Author Topic: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.  (Read 2500666 times)

Seaviewite

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #45 on: January 22, 2012, 07:34:47 AM »


newry, this is Depot Terrace. I took this picture in 1990. Circle Taxis occupied the house at the far end of the picture, for a while, late 1970s/ early eighties. I knew the Hamiltons who I believe are still living in a house in the middle. The house at the end that is shown "For Sale" was ten and a half thousand, and I actually went to see it because I love old buildings. It was quite roomy inside and if I remember rightly a man had been renting it and had died in it. There were two attic bedrooms with fireplaces and windows in the roof. I have one of the tram depot beside it if you want me to put that on too.

I'd love to see the pic of the old depo Dargan.  I knew the last family to live in the Depot keepers house. Their name was Sullivan, I think they moved out in the 60's.
We lived in 567 Shore Road/ No.1 Depot Terrace before moving to Australia in 1975.  One of the reasons for moving was that we couldn't sell the house and buy another - that's the way it was in those days.  We just left it in the hands of a solicitor who eventually sold it, late 70's for about 1,200 pounds. It became the Taxi Company as you say and they rented out the upstairs rooms as flats.
The Terrace looks a bit tired in that photo, def seen better days.
The two old guys who lived in the other end terrace were homosexual and for a time were given a hard time.  Looked after their home well though and had a nice wee garden at the back.
Thing I remember was that we use to get about 100 quid a year from Thos Allen's for the advertising hording on the gable wall. Paid for the small mortgage we had.
When at Thy call my weary feet I turn
The gates of paradise are opened wide
At Goodison I know a man can learn
Rapture more rich than Anfield can pr

Dargan

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #46 on: January 22, 2012, 08:42:37 AM »
seaviewite, thanks for that information. I always love to hear anything about everyday life in previous decades about the road I too came from.  You're quite right that that photo I took doesn't show Depot Terrace at its best. Unfortunately, by the time I got interested in taking photo's of buildings that I thought weren't long for this world, a lot of them were already in a poor state. I'm glad that Depot Terrace still survives and hope that one day someone will see the sense of refurbishing it as part of the road's heritage. If I was a millionaire I'd return and do it myself!

Later today (I need my son to help!) I will put on the pictures of the tram depot itself. Perhaps you will be able to tell me if the gate-keeper's house is the small building at the back (which you will also be able to see as I photographed it separately).

Thanks again.
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Dargan

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #47 on: January 22, 2012, 10:58:16 AM »

Tram Depot


"Lowwood Terrace" opposite Depot Terrace. I remember a Mr. McKenna who was a window-cleaner living in one of these.


A close-up of Lowwood Terrace.


Looking down towards Depot Terrace From Sheringhurst Park.


A building inside the tram depot's grounds.


Emblem on depot gates.


The lane that runs down at the side of Lowwood School. (You can just see the end house of Depot Terrace-opposite end to seaviewite's former home).


Another view from Sheringhurst Park.
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Seaviewite

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #48 on: January 22, 2012, 12:13:10 PM »
Great photos Dargan.  Bring back so many memories.
 
The home the Sullivan's lived in which I would call the caretakers home was actually part of the main depot building.  The entrance was in through the gates and to the side of the building with a few steps up to the entrance.
 
The other building inside the surrounds of the depot was the Pumping Station where my dad worked. Some great machinery in that place. There were some really nice gardens in the grounds too.  We use to love to be able to visit dad's work, even though it was close to the Shore Road, you would have thought you were in the countryside with all the wild berries and flowers etc just growing wild.
 
You could cut through there to go to the "beach" which many did and to my memory too, plenty of youngsters, mainly from the prefabs, lost their lives crossing the railway lines.
 
Great photo of the lane we use to use if we were going up to the Cave Hill etc.  Remember the wee man McKenna, did all the windows around there but was regarded by many as a wee busybody.  Also knew the Gough family well. Mr.Wilson, a big man in the Boy's Brigade lived in one of the semi-detached houses directly opposite us.
When at Thy call my weary feet I turn
The gates of paradise are opened wide
At Goodison I know a man can learn
Rapture more rich than Anfield can pr

Dargan

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #49 on: January 22, 2012, 12:31:30 PM »
Seaviewite, I'm glad you enjoyed those pictures. I can't tell you how delighted I am to hear your memories of the depot and other aspects of living there. It helps me to enjoy my own memories for knowing about other lives in the locale. I now remember the side entrance to the quarters that you mention. I'd completely forgotten about that! If you know of any interesting (or even ordinary) incidents or aspects of life that paint a picture of past times I would love to hear about them. Anything about the shops at the bottom of the lane, the people, anything at all. I think we have lost so much in the last number of years due to so-called "progress" that hearing about the old ways of life that we have all left behind gives me a real "lift".

My Grandparents lived at 189 Shore Road in a terrace of three houses on the corner of York Park (the end closest to Fortwilliam). My Grandfather had a fish and chip shop on the corner of York Drive at one time and other bits of businesses dotted here and there. I love to sit down and remember every detail of their house (or as many as I can recall). If you could describe to me the interior of your house in Depot Terrace, or any of the neighbours, I'd love to hear about it for the nostalgia of it all.

It is interesting what you said about there being a lovely garden within the grounds of the depot. I didn't know about that. Also, the machinery in the pumping station. I've been interested in wildflowers all my life and there are many lovely examples in and around that area. The Tip Head itself, in parts that nature seeded after land reclamation, had the most beautiful wildflowers I've ever seen anywhere. Did that stretch of water that ran along the back of the prefabs have any bearing on the pumping?
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Richard 202

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #50 on: January 22, 2012, 08:17:50 PM »
Thank you Dargan for these photos! It's quite mind-blowing to see buildings I have not seen since I was 10 years of age.

I grew up in Waveney Drive so I know this part of the Shore Road very well.

Do you remember the big block of flats just opposite Shore Crescent? They were demolished years ago and now there's a new (quite fancy) set of flats on the same ground.

I remember getting my hair cut as a young boy in a barber's that was just on the left of the row of shops, by a very nice man called Harry.

After the flats were demolished he moved his barber's business along the Shore Road to above a bike shop (just next to Jacksons), which had a dentists too.

In fact I think the dentists sign is still there, albeit smashed up a bit.

When I was back home in Belfast last year it was great to see the area again, although it still is in a state of limbo between the old and the new. I guess that won't change until the economy gets better!

Richard 202

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #51 on: January 22, 2012, 08:20:23 PM »
Oh, and thanks for that picture of the path to Lowwood School! I remember the big set of stairs that led up into Waveney Avenue, and us kids also used a (rather dangerous) side slope to get to school quicker!

Dargan

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #52 on: January 22, 2012, 10:04:19 PM »
Thank you Dargan for these photos! It's quite mind-blowing to see buildings I have not seen since I was 10 years of age.

I grew up in Waveney Drive so I know this part of the Shore Road very well.

Do you remember the big block of flats just opposite Shore Crescent? They were demolished years ago and now there's a new (quite fancy) set of flats on the same ground.

I remember getting my hair cut as a young boy in a barber's that was just on the left of the row of shops, by a very nice man called Harry.

After the flats were demolished he moved his barber's business along the Shore Road to above a bike shop (just next to Jacksons), which had a dentists too.

In fact I think the dentists sign is still there, albeit smashed up a bit.

When I was back home in Belfast last year it was great to see the area again, although it still is in a state of limbo between the old and the new. I guess that won't change until the economy gets better!

I'm really glad that people can enjoy these. When I was doing this way back then it had occurred to me that no-one was that interested in the Shore Road and that someone needed to record as much as possible! I do remember the flats opposite Shore Crescent - Parkmount flats. The rent office was there plus a family called Montgomery had a sweet and paper-shop. I think I remember the barber you mention. Unfortunately these flats went long before I was dandering around with a borrowed camera! Perhaps someone else will read this and put on a photo. That would be great. I myself was born in 1964 Richard, and I remember a big old house that sat behind a row of tiny cottages where the Church of God now is. I'd just love to see pictures of those places now.
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william bickerstaffe

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #53 on: January 23, 2012, 01:50:39 AM »
good friends of mine lived in york road their name was Myers

Jimmy55

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #54 on: January 23, 2012, 04:34:34 AM »
Great  photo's Dargan, as a  kid I used to deliver the Belfast  telegraph along the shore road including Lowwood and Depot terrace. The pumping station in your photo was also on my round,always remember being given a few shillings for myself from the men who worked there when I collected the paper money on Friday nights. Also the photo of the lane beside Lowwood school great  memories playing around that area as a kid.
 

Seaviewite

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #55 on: January 23, 2012, 06:16:32 AM »
Dargan, mention of the shops opposite to Tram Depot had me thinking.
Next to the lane there was for a time not a bad Chinese Resturant, then it became a chippie, nickname Greasy Joe's, There was a hardware shop then next to that was Beth's Hairdressers. There was an entrance to the upstairs club* then i believe a butchers shop. The other end shop belonged to McCunes [ther big shop on the road opposite Skegoniel Ave] this was a grocery and bakery shop.
 
The upstairs club I believe began as The Rooftop Club and there were dances held there on week-ends.  After a couple of years I think it became the Transport Club where they had a bar and played darts and snooker etc. Don't know how it ended up.
 
Talking about the wild flowers in the area, what was interesting but not too widely known was that when all the prefabs were cleared away, the area in there had loads of lovely flowers and shrubs which were of originally peoples gardens.
 
The pumping station did indeed ensure that the water in that waterway didn't overflow and when there were heavy rains the pumps were always working flat out pumping theexcess water and sewage into the tide at that point.
When at Thy call my weary feet I turn
The gates of paradise are opened wide
At Goodison I know a man can learn
Rapture more rich than Anfield can pr

RSL

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #56 on: January 23, 2012, 07:55:37 AM »
Hi Dargan,
Thank you for posting your photo's,especially Depot Tce.
I can't believe that I was looking at the place where I entered into this world.
Were there only seven houses in the terrace?
I think I remember the name Gault being mentioned as the owner of one of the houses.
Would you happen to know which house they lived in?
Another name that I remember my Mum mention was a Dr.Sloan.
I hope I will hear some more of peoples memories and maybe more photo's of Shore road.
Regards,N.

Seaviewite

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #57 on: January 23, 2012, 02:40:00 PM »
Dargan, your grandparents lived at 189 Shore Road, I knew prople by the name of Bennett who lived around there.  Me, I was born at 123 Shore Road which was down closer to York Drive and opposite the Troxy Cinema [later to become The Grove Theatre].  I can't clearly recall a chip shop at the corner of York Drive, where my grandparents lived at No.6 but there was a Butcher's shop right on the corner.  McBurnie's and mention of this shop was made elsewhere on this forum.
 
I think it was Richard who mentioned Jackson's shop where my wife worked for a few years.  Jack McNeill had the Chemist Shop next door and of course the Golden Fry chippie was on the other side towards Lowwood Park.
When at Thy call my weary feet I turn
The gates of paradise are opened wide
At Goodison I know a man can learn
Rapture more rich than Anfield can pr

harrydunn

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #58 on: January 23, 2012, 03:37:14 PM »
  1951 street directory No,567-581 Shore Road ,Depot terrace?
No  567 Gault, T.  fitter
--   568 Mc Keown, Mrs
--   571 Spiers, George. tram conductor
--   573 Hall, J,J. labourer
--   575 Magill,F tram conductor
--   577 Watkins, James
--   579 Magill, T. traveller
--   581 Shore Rd Tramway Depot, Allen, T. Cashier, B.C.T.
   

Richard 202

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Re: Anyone from the shore road area of Belfast?.
« Reply #59 on: January 23, 2012, 04:20:02 PM »
I think it was Richard who mentioned Jackson's shop where my wife worked for a few years.  Jack McNeill had the Chemist Shop next door and of course the Golden Fry chippie was on the other side towards Lowwood Park.

Ah yes, I remember the wee chemists shop! It had real character to it, and a warm atmosphere inside. Not something you associate with chemists! Aye, the Golden Fry is a Shore Road landmark. It's hardly changed at all since I was a kid, give or take the odd cosmetic refresh.

Regarding the row of shops opposite Depot Terrace, I remember a bakery beside the lane up to Lowwood School. I used to go in with my aunt and she bought paris buns. At the other end of the row was what my granny called the Indian shop, it was a little grocery shop run by (as you can guess) an Indian family. The middle shops are very fuzzy in my mind, although I do have a very vague memory of there being a pet shop?


 

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