The School Report

Several years ago I stumbled upon a large brown envelope, full of miscellaneous documents relating to Brackenber House School; and containing my personal Report Book.

This booklet is red in colour.

The first page states: To be returned to the Headmaster at the beginning of each term.

My final Brackenber report was in the Summer Term of 1973, when I was thirteen years old.

I was in Form Five, and the average number of pupils in the form was 15:-

LATIN: "Good progress" (Mr Maguire)

FRENCH: "Good" (Mr McQuoid)

ENGLISH: "His English has improved considerably" (Mr McQuoid)

SCRIPTURE: "Good progress" (TP)

HISTORY: "Not very good" (Mr Craig)

GEOGRAPHY: "Steady improvement" (Mr Maguire)

MATHEMATICS: "He has worked very well this term" (Mr Magowan?)

ALGEBRA/GEOMETRY "Has improved but still gaps in his knowledge of elementary ***

DRAWING: "Some good work" (Mr Cross?)

SCIENCE: "Satisfactory" (Mrs Dunlop)

GENERAL REPORT: "He has made satisfactory progress generally... he did well to pass the Common Entrance considering the great handicap [late starter] he had. He has had a good career here & we wish him well at Campbell" (Mr Craig)

CONDUCT: "Excellent" (Mr Craig)

GAMES: "He made good progress in his game of cricket & proved a fine runner"


Doubtless some of them were being charitable to me.

I was awful at Maths, geography and history.

As Mr Craig, said, though, I was a good sprinter and promising athlete.

First published in November, 2009.

Mulholland Grand Organ

DR PHILIP HAMMOND WROTE AN ARTICLE IN 2010 ABOUT THE MULHOLLAND GRAND ORGAN IN THE ULSTER HALL, BEDFORD STREET, BELFAST

The Mulholland Grand Organ is probably the largest of its kind in Northern Ireland and one of the oldest examples of a functioning classic English pipe organ.

It was named after Andrew Mulholland, of Ballywalter Park, Mayor of Belfast, 1845, who donated it to the hall in the 1860s.

The organ was built by William Hill & Son and donated after the hall was officially opened.

In the late 1970s, the organ was extensively restored to Hill's own original design.

Andrew Mulholland's great-great-grandson, Henry, 4th Lord Dunleath, oversaw its restoration.

Mulholland Grand Organ in 1934 (Belfast Telegraph Collection/ NMNI)

PHILIP HAMMOND GETS THE LOW-DOWN ON THE MULHOLLAND ORGAN AT THE ULSTER HALL

Let’s face it. There are some things in life which really count and when it comes to the size of your organ, in the mind of the Victorians at any rate, size mattered.

And it still does - although with modern technology, you can probably produce the same effect of a huge organ from a mere box of tricks and a couple of big speakers.

But where’s the romance in that?

Thanks to the size of the trouser pockets of a previous Mayor of Belfast, the generous Andrew Mulholland, this city can claim one of the most interesting old organs in the country.

So when the Mulholland Grand Organ was 'welcomed back' to the Ulster Hall this week and 'tried out' by the current city organist, Colm Carey, I decided that I should get in on the act.

Why not interview the organ itself?

It’s no joke having your ivories tickled at almost 150 years of age. And especially after all that I’ve been through in this past year.

I began to worry that I was going to find this organ hard to handle. Would I get a grumpy old organ response to everything?

Those rough builder types who refurbished the Ulster Hall, I tell you. Despite the swathes of black plastic that had been wrapped around me, I could feel the damp, the dust, the debris getting into my inners. It almost did for me!

At that point, there was a low grumbling from the depths of the organ casing and the beginnings of a cipher so I thought I’d better move the conversation on.

We wouldn’t have wanted to disturb the political rally that was taking place in another part of the Ulster Hall complex – making any sounds to do with the arts would, of course, have been unwelcome.

Ah yes, I’ve seen a few things here you know. Rallies were ten a penny in the old days but there’s just not the same calibre of politicians nowadays as back then. In the old days, they were already rich from exploiting the poor of the country – now they spend all their trying to make themselves rich in other ways – questionable expenses, dodgy land deals, you name it.

I felt this blunt instrument was heading into difficult territory and wanted to get back to the size thing so I remarked on the rather large protrusion at the front top of the organ casing.

That’s the new fanfare trumpet which was added some years ago by Mr Prosser – the lovely organ builder who looks after me so well. Mind you, I’ve noticed he’s got rather portly of late and finds it a bit awkward crawling around inside me and reaching those bits which require someone – how shall I put it? – someone of a lighter frame perhaps?

That fanfare rank is not the easiest place to reach... still, he manages it rightly and, of course, no-one ever uses it now anyway – those tone deaf City Council bureaucrats probably consider it a Health and Safety risk for the audience as it certainly makes one big sound.

But the trumpet fanfare is just the bit 'in your face', I suggested. What’s behind the facade?

You’ll already know that I’m made up of over six thousand pipes – the biggest is 32 feet long and the smallest is no more than half an inch. I’ve got four keyboards or manuals and it takes a six horse power engine to work the bellows that supply me with enough air to sing.

In fact, I’ve also got a back-up two horse power engine as well because when you pull out all the stops – and there’s well over 80 of those – you need one heck of a lot of wind. I remember that nice girl Gillian Weir playing with me in the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony here some years ago and that last chord began to sag ever so slightly – well, it happens.

Now she was one big player! And talking about big players, there was the infamous Carlo Curley also who actually stood up on my pedal board for melodramatic effect. He knew how to play to the gallery and that’s no lie.

In those days, the hall manager, Terry de Winne, had installed a massive spotlight up there, trained only on me so that the ice-cream parlour colours that he’d 'restored' were almost blinding. Funny how one generation thinks it 'restores' what a previous generation has already thought it 'restored'.

Looking at its current casing, the rather dull browns of the falsely grained wood and the unimaginative stencilling, flanked by the most ghastly false Victorian murals I’ve ever seen, I wondered what the future held for this musical masterpiece.

Like many old codgers, I’ve had various bits and pieces added and fall off over the years – some to good effect and, well, others which could be removed without too many tears being shed. I think I’d want to go back to my original specification and get rid of some of the excesses of my 70s rebuild.

That would cost a bit I’m afraid but I’d love to be again the sprightly young romantic organ I was when Mr Hill put me together in 1862.

And I thought to myself, wouldn’t we all like to be the young romantics we once saw ourselves to be!

A celebratory concert to mark the Mulholland Grand Organ’s return to working order was held on Tuesday, the 4th May, 2010, featuring the Belfast City Organist, Colm Carey, and the Ulster Orchestra.

First published in April, 2010.

Crom: Walled Garden

Although it's one of the most remote parts of the Province and almost as far from Belfast as you can get, I've been to Crom Estate in County Fermanagh many times.

I first visited it in about 1977, when the estate manager took us on a guided tour of the Castle - I'd written to Lord Erne in advance, requesting a visit.

The Walled Garden lies deep within the grounds of Crom (pronounced Crum).

You cross the White Bridge and walk several hundred yards until it appears, the former head gardener's lodge being opposite it.

Its old, red-brick walls are in good condition, the National Trust having re-built at least one side some years ago.

It extends to roughly three acres in size; and has become overgrown since its demise after the second world war.

It is to be hoped that the National Trust restores this special place as and when funds become available.

Ruinous glass-houses (Timothy Ferres, 2013)

Many fruits and vegetables were grown here for the big house.

Exotic fruits, which are nowadays taken for granted, were a rarity then and only the wealthiest families could afford to cultivate them.

In fact many people may never have seen a pineapple or a peach or known they existed.

On one side of the Walled Garden there were raspberries; and strawberries on another.

Heated glasshouses contained peaches, nectarines, pineapples, grapes and tomatoes; not to omit lettuce, marrows, cucumbers and orchards with apples, plums, pears and greengages.

There were also beehives, sweet-pea, daffodils, dahlias and magnolias.

Location of former palm-house (Timothy Ferres, 2013)

In the middle of the garden there was a large palm-house surrounded by a lily pond, now sadly gone, 25-30 feet high, where the weather-reading was taken every morning.

The whole garden swarmed with butterflies, bees and other wild insects; birds flitted in and out to help themselves to Nature's goodness.

It must have been heavenly.

Of course the main purpose of the walled garden was to maintain an abundant supply of produce, including flowers, for the Castle: a barrow was wheeled manually up to the Castle with fruit, vegetables and flowers twice daily.

When the family were staying at their London home, the freshly-picked produce was loaded on to the train at Newtownbutler station and taken to Belfast or Dublin; then put on a ferry for its long journey to the metropolis, where it would have been delivered to the Ernes' house the next day; and that was in Victorian times!

I have been in the Walled Garden and my imagination always escapes to those halcyon days, dreaming of what it must have been like.

My fervent hope is that the enchanting walled garden of Crom is resurrected back to life again some day.

This piece was first published in August, 2008. It is thought that the intention is to utilize part of the Walled Garden as community allotments.

Historic Lecale

LECALE, ONCE COMPRISING THE HISTORIC BARONIES OF LECALE UPPER AND LECALE LOWER, IS A FLAT PENINSULA IN COUNTY DOWN, LYING BETWEEN STRANGFORD LOUGH AND DUNDRUM BAY.

IT IS BOUNDED TO THE WEST BY THE RIVERS QUOILE AND BLACKSTAFF, AND THE MARSHES WHICH USED TO SURROUND THE LOW HILL ON WHICH DOWN CATHEDRAL STANDS.

I have two small publications which are most interesting: The Bangors and Ballyculter, an historical sketch of the parish of Ballyculter (Strangford), written in 1980 by the late Rev William Edmund Kennedy; and Lecale Miscellany, Issue Four, published in 1984 by Lecale Historical Society.

Mr Kennedy wrote much about the parish of Ballyculter and its beautiful parish church.

OLD COURT CHAPEL, nestling in the grounds of the de Ros demesne - home to Peter and Siân Maxwell (Lord and Lady de Ros) - also gets a mention.

The title of Ros apparently used to be spelt Roos, hence the latter pronunciation.

Peter Maxwell is the 28th BARON DE ROS and Premier Baron of England.

Lord Bangor owned the townlands of Audleystown, Ballincleave, Ballyculter Upper and Lower, Loughkeeland, Raholp, Castle Mahon and Castle Ward.

Lord de Ros was landlord of Cairntaggart, Killard Upper and Lower, Strangford Upper and Lower, and Tullyratty.

GIBB'S ISLAND was once a busy shipping route from the port of Downpatrick - at Quoile Quay - out to Strangford Lough and thence to the open sea.

This route must have been spectacular for sailors and passengers in various steamers, winding their way from Quoile Quay or Steamboat Quay, outside Downpatrick, in a northerly direction.

The river meandered its way up to Castle Island and Hare Island - where a great tidal barrage now blocks the river; past Gibb's Island and Gores Island; between SALT ISLAND and Moore's Point; then presumably skirting westwards of Green Island, into Strangford Lough proper.

First published in September, 2009.

Grand Opera House Ceiling

Every time I visit the Grand Opera House in Belfast I always admire the ceiling.

It originally had six painted ceiling panels, the blue sky with stars above the oriental balcony with its small potted palms.

When the opera house was being restored in the 1980s, an artist was sought who could recreate the scene in a sympathetic manner.

Cherith McKinstry was selected.

It was felt that her re-interpretation complemented the four surviving painted roundels, which were re-mounted on fibreglass saucer domes, and the cartouche of female musicians inside the segmental arch over the proscenium opening.

The roundels and cartouche were restored and cleaned by Alexander Dunluce (later the 14th Earl of Antrim).

THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE was used as a cinema for many years then closed after bomb damage.

It reopened as a theatre in 1980, after undergoing a successful scheme of renovation and restoration.

The magnificent auditorium is probably the best surviving example in the UK of the Oriental Style applied to theatre architecture - largely Indian in character with intricate detail on the sinuously curved fronts of the two balconies and an elaborate composition of superimposed boxes surmounted by turban-domed canopies.

The ceiling, which is divided into several richly-framed painted panels, is supported on arches above the gallery slips, with large elephant heads at springing level.

Proscenium, 39' 8"; stage depth, 45'; grid increased to 60' from 52'; a new, enlarged orchestra pit, the sharp single radius curve of the orchestra rail providing the only slightly jarring note in this superb auditorium. The exterior, of brick and cast stone, is in a free mixture of Baroque, Flemish and Oriental styles - typical of Matcham’s earlier work.

Frank Matcham made good use of the corner site by building up the composition of his design in stages, linked by strapwork scrolls, to the triangular-pedimented central gable which is flanked by domed minarets.

The Grand Opera House, Belfast, in 2021

The relatively recent projecting glass extension to the former first floor bar (the Crush Bar) is said to be in the spirit of Matcham’s architecture.

It's reminiscent of an elevated conservatory or glass-house.

In 1982, it was made complete by the addition of the visually important column supports.

In 1991 and 1993, the theatre was damaged by terrorist bombs.

This necessitated considerable rebuilding of the Glengall Street dressing-room block and stage door.

Fortunately the auditorium suffered only superficial damage. 

In 2006, an extension was added to the original building on the site of the former Hippodrome/New Vic cinema, costing £10.5 million.

In January, 2020, the opera house closed in order to carry out a major £12.2 million restoration of its interior, including new seating, stage and auditorium curtaining, carpeting, air conditioning, and crush bar.

The 2006 extension was virtually rebuilt, with a completely new façade and interior.

Following the 2020-21 refurbishment, and a delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the opera house reopened on the 6th October, 2021, with performances of the musical Six.

Paul Coleman has provided several images of the ceiling.  First published in May, 2010.

Ulster Peers' London Homes

Few hereditary peers whose ancestral seats are in Northern Ireland maintain London homes nowadays.

A hundred years ago, though, most, if not all, did (with the exception of the peers of Ireland).

I have compiled a list of peers with Ulster connections and their London addresses in 1911 and, in a few cases, 1860:-

The Duke of Abercorn: pre-1869, Chesterfield House, South Audley Street; from 1869-1915, Hampden House, Green Street; 68 Mount Street, Park Lane, 1939.

The Marquess of Downshire: Downshire House, 24 Belgrave Square (1860), later the town residence of Lord Pirrie.

The Marquess of Donegall: 22 Grosvenor Square (1860).

The Marquess of Londonderry: Londonderry House, Park Lane.

The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava: 75 Cadogan Square.

The Earl of Roden: No address found other than Tollymore Park, Bryansford, co Down.

The Earl of Clanwilliam: 36 Draycott Place.

The Earl of Antrim: No address other than The Castle, Glenarm, Co Antrim.

The Earl Annesley: 25 Norfolk Street, Park Lane (1860).

The Earl of Enniskillen: No address other than Florence Court, Co Fermanagh.

The Earl of Erne: 21 Knightsbridge.

The Earl of Belmore: 56 Eaton Place (1860).

The Earl Castle Stewart: No Address other than Stuart Hall, Stewartstown, Co Tyrone.

The Earl of Caledon: No Address other than the Castle, Caledon, Co Tyrone; Derg Lodge, Co Tyrone; Tyttenhanger, St Albans, Hertfordshire.

The Earl of Gosford: 22 Mansfield Street.

The Earl of Kilmorey: 5 Aldford Street, Park Lane.

The Earl of Ranfurly: 33 Lennox Gardens.

The Viscount Charlemont: ________

The Viscount Massereene and Ferrard: _________

The Viscount Bangor: _________

The Viscount Brookeborough: __________

The Viscount Craigavon: __________

The Lord de Ros: 22 Wellington Court, Knightsbridge.

The Lord O'Neill: ________

The Lord Dunleath: _________

The Lord Rathcavan: _________

The Lord Glentoran: _________

First published April, 2009.

The Ewart Baronets

THE EWART BARONETCY, OF GLENMACHAN AND GLENBANK, WAS CREATED IN 1887 FOR WILLIAM EWART, MAYOR OF BELFAST AND LINEN MANUFACTURER

The Ewarts, one of the great linen merchant families of the Lagan valley, can be traced back to the 18th century. in 1716, Thomas Ewart was granted a lease of a farm in the townland of Carnreagh, Annahilt, County Down.

The lease was renewed to his son, Thomas, in 1746: whose son, William, established his own company at Ballymacarrett, now a suburb of Belfast, about 1790. William Ewart and his son, William, established William Ewart & Son at Rosemary Street, Belfast, in 1814.

WILLIAM EWART (1759-1851), of Belfast, formerly of Annahilt, County Down, married, in 1810, Mary Anne, daughter of John Rossman, of Cootehill, County Cavan, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Sarah Jane; Eliza.

Mr Ewart, an alderman of Belfast, was succeeded by his only son,

WILLIAM EWART JP (1817-89), of Glenmachan, Belfast, who wedded, in 1840, Isabella Kelso, daughter of Lavens Mathewson, and had issue,

WILLIAM QUARTUS, his heir;
Lavens Mathewson, father of LAVENS MATHEWSON A EWART, 4th Baronet;
Richard Hooker, father of TALBOT EWART, 5th Baronet;
James Mathewson;
George Herbert;
Frederick William, grandfather of WILLIAM IVAN C EWART, 6th Baronet;
Marianne; Lavinia.

Mr Ewart, Mayor of Belfast, 1859-60, MP for Belfast, 1878-89, was created a baronet in 1887, designated of Glenmachan House, County Down, and of Glenbank, Belfast.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR WILLIAM QUARTUS EWART JP DL, 2nd Baronet (1844-1919), of Glenmachan, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1897, who espoused, in 1876, Mary Warren, daughter of Robert Heard, of Pallastown, Kinsale, and had with other issue,

ROBERT HEARD, his successor;
Charles Gordon;
Charlotte Hope; Isabella Kelso; Mary Gundreda.

Sir William was succeeded by his second son,

SIR ROBERT HEARD EWART, 3rd Baronet (1879-1939), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his cousin,

SIR LAVENS MATHEWSON ALGERNON EWART, 4th Baronet (1885-1939), who died unmarried, and was succeeded by his cousin,

SIR TALBOT EWART, 5th Baronet (1878-1959), of Glenmachan, who married, in 1913, Sydney Stuart, daughter of Louis P Henop, of New York City, USA, though the marriage was without issue, and Sir Talbot was succeeded by his cousin, 

SIR WILLIAM IVAN CECIL EWART, 6th Baronet (1919-95), DSC, High Sheriff of County Antrim, 1976, who married, in 1948, Pauline Chevallier, daughter of Wing-Commander Raphael Chevalier Preston, and had issue,

WILLIAM MICHAEL, his successor;
Susan Eveleen; Patricia Rébé.

Sir Ivan, Lieutenant, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve Coastal Forces, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, 1945; chairman, William Ewart & Sons, 1968-73; Chairman, Ewart Northern Ltd, 1973-77.

He was succeeded by his only son,

SIR WILLIAM MICHAEL EWART (b 1953), 7th and present Baronet, of Hillsborough, County Down.

THE EWARTS originally lived at Annahilt, near Hillsborough, County Down.

The 1st Baronet's father, William Ewart (1789-1873), moved to Glenbank at Ligoniel and became an alderman of Belfast.

In 1716, Thomas Ewart was granted twenty acres for a lease of a farm in the townland of Carnreagh, Annahilt, near Hillsborough.

Part of his agricultural activity involved the production of damask, which the then Linen Board encouraged.

The lease was renewed to his son Thomas in 1746; the latter's son William was more ambitious and sometime around 1790 set up his own concern at Ballymacarrett, then a village, now a suburb of Belfast, though he co-operated with the Hillsborough concern.

His business flourished, and he had agents outside Ulster.

He took his son, also William, into business with him and as William Ewart & Son set up an office and warehouse in Rosemary Street, Belfast, in 1814.

They were incorporated as William Ewart & Son in 1883.

The Ewart Building (Image: Linenhall Library)

The Ewart head office was at what has become known as the Ewart Building, formerly Bedford Street Weaving Factory, at 17 Bedford Street, opposite the Ulster Hall.

The tall, red-brick warehouses and weaving sheds at the rear have since been demolished.

Ewart's bought the building in 1876.

They also ran mills at Crumlin Road; Ligoniel; Ballysillan; and Matier Street, all in Belfast.

During Victorian times, Ewart's was the largest manufacturer of linen in the world.

The principal seat of the Ewart family was Glenmachan House (below), which was set in its own grounds off Old Holywood Road in east Belfast.

Glenmachan House in the 1970s

It is thought that the land at Glenmachan was sold by Sir Thomas McClure to the prominent Belfast architect of the time, Thomas Jackson, who proceeded to build Glenmachan House as his own residence; though sold it to Sir William Ewart some time thereafter.

Glenmachan was a relatively large house with stabling and a conservatory.

About 1894 a fire broke out in the stables.

The hay loft was seriously damaged, according to a local newspaper.

The grounds extended to 33 acres in 1876.

Glenmachan remained in ownership of the Ewart family till about 1976.

Thereafter, it became neglected and derelict, the sweeping lawns reverting to fields.

Despite some strong local opposition, Glenmachan House and grounds were finally sold to a property developer ca 1990, demolished and turned into a new housing development.

Glenmachan House is not to be confused with Glenmachan Tower, further along the road and formerly the Shillingtons' residence.

Glenbank ca 1890

Glenbank House (ca 1875) used to be the Ewarts' family home.

It was situated on Ligoniel Road in Belfast.

Glenbank was purchased from Robert Thompson by Lavens Mathewson Ewart.

Ca 1920 the house and grounds were presented to Belfast Corporation for use as a public park.

All that now remains to remind us of its former existence are the gate pillars.

The Henderson (Belfast Newsletter/UTV) and Ewart families are related through marriage, Primrose Henderson's mother being Gundreda Ewart.

The Hendersons, whose residence was Norwood Tower (52 acres), would certainly have known the Ewarts, because the families all worshipped at St Mark's parish church.

The famous author, C S Lewis, was a second cousin of the Ewarts and often visited Glenmachan.

The 1st baronet contributed towards the building of St Mark's parish church, Dundela.

First published December, 2009.  Ewart arms courtesy of the NLI.

AB Simon

My Nauticalia  replica of Simon

Simon (ca 1947-49) was the ship's cat who served on the Royal Navy frigate HMS Amethyst.

In 1949, during the Yangtze Incident, he received the PDSA's Dickin Medal after surviving injuries from a cannon shell, raising morale, and killing off a rat infestation during his service.

Simon was found wandering the dockyards of Hong Kong in March 1948 by 17-year-old Ordinary Seaman George Hickinbottom, a member of the crew of HMS Amethyst, the Royal Navy frigate stationed in the city in the late 1940s.

At this stage, it is thought Simon was approximately one year old, and was very undernourished and unwell.

Hickinbottom smuggled the cat aboard ship, and Simon soon ingratiated himself with the crew and officers, particularly because he was adept at catching and killing rats on the lower decks.

Simon rapidly gained a reputation for cheekiness, leaving presents of dead rats in sailors' beds, and sleeping in the captain's cap.

The crew viewed Simon as a lucky mascot, and when the ship's commander changed later in 1948, the outgoing Ian Griffiths left the cat for his successor, Lieutenant-Commander Bernard Skinner RN, who took an immediate liking to the friendly animal.

However, Skinner's first mission in command of Amethyst was to travel up the Yangtze River to Nanking to replace the duty ship there, HMS Consort.

Halfway up the river the ship became embroiled in the "Yangtze incident", when Chinese communist gun batteries opened fire on the frigate.

One of the first rounds tore through the captain's cabin, seriously wounding Simon. Skinner died of his wounds soon after the attack.

The badly wounded cat crawled on deck, and was rushed to the medical bay, where the ship's surviving medical staff cleaned his burns, and removed four pieces of shrapnel, but he was not expected to last the night.

He did manage to survive however, and after a period of recovery, he returned to his former duties in spite of the indifference he faced from the new ship's captain, Lieutenant-Commander John Kerans RN.

While anchored in the river, the ship had become overrun with rats, and Simon took on the task of removing them with vigour, as well as raising the morale of the sailors.

Following the ship's escape from the Yangtze, Simon became an instant celebrity, lauded in British and world news, and presented with the "Animal Victoria Cross", the Dickin Medal, as well as a Blue Cross medal, the Amethyst campaign medal, and the fanciful rank of "Able Seacat".

Thousands of letters were written to him, so much that one Lieutenant Stuart Hett RN was appointed "cat officer" to deal with Simon's post.

At every port Amethyst stopped at on its route home, Simon was presented with honour, and a special welcome was made for him at Plymouth in November when the ship returned.

Simon was, however, like all animals entering the UK, subject to quarantine regulations, and was immediately sent to an animal centre in Surrey.

Whilst in quarantine, Simon contracted a virus and, despite the attentions of medical staff and thousands of well-wishers, died on the 28th November, 1949, from a complication of the viral infection caused by his war wounds.

Hundreds, including the entire crew of HMS Amethyst, attended his funeral at the PDSA Ilford Animal Cemetery in East London.

Simon is also commemorated with a bush planted in his honour in the Yangtze Incident Grove at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Downpatrick Lodge

More than thirty summers ago, when we were staying for the weekend at Castle Ward in County Down, we went for a walk along an old path; more of a main drive, really.

It led us right through the forest and woods of the demesne.

Eventually a small building beside elaborate railings came into sight.

As we approached it, we could see that it was a lovely old gate lodge.

It was dignified and neat in appearance; white-washed walls, with twin lofty chimneys and recesses at the gables.

All the woodwork, including the front door, window frames, decorative wooden valances and finials, was pale golden yellow as depicted on the Bangor arms.

The roof was of slate and steeply raked.

The gable wall recess closest to the dark green gates and railings was resplendent with a large coat-of-arms of the Viscounts Bangor, sufficiently conspicuous to impress Victorian visitors and guests in their horse-drawn carriages.

We had chanced upon Downpatrick Gate Lodge.

It captivated me instantly; to the extent that, subsequently, we made inquiries about its availability and even obtained the keys to view its interior.

The lodge was obviously derelict; though I recall a large black cooking range.

Outside, at the former rear garden, it was overgrown and there was a steep decline to fields and the countryside.

The head gardener, a Mr Skillen, used to live in the Lodge.

I was so interested in renting it that the then administrator, Lieutenant-Commander Hubert Mullan, drove us back there several times and invited us up to his flat at the top of Castle Ward House to discuss the matter in more detail.

In the end it all came to nothing. I got cold feet.

Downpatrick Gate Lodge by Mary Ward (Image: National Trust Collections)

Downpatrick Lodge sits at the extreme western side of Castle Ward Estate, at the edge of a forest.

This, I am sure, was formerly the main entrance to the Estate since the railings and gates are so grand; as is Downpatrick Lodge itself, though not in a pretentious way.

This little lodge really is hidden away, out of sight, at the extremity of the estate.

I am delighted to learn that Downpatrick Lodge has come alive again, fully restored and fit for the 21st century.

Several years ago it became a National Trust holiday home available to rent, along with the Potter's Cottage at the old farmyard.

Incidentally, Terinichol and the Black Causeway Cottage also used to be available for rent to the general public in the 1980s.

In the late seventies, an erstwhile Recorder of Belfast, His Honour Judge Topping, rented Black Causeway House for part of the summer every year.

First published in May, 2009. 

Order of St Patrick

THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS ORDER OF ST PATRICK WAS THE THIRD MOST SENIOR ORDER OF CHIVALRY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Many distinguished Ulster peers have been Knights of St Patrick.

Established in 1783, it was an order of knighthood and the letters KP followed the recipient's title.

Originally founded as a gesture of goodwill towards the Kingdom of Ireland, it was made available to Irish peers who had rendered distinguished services, and to those who could not be admitted to the Order of the Garter (limited to twenty-four).

The Order of St Patrick was restricted to twenty-two knights.

The insignia was particularly decorative: a sash riband was worn over the right shoulder, light blue in colour, with an oval pierced badge suspended from it.

This consisted of a shamrock with three crowns on its leaves (representing the kingdoms of England, Ireland and Scotland), the shamrock being placed on a cross of St Patrick.

The centre was surrounded by an oval which bore the legend QUIS SEPARABIT - who shall separate - and the Latin numerals, MDCCLXXXIII (1783).

The gold and enamel collar chain consisted of alternate roses and harps.

The breast star was of silver with a representation of the sash badge in the centre.

The mantle was also light blue satin with the star of the Order embroidered thereon.

The badge and plume of the Irish Guards are based on the Order's star and light blue colour.

The Order was discontinued following the secession of the Irish Republic from the United Kingdom in 1922.

3rd Duke of Abercorn KG KP. (Image: Government Art Collection)

The last non-royal recipient was the 3rd Duke of Abercorn, KG, KP, PC, in 1922.

The last surviving recipient of the Patrick was His late Royal Highness The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, who died in 1974.

HRH Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster KG KP etc

The last appointment to the Order was for His Royal Highness The Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George, Duke of York (later GEORGE VI), conferred on St Patrick's Day, 1936.

The Rev Professor Peter Galloway, OBE, JP, has written a book about the Order, entitled The Most Illustrious Order: The Order of Saint Patrick and its Knights, by Unicorn Press.

As Professor Galloway concluded, 

Perhaps a day may come when the Order of St Patrick could be revived but, until a new, appropriate and acceptable constituency can be discerned, this seems unlikely in the foreseeable future.

First published in July, 2008.

The Ely Letter

I have unearthed an old letter I received from the Ely Lodge Estate in County Fermanagh 33 years ago. It is dated February 8th, 1977; hence my interest in country houses from an early age.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

The letter is from the Estate Office at Ely Farms on the estate. Charles Plunket was the Agent at the time.

It explains that the 5th Duke of Westminster inherited the family seat at Eaton Hall in 1967; and still retained Ely Lodge as his private home; that the 5th Duke retired to Ely in 1977 and his son, Lord Grosvenor (now the 6th and present Duke) was living at Eaton Hall.

In 1977, the Ely Estate amounted to 1,000 acres in County Fermanagh and 1,500 acres in County Tyrone.

Brackenber Prospectus: I

MANY OLD BRACKENBRIANS HOLD BRACKENBER IN HIGH ESTEEM AND WITH DEEP AFFECTION. HERE IS THE 1970 PROSPECTUS.

BRACKENBER MDCCCCXXX - MDCCCCLXXXV

 

Momentote Omentote Vos Superstites Scholæ Brackenbris

Qui Hinc Progressi Disciplina Eius Minime

Dedecorata Famam Bonam Ac Mores Ipsis

Ascivistis.

  Be ever mindful, you who have survived,
Of what, from Brackenber, you have derived,
Who forth have gone, its training undisgraced,
And morals and a goodly name embraced.

Headmaster: John L McC Craig BA

HISTORY

The school was founded in 1930 and moved to 6-10, Cleaver Avenue, Belfast, in 1939.

In 1950 the school was taken over by the parents of the pupils, and a company limited by guarantee was formed to conduct the School without a profit motive and to maintain the good reputation which it had so long enjoyed.

AIM

The aim of the school is not so much to lay stress on scholarship work as to make each boy try his hardest both at work and at games, and to give him a thorough all-round training that he may do well at his Public School; to give a boy the individual instruction and attention that he needs; and to lay great emphasis on manners and general conduct.

CURRICULUM

The regular school course includes Scripture, English subjects, Latin, French, Mathematics and Science .... mainly on the lines of the Common Entrance Examination to the Public Schools.

As far as possible the work is so arranged that each boy is able to develop at his own rate, independent of others, thus ensuring normal and steady progress.

He is neither retarded by duller boys nor forced to try to keep pace with quicker ones.

CLASS HOURS

Morning School: 9.15am to 1pm
Afternoon School (or games): 2.15pm to 3.45pm
Saturday is a whole holiday.

Part 2 shall include Home-Work, Games, Discipline, Special Features and Admission.

First published in February, 2011.

Valedictory Letter

My parents sent me to BRACKENBER HOUSE SCHOOL, a small prep school at Cleaver Avenue, off the Malone Road, Belfast.

I can't remember why I wasn't sent to Cabin Hill, though do recall paying a visit to Rockport School with my mother and Godmother to have a look.

At any rate, I enjoyed my time at Brackenber. It seemed to suit me well.

I was there from about 1971 until 1973, or thereabouts, before moving up to Campbell College.

Some years later I (and presumably everybody else) received a letter from Brackenber's last headmaster, John Craig MA, following his retirement.

This is clearly valedictory in nature.

Unfortunately the date has been omitted.

I'm fairly sure, however, that it must have been circa 1985.

If there happen to be any Old Brackenbrians reading this, perhaps you know of the school's final month and year?

It reflects Mr Craig's feelings about Brackenber, his profound devotion and deep affection for what was literally his home (he lived on the top floor) and his life:-

Click to Enlarge

First published in August, 2009.

Lord Bingham's Theory

The Daily Telegraph published an interview given by George, Lord Bingham, only son and heir of the 7th Earl of Lucan, in September, 2012.

Lord Lucan likely committed suicide by drowning himself following the murder of family nanny Sandra Rivett, his son has said.

George Bingham (now 8th Earl) said he was certain his father wished to "vanish for ever" and died in a small boat which sank to the bottom of the English Channel after drinking whisky and taking sleeping pills.

Lord Bingham spoke for the first time about the mysterious disappearance of his father in 1974.

He had been unable to succeed to the titles because a death certificate has not been issued.

In his first in-depth interview about the murder, he insisted he was certain his father was not the killer, though he said that he did hope his father had been involved in some way as it would make him "feel better" about his disappearance.

Sandra Rivett, 29, was found dead at the Lucan home in Belgravia, London, in 1974, after being bludgeoned with a lead pipe.

The nanny's attacker turned on the Countess of Lucan, beating her severely before she managed to escape and raise the alarm at a nearby pub.

Lord Lucan's car was later found abandoned and soaked in blood in Newhaven, East Sussex, and an inquest jury declared that the nobleman was the killer a year later.

What happened to Lucan remains a mystery and he was officially declared dead by the High Court in 1999.

George Bingham, who was in the house with his siblings at the time of the attack, said it was "extraordinarily unlikely" that his father was the killer or paid somebody else to carry out the atrocity.

He believes his father lost all sense of perspective as he became increasingly worried about being blamed for the nanny's death:

"I think Dad felt backed into a terrible corner. I think he chose almost immediately to take his own life. He had such a huge sense of pride and couldn't bear to consider the horrendous storm that was coming. It was his intention, therefore, to vanish ... and vanish for ever."

Lord Bingham added:

"Dad adored boats. He even built a powerboat. As a seaman, he would have known that if you jump from a boat in the English Channel, you will bloat, float and be washed up with the tides. It seems very likely he would have had access to a small motor boat somewhere in Newhaven harbour.

He would have got on board with a bottle of whisky and some pills and taken it out to the 50 metre mark, the point where if you go down you're not going to come back up again, but not so far out that you are in the shipping lane."

The former merchant banker has said he would prefer that to trying to understand why his father had left the family for "no apparent reason".

Lord Bingham continued,

"I've always thought it extraordinarily unlikely my father went into our family home, wandered down and killed anybody with a piece of lead piping for the love of his children, while those very children might well have come downstairs and witnessed this appalling carnage."

He also dismissed the possibility of a contract killer being involved, but added he had no idea of the extent of his father's involvement or his guilt.

First published in September, 2012.

Discover Northern Ireland

I cannot recall how long I've had a copy of this guide-book.

For me it encapsulates the very essence of Northern Ireland and the best places to visit.

Discover Northern Ireland was first published in 1976 by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

It was revised in 1977. A third edition was published in 1981. Has it been re-issued since then?

It most certainly ought to be.

Click Image to Enlarge

The book was written by Ernest Sandford.

The media has described it thus:

'A wonderful guidebook, an eminently readable guidebook ... it should be considered as a school textbook for local information ... in its detail and general comprehensiveness it is unique.'

This, to my mind, remains the definitive guide to Northern Ireland.

First published in March, 2010.

The George

The Clandeboye estate schoolhouse, County Down, was built by Lord Dufferin in ca 1858.

William Burn submitted designs for the school in 1850, and a further design was commissioned from Benjamin Ferrey in 1854.

Neither plan was executed and the architect of the school as it was built remains uncertain.

In the mid 1970s Ballysallagh Primary School was converted to licensed premises (The George) and was largely extended in the process, with large function rooms added.

Click to Enlarge

The George at Clandeboye, County Down, was a hostelry I frequented often in my younger days.

I have found a little leaflet entitled The George.



Many Saturday nights were spent here during the seventies and eighties.

Incidentally, the George's postal address was Crawfordsburn Road, Clandeboye, County Down.

The lodge bedroom block was constructed in 1992-4 to designs by Alan Cook Architects.

It now forms a part of Clandeboye Lodge Hotel.

First published in June, 2011.

The Lobster Pot

I WROTE THIS PIECE ABOUT THE LOBSTER POT RESTAURANT BAR IN AUGUST, 2008, AS RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LOBSTER POT DURING THE 1970s.

I HAVE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF MESSAGES SINCE THEN. THERE IS CLEARLY A MEASURE OF SENTIMENT ABOUT THE OLD PLACE. I'M PUBLISHING THE ARTICLE AGAIN, FOR THE BENEFIT OF NEW READERS. 

STRANGORD, COUNTY DOWN, IS ONE OF THE MOST PICTURESQUE VILLAGES IN NORTHERN IRELAND.

HERE HE GOES again, I hear you groaning. Timothy Belmont has wandered down Memory Lane and dived into the pond of Nostalgia.

I am, after all, permitted a spot of nostalgia now and again.

Heaven knows how many gallons of gin I have consumed since the mid-seventies; a fair amount of it within the walls of the revered Lobster Pot in the picturesque village of Strangford, County Down. 

Those were the days indeed.

A perfect day started with the sun rising and waking me from my slumber very early on a Saturday or Sunday at Castle Ward.

Our boat, the Dolphin, was ship-shape and ready for action.

The tide was right and a day was spent on Strangford Lough, the sea as calm as a mill-pond, perhaps visiting an island and having an Ulster Fry or fillet steak - from Duffy the butcher - whilst basking in the sunshine.

Incidentally, the Hon William and Mrs Ward (now the Viscount and Viscountess Bangor [Sarah Bradford]) beat us to it, on one occasion, by buying a whole fillet of beef, thereby leaving young Duffy with nothing. 

They were served just before us in the shop.

Evenings were invariably spent in the Lobster Pot.

Here are some memories of that wonderful place:-

• Driving down in our Mums' Minis, with petrol costing 70 pence a gallon
• Celebrating exam results in the lounge-bar
• The lounge-bar was carpeted, with brown or blue velour buttoned banquettes lining the walls and down the centre too, crescent-shaped
• Memorabilia on the walls like stuffed game-birds in cabinets, a ship's wheel, port and starboard lights, a lobster-pot, lifebelts
• A telly high up in a corner & inconspicuous
• Spirits served in french-style wine glasses
• Really large, fresh scampi - langoustines - & chips cost £3.65; tartare sauce in minute, sealed plastic packs but...
• In the Dining-room sauces were served in stainless-steel dishes with spoons
• A grand a la carte menu enclosed within a leather padded A4-size folder
• The main menu was exhaustive in terms of choice; vegetables ranged from asparagus tips to sweetcorn or cauliflower, fresh peas, sauté mushrooms, leeks - almost everything
• The main dining-room was at the front and a second one was at the rear
• Great staff like Ann the head waitress and Jim the bar manager, both defecting to the rival across the Square when Walter became Mine Host
• Two pretty waitresses in the bar in 1976 when I was sixteen and I fancied Julie. I sent her a Valentine card and addressed the envelope to "Julie the Sensuous Barmaid". Julie, if you're reading this now you know the secret; I know it's been preying on your mind for thirty years (!)
• The Chicken Maryland was great; my favourite dinner was scampi, french-fried potatoes, french-fried onion rings, asparagus tips, perhaps sauté mushrooms too
• We ate in the main dining-room occasionally; it was a toss-up between the LP or Aldo's in Ardglass (the late Samuel (Sammy) Crooks, a former Dean of Belfast, always recalled Aldo's green curtains!).

I have written about our last meal here.

I still hold many fond memories of former times spent there with friends and family in the 1970s and 80s.

First published in 2008.