Photo request - Shore Road at the bottom of Fortwilliam park

[mmcgoverne]

Hi All

I'm trying to put together some pictures and stories about my family - my dad and his dad before him ran a garage on Shore Road at 265-269, on the corner of Oakmount Drive, at the bottom of Fortwilliam park.

I lived there between approx 1971 and 1975, and had a short stay on Mount Vernon before moving to London in 76.

My dad's family were the Jamisons, he was Ian, his dad was Fred. My grandad and his family hailed from between Bushmills and Giant's causeway.

There used to be two houses with a garage in between at 265-269: now there is a small printer's firm - I believe the houses were knocked down in the late 70's/early 80's.

My dad died in 1984 and my mum suffered a stroke in 1976, and I have very few if any pictures from those days - I would be over the moon to find some pictures of that stretch of shore Road (between Mt Vernon and the football ground), as I have many happy memories of growing up there that I'd love to share with my son, also my mum, who also lived on the Shore Rd previously, in the prefab bungalows (she was a Conway then).

Any leads or info, or even suggestions where I could start tracking down pictures would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks, Margaret 

[deebee]

Try this link and search on Fortwilliam

http://www.geograph.org.uk/

I see alot of pictures around Fortwilliam roundabout but none specifically of the area you are looking for

[McGurggle]

Hi All

I'm trying to put together some pictures and stories about my family - my dad and his dad before him ran a garage on Shore Road at 265-269, on the corner of Oakmount Drive, at the bottom of Fortwilliam park.

I lived there between approx 1971 and 1975, and had a short stay on Mount Vernon before moving to London in 76.

My dad's family were the Jamisons, he was Ian, his dad was Fred. My grandad and his family hailed from between Bushmills and Giant's causeway.

There used to be two houses with a garage in between at 265-269: now there is a small printer's firm - I believe the houses were knocked down in the late 70's/early 80's.

My dad died in 1984 and my mum suffered a stroke in 1976, and I have very few if any pictures from those days - I would be over the moon to find some pictures of that stretch of shore Road (between Mt Vernon and the football ground), as I have many happy memories of growing up there that I'd love to share with my son, also my mum, who also lived on the Shore Rd previously, in the prefab bungalows (she was a Conway then).

Any leads or info, or even suggestions where I could start tracking down pictures would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks, Margaret 

I remember Fred & Caesar well. I lived in Mount Vernon also & as a kid used to go to Hughie McCloys shop for sweets & then watch the welding in Freds garage. I got to know Fred later as an adult. When I was home on leave from the Merchant Navy a mate of mine was a friend of Freds & we used to call to his house (Rathcoole??) after the pubs closed with a carry out. Fred always enjoyed a wee surprise drink.
McG

[mmcgoverne]

Try this link and search on Fortwilliam

http://www.geograph.org.uk/

I see alot of pictures around Fortwilliam roundabout but none specifically of the area you are looking for

Thanks for getting back to me Deebee, I'll keep looking (on Geograph, Flickr etc) in the hopes that someone posts some oldies.

Even though I haven't quite found what I'm looking for, it's great to see all the pics of Belfast, and I spent happy hours going through the loads of great pictures on this site!

Kind regards Margaret

[mmcgoverne]

I remember Fred & Caesar well. I lived in Mount Vernon also & as a kid used to go to Hughie McCloys shop for sweets & then watch the welding in Freds garage. I got to know Fred later as an adult. When I was home on leave from the Merchant Navy a mate of mine was a friend of Freds & we used to call to his house (Rathcoole??) after the pubs closed with a carry out. Fred always enjoyed a wee surprise drink.
McG

Thanks McGurggle, I love to hear about my family and my granda, he was smashing - I last saw him just before he died when he came to visit us on the birth of my sister in 1971. I'll ask my mum where Fred lived.

I just want to check, when you say Fred you mean my granda Fred, or my dad (Frederick) Ian, who was Clifford's (caesar's) brother? there's so many Freds, and its now my son's middle name as well!

I remember playing around in the grage in the early 70's, loads of people would drop in, either for their car or to use the (2p and 5p) payphone in the garage. Sometimes I was allowed to rev the gas pedal if my dad was working under the bonnet.

My mum used to send me along to the McCloys with a wee shopping list, normally a bottle of cream soda, some crisps and sweets, and we'd have it on tick until Friday. The McCloy sisters used to give me a biscuit or an orange when we dropped in to see them, I think they lived further down Shore Rd towards the football ground.

I remember my poor uncle Clifford, and still think about him now.

Thank you again,
Margaret

[McGurggle]

Yes it was your granda' Fred I mean. I remembr your da' too but he was the quiet one !
Maybe you take after him?
I suppose you remember the 'sand hills' off Fortwilliam Park (where the "luxury flats"are now) where the boys played football & the swing over the river at Mount Vernon Rd (the 'New Road as we called it). There was also two or three wee cottages just across the Shore Rd. from McCloys. They were made of sandstone blocks (just like the arches at the bottom of Fortwilliam) & I always wanted to live in one, just to be near McCloys shop.!
Ah...., the dreams of boyhood
McG

[mmcgoverne]

Yes it was your granda' Fred I mean. I remembr your da' too but he was the quiet one !
Maybe you take after him?
I suppose you remember the 'sand hills' off Fortwilliam Park (where the "luxury flats"are now) where the boys played football & the swing over the river at Mount Vernon Rd (the 'New Road as we called it). There was also two or three wee cottages just across the Shore Rd. from McCloys. They were made of sandstone blocks (just like the arches at the bottom of Fortwilliam) & I always wanted to live in one, just to be near McCloys shop.!
Ah...., the dreams of boyhood
McG

Hi Mcgurggle, sorry it's been so long in replying, I've been away on my travels and only just looked back in here. I don't know about my da being the quiet one, I suppose compared to Caesar and his sisters he was! And yes, I'm his double in looks and personality (apart from I don't take a drink at all)...:-) There's a picture of him on my family tree site, just before he died in 1984:

http://www.jamisonsonline.co.uk/dadiskate.jpg

I certainly do remember the sand hills, and the wee cottages opposite McCloys, I went and had a look a few months ago when I was back for a week, all very different now! I don't remember the swing, but I do recall being told not to go near the river, although I did; we even used to sneak over the tip head, my mother would have had a fit!

The McCloys were good to us, always allowed us tick- it certainly seemed like a very fine emporium to me at the time. ten pence bought me a Beano, Golden wonder crisps and a chocolate bar then; not that I got many ten pees!

Margaret  

[Wilco]

Here is a photo I took back in 1989 showing Fortwilliam as it meets the Shore road.

[mmcgoverne]

Wow, thanks very much Wilco, brilliant!!!!  the roundabout's gone now is it? I used to sit on a bench opposite a postbox, think you can just see it through the left hand arch (looking at the screen), and our house/garage was just a smudge to the left!!!!

I don't rememeber the large glass fronted shop? behind the roundabout, but then i did move away in 1976/77, and when I came back it looked different again.

Thanks so much, wonderful memories, and something to show my son....

Margaret x

[Seaviewite]

Great photo that.
Are the arches still there?
There use to be a well beside the arch to the left [on the way up Fortwilliam Park] where it was a local legend that King Billy stopped on his way to the Boyne, having landed at Carrick.
Fortwilliam was, or still is, a landmark in Belfast and I can't understand why it's history isn't more to the fore.

[floral]

Here is a photo I took back in 1989 showing Fortwilliam as it meets the Shore road.

How many memories that brought back thank you

[Steve]

Does anyone have any photos of the arches and gate lodge at the top of fortwilliam Park (the antrim Road end)
 
How many remember Fortwilliam Police station?

[Dargan]

This is the terrace, originally "Rookby Villas" where the Misses McCloy lived.


Corner of York Park from 189 Shore Road where my own Grand-parents lived, looking up towards Fortwilliam.


Loughview Villas, demolished around 1990 (or 1991).


Aerocrete!


McCloy's old shop and surrounding houses.


Demolition of the gate-lodge at the bottom of Fortwilliam Park.

Margaret, if you see these I have a few more of this locale including a photo of Mount Vernon House school (an aerial view). If anyone can show me a photograph of the white-washed cottage up a short lane nearly opposite McCloy's shop I would be over the moon. Even if it could be described to me I'd be delighted as I was always intrigued by it as a child, but you could only see its gable wall from the Shore Road. I have been finding out things about it for over 20 years and have managed to acquire a photo of the Johnson family's children who lived in it in the 1950's. They are standing in the garden, but unfortunately you can't see the cottage which was then numbered 276 Shore Road. It first appeared in the 1895 street directory listed as "Fortwilliam Park Cottage" but its name was later changed to "Belleview Cottage" before the Shore Road started to be listed numerically some time in the 1930's.

[maureenr25]

Hi, I saw this thread and Fort William caught my interest.  I am helping a girl in California do her "Irish Roots".  She has a death certificate for Elizabeth Lee that states that she died at Fortwilliam, Finaghy.  I'm lost as I asked my cousins that live in Lisburn and are from Belfast about where this place Fortwilliam, Finaghy is and they don't know, never heard of it.  Do any of you know about this place?  Thanks for any help.

[apalachie]

Hello Maureenr25, You have me confused, The Fortwilliam that I know runs between the Antrim Rd and Shore Rd in North Belfast. There is a "Park, Parade and a cresent" and it is commonly known as (The Fortwilliam Area) Finaghy is at the other end of Belfast (South) although Finaghy Rd North I think is in west Belfast. The only thing I can think of is there was a big house or nursing home up in Finaghy were she died but I doubt that very much, sorry I can,t be of any more help.