ANTRIM PLAYERS 3238
This photograph was taken in Antrim but why the people are all dressed up is unknown to me.
Was this a fancy dress do or where they part of a theatrical group, now if you know better please let me know.

OUT FOR A PADDLE 997
Out for a paddle on the beach at Portstewart with their granny Rachel Agnew in 1941.
Holding granny's hand on the left is Rita then her twin sisters Maudie and Ann - finally over to the right is her big brother Jack.

ANTRIM POST OFFICE 3029
It's 1950 and here we are Antrim Sorting Post Office with the staff who are having their photograph taken.
At the back from the left we have Robin Baird, Samuel Fleming, Billy McKee, "Ching" Wallace and Billy Neill (from Randalstown)
Seated from the left are from Head Office J.B. McRoberts, Olive McMaster, Mrs Baxter, Isa McQuillan and finally the Postmaster Eric Kyle.

My thanks to Louise Jones, Betty Campbell and Milly Stapleton for most of the names.

ANTRIM POSTAL DRIVERS 1648
Pictured at the Antrim depot in 1956 these postal drivers who have received their Safe-driving certificates are Samuel Fleming, Robin Baird and Billy McKee.
On the left is Postmaster Eric Kyle and the other man who presented the certificates from head office is J.B. McRoberts.

ANTRIM CASTLE 24
This room in Antrim Castle was called the oak room here the walls are covered from floor to ceiling with solid Irish Oak, most of it is dark oak but here and there you get a lighter shade of oak. To the left of the picture you can see one of the family paintings, next on your right is the fireplace which was the grate in one frame. Now on touching a secret spring the whole massive frame swung out to reveal a hidden recess. To the far right you can see a very large chair, this is in fact the " Speakers Chair " from the Irish House of Commons. Also in this room was the original oak door from "All Saints Parish Church" which was riddled with bullet holes from the Battle of Antrim. Sadly all that you see was destroyed including the Castle in a great fire which was started deliberate.
Date Unknown.

MICHELLE ALLEN 1781
Standing at the back door of her house and all set to go to school back in 1969 is Michelle Allen.
Her dog on the right is wondering why it can't go as well.

ANTRIM CASTLE WALLED GARDENS 3814
Taken at least a decade after the castle was burned this shows how quickly nature starts to take over.
This is the start of the walled gardens, the idea was to be able to grow lots of plants in the ground near to the walls so that not only did it give shelter to them from harsh weathers but they also benefited from the heat coming off the walls due to the sun. Beyond the gated entrance were more walled gardens and you can see the greenhouses through the gate which were built up against the wall. These too were destroyed along with the castle by Antrim Council of that time.

ANTRIM CASTLE WALLED GARDENS 3815
This is the walled gardens from the other end and you can see the closed gate in the distance while this one is open. Why oh why did Antrim council destroy these walled gardens there was no reason to do so, they only needed to corden it off then retore the walls and the land put back to planting and did the pathways. It would have been a massive attraction for visitors and bring in renevue badly needed for the town, you would also have had local people employed looking after the gardens.

ANTRIM CASTLE 3814
This is Antrim Castle in the late 1960's and as you can see all the walls are still standing 50 years years after it was burned down by an arsonist.

ABBEYVIEW 3517
That's Abbeyview in Muckamore on the left and the presence of the horse and cart tells you it was taken quite a while ago! But long after the mills have faded away, the street itself is still going strong.In fact it is remarkably well preserved. This house in the foreground was called the Gaffer house and the row and the one behind belonged to York Street Flax Spinng mill who had a factory at Muckamore. The Gaffer house was redesigned and had a Post Office put into it, the other Gaffer house at the other end is were you could get groceries ect.