Belfast D1

PICNIC 3103
There is nothing better than having a picnic on the beach with the sandwiches and a fresh mug of hot tea, for although the sun is shining it must be cold for
no one has shed any clothes. The two children seem to be enjoying the picnic for they too have their mugs of tea and bags of sandwiches.
This is some of the Dean clan and the only one's known are middle row on the left Davey Dean, in front of him David Dean and far right Mrs Dean.

DUKE STREET 4509
We are in East Belfast in the 1950's and this is Duke Street. In the foreground is a little boy who seems to drinking out of a beer bottle but I'm sure it's just juice. Standing at the milk lorry is a lady getting her milk and looking at the milk bottle it will have a waxed cardboard top to seal the milk bottle. I waas 5years old when I started helping our milkman and instead of a van it was a horse and cart and the ladies came out with their milk jugs to be filled up. I loved my time then for the milkman would let me take the reins and steer the horse.

DONEGALL QUAY 4516
I can remember these trains and this train is stopped at the Glasgow boat shed with the driver and fireman looking out. I just love the Morris Minor 1000 Traveller Estate with the wooden sections.

DONEGAL STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 4522
This photgraph was taken from Academy Street looking towards Donegall Street which was running from left to right and the building is Donegall Street Persbyterian Church.
On the left is a young boy with a parcel under his arm is in his bare feet while across the street is a young girl nicely dressed and wearing shoes. the two men behind her talking
the one on the right is wearing a stovepipe hat.
Many may not even know that what is now known as the “Cathedral Buildings” was once a grand Presbyterian Church with a once booming congregation. A gothic building
strongly resembling an old castle with prominent crenelation-esque features, After becoming legitimized as a church by the highest court of the Presbyterian churches of
reland, the Donegall Street Presbyterian Church was fully born in 1792. Reverend Bryson was fully dedicated to this new church he helped found, and was the minister there
until his death in 1796.

DONEGALL SQUARE NORTH 4520
Here we are at Donegall Square North in 1904 with two open topped horse driven trams going in opposite directions, the tram on the right going to Balmoral. The one on the left advertising Cocoa and the other Branson's Coffee and passing them a horse and cart with the backboard showing H.Hooke & Co then something I can't work out followed by Chichester Street. Behind the hoarding they are busy building City Hall.

DONEGAL STREET 4521
Here we are back in 1931 outside Robinson's Temperance Hotel which was in Donegall Street which was between Royal Avenue and Union Street. To the left of the Hotel is the Ashley Cafe and on the right we have at No 84, S. McClenahan's a Ladies Hairdresse's, Their poster in the winow "Whole Head 25 Shillings" I wonder what that means? Anyway 25 shillings back then was a lot of money, could it have been a perm? The traffic lights on the right came into operation in Belfast in the early 1920's.

DONEGALL SQUARE NORTH 4518
Here we are in Donegall Square North back in August 1918 and only three months to WW1 has come to an end. I wonder does the Officer know what will happening soon as he crossies the road with a lady dressed in white, it must be a bit windy for she is holding on to her hat. The second building on the left is the Scottish Amicable Life Assurance Society, then we have London's Paris Bakery shop and finally the large building across the road is Robinson & Cleaver's.

DONEGAL PLACE 4519
The photographer was taking this photograph back in 1907 from the City Hall showing Donegall Place, On the right is Robinson & Cleaver with their awnings all out like everyone else.and over to the left is a building selling Singer sewing machines while the tram is heading towards Castle Place.

DONEGALL QUAY 4517
It's the 1940's and we are at Donegall Quay with a driver carrying a bag of straw for the horse which he is guiding to their destation. He works for Harkness who delivered around Belfast with horse and carts, these horses didn't go in a cart they where yoked they would be traced to an other horse and cart to help it pull heavy loads over the bridges in the docks area in Belfast. Behind the horse you can see smoke rising the reason for this is a steam engine just entering the tunnel to Queens Bridge station. To the side of the driver is a telphone box and the building with the Life ring and the flag pole back then was Tedfords Chandlers a sailmaker's, it is now a restaurant. (2024)

DONEGALL SQUARE NORTH 4515
We are at Donegall Square North on the 26th July 1948, look at the traffic, the crowds of people and it's only a Monday! I bet the trollybus in the foreground is saying a few words about the girls cycling in front of him. Not that he's going anywhere like the BBC van in front due to the trollybus and tram blocking the road. On the right is the City Hall and to the left is the Ocean Buildings which later on it was known as Pearl Assurance House and in the next building later on I used to go to the Y. M. C. A.

DONEGAL PLACE 4514
On the left of the photograph where you can see the tram that is Castle Place and here we have Donegal Place in 1934 with two men on the pavement selling flowers. To the left of them is a lady in a fur coat, now has she just come from Goodsons on the corner as they were Costumierrs and Furriers. Next business is Gardiner Confectioners, then Goodson's Showrooms and upstairs we have Dunseith & Flack they were Tailors also Canada Life Assurance Co. and Mr R. A. Bothwell was the manager. Next shop on the ground floor is Dinsmore selling all kinds of goods and also a Cafe, in later years the place became the Ulster Milk Bar and their wonderful Cunsel cakes.

DONEGAL PLACE 4513
This is Donegal Place back in 1902 and in the foreground is a very impotant man the road sweeper and as you can see he's hard at it while a young boy watches on. It's a never endiing job for in the background in this photograph there are five horses., The tram is open topped with a Coffee Essence advert on the side while the driver of the tram is standing out in the open.

DONEGAL PASS 4512
It's 1902 and here we are in the playground of McQuiston National School which was at Donegal Pass and the boys are playing "Churchie". If you look at the 2nd boy from the right sitting on the boy's back is in his bare feet. In my day it was only the boys bent over and you used to take turns torun as fast as you could to the line of boys, then try and leapfrog as far as you could over the boys and the one who jumped the furthest was the winner.

DONEGAL STREET 4523
This is Donegall Street back in 1914 with the First World Was still raging on, in the centre is a tram advertising Coca heading down into the town while coming is another tram coming up and passing St.Patrick’s. The houses were built in 1726 oldest houses in Belfast, maybe 3 of them were demolished to make way for the road but the rest of them have now listed status. Stopped at the houses is a milkcart and horse with milk churns, perhaps delivering milk. The horse is loooking over at the lady sitting on the step with a child in her arms while behind her is a soldier wearing long leather boots so he must be in a horse regiment. On down is John Carvill's shop is a Roman Catholic repository. In the centre of the road is a policeman directing the traffic, on across the road is a boy walking up the road carrying hoop and in front is a little girl who seems to be lokking for someone. Behind her is a little boy could be her brother while In front of them is a soldier just getting on his bike and he is a Lance Corporal.

DIVIS STREET 4510
It's the Belfast dockers and Carters strike of 1907 and at M. Duggan's shop is a policeman. Now is he looking in the shop window or is he talking to the young girl and small boy in his bare feet. Now he's not the only one in their bare feet in front of him there are 4 boys and a little girl with all of them well dressed. Now I do know that parents could only afford one pair of boots and so they were only used for going to School or Church, this was to make the boots last longer.

DOCKERS STRIKE 4511
A street somewhere in Belfast back in 1907 during the dockers and Carters strike. These children all barefoot except for one are marching down the street pretending to be strickers. The leader has a big stick while behind him the lads are playing makeshift drums made of wooden boxes.