Biography

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Lived at 74 Joanmount Gardens which was a 2 bedroom, semi detached house with small garden at the front and a long garden at the rear. At the top of the garden there was a big Sycamore tree and about halfway down there was a sizable Apple tree. My dad grew Gooseberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Rhubarb. He also grew all sorts of vegetables while mother concentrated on Roses and flowers. Dad also loved to play games- Draughts, Cribbage (he was hard to beat in both). He also loved to play Solitaire (pegs version). He loved to play his Violin. He made a wooden model of a man about 8 inches high. It had jointed arms and legs and he attached the body to the back of a wooden dowel about 2 feet long. He would sit on a chair with a long piece of thin plywood sticking out in front of him, he would hold the wee man at arms length in front of him in his left hand, just above the plywood, and beat out the rhythm of Scottish dance music on the radio. The wee mans arms would swing about due to vibrations of the wood, as if it was dancing. BRILLIANT - we all loved it. On Sunday nights we would hold church services in our small dining room. We would sing hymns and read from the bible. I went to Eglinton Presbyterian Church and was in the "Lifeboys" and then the 92nd Belfast Company of the Boys Brigade. When I was young there were very, very few cars in the street which was great for us kids playing football. There were gas lamposts staggered along the street on both sides which served as goalposts. The steel lamposts were great for climbing up. We also put ropes on them for swinging round them. There were many, many street games we used to play, eg Kick the tin, Hide and seek, skipping, marbles, to name but a few. In the early1950's my dad bought an Austin 7 car and we thought it great to get trips to the seaside. I went to Carrs Glen Primary School which was only about 100 metres from our house. On leaving Primary School I went ,by bus, to Belfast High School which was in Glenravel Street. It is no longer there as a link road runs through where the school was. When I was 18, I was able to buy my first car, a Morris Mini. I served my Apprenticeship as an Electrician in Harland & Wolff Shipyard, Belfast. When I had served my apprenticeship I left the shipyard, as shipbuilding was in decline. I then went to work in following firms 1) Belfast Corporation Street lighting department, 2) Michelin Tyre Company,Mallusk (as an Electrical Supervisor), 3) When Michelin closed I went to work in the Postal Sorting Office in Tomb Street, Belfast as a Technician. 3) After a few years there I left to open a Toy Shop, ( FUNDERWORLD,) in the Northcott Shopping Centre, Glengormley, My son Robert and other members of the family helped in the running of the business. 4) I went out to work again in FG Wilson (electrical generators) on Doagh Road, Newtownabbey, which was owned by Caterpillar and where I retired from on reaching age 65. I moved to my present house at 11 Carwood Way, Newtownabbey, a 3 bedroom, semi detached house, in 1975. My interests include Badminton, Indoor bowls, Pickleball, which I still play in my retirement. I spend time doing maintenance jobs in my church, Ballyhenry Presbyterian. In 2020, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, all activities came to a standstill. Genealogy has been a great interest, and challenge, from about 1985 - never ending. In 2021 I received a double dose of Vacine for covid-19.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by Derek Hawthorne at registration.