What a delicious cargo!
Hi Everyone,
I have, what I believe, is another great "SHORE ROAD STORY", never before published, that relates to Sammy Getty's shop and another Getty Family. I KNOW IT'S LONG, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU IT'S WORTH THE READ !
I first met my wife Alison at the good old Floral Hall on Oct 4, 1969 and we agreed to have our first date on Oct 11, 1969 and agreed to meet at Getty's at 9 p.m.
Since Alison's parents lived in 64 Shore Road (opposite Seaview Football ground) on Oct 11th I was standing at Getty's shop, on the Shore a Road, just before 9 p.m. on that night, so as not to be late! Time passed by slowly and no sign of Alison. I walked by her house a number of times to see if she was looking out a window for me. NOTHING! So by 9:25 p.m., and being royally ticked off at being presumably being "stood up", I decided to walk past her house one last time, go back up Northwood Parade (where I lived) then up Skegoneill Avenue to the Antrim Road and off to the Floral Hall by myself! Just as I rounded the corner, from the Shore Road to Northwood Parade, around walks Alison and we both, at the same time said, "Where the heck were you?" I said "At Getty's" and so did she and both said "No you weren't !" This went on for a moment or two when suddenly the "light bulb" went on and Alison said "I meant Getty's on Skegoneill Avenue"! I said "I meant Sammy Getty's Shop two doors from your Mom's house"! We both cracked up laughing as Alison lived a lot of the time in 312 Skegoneill Avenue with her Grannie and there was a Getty family who lived two doors below her Grannie's house"! I thought she'd stood me up and she felt I'd stood her up but both of us were at the wrong Getty's! Who knows, if we had not met that night, we maybe would never have spoken to each other again! However, as they say, "The Rest is History", and almost 45 years later we are still happily married here in Canada with 3 beautiful daughters, 4 gorgeous little granddaughters, a handsome grandson (takes after his grandpa, LOL) and, God willing, another little grandchild on the way in October!
THE END!
NOT SO FAST, IT GETS BETTER, FAST FORWARD TO MARCH 15,1998, CALIFORNIA (CA), USA
At the time I was a senior financial officer for the Canadian business of a huge US company, Ball Corporation, based in Muncie, Indiana. Part of my job involved overseeing the sale of any business in the US or Canada and I was in CA finalizing the sale of an electronics business there. I was to be there for 2 weeks and on the weekend I decided (as a "Titanic Buff", saw the movie when it came out in Dec 1997) to go to see the Queen Mary at Long Beach, CA. When I exited the ship I had to go past a closed-in area of about 30 stores to get out! One was a Heraldry Store and I went in to see what a Snowden "family plaque" would cost. After speaking to the owner I went to look round the store when this older gentleman from NI stopped me! We chatted and he told me that he was part of a Lawn Bowling Club, that played in the Grove Park, and they were all in CA for a big world tournament. As we talked I found out he went to Sinclair Seaman's Church and knew my step-mom Molly, who woulda thunk it? He introduced me to the rest of the team and when I told them I was originally from the Shore Road area this lady, and this is where it gets scary, told me she was from Skegoneill Avenue and I said my wife Alison lived there! She said she knew Alison. I can't remember her first name but she told me her maiden name was GETTY! Can you believe that? I told her, and all her friends, my story of meeting Alison at the "Getty's', and they were all amazed.
What was the chance that over 27 years, at a particular time, on a particular day on a March weekend, in CA, that I would meet a bowling group from the Grove Park and the Getty daughter whose family were "involved" on what was almost a "screwed-up" first (and possibly last!) date with my wife Alison?
TALK ABOUT 6 DEGREES OF SEPARATION! TOTALLY AMAZING !