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Features Apr 18
History 1. Courtesy of Ken Stanley
Aidan Campbell Our fantastic local historian. What he doesn’t know about East Belfast, simply isn’t worth knowing.
Aidan has previously published 13 East Belfast local history books entitled: Beaconsfield, Knock, Cherryvalley, Gilnahirk, Castlereagh, Cregagh, Stormont, Sydenham, Belmont, East Belfast Revisited Volumes 1 & 2, Ballymacarrett and Castlereagh Updated. Also on South Belfast, Newtownbreda and on Greater Belfast, Belfast Through Time. He regularly gives illustrated talks to local groups and societies. The books are available at Hillmount Garden Centre, Marie Curie Hospice, Hamilton News Cregagh and EastSide Visitor Centre, Connswater with profits donated to local charity. There are more books in the pipeline including East Belfast Big Houses – The Families who lived in Them’ and ‘Ravenhill – from Lagan Village to Rosetta! Book sales online at eastbelfasthistory.com
2. Courtesy of David Gawley
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I remember from my 1960s childhood the outdoor pools at Whitehead, Pickie Pool Bangor and Pirrie Park plus pools (or ‘baths’) at Peter’s Hill and the Grove
3. Courtesy of David Scott
5. Courtesy of ‘Yesterday’s Photos and Photographic Services’
It’s Not the Winning... As the days get longer and the summer approaches I have started to think about sporting activities during my schooldays and all the fresh air I experienced years ago. As I have gotten older I like the heat now but I can’t remember feeling the cold in my youth when I played games in the great outdoors. What about some games played in East Belfast? 4. Courtesy of Fred Lemon
1. Orangefield Girls’ Secondary School Orangefield Girls’ Secondary School opened in 1960 and the hockey team are pictured in 1966 with Orangefield House in the background. The P.E. teachers are Paddy McGladdery (left) and Maureen Irwin (right). The 1960s were regarded as a ‘golden era’ for sport at Orangefield when the girls’ school dominated the McDowell Cup hockey competition and had success at the Ulster Badminton Finals and various tracks and field competitions. Many of the girls went on to Northern Ireland representative honours. Not much foliage on the trees to the right which suggests that it is winter time. Later merged with
Orangefield Boys’ School, the coeducational Orangefield High School was closed in 2014 and demolished by 2017. 2. Ashfield Boys’ School Ashfield is a well-known school in East Belfast. This is a 1963 photograph of Ashfield Boys’ hockey team at a pitch in front of the school overlooking the Holywood Road. It includes a 12 year old David Beattie (2nd from right, front row) who lived at Ardgreenan Crescent – a short walk to the school. The head master is standing back left and he is Mr. A. J. Stanley. The other teacher is Mr Lewis Dick. The names of the hockey team are front right, Terry Davidson, David Beattie, Alan Elder, A. White,
Jim Magill, goal keeper? Back row from right, Michael Burnett, Raymond Anderson, Trevor Anderson, A. Galbraith, A.N Other, and Colin Crawford. 3. CIYMS Wesley Scott was 16 years old in 1934 when he was a member of the junior cricket team of CIYMS, which was based on Circular Road, and he later played for the 1st XI. Wesley is standing 2nd from right in the back row. The young lad, standing far right, adopts a playful pose with a hand over his eyes. 4. Sydenham Junior Infants’ Elizabeth Lemon, to the far left, is having lots of fun with her friends
playing a very popular playground game at Sydenham Junior Infants’ School, called hula hoop. A toy hoop is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. The modern hula hoop was invented in the 1950s but children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history. This picture of Sydenham Junior Infants School in 1952 was taken shortly after it opened. Victoria Park Primary School was formed in 2008 following the amalgamation of Mersey Street P.S., Strand Primary School and Sydenham Junior Infants’ School 5. Victoria Park It is July 22nd 1952 and the
photograph is captioned ‘Children keep cool at the fountain, Victoria Park swimming pool’. The outdoor swimming pool at Victoria Park was a popular attraction from Edwardian times with youngsters from the Sydenham area during the summer time. I remember from my 1960s childhood the outdoor pools at Whitehead, Pickie Pool Bangor and Pirrie Park plus pools (or ‘baths’) at Peter’s Hill and the Grove. The water in outdoor pools didn’t seem to be quite so cold when I was a youngster. We only made this amazing discovery in the 1970s when they built grand leisure centres with indoor heated pools and the outdoor pool at Victoria Park was subsequently closed.