Thursday 26 March 2020

Non-Royal Toothpaste

I've been using Maclean's toothpaste for years.

Apparently it was introduced into United Kingdom in the 1930s by the Maclean's Company, which was subsequently taken over by the Beecham Group, and eventually by SKB.

Yesterday I bought a new tube of Maclean's and almost immediately noticed that the royal warrant was missing.

This warrant was a conspicuous likeness of the Prince of Wales' feathers, surmounted by the legend: By Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales, Suppliers of Toothpaste, GSK Consumer Healthcare. Brentford, Middlesex.

Evidently another concoction is used to clean the royal gnashers now! 

Wednesday 25 March 2020

Belfast Fishmongers

In 1974, there were no less than fifty-two merchants in Belfast who were classified as Fishmongers, sixteen of which were in east Belfast.

Do any readers recall J Christie of 32 Belmont Road?

How many fishmongeries are there in Belfast today?
  1. Adams, T, 24 Bromley Street
  2. Bon-Accord, 169 Victoria Street
  3. Boyle, F, 169 Divis Street
  4. Campbell, T, 332 Woodstock Road
  5. Christie, J, 32 Belmont Road
  6. Christie, Walter, 94 York Road
  7. Coulter, J, 162 Crumlin Road
  8. Crawford, John, 34 Botanic Avenue
  9. Crawford, William, 239-241 Cliftonville Road
  10. Crawford's, 2-4 Westland Road
  11. Curran, J, 241 Grosvenor Road
  12. Davey, Robertina, 849 Crumlin Road
  13. Dickson, John, 122 Oldpark Road
  14. Donnelly, T, 62 Knockbreda Road
  15. Duffy, John, 43 Bradbury Place
  16. Dungannon Stores, 145 Upper Lisburn road
  17. Eagle, The, 233 North Queen Street & 171 Shankill Rd
  18. Ewing, J, 32 Gilnahirk Road
  19. Ewing, M & H, 124 Shankill Road
  20. Ewing, Walter, 11 Oldpark Road
  21. Ewing, William, 427 Lisburn road
  22. Fitzsimmons & Son, 261 Upper Newtownards Road
  23. Fitzsimmons, James, 431 Upper Newtownards Road
  24. Frizzell, 273 Shankill Road
  25. Gillespie, JH, 223 Woodstock Rd & 138 Ravenhill Rd
  26. Gillespie, W, 252 Newtownards Road
  27. Gilroy, George, 66-72 Ann Street
  28. Hanlon, Archer, 14 Woodvale Road
  29. James, H, 112 Albertbridge Road
  30. Johnston, James A, 23 Castlereagh Road
  31. Kingham, Thomas, 76 Shore Road
  32. Larmour, A, 249 North Queen Street
  33. Loughran, J & Sons, 137 Antrim Road
  34. Magill, Mrs M, 183 Newtownards Road
  35. Marquis, The, 91 Castle Street & 2 Marquis Street
  36. Mayne, N, 393 Ormeau Road
  37. Moss, R, 67 Ormeau Road
  38. McAreavy's, 242 Springfield Road
  39. McCrory, Edward, 146 Castlereagh Road
  40. McCusker, John, 295 Grosvenor Road
  41. McGonigle & Malcolm, 14 Upper Newtownards Road
  42. McNeill, FG, 5 Ardoyne Road
  43. Nightingale, Thomas, 79 Castlereagh Road
  44. McTeggart, Mrs C, 68-78 Oxford Street
  45. McVeigh, J, 83 Newtownards Road
  46. O'Connor, A, 374 Crumlin Road
  47. Quinn, Hugh, 68-78 Oxford Street
  48. Rogan, Patrick, 792 Shore Road
  49. Ross, John & Sons, 68-78 Oxford Street
  50. Sawers Ltd, 24-38 Castle Street & 15 Fountain Street
  51. Somerville, H, 112 Bloomfield Avenue
  52. Stewart, WH, 307 Springfield Road
First published in May, 2017.

Monday 23 March 2020

5BX Exercises

I consider myself fairly fit and able-bodied.

Until Saturday, the 21st March, I swam about one mile daily, six times a week.

I also kept physically fit in the gym twice weekly.

While I was on holiday abroad recently I walked briskly every day for, on average, about six or seven miles.


Given the extraordinary and exceptional circumstances in which we find ourselves at the moment, the intention is to follow the Royal Canadian Air Force 5BX exercise regime which was conceived about 1959.

The trusty bike had been neglected in a garden shed for far too long; in fact it had a flat tyre.

So, having acquired a new inner tube, and fitted it, I've been using the trusty two-wheeler more often.

Fortunately I am not far from shops and supermarkets, so this could prove to be a useful means of transport.

Thursday 19 March 2020

Freemen of Belfast: 1980-

HONORARY BURGESSES OF THE CITY OF BELFAST
ELECTED AND ADMITTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELFAST UNDER THE MUNICIPAL PRIVILEGE (IRELAND) ACT, 1875


Ulster Defence Regiment ~ 1980

Royal Ulster Constabulary and Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve ~ 1980

John Hewitt ~ 1983

Northern Ireland Fire Brigade ~ 1992

Northern Ireland Ambulance Service ~ 1992

The Merchant Navy ~ 2002

Lady Mary Peters LG CH DBE ~ 2012

Sir George Ivan (Van) Morrison OBE ~ 2013

Michael Longley CBE ~ 2015

Royal College of Nursing (Belfast) ~ 2016

Sir Kenneth Branagh ~ 2017

William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton ~ 2018

George John Mitchell, Jr, GBE ~ 2018

First published in August, 2012.

Saturday 14 March 2020

Freemen of Belfast: 1960-79

HONORARY BURGESSES OF THE CITY OF BELFAST
ELECTED AND ADMITTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELFAST UNDER THE MUNICIPAL PRIVILEGE (IRELAND) ACT, 1875


65  Royal Sussex Regiment ~ 1961

66  Thomas Gibson Henderson ~ 1964

67  Sir Peter Malden Studd GBE KCVO DL ~ 1971

68  Lady Studd ~ 1971

69  The Rt Hon Ralph Francis Alnwick Baron Grey of Naunton, GCMG GCVO OBE PC ~ 1972

70  The Rt Hon Esmé Mae Baroness Grey of Naunton ~ 1972

71  Ulster Division, Royal Naval Reserve ~ 1974

First published in August, 2012.