in Japan, Adolf in Germany. Things are getting darker, ominous. The 1936 postcard above right, features a warship out in the bay, trying to reassure the populace.

Fancy dress costumes at Portrush carnivals continue to have mickey mices and princesses and Frozen themes but there are also a few poignant ones, of dressing up like Emperor Hirohito, of ‘Ammunitions to Italians’ (I hope they were duds, or were flowers, as Mussolini was busy invading Abyssinia), and in the 1938 carnival, there were costumes of ‘War and Peace’ and ‘Refugees from Shanghai”.

There’s a Hemphill on the left as Brittania, a John Neill as an Atlantic flyer in a wonderful aircraft, and in the centre, as Stephen O’N describes, ‘the picture in the middle is of Billy O’Neill, my uncle – he was the one with all the dogs. Sally Doherty was the sister of Tommy Doherty who was the harbour master.’

Maybe troubles bubbling in the world but for this year in Portrush, 1935, all is well, a great success.

The three big events of mid-August that year – fireworks, then the fancy dress carnival, then the military tattoo – over 25,000 people were entertained, with 8,000 people at each event.

Above Graham & Hepworth, and on the right is Billy Gregg, prize winner with the most original costume.

The processions with the penny farthing, loch ness monsters, aeroplanes, ……… snake their way to the Recreation grounds for the judging, and then process back to Dunluce St.

The caption on the photo below is ‘Portrush Carnival, 1935’ , with Sergeant Fulton on the left; on the right is “‘This way please’ – a comic policemen (was that a cariciature of Sgt. Fulton’s height?) found time to direct one of the competitors on a ‘bedstead bike’ to Ramore Head’

So, TWO big carnivals that year, in July and then in August. So, in which one is Sgt. Fulton leading the procession? I thought the time on the station clock might be a guide but both parades started at 3pm; and both started from Dunluce St.; and both had military band leading the procession.

The weather? Well it is described as ‘ideal’ for the July carnival, but August’s is described above as quite a blustery day; in the Carnival parade photo with the Sergeant they are wearing floppy hats and things, so I assume that it is nicer calmer weather one so I will plump that the photo is of Wednesday, July 17th, 1935.

And there’s the Misseys Grey on the left, and the Stewart boys as ‘Toilers of the Deep’.

Family · Portrush - Great Institutions · Primary school · School days · Sports · The development of Portrush · The story of Portrush

Carnalridge Primary School (I) the Bankhead years

February 5, 2023February 21, 2023 David MartinLeave a comment

Trish Gray writes, “You were asking about Carnalridge school photos. A few years ago, Bryan Caldwell, front row, far right, arranged a copy of this photograph for Miss Rennie and also a copy for me.

“It is of the whole school, Carnalridge Primary School, about 1963. The teachers are Miss Moore, Miss Rennie on the left, and Mr Bankhead the headteacher and Miss Cochrane on the right. I sort of vaguely remember it being taken. I’m sort of in the middle. Look at the front row, a wee boy 5 in from the right with a patterned jumper on, then go up a couple of rows, and you can just see my head, I’m wearing a dark jumper. My brother Martin is on the back row, 4^th from right.

“I don’t remember any other whole school photo, so maybe this was for some sort of anniversary? Miss Rennie reminded me that it said 1875 outside one of the classrooms, so it wasn’t an anniversary of that. Maybe it was related to some publicity around the new classroom /hall /canteen development? Who knows?

“As you went to the very modern, new build Portrush Primary, you probably had inside toilets! Even today, 60 years on, I can remember how cold those outside toilets were on a winter’s day! Also you had things like a football team, with matching kit. Nothing like that at Carnalridge!

Photographs, non- uniform day, Actually no school uniforms at all in those days! Photos, 1963 & 1964, of Trish Gray, alias Patricia Lee, & her brother Martin. The precious envelope of precious phoographs in his handwriting says, “..for Granda, Auntie Isobel & Family, Anna and Auntie Lottie”

“But we all felt loved, safe, nurtured etc. A very simple but special atmosphere. On the extremely rare instance that Mr Bankhead’s cane was produced, you were totally shamed, just because he felt he needed to bring the cane out of the cupboard where it lived 99% of the time. He used it to make a point, definitely didn’t need it to keep control, and you felt you had let him down by him having to use it!

“Far more punishment than a single touch on your palm from the cane!”

Trish, school days living over on Dhu Varren, continues,”Pupils at Carnalridge came from the top end of Portrush, and from surrounding farms and from Islandmore, Craigahulliar, Magherabouy and surrounding towns. We had composite classes – P1/2, P2/3, P4/5, and P6/7. Many of us jumped a year somewhere, P2 I think. At morning assembly before the Assembly hall was built, us ‘tinies’ were assembled along the wall of the P4/5 classroom, where Mr Bankhead conducted Assembly from a door between the P4/5 classroom and the P6/7 room.

“In P6/7 the highlight was listening to a nature study programme on the radio, on a Wednesday afternoon! School trips certainly didn’t exist in my time (1960-1966) but the nearest we came to it was an afternoon off when Gregg’s pool opened in Lansdowne, in 1966. P6/7 had a free afternoon there – thank you Mr Gregg!!! (Willie & Kerry’s Dad) I suspect it was good publicity though I seem to remember asking for extra pocket money throughout that summer to pay for the dinghies!

Trish mentions of Mr. Bankhead guiding the school children across the road to the buses. A dangerous, fast, dark road I think. I read of two tragedies in the 1930s, including one with Mr Bankhead himself and a friend when out walking along the road.

Trish says, “The original school was two classes, with a third class built in the 1950, and the Assembly Hall. There were about 90 children when I started, three classes. The school photo was taken just before the new houses at Glenmanus – I remember watching them being built – and the school expanded and a fourth class added, so four classes about 30 kids in each. The photo shows 113 children.”

“Then when it was bus time, Mr Bankhead would walk the children across the road to the bus stop, and waited till the bus came and made sure we all got on the bus. No pelican crossing then! And we knew who all the bus drivers and conductors were by name. Mr X, Mr Y… Not only that, they all knew who we were, which school, where we got off, and often our parents. There was zero bad behaviour!! As for travelling on the bus, as everyone will remember, children did not get a seat – Stand up, if an adult needed a seat!!

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Portrush - Great Institutions · School days · Sports · The development of Portrush · The story of Portrush

Postcards from Portrush: Climbing the stone bins, spear guns, & other harbour adventures

November 20, 2022July 25, 2023 David MartinLeave a comment

This Portrush series, walking from Croc-na-mac on a lap of the town, looking at Postcards from the Sumptious Selection from Sheila Brown’s Exquisite Emporium as we walk along.

Me, I played golf and badminton and tennis at the recreation grounds. I ask around for some harbour stories, and Garry McIlwaine replied, “Hi, David! You got me at a good time……. I’ll jot down a few memories and hopefully the others will add their stories too, to pack around those class postcards.”

Reading of the tales of Garry McIlwaine and his buddies as they played and swimmed and climbed at the harbour, a reviewer writes, “Oh! It is a delight!! It is like reading a chapter of the Famous Five or the Secret Seven! I love their adventures. Typical boy stuff I suppose, but Wow!! I can imagine it all in my head. Such wonderful descriptions xxx”

Remembering their times as lads playing around the harbour, Garry writes, “It seems like us group of lads knew every stone in and around the harbour and Ramore Head, particularly the ones that combined to provide stairways (rock-steps) to something exciting, new, or even better, ‘Forbidden!’ One of the biggest voodoos in our family was to ‘Go within a hundred miles of the Black Rocks or Ramore Head, or the Stone Bins’. Punishable of course, but only if you were found out!

Left, Portrush poster; and Right, Maureen Kane tells me that she jumped over the wall at the back of the Yacht Club, grazed her hands on the glass-shards, in pursuit of this photo.

“At 10 or 12 years of age, my lads’ group visit to the harbour invariably ended up in some sort of a ‘test’. Peer pressure sent common sense packing, freeing opportunity for our risk-taking to be exercised. We dodged big waves on the harbour back wall. No matter what state the tide presented, we rock-stepped (or rock-laddered) onto the wee beach at the Ramore Bar. From there, after skimming the best flat stones in Portrush or the best weathered glass bottle bottoms, we would see who could climb farthest horizontally along the old harbour wall. The right approach would have been to start at the deep end near the rickety bridge and scramble towards the shallow. Not us. The test always resulted in stinging finger tips, grazed knees and damp socks but never ever with a dry winner.

“The ultimate test was to scale The Bins: not as high as the Black Rocks or parts of Ramore Head, those stone bins at the harbour looked so much more manageable. There was even an iron ladder going from the roof of the little control bunker – where we could still gain entry and flick the big elevator switch – all the way to the topmost metal shutes which directed the stones into particular bins.

“Me, I NEVER got more than half way… no matter how hard Stephen Leslie, Derek Finlay or my brother John tried to coax or cajole me, I never did. At just about half way, that ladder would take on a life of its own – shaking, wobbling, even bouncing! All I could do was freeze and cling on for dear life. Neither up nor down would I / could I go.

The saving grace was that, me being last to try to go up, the others would need me to go down so that they could!

Those moments always remain vivid in my worst nightmares or when in class, I would heve read ‘The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler’ to my P6 and P7 youngsters.

“Rocksteps weren’t always about height.

“At the harbour, Crawford Rankin’s little clinker rowing boat was accessed via one set of rock-steps close to the lifeboat. They led down to a large flat rock – Crawford had a man’s name for it – from where we would set sail on our voyages of discovery.

Postcards – 1956, & 1960s

“On foot, the harbour area had its attractions. By water it was so different. Crawford, Haslett Knox and I would usually end up being a boarding party on to one of the RAF boats. (That always puzzled me as a boy: ‘RAF boats??’) Ending up on the raft by not swimming was always exciting, even if you knew that if things played out to script, one of you would be abandoned there for a laugh!

“Crawford’s boat gave us access to two great spaces not reachable on foot when the tide was in: under the lifeboat house and under the harbour wall (the part past the bins was held up in these days by wooden posts). In there we would gaze at winking anemones, grazing limits, clouds of darting sand eels, silvery mullet and spider crabs (velvet) which disguised themselves on the dimly lit boulders. There was even the chance of spotting a lobster. Seeing these creatures alive in the water rather than in a creel, at the bottom of a boat or on a menu – we were a real, living Jacques Cousteau expedition!

“Rocky mearn (wrasse), which introduced me to float fishing, were always an interesting catch, with their magnificent coppery scales flashing and glinting ‘on their way up’.

David Martin, with Crawford Rankin, on a Causeway cruise, a handful of years back

And an even better way to see the marine life……: “Whilst shivering ourselves back from numbness after a swim day at The Raft, I was totally awe-struck at the sight of a rubber clad snorkler surfacing.
With a spear gun.
A spear gun with a good-sized flapping ‘Lithe’ attached!”

(David: one time I signed up to do a First Aid course at work. It is really not my thing, but I was Brave and went.
The first session started gently with how to deal with choking, asphyxiation, food trapped in your throat, artificial respiration. Then the video showed a beach scene, with the scuba diver with his big spear gun, it accidentally firing and the guy lying on the beach harpooned in the chest, blood spurting.
Luckily someone else in the room fainted and the video was stopped before I passed out. The spear gun story here has too many memories of that scene!!)

“Anyway, back to the story: soon after, a summer money visit to Joe Mullan’s (‘No worms or mackerel today, Garry?’) saw me kitted out with the trendiest sky blue and fizzy yellow snorkel, mask and flippers. At home I snapped off the floaty water stopping clunky thing from the top of the snorkle and set to work making my own spear.

An advantage of poor 1970s Portrush TV signals and ferocious seaside storms was that there was quite an endless supply of 4 or 5 foot metal fallen TV aerial rods to be had. We did our best to fashion them to form swords or nettle bashers. Even a blow pipe! The aerial metal was light but pliable. A flattened end was easily filed into a perfect barbed spear head. Being lightweight and hollow, a little snag of roof lead (another story?) beaten into the end helped with one-handed control during the hunt.

At the harbour beach, I was dressed and ready: my short little flippers were easily managed going forwards but I just had to roll back into the water… that’s the way real frogmen with real full lenght flippers did it.
When in the water, face down and breathing settled – a world like no other awaited.
Those crystal waters.
Sand sparkling jewel-like. The swaying weed-clad ropes of moored boats. No sound other than a distant Seagul outboard or your own breathing through a rattly plastic tube.
You were always sure to spot a crab or two, scavenging far too far away from safety. A gentle poke would be met with a display of raised open nippers and a threatening spring up towards you. Quite a statement from those wee green rascals!
I was after flatties.
Snorkeling was sense-heightening, making it difficult to breathe steadily. Beautifully camouflaged in the sand, the dabs were elusive. Once your focus was in, however, they cheated themselves with tiny, tiny little plumes of sand from their gill slits or their barely discernable bulges around the eyes.
The act of ‘spearing’ turned out to be just a bit more tricky, with one timely tail flick propelling my prey safely from the target area. A great deal of poke, miss, flick, follow would take place.

Although I can never underestimate the initial elation, pure joy or sense of victory at my first ‘kill’, there were three sobering realities.
First, I had strayed well out of my depth: at that age I would never normally have risked swimming from the harbour beach to the Queen Elizabeth on my own.
Second, when back in my depth and with flippers grounded, I surveyed my prize. All I can say is that I was totally underwhelmed.
I had patiently selected my kill, aiming for something take-homeable, something plate-sized to be proud of.
Unfortunately I hadn’t factored the magnifying effect of my mask and the clear harbour water. What I had at the end of my spear was a 5 or 6 inch tiddler, not the monster I’d thought I’d stalked and cornered near a concrete mooring stone.
Third, ‘victory’ was graphically tactile: every minute sensory aspect of that moment of domination was transmitted along that spear and into my soul. It was intensly personal. There was no rod-line-reel in buffer between me and the act. No time to adjust mindset from hunter to victor.
That connection was instant and brutal.
At the dead end of the spear life had gone: glistening skin was parched and wrinkling.
At the living end, a confused boy was weighing things up in more ways than one.

1959 postcard, to Master Lawrence Brown in Magherafelt, “You should be here to fish!”

“There were two main sets of rock-steps we would use to access the bottom of Ramore Head. By far the more exciting was the set to the back of the harbour office, up the lane past the Harbour Bar. Up-and-over brought us to a calmer-than-most place at the base of the cliff.
But being right beside the outlet for untreated sewage at the big round harbour ‘chimney’ had its downside, however!!!

“On the other hand, that area was a great place to rescue lost buoys and mussel-clad flotsam but it was primarily THE plumb fishing spot with scavenging glashen, flatties and doggies gathered in the briny soup. (On calm days, Crawford would row round there giving us the certainty of a good catch without having to take on the seaweed with a good cast.)

Another brilliant childhood friend who always loved going spinning off the rocks behind the head was Johnny Millar. He and I fished there with our home made spinners, once even, bagging a two and a half pound white sea trout. Johnny’s dad was a man of few words, but not that evening when our cstch was paraded. And his lovely mum … as usual, she wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t head home feasted to the gunwales!

Fishing boat entering the harbour – painting by David Patton, based on 1968 photo by his brother Torney

“Hanging around with David McAuley (Jelly) always had potential for ‘fun’. I’ll leave it to him to tell you about his exploits in his dad’s very fancy Rover 2600.

“When two groups of friends had a common member, there were times when the groups combined. One fabulous day we played tig on top of, over, around the walls and buildings of the old RAF huts, just before they became the yatch club. We definitely took our lives in our hands but we survived.

“The really interesting thing was that we returned the following weekend for another session of roof top tig but it wasn’t quite the same, and it petered out in no time. Strange.

“Jelly was always edgy: you could rely on him to lead you into some sort of ‘trouble with a small ‘t’. His house, with that space station designer interior, faced directly over the recreation grounds. Walkers over Ramore Head and white-washed bowlers on the recreation ground greens sometimes saw (or heard) their worlds collide with ours: you see, Jelly had the biggest set of record player speakers that I had, and still have, ever seen in somebody’s house.

“All I’ll say is that with expert timing, superb volume control, an open window and a glint in the eye,… neither “Smoke on the Water” or “Radar Love” proved to be of any benefit to the delivery of that vital end-saving wood!

“So, happy days around the harbour. And yes, and we also did with the Brittannia, collect fossils, race our bikes around these paths at break-neck speeds. We did watch the fireworks, pipe bands, tennis competitions etc.etc., but I guess you will get lots of stuff like that! Best, Garry”

And Karen M, reviewing this blog says, “Oh it does remind me of those tales, Secret Seven or Famous Five, of childhood adventures, danger, climbing, swimming, stone steps and caves, skullduggery around every corner – and adults oblivious to it all!“

Portrush Tales – ‘Postcards from Portrush’ series:
(I) the Story of Eglinton St.
(II) the West Strand & Harbour
(III) Harbour Tales
(IV) the Recreation Grounds, renewed
(V) Landsdowne & Lower Main St.
(VI) Diving at the Blue Pool
(VII & VIII): East Strand, to the Causeway

90 blogs of ‘Portrush Tales’, Index is here.

Portrush - Great Institutions · Primary school · Sports · The development of Portrush · The story of Portrush

Cyril Davison – a Tribute

November 5, 2022November 19, 2022 David Martin2 Comments

30th June 2022: David Martin, Sheila Brown, and Cyril & Margaret Davison

In the summer it was a pleasure to meet Cyril & Margaret Davison again. They were really marvellous, set up badminton at Portrush when I was a kid, working to get the Kelly Hall refurbished and courts marked up to play there, and got the badminton club up and running and doing rather well in the area leagues. Jonny Dobbin says about the 1991 photo below, “That was the year that I won the most improved player in the Ballymoney and District league. Cyril coached me – and he was the reason that me and others from the club achieved local, district and country honours.”

“Members of the Holy Trinity Badminton Club, Portrush,
pictured with trophies won in a very successful season.”

Audrey Macbeth: So sorry to hear the news. Remember him as a great friend from my early badminton years. Deepest sympathy to Margaret and family Audrey Macbeth (Donegal)

Katy Diamond: Cyril was a great coach David as you know. I used to dread being his mixed doubles partner lol as you were afraid of making a mistake. He will be sorely missed.
Sharon Kennedy: “Katy, I loved being his doubles partner , I just served then darent have moved a foot back from the net and Cyril had the whole court covered making it look effortless

I look for photographs of the badminton club but do you remember the 1970s, the days before mobile phones and not a million photographs of everything? I had only found the one photograph of the club, above, and then Clive Shorter produced a few more, of 1977. But David Downs says, “If only we had camera phones back then, knock knees Martin wouldn’t want any images around a badminton court even if he was OK at it.”

Anthony Chambers: What a great and enthusiastic man. Loved playing badminton at the Kelly.

That photo, below right, of me practicing in our house, about 1974. My knock knees pose must have been good enough to earn those little medals and prizes, encouragement for improvement over the year
My regular playing group was that under-16 team shown on the left (and all the lads were golfing buddies too – though I have no idea why Andy H has a shuttlecock on his nose). It was great tragedies that Sandra C and Janette K, school classmates, were taken away too early from us.

Rosie Oates: So sorry to hear this news. Cyril was such a great coach, and the badminton club at the Kelly Hall was such a huge part of growing up – I still hear his coaching tips even now! He made such a difference to so many. My deepest condolences to Margaret and family.

Heather Kennard: “What a character he was Margaret, so sorry to hear this.”
Jonny Dobbin: “Very shocked and saddened to hear this news.”
Sheila Brown: “Lovely tribute to Cyril real sportsman sad loss to everyone remember Margaret ”
Carol Mcfarland: “Such a gentleman. So sorry to hear this. Love to Margaret and family x”

George Stewart: “Cyril was also a brilliant footballer, he played with me in winning the Works league with Monsanto. Condolences to the family.”

About 1977: Sammy & Sadie Kane, Clive Shorter, Cyril & Margaret, Tommy Peters, Thelma, Elaine Adjey, and oh dear but I can’t remember all the names – well it is 45 years ago !!

Aslan Bucukoglu: “Thanks for this article. I play 3 times a week during the season in Edinburgh and I remember him every time I step on the court. Deepest condolences.”

Karen McQuilkin: “I was so sorry to hear of Cyril’s passing. I have so many wonderful memories of playing badminton at Trinity Hall. Cyril was the heartbeat of the club, and I am very grateful to have been coached by him. Sending love to Margaret and family. x”

Nicola Taylor: “Cyril taught my brother and me at the Kelly Hall as well. Condolences to his family and friends.”

Steven McMinn: “I am still playing today and coaching the kids in the local area. It would not have been possible without him. Thank you Cyril, for everything.”
Geoffrey Niblock: “Cyril did a massive amount of work for the badminton clubs in the area.”
Carl Kennedy: “So sorry to hear. I bumped into Cyril and Margaret on the West Strand prom for a chat a couple of weeks ago. I am so glad thatI did now. I’ll always remember the end of season celebration parties at our house fondly. Condolences to Margaret and family from Sharon and I.”

Sheila Brown: Margaret I am so sorry that my friend Cyril your lovely husband and soul mate passed away yesterday He was such a kind helpful person and will be sadly missed by you and family circle.
My prayers and thoughts are with you at this sad loss.

Cyril Davison, 3rd November 2022.
———
Newspaper cuttings & photos, courtesy Clive Shorter, Jonny Dobbin, David Martin

Family · Primary school · School days · Sports · The development of Portrush · The story of Portrush

“Portrush Tales” – to The Farthest Shore – Michael White (Part II)

July 13, 2022July 29, 2022 David Martin8 Comments

“I remember Pantomime performances by Rossi Duke and Rodney Byrne. One scene on the final night, the fairy called out for her magic wand, left behind unintentionally in the wings, and was instead handed a toilet seat by Rossi Duke – it was memorable.”

Michael White, now over 50 years in New Zealand, opens up his Pandora’s box of memories and of photographs and writes about his wonderful teenage years in Portrush.
Previously, Part I, Portrush Tales – from The Other Side of the World, describes his family arriving in Portrush and the friends that Michael forms. He continues the story in this episode…

February 1956. Age 13. Dad transfers from Belfast to the old Northern Bank in Portrush. Family moves to No. 2, Strandmore, Portrush…
March 1961. Age 18. Left Portrush for Surrey in England to join the Civil Service…
July 1970. Age 28. Boarded SS Australis at Southampton, bound for Auckland in New Zealand.

Michael writes, “I loved Portrush. The two very long beaches, the harbour, the summer, Dunluce Castle and the Giant’s Causeway in the distance, and time with my friends. Winter, with the wildness of the sea and the chill. And the contrast to the summer, the packed holiday atmosphere of the town, the Arcadia…..

Summer job at the Arcadia
On the outside of the Arcadia dancehall were several kiosks selling all sorts of summertime goodies. There were “American Ices” which served a sugary and creamy dollop, seaside funny hats, plastic toys and buckets and spades. Everyone was on holiday in the summer and the kiosks were all very busy! From 1958, when I was 16, I ran the popcorn and candy floss kiosks, and my friend Maureen McKillop ran the postcards one, next door.

Maureen McKillop from Bushmills who looked after the postcards kiosk at the Arcadia; Michael White at popcorn. 1960

Bert Blundell was the owner of the Arcadia and also of the amusement arcade on Main Street. He would stand on the steps of the Arcadia on summer days, wearing his grey suit and polaroid type glasses, with hand clasped around his very generous midriff, surveying his empire. His silver Rolls Royce car, number plate BB100, would be parked above the steps down to the Arcadia, sitting there no doubt as his symbol of commercial success. I think he was English, sometimes seeming distant and austere and not very approachable, yet affable enough when I got to know him.

Bert added an electric popcorn machine to his fleet of equipment and he offered me the chance to operate it and sell the popcorn. He told me to clean the machine with hot water at the end of the day and so on the first day, I filled the sink up with hot water and dumped it in, little realising the effect on the electrical parts! I did not get sacked but I learned a valuable lesson about water and electricity. Sam Bell, the Portrush electrician was called in to rewire it, and I was shown how to wash it properly and not give the electricals a bath!

Ladies’ Bathing place, on the left; the Arcadia , with my candy floss Kiosk at the top of the steps down to the beach, below the sign “Self Service Cafe”; Maureen McKillop’s postcard Kiosk was to the right of mine.

Pat Moynihan from Portumna in County Galway was the walkabout manager for the kiosks and a ‘bouncer’ for the dancehall in the evenings. He was not very tall, had a shock of curly red hair and always dressed in a checked sports jacket, cavalry twill trousers and what we called brothel creeper shoes. He was a lovely guy with a great Galway accent and when I was working in the popcorn kiosk, he used to call out to me from his position in the middle of the promenade, if he saw a pretty girl, “Michael, an opportunity for you is approaching from the port side.”

Rodney Byrne & Irwin Stewart, Mark Street 1960

I was making candy floss one day with a long queue of people at the window, when there was a bit of a fuss with someone pushing and shoving trying to get to the front, much to the irritation of others. I heard the noise and looked up from my machine to see my mother, elbowing and wrestling her way through the crowd. When she finally reached the front of the queue, she was angry, and I was instructed to get up to the house at once. I declined and carried on working and said I would come up when I was less busy, but she persisted until the people behind her told her in no uncertain terms to “Go away!” She said in front of everyone that she had found my collection of “dirty postcards” under my bed! The crowd roared with laughter, and there were a few cheers and comments from the people gathered around her. I remember being a bit embarrassed. She left when the laughter erupted. I did go up to the house about an hour later and under my bed she had found my postcards with colour cartoon drawings and printed below each drawing was a caption or saying which was usually rude, with some sort of innuendo. They were harmless in a way, and I had amassed a collection of the better ones which I wish I had now as they are worth some money.

Me on the East Strand in 2012, with my house indicated by the arrow over my left shoulder; and me on the steps of 2, Strandmore.

I went back to the candy floss, where the crowd had disappeared and told Maureen about it. She thought it very funny and offered to replace my ‘under the bed’ collection. I did not manage to rescue the postcards from my mother’s clutches though. As my parents spent all their spare and leisure moments at the Royal Portrush Golf Club where they were both good golfers, I suspect the postcards circulated there!

1950s British Railways posters, bringing the crowds to Portrush

CSSM, Sundays, & Church
Summers and the many visitors prompted the ardent preachers in Northern Ireland to come to Portrush. CSSM, Childrens’ Special Service Mission, was one of these, conducted by the large and corpulent Rev. Armstrong who preached his gospel on the East Strand, on the beach opposite our house. I joined for a while during the summer and enjoyed meeting others, helping build Armstong’s sand pulpit on the beach over which he would drape his sashes of ecclesiastical authority. Rev. Armstrong organised many sports activities which were a lot of fun.

We had to go to church on Sundays as it was expected of my father as a Bank official, and he could not take the Monday morning remarks at work about any non-attendance the previous day. Services at the Portrush Presbyterian Church were conducted by the Rev. Kyle Alexander, starting at 11am. After singing a few psalms and hymns and preaching the morning lesson to the under 5’s, they were ushered out to Sunday School. At 12:10pm, the Rev. Alexander would launch into his sermon. Occasionally my mother, much to my father’s gross embarrassment, would ‘slip out’ from the pew just before Rev. Alexander started, explaining that she had “forgotten to turn the oven on for the Sunday joint of meat”, nodding, smiling, and stopping briefly to whisper her excuse to people down the aisle on the way out. After a few Sundays she had to stop this as it was predictable every week, and I heard my father tell her that comments were coming back to him at the Bank.

I reminded my Dad of this many years later in Auckland, and he just nodded and smiled, saying that there were possibly others who wanted to do what she did, but did not have the courage! (Or the “brass neck”!)

Left: “This, I discovered tucked behind the lid of a cardboard box. The back of the photo says, ‘Brother Jeff and me, Arcadia promenade, 1959″. I was 17, Jeff was 12. It may be of interest or use. My brother might enjoy it if he sees the blog. Best, Michael”
Right, West Strand, 1960: Gerald Johnston, Brian Minihan, Brian Cunningham, Derwood Magill, Alan Rainey, Irwin Stewart, Rodney Byrne

One Sunday after church, when having been forbidden to go near the rocks and the beach before lunch, I jumped the rocks at Ladies’ Bay to beat the waves – but slipped and fell in, soaking my shoes and long trousers. I would have been 15. As a punishment when I got home, I was instructed to kneel on the floor and bend over my bed as my father gave me six strong whacks on my backside with a flat piece of wood, saying, “This is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you.” I am not sure that it did, but I was not going to let him see me brought to tears. And he did not. I stood up and stared at him as I held back the tears of pain, but fair enough, I was told not to jump the rocks and I paid the price.

Hard winters in Portrush
In contrast to the summer months, the winter months between November and March were cold and stormy, with the Atlantic roaring in all its fury, whipped up by the strong northeast winds. From the house, which faced northeast and straight out to sea, the scene was often dramatic with huge surf, or ‘Atlantic Rollers’ as we called them, tumbling around as far out as we could see.

I remember sand which had been whipped by the wind being piled up in the little porch to our front door, and my mother sweeping this regularly. Our lounge windows were continually covered with salt from the sea spray carried on the wind, as the house faced into the teeth of any North Easterly gale. Going up the Main Street in winter was a challenge sometimes, as the wind could be fierce, and if you did meet someone coming the other way, it was heads down into the gale. The wind would chill your ears and nose until they were almost numb, and it blew very hard.

We watched television a lot during the dark evenings. ‘Sunday Night at the London Palladium’ with Bruce Forsyth, ‘Bonanza’, ‘The Cisco Kid’, ‘The Lone Ranger’, and rushing home from school to watch the cartoon show of Yogi Bear! In black and white of course – colour television did not become available until 1970, nine years after I left Northern Ireland.

In the yacht club down by the harbour we played snooker and billiards, and then would go to my friend Irwin Stewart’s house on Mark Street as his mother ran a three-storey boarding house which had a television in a large lounge. Many shops stayed open in the winter, however there were few people on the streets, and it was quiet. There were two cinemas on Main Street, one just up from Forte’s Cafe and the Majestic, further on up, and on the other side. I remember my father took us once around 1957 to see a war film, called ‘The Man Who Never Was’, recently remade into ‘Operation Mincemeat’.

Jack McConaghy at Boggs the Chemist, September 1951, with his new assistant, Sadie Douglas / Jefferson;
Tommy Kane, May 1960, with Ray McConaghy, along Croc-na-mac

Photography was a hobby that developed during those months. It fascinated me, I had read many books on it in the CAI Library, and I put my savings from the Arcadia summer job towards buying a Leica camera – still, the basic model was all I could afford in the shop in Coleraine. Whenever I was out with my friends and at school, the camera came too. It was my dearest possession.

Those days, no instant gratification of photos on your phone, instead I would take my black and white film to Bogg’s the Chemist on Main Street. A week later, the envelope of photographs opened with expectation and trepidation to see what I had produced…. Sometimes I was really pleased, but sometimes disappointment that “it didn’t come out.” Jack would review my photos with me, pointing out where I could have taken something into account, like the sun, shadow, light and contrast. As a young boy I liked Jack very much and appreciated his help and advice, friendship, and welcoming smile and banter when I came to the shop. An affable character, he was always good for a laugh, too! He became a great friend, and later years whenever I was home I popped into see him, as I did with Jean Ross in the confectionery shop across the street.

My interest spread to developing my own films and printing of the photographs. My parents allowed me to convert the “boxroom” at the top of our staircase into my darkroom. For advice, Jack told me where he sent my films and he put me in touch with Tommy Kane.

The Harbour, 1960. Photo taken by me with hand-held Leica camera, to capture the silhouettes with the sun going down over Moville and Donegal, on a summer’s evening. Film processed and printed by me at home in my darkroom.

Daytime, Tommy was on the buses with the Ulster Transport Authority; evenings, I could meet him at his family darkroom premises behind the hotel in Eglinton Street, near the old Catering College. He was a lovely man, with a long neck and a prominent Adam’s apple. Tommy was just as helpful in explaining the development side of photography, and what I needed, what to look out for, and suddenly I was into the world of development tanks, chemicals, enlargers needed to complete the printing process, and then buying the paper on which the film and each photograph was printed. I spent many evenings in the darkroom with Tommy, watching and learning, and like Jack, Tommy too was enormously patient and helpful. Many of my photos are included in this story.

Other technical hobbies, my friend Rodney’s elder brother, Gary, showed me how to build a “crystal set” which was a tiny, primitive radio receiver. I would shop around looking for the parts in Coleraine on the way home from school, and then solder bits and pieces together and connect the wires. It was successful and I listened through an old pair of earphones which I found in a second-hand shop, but the only station I could receive was Radio Luxembourg which broadcast in English from Luxembourg. It broadcast pop music and was supported by commercials, such as:
“The time by my H. Samuel Everite watch is now 10.15 p.m.—precisely!”
I used to listen to it in bed under the bedclothes.

Robinson Crusoe, pantomime, 1961: Alex Diamond and Tony Kane; Rodney Byrne

The streets were quiet in wintertime but local drama and music and other such groups were busy. The annual pantomime was put on by the local Church of Ireland drama group, in December and into the first week or so of the new year, and was a highlight of those winter months. I couldn’t take part as I was not a member of that church but enjoyed helping where I could. I did take a few photographs, and about a year ago posted a photo of three people whose names I couldn’t remember on to a Facebook page on Portrush and replies came from two people saying they were relatives who were amazed at seeing their uncles in panto costume, some 60 years later.

I remember performances by Rossi Duke and Rodney Byrne. One scene on the final night, the fairy called out for her magic wand, left behind unintentionally in the wings, and was instead handed a….. toilet seat, by Rossi Duke – it was memorable.

1960. summer, me at the west strand; right, Christmas

We celebrated a White family Christmas, 1960, at Portrush. My parents and brother Jeff are standing there in front of the tree, a Mr and Mrs. Green, their son Denis and a friend of Jeff’s, and a Matt Gilfillan in the left corner. Me, I had finished school in June 1960, and in limbo had some months helping out in classes at Inst before and after my interview in London for the Civil Service, in November.

In that interview, me with my Senior ‘A’ Levels in languages, I asked to be considered for the the Immigration department. And just before Christmas a very official OHMS envelope arrived, confirming that I was appointed as…. a trainee Tax Inspector with the Inland Revenue! I was 18, and this would be my last carefree family Christmas at home, before I would start work in Surrey, in March 1961.

Left, Geraldine, Irwin, Angela, Pat and Derek Watson in 1960, with “props” for the occasion!;
right, February 1961,

During those winter months as teenagers, we would gather in various homes listening to the new records. A few experimented with smoking cigarettes but it did not appeal to me and I never did. There was some beer, but I cannot remember any of us getting drunk and certainly any sort of drug had not been heard of. Some of us in our group of about 10, as we got a bit older, started pairing off into couples and it was good fun to find out that “She has dropped him and is now going out with ———-.” The photo above right is February 1961, the month before I went to England, me with Sandra Quigley at the Boathouse in Coleraine.

I left Portrush in March 1961 and went to England to join the Civil Service, visiting back to see family and friends in the summer, and then for Christmas.”

David writes: The BBC has recently been celebrating with Sadie Jefferson on her 71 years, since 1951, of working at the same chemist location on Main St. in Portrush. Looking for photos of her at the chemist for the BBC articles, Jack McConaghy’s son Ray has just found this previously-unseen photo in Jack’s photo albums. Sadie of course on the right; in the centre is the pharmacist, Jack McConaghy.

The young man on the left was unknown to us.

Last week, I received the memorabilia from a Michael White, celebrating his 80th birthday in New Zealand, and writing up his teenage Portrush story. He mentions doing some photography at Bogg’s the Chemist.

Ray looks again at Jack’s photo album. It is meticulously captioned, and says,
‘Dec 1961 [Jack McConaghy] with Sadie & ……..Michael White ‘.

It is amazing!!! Michael had visited the shop to see Jack when home for his first Christmas from England. The photo was taken with Jack’s box Brownie camera, by the then owner of Boggs Chemist, George McCann (‘I seem to remember a shortish baldheaded man, also in the shop’) and it was in Jack’s possession. Now, 61 years later, Michael is seeing this photo for the very first time, and is so delighted, it representing the years of friendship with Jack.

And Sadie remembers: “I so enjoyed reading the blog! Michael worked with us on his summer school holidays. He was a lovely young man. He went to Coleraine Inst. After he left us to go to university [well, Civil Service in England] I lost touch with him. I was amazed that he ended up in NZ !! I can’t believe he is 80 now. I knew his Dad, he was in the old Northern bank next door to the shop. He was a gentleman.”

Michael continues: “The next year, 1962, my Dad was transferred back to Belfast and I lost contact with N. Ireland and Portrush for some years. In England in the 1960s, I met Jacqui, my future wife, at a party in her Nurses’ Home at Kingston Hospital in 1966. Her parents had just emigrated to New Zealand and she was under stern orders to follow on completion of her training in 1968. Instead, we married in 1968 and she stayed while I completed my accountancy course at Night School.

Then, after 6 years with the Inland Revenue, after some consideration we set off in pursuit of a huge adventure and the challenge of a new life in a new country. We boarded the SS Australis at Southampton on 3rd July 1970.

Six weeks later, Jacqui and I sailed into Auckland in 1970. I was greeted with some reserve by my new parents in law, who were miffed that I had not asked them for their daughter’s hand in marriage!
Well, I replied, You weren’t there.

Michael White, today, and with six of my 12 grandchildren at “Hobbiton” from ‘Lord of the Rings’, in the northern half of the North Island, about under 2 hours drive south of Auckland; 80th birthday celebrations

There followed for me an interesting and successful career in finance and financial management. Our family grew, four children, until sadly my lovely Jacqui died in 2006 at the age of 59.

“This is “Takapuna Beach,” 5 minutes drive from where I live, 15 minutes drive from the city centre.”
Hmm…. which is better: New Zealand, or the East Strand?

I now look after myself in a very pleasant retirement village near the beach on Auckland’s North Shore.

It may be many years and miles away from Portrush but the ties are still there. I met a couple from Bangor and mentioned that a friend from Portrush, Liz Clarke, had moved to Bangor with her family. They knew her and told me that she was married and living in New Plymouth in New Zealand. We caught up and have been good friends with her and her husband John since about 1972.

I have returned to the ‘Port’ several times over the years from my New Zealand home. Having just celebrated my 80th birthday, I have really enjoyed gathering up my memories and my photographs of teenager years in one of the best places on Earth, one of the best phases of my life, and I hope that you have enjoyed them too.”

Part I – “Portrush Tales” – from The Other Side of the World – Michael White
Part II – “Portrush Tales” – to The Farthest Shore – Michael White

Links to related “Portrush Tales” blogs –
The Swingin’ Sixties!
Portrush, Easter – My Day in Barry’s, Barry’s and the Wall of Death
1600s – a Century of Trouble (about Dunluce castle)
“You must see the Giant’s Causeway”
Sunday School Excursion to Portrush (day trips to Portrush, 1950s)

With thanks to……
Michael refers to Rodney Byrne’s “Vintage Port” with superb descriptions of characters, events, and life in general in and around the Port in the 1950’s
Photographs courtesy Michael White, Ray McConaghy, Pauline Hunt, David Martin
Postcards from Sheila Brown
Archive photographs from History of Portrush Facebook group

Portrush - Great Institutions · Primary school · Sports · The development of Portrush · The story of Portrush

100 years of Badminton at the Kelly Hall

July 3, 2022November 6, 2022 David Martin1 Comment

It was a huge delight to meet Cyril & Margaret Davison a few days ago. They were really marvellous, set up badminton at Portrush when I was a kid, working to get the Kelly Hall refurbished and courts marked up to play there, and got the badminton club up and running and doing rather well in the area leagues. Jonny Dobbin says about the 1991 photo below, “That was the year that I won the most improved player in the Ballymoney and District league. Cyril coached me – and he was the reason that me and others from the club achieved local, district and country honours.”

The Kelly Hall was used too for bowling and the Church Lads Brigade and other activities under the auspices of Holy Trinity church, and folks like May Graham tell me of going to school there before the primary school was built in the 1950s, and of their family being the builders of the hall back in the 1890s, and it was venue for making pantomime stage sets!

Of the Holy Trinity Badminton Club, Cyril Davison started it up in about 1970, and I started playing there when I was still primary school age. It met first in Dunluce St hall – I guess that site became the Gold Rush arcade. The club was amazingly popular, so much so that Cyril had to arrange us in pairs, lined up either side of the hall, hitting the shuttlecock across to each other – as he said, it was the only way to ensure that everyone got a chance to play and practice.

“Members of the Holy Trinity Badminton Club, Portrush, pctured with trophies won in a very successful season.”

I look for photographs of the badminton club but do you remember the 1970s, the days before mobile phones and not a million photographs of everything? I had only found the one photograph of the club, above, and then Clive Shorter produced a few more, of 1977. But David Downs says, “If only we had camera phones back then, knock knees Martin wouldn’t want any images wee small arse around a badminton court even if he was OK at it.”

Small arse? Knock knees”? I am shocked. That photo, below right, of me practicing in our house, about 1974. My knock knees pose must have been good enough to earn those little medals and prizes, encouragement for improvement over the year
My regular playing group was that under-16 team shown on the left (and all the lads were golfing buddies too – though I have no idea why Andy H has a shuttlecock on his nose). It was great tragedies that Sandra C and Janette K, school classmates, were taken away too early from us.

League matches meant traipsing around to badminton clubs at back-of-the-end-of-the-earth places – Hoescht social club, the Strand club in Portstewart, Aghadowey, …. One hall out in the country somewhere, so narrow there was just room for the badminton court, with about 1mm separation to the wall. And close matches often lasted until after midnight – not good when school the next morning, and my Mum and Dad didn’t like it. One match I was particularly late home, after 1am – mum and dad were still up waiting, oh err I am in trouble. But I was saved from a worse telling-off because my brother’s Hi-fi Shop in Belfast had been bombed earlier that evening and they were up, anxious for news that everyone was OK, not primarily because of my lateness. That was the first of two Hi-fi shop bombings.

About 1977, and into the dizzy heights of the Minor C league, and photos include Tom Hentry, George Harkness, Tommy Peters, Eva O’Neill, Sandra and Heather Crawford, Thelma, and Cyril & Margaret, Sammy & Sadie and ‘the splendid array of trophies’ (all badminton newspaper cuttings courtesy Clive Shorter) !! oh dear I can’t remember all the names, let me know of any blanks !!

An annual feature of the club was the 24 hour badminton marathon, for fund-raising. They were great fun, and especially the lovely cooked breakfast on the Saturday morning. We really appreciated the effort everyone put in to support the activities. Badminton marathon, early hours of the Saturday morning, I always remember, Mr Sam McGuinness come along, just sitting quietly watching, but just such as encouragement that he took the time to come out and support the event.
———–
I had thought that the club starting in 1970s was a first for Portrush, and that the marathon was a new and creative things to do – but who said, There is nothing new under the sun? I am gobsmacked to find a newspaper article of 1937, about an all-night tournament with prizes (wow when we did the 24-hour, one aimed to pace oneself to manage the duration – not a competitive tournament!).

And I see the description of the annual meeting of the Holy Trinity Church Badminton Club, in 1922, including familiar names like Alex Lee (photographer family), Lundy, and me.
And badminton matches were being played by the ‘Portrush Club’ at the Kelly Hall, in 1917 – wow newspapers are amazing, with that same edition reporting on battles at the Somme and of plots to murder the PM.

Even in 1914 the ‘Portrush Club’ was making donations to Belgian refugee fund.

Discovering that badminton was so ancient in the town, I look back at the story of the ‘Kelly Memorial Hall’, built in 1896. Who was Kelly anyway? Well, a Church of Ireland minister who supported schooling and education as key for the community and who pushed for the development of a school, but who tragically passed away before being able to complete it. The quotation for teacher’s residence and school, of 1894, below right, was to R J Martin Esq., from builders in Freddie Fleming’s family, and the school opened in 1896. It was the ‘outpost’ of Portrush, beyond was the sandhills of the Triangle golf course.

The CLB started originally soon after the Hall was built. Their activities for an exhibition in 1899 are described, with (pretty shocking) drills of shooting, bayonet drill, and stretcher drill!!! Maureen Kane shows me the CLB membership card in 1923 of her dad, our neighbour Mr Tommy Kane who worked at the primary school. With a knight in armour, it looks a bit militaristic for my liking, but I’ve lived in an era of largely no-war in Europe for 75 years – that is, until Ukraine.

Kelly Hall, CLB, 1966, and people have identified: Revs. Roycroft & Wilson; Rodney Magee, Jimmy Arnott, Norman Mckay, Eddie Clements, Michael McConnell, William Bacon, John Charlie, Geoffrey, Morris, Sammy Johnston & daughter Daphne (photo courtesy Rodney Magee)

Mr Kane’s CLB membership card is dated 30th November 1923. If there was some form of membership ceremony or parade, it is my guess that it didn’t happen at the Kelly Hall – as it had burned down in that summer.

1923, and a fire at the garage destroys about 30 vehicles and the Kelly Hall

That extensive fire at the local Stewarts garage destroyed two dozen charabangs and sedan cars, and the “most extensive fireworks ever seen in the district.” The Kelly Hall was destroyed.

The Kelly Memorial School was re-built and re-opened a year later. Sheila Stirrup’s research has found the class registration books in the PRONI archives, with the column on the left with the emotive, “On Roll when school was burned 19.7.23”. Ray McConaghy passed me the photo of the school class in 1928. “My dad’s class, Kelly school. He is 5th from the right on the back row.” His dad (Jack McConaghy) is the chemist with Sadie Jefferson in 1951.

And it being ‘Portrush Tales,’ a story from me? It is Easter holidays from school. One afternoon, me and Kyle and George and Mark McC get the Kelly Hall door key to go in to play for a few hours. Oh, nuisance! the bowling mats are spread out. We push them over to one side and set up the badminton net so that we can play.

About 1977: Sammy & Sadie Kane, Clive Shorter, Cyril & Margaret, Tommy Peters, Thelma, Elaine Adjey, and oh dear but I can’t remember all the names – well it is 45 years ago !!

Photos, 1986. Sports strip, similar between badminton and football teams?
Cyril also taught badminton at the primary school, teaching Jonny in the mid-80s. Badminton. Starting back row left. Jonny Dobbin, Miss Steele, Richard Hassan. Front row from left. Shane McDonald, Richard Kettyle, Peter Smyth, Stephen Mckenzie
Football. Starting back row left. Richard Hassan, Jonny Dobbin, Edwin Burgess, Rowland Robinson, Nigel Smyth, Miss Boyd. Front row from left. Peter Elliott, Shane McDonald, Peter Smyth, Jason Quigley, Richard (Archie) Kettyle, Stephen Mckenzie, James Allen

Cyril was heading towards retirement in the late 1990s, with some months back and forth to Spain, continue to coaching badminton to kids in Spain. Jonny Dobbin, back in Portrush after uni, stepped up to take the club forward in the late 1990s.

On the left: winners of the Ballymena & District League & Cup, 1999: Clive Shorter, Jonny Dobbin, Cyril Davison, Steven Hastings; front: Sharon Kennedy, Margaret Davison, Margaret Weir
Right, back row: ladies Sharon Kennedy, Margaret Davison, Margaret, Pamela Smyth
Front row: William Snelling, Stephen Hastings, Clive Shorter, Jonny Dobbin, Tommy McCarroll

Left: the junior members who represented Ballymoney and District at the Jack Wilson Trophy (all Ulster under-17 years old badminton districts) – Andrew Harte, Johnny Dobbin, Anne Hopkins, William Snelling, Aslan Bucukoglu
Anne Hopkins. “Yes me in centre. I was only around 13 at the time and don’t remember much about it but I remember going to Donegal and playing badminton in the tournament.”
Right: the Junior badminton club in 1991. Back row left to right: Alan Stewart, Steven McMinn, Jonny Dobbin, Cyril Davison, William Snelling, Chris Graham, Richard Weir. Front row: Rosemary Payne, Katherine Snelling, Claire Mclain, Anne Hopkins, Andrea Weir

The Kelly Hall was refurbished in 2005, and with increasing demands for the hall its uses were revised.

And at least as important as badminton skills, I’m sure that tact and diplomacy are important parts of any town or church activity, like with the Kelly Hall where a number of different groups and users vy for the hall. But I think Cyril and Margaret, and Sammy and Sadie Kane, were really great at just ensuring everything went smoothly. I think it was Sammy that pulled together a few bowling evenings, where the badminton folks would play the bowling club. As you would expect the bowling club won, but at least my rink managed one draw, our best result. I remember at that evening that Sammy spoke about the value of church togetherness and of the younger and older folks being together. Sammy was also a leader in the CLBs as well and the lads appreciated his leadership, with courtesy and respect.

30June2022: David Martin, Sheila Brown, and Cyril & Margaret Davison

So, 100 years of badminton at the Kelly Hall in Portrush, from early 1900s to early 2000s. So much respect for Cyril and Margaret Davison, and Sammy and Sadie Kane, and Jonny Dobbin, for the parts they played in training up youngsters in badminton skills, and in life lessons too.

———
Photos, courtesy Jonny Dobbin, Maureen Kane, Ray McConaghy, David Martin
Newspaper cuttings of badminton teams, courtesy Clive Shorter & Jonny
Newspaper archive: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

Portrush - Great Institutions · Shows · Sports · The story of Portrush

Rollerskating around Portrush

May 20, 2022June 17, 2022 David Martin1 Comment

“Hi David, I’ve enjoyed reading your posts and blogs about Portrush. About the uses of St Patrick’s church hall on Causeway St. as a roller disco in the early ‘Eighties, did you know that there was an attempt at the Guinness World Endurance Record for non-stop roller skating there? I can’t remember the name of the lad that was attempting the record [it was a Paul Rodgers], with myself [Garth Law] and Trefor Owens (Jnr), all from Ballymoney, as support skaters.”

Wow, one of those, Well I didn’t know that!! moments…… worth looking into…….

First, I see that skating has been around for a while. It featured in a Council report back in 1974 as a development opportunity for the town:

1974, and plans to spruce up the resorts with prospects of a roller skating rink at the recreation grounds, a big indoor leisure centre (thus, the Dunluce Centre?), and plans to purchase the harbour and develop a water sports centre (thus, Waterworld).

..and it boomed in popularity about 1980. Garth continues his story of skating: “I’m from Coleraine, and I started skating with my mates in Crazy Prices supermarket car park, then at the roller disco at Bann Rowing Club, in the winter 1980 to spring/summer ’81. I’m not sure if it was Paul Rodgers but a crowd from the rowing club skated from Coleraine over the mountain to Limavady with a guy raising money for charity by skating around Northern Ireland. We then did a 24-hour non-stop roller marathon in the Boathouse, then somehow we got involved in Portrush.

Rinks are opening all around Northern Ireland. August 1980, and “Portrush already has its own roller disco, and another is proposed.” And Sheila K writes: “Oh I remember a roller disco in an upstairs hall along that row where the old Coastal Bus depot was, in Dunluce Avenue. Great fun, but I never quite mastered the sleek turn required when you reached the wall at either end … I had to do a rather awkward shuffling turn on skates thing! ……I only ever went a handful of times one summer with school friends …. maybe 1979 or 1980?? I just remember the great disco music and hiring the roller skates.”

It’s the summer of ‘79. Sindy Smith: “Hi David, I’ve enjoyed reading your blog on the roller discos, it brought back so many happy memories of carefree days. We worked in the shop at Margoth Caravan site and would spend our free time in the roller disco on [Dunluce Ave]- we would skate for hours. We went a shopping trip to Ballymena for a pair of Blue Roller boots – it must have been the best £20 I ever spent as they gave me hours of enjoyment (I didn’t enjoy carrying them home when we got off the train though…).
“The photo is a work friend and now well-known local journalist Gillian Anderson. From memory there were pool tables too. And I remember a Portrush girl around my age was always there too, she was a brilliant skater – well, better than me, and I always tried to copy her going backwards and doing fancy turns. I did master it in the end.
“At the end of the Margoth season we got taken to the Miss Portrush competition in the ‘Counties – always the highlight of the year.“

Oh, did someone say, There is nothing new under the sun? Portrush’s Billy Simpson wrote that Belfast’s first rink opened back in 1870, with ladies skating to waltz music in their long gowns. And that roller skates were invented by the guy in Braveheart, William Wallace, in Newtownards in 1839, envisaged then as clean urban transport – like an early form of e-scooter.

And as Billy writes there, skating phases have came around occasionally ever since: by a newspaper search, I see a super rink was built at Portrush Pavilions (the Barry’s area) in 1909, and there were little revivals around Northern Ireland during the 1930s and 1940s; and these days with skateboards and roller skaters around the town and promenade, and pushing for a proper venue.

The revivals were maybe a bit short-lived though. The Portrush facilities built in 1909 boasted of being top-notch, but even so the sport faded out in 1911, after a couple of seasons. Perhaps skating is seen as a bit too risky?? “Oh no, no no, it is not at all dangerous. When properly supervised.” And, “It is great fun….. not at all dangerous…… a great way to meet people….. a few bumps soon break the ice.”

Yeah, right – a few falls, a few slashes of your hand by being run over by an ice skating blade or by roller skate. Yeah great fun. Naw, skating or roller skating was not one of my skills. Like skateboarding: I guess we had one of the first, bought from the White House in the 1970s. I used it for doing my paper round, but by kneeling on it – no balance to stand up on it. But as the 1980 article says, skateboarding was sooo last year: skating is now the thing.

Ice skating?
I did it once or twice at the rink at Edinburgh uni – I stayed upright, but only by hanging on to my girlfriend Lesley’s arm.
A few years back, I tried it on the frozen canal in Munich – I stayed upright, but only by hanging on to my wife Lesley’s arm.

Karen M says, “I remember the stoppers on the roller boots always quickly worn down to the bolt! Then lots of trips and falls, and pestering mum to buy me new ones!
Skating on roads was always the best – always smoother than paths. We would cause traffic to slow down, but I don’t remember anyone beeping at us or being annoyed with us. I think we were quite a sight! We could go really fast and hard, no fear in us. I’d love to do it again, but not now on the road though. Nice memories.”

July 1981 and it is the opening of a new roller disco on the Lisburn Rd, with star appearance of Bangor’s Jimmy Rodgers, the ‘World Skating Endurance Record Holder’ (same day as advert for the Portrush Flyer, steam trains from Belfast to Portrush):

Maureen K: “I remember my dad taking me to Portstewart where he bought me a pair of roller skates. They had red straps, were steel and had adjustable foot holders, depending on the size of feet! I loved them, except when I hit a wee stone on the pavement, that often sent me into a spin/fall. I remember going to the hall in Causeway Street to roller skate.”

A new rink opens in Portrush, the ‘Causeway Roller Disco’ – at the Palladium Ballroom venue (where Dana had her professional breakthrough) with its nice sprung dance floor that softened the blow when you stumbled and crashed your head. But who can resist a challenge of the endurance record, at a nice new skating venue? Well I can – but it prompts Jimmy’s namesake Paul Rodgers to attempt the challenge….

Day 1: Monday 3rd August, 1981. Paul starts off on his endurance rollerskating record attempt.
Oh and can you sing, “Dedication woooo dedication, woooooo dedication is what you need, if you are going to be a record breaker!”

That rollerskating article is in the Entertainments Guide section of the Chronicle. I was about 18, just about to go off to uni, and that page is so full of the haunts that people frequented and told me about – ..with clubs, cinema, cabaret, Little Miss Northern Ireland beauty contests. Amazing carefree times that we lived in.

Day 7, Monday 10th August. Have you ever worn boots for a bit too long? like, for a week? and skating in them, non-stop? Paul’s feet are starting to swell, but he is determined to go through to Wednesday week.

The happy ‘Skating to a world record?’ article – but all around, on that same date, that same newspaper page, is news of weekend of violence and deaths, Maze hunger strikes, and protests on the 10th anniversary of internment.

And of De Lorean going back to the US for the future of his car-making factory.

And Enterprise Ulster – do you remember them? I think they did the sunken gardens, over at the fire station. But the article is about the blow to their funding rules so that a greater proportion had to be spent on wages – and so even less to spend on materials and tools to actually do the work.

Amazing: Portrush: a measure of normality, roller-skating fun – but shocking, horrendous around. Karen M reviews this blog and is joyful about young people being positive, irrepressible, fun, enjoying life. And helping others too – here Paul is skating, sponsored, to raise funds for Ballymoney Day Centre.

Day 12: Saturday, August 15th. Paul has been skating for almost two weeks, “practically non-stop.” Well, Paul is allowed a break of 5 minutes per hour. He accumulates those 5 minutes, so he can have a bit of time for food and sleep. But that’s like, skate for 6 hours, for a reward of 30 minutes food-and-sleep break. And as a vegetarian, he has had to change his diet to build up the carbs.

Garth continues, “Oh I haven’t seen those write-ups in 40 years! I remember there didn’t seem to be much organisation to the whole set-up. I was just 17 at the time, and I do remember I got to know some young ladies there who worked in several of the guest houses along the Main Street. And I remember blonde twin girls from Causeway St., they were involved in running the ‘Rollerdome’ at Portrush but I can’t remember their names.”

Day 14, Monday 17th August. Paul has broken the previous endurance record!!
He aims to get through to Tuesday 7pm to also break an unofficial world record.

Garth says, “I don’t have any photos of the event but Ken Mullan had just opened the Dolphin chip shop, just a few doors up Causeway Street. He had a new-fangled video recorder and took some footage of the skating. And there was a raffle, 1st prize was a Sony Walkman – they had just come out! – which was won by one of my sisters.”

Day 14 and 8 hours – Tuesday August 18th, 2:30am – enough was enough. The boots come off and Paul Rodgers hobbles off the skating rink, looking very happy with himself, having completed over two weeks of skating.

“Now, with all Paul’s hard work over, the organisers just have to send off all the details to the compilers of the Guinness Book of Records for ratification, so that Paul’s name will appear in next year’s edition.”

Simply an amazing performance, and targeted to raise over £2,000 raised for Ballymoney Day Centre.

============================
Maybe there is a revival of skating with every generation, though fades into the background after a while. Karen J A remembers “roller discos in the Strand hall at the far end of the Cresent in Portstewart during 1986 to 1989, though then we moved away from the area.” But she promotes a skating group on Portrush FB, often at the train station or ampitheatre area, with calls for a skate park. Will there be one in the revamped recreation grounds? She tells me of having to travel to Craigavon Rink every Saturday – the only indoor skating rink, nowhere nearer!!” Charity run, open at weekends, looks like a huge barn from outside, and “I volunteer there – well, before this week happened!“

Skates always seemed pretty precarious to me, and she says, “There are a few indoor skateboard parks like at Bangor and Derry, and some outdoors – these are good but not always suitable for roller boots and in-line skates especially if you are not overly confident.“

Karen J A and Amanda G in the skating group enthuse about skating as great exercise and a great relaxant and de-stressant. They plan a skate along the promenade – I ask them to send me photographs to bring this skating blog up to date ..but it goes quiet, I don’t hear from them, until Karen’s message today:

“Hi David, I had an accident on my skates on the West Strand promenade – I hit and stone and down I went. I have broken my wrist so I won’t be out and about for a while.
That’s another reason why we need somewhere suitable, indoor or outdoor! Karen xo“

Any photos of the fall or of the ambulance? “No I was in shock, had been lying on the prom unable to move. My back was badly bruised from the way I landed. And the ambulance was another carry-on [oh – a stretcher case?] – we couldn’t get one for hours so my dad had to come over and take me. But then of course we couldn’t get the car down to the prom, so passers-by had to support me to walk up to the car.“

So, Lights, Music and Skate away! “I think the craze will run and run”, said Karen enthusiastically, “because people are realising it’s a great form of exercise too,” she said, as she waited at the fracture clinic.

And Paul’s Endurance Skating record? Garth had commented, “There didn’t seem to be much organisation to the whole set-up.” Me, I can see there is pretty strict requirements defined in the Guinness Book of Records information. The rollerskating records paperwork were sent in but Garth reports, “Unfortunately the record wasn’t validated – I don’t think the paperwork stood up to scrutiny.“

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With thanks to:
Garth Law, for telling me of the Guinness Records attempt
[I have reached out to the skaters Paul Rodgers and to Trefor Owens – there are gaps in this story that will hopefully be filled in as and when more inputs come in]
Belfast Telegraph articles via BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk
with thanks to Charlotte McFadden in the library service for the Coleraine Chronicle articles,
Karen Jones Alexander and Karen Monteith for the skating insights,
& thanks to Rosemary P (“I only went to the Rollestone once or twice. Sorry can’t be of any more help x“)
and to Sheila K (“Sorry I have no idea about the Causeway St. venue! and the blonde twin girls? … no idea on them either! Sorry for not being any help“) for their invaluable inputs.

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