Mussenden Temple Revived

Mussenden Temple (Image: By D LN, Wikipedia)

As part of the students' National Diploma at Northern Regional College, Ballymoney, County Antrim, they have researched and created a "3D" graphical reconstruction of Mussenden Temple, DOWNHILL DEMESNE, County Londonderry, as it is looked around the early 1800s.

Below is a short, three-minute video clip providing us with a flavour of how the interior of the Temple might have appeared two centuries ago.

The interior of the Temple afforded exquisite beauty and grandeur, with copious gilding and elegant plasterwork.

A broad path and wall originally existed in front of the Temple.

OS map of ca 1830

The cliff has been receding to the extent that, in the late 1990s, bolts and anchors were inserted into the rock in order to stablilize the cliff face.

Downhill is a property of the National Trust.

Downhill Revived

As part of the students' National Diploma at Northern Regional College, Ballymoney, County Antrim, they have researched and created a "3D" graphical reconstruction of DOWNHILL HOUSE, County Londonderry, as it is looked around the early 1800s.

Staff and Students have produced this reconstruction as a concept of what to expect from future interpretation plans for Downhill.

Downhill Demesne is a property of the National Trust.

First published in September, 2018.

New DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

Dr Angela Garvey, Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Londonderry, has been pleased to appoint:-

The Rev Nigel John Cairns
Prehen
County Londonderry

To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough, his Commission bearing date the 17th day of December, 2021.


Signed: Angela Garvey

Lord Lieutenant of the County Borough

A Peculiar Tea

Still recovering from retinal surgery, with a depleting gas bubble in one eye, I decided to cycle down to the railway station and get a train to Botanic, a mere hop, skip, and jump from University Road, Belfast.

The ancient Burberry trench coat was unearthed; the trusty whangee brolly brandished.

When I alighted at Botanic station I had some time to spare, so I wandered into the Oxfam charity book-shop on Botanic Avenue (where the Arts Theatre used to be).

They invariably have a selection of vintage books, if not exactly "antiquarian."

It was approaching five o'clock, so I strode the short distance from Botanic Avenue, along LOWER CRESCENT, and on to University Road.

A Peculiar Tea is almost directly opposite Holohan's restaurant.

I recall the premises fondly as Beatrice Kennedy's, a delightful establishment which offered the most delectable wheaten bread and perhaps Mr McCarthy's signature dish, seared scallops on Clonakilty black pudding. Sublime.

I dined at BK's on my birthday in 2008.

A Peculiar Tea was established by the local and celebrated chef, Gemma Austin.

Its decor and ambiance are different from BK's, and the theme is somewhat akin to Alice in Wonderland.

I had the six-course Tasting Menu last night.

Since it was the occasion of my birthday, the staff very kindly offered me a complimentary drink, so I had a glass of Prosecco, with a juicy raspberry floating on top.

Guinea fowl, bone marrow, jus

The presentation and service were very good indeed, and, given the amount of time that must have been expended in preparing six delicious and quite exquisite courses, all the crockery and cutlery needed, it was good value at £45.

Cod, champagne sauce, capers

Guinea fowl, cod, venison, sorbet, and other delicacies were presented beautifully and with culinary craftsmanship.

I'm sure Aunt Dahlia's chef Anatole, that master of the gastronomic taste-buds, would have approved.

Venison, celeriac, etc

The final course, a minute pudding, was served with a little lighted candle on top; and I was treated to a rendition of Happy Birthday To You by staff and patrons in the dining-room.

Mayoral Rolls-Royce

Royal Ulster Constabulary Training Depot, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, 1978
 (Image: David Irvine)

This stately Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was the official limousine in use by the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of Belfast between 1968-78.

It was purchased by Belfast Corporation for the official use of the Lord Mayor.

The traditional navy blue colour is still on the bonnet, roof and boot, though elsewhere it has been re-painted.

The bonnet's considerable length is reminiscent of a concert grand piano.

Its original registration number was 1 WZ.

Of course the Council should have kept the car and continued to use it.

It could even have been converted to run on bio-fuel.

It was sold at Bonham's relatively recently.

This car was the first Phanton VI off the production line: 1969 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine. Coachwork by H J Mulliner, Park Ward. Registration number WVO 338G. Chassis number PRH4108. Engine number 4108. Sold for £36,700, including premium.

FOOTNOTES

The Rolls-Royce in-house coach-builder Park Ward Limited (later H J Mulliner, Park Ward) produced what was, in effect, the standard seven-passenger limousine coachwork for the Phantom V.

This timeless design would survive until 1990, being built in near-identical Phantom VI form from 1968, when separate air conditioning for front and rear compartments was standardised alongside the Silver Shadow-specification 6,230cc V8 engine.

The usual upholstery for the front compartment was leather, which was also included in the list of alternatives for the rear along with West of England cloth.

As one would expect in a car of this class, a cocktail cabinet incorporated into the rear compartment’s cabinet-work was one of a host of options that also included electric windows.

Phantom development tended to lag behind that of the contemporary Shadow range, and it was not until 1978 that the model received the three-speed automatic transmission and 6.75-litre engine that had featured on the latter for many years.

By this time the opulent Phantom VI was being built to special order only, with prices on application.

The very first Phantom VI produced, chassis number PRH 4108, was sold new to Belfast City Corporation for use by the Lord Mayor (as referenced in Martin Bennet's book, Rolls-Royce & Bentley: The Crewe Years) and was mostly maintained by the Crewe factory until sold by the Corporation in 1978.

The car enjoyed three subsequent owners before passing into the vendor's hands in 1991, and comes with numerous invoices for this period issued by recognised Rolls-Royce specialists.

Since acquisition it has been maintained by the engineer owners and used regularly on R-REC events, most notably Her Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations at Windsor Castle in 2002.

Restored in the early 1990s, the vehicle is reported as being to factory specification apart from the addition of an electric radiator cooling fan.

AUCTION NOTICES

This, four previous owner car, was acquired by the current vendors in 1991 when it was then comprehensively restored underneath and new rear springs fitted.

It has since been enjoyed at many club events.

In addition to regular servicing, the car has benefited from a new radiator, brake overhaul, three new tyres, rear fog lamps and an electric radiator fan together with new front and rear bumpers.

The car comes with all MOT certificates dating back to 1977 and numerous invoices from recognised Rolls-Royce specialists.

Handbook, jack and wheel brace are all included and the cocktail cabinet is complete with decanters and glasses.

First published in August, 2012.

New DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

Mr Gawn Rowan-Hamilton, Lord-Lieutenant of County Down, has been pleased to appoint:-

Mr John Gerard Gordon
Whiterock
Killinchy
County Down

To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County his Commission bearing date the day of 30th November 2021

Lord Lieutenant of the County.

Ballywillwill House

RICHARD McDOWELL-JOHNSTON, son of William Johnston, of Netherlaw Park, Kirkcudbright, (whose sister married Captain, subsequently Colonel, James McDowell, son of Colonel John McDowell, and Janet Ross, his wife, sister of the Countess of Stair), assumed the surname and arms of McDOWELL, in compliance with the will of his uncle, Colonel James McDowell, who bequeathed him the estates of Gillespie and Craignarget, Galloway, Dumfriesshire.

He married Jane Crooks, and had two sons,

WILLIAM, his heir;

Henry, died young.

Mr McDowell-Johnston died in 1772, and was succeeded by his son,

WILLLIAM McDOWELL-JOHNSTON, of Ballywillwill, who wedded, in 1768, Rebecca, daughter of the REV GEORGE VAUGHAN, Rector of Dromore, County Down (whose father, John Vaughan, and grandfather, George Vaughan, had been Rectors of the same place).

Mr McDowell-Johnston died in 1784, leaving a son and heir,

THE REV GEORGE HENRY McDOWELL-JOHNSTON JP, of Ballywillwill, County Down, Vicar of Donegore and Kilbride, 1814-64, who married, in 1811, the Lady Anna Maria Annesley, second daughter of Richard, 2nd Earl Annesley, which lady dsp 1835. 

Ballywillwill House (Image: UAHS)

BALLYWILLWILL HOUSE, near Castlewellan, County Down, is an elegant two-storey, five-bay house, built ca 1815, by the Rev George McDowell-Johnston.

The central upper storey and outer bays have Wyatt windows.

Ballywillwill House: Portico (Image: UAHS)

Ballywillwill has an exceptionally long portico with ten Ionic columns, urns, and a large prostrate lion on its entablature (a lion is a supporter on several Johnston coats-of-arms).

Ballywillwill House (Image: Stuart Blakley: Lavender's Blue)

Four columns in the centre protrude slightly.

Extract from UAHS Publication. Click to Enlarge.

Ballywillwill House features in the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society's publication Historic Buildings in the Mourne Area of South Down, written by the late Peter Rankin in 1975.