‘Quay Street’ sign queried

THERE used to be a Newcastle-based general knowledge question which involved naming the town’s five streets. Everyone would quickly identify Main Street, Railway Street, Donard Street and King Street, but the one they’d invariably miss out on was ‘Church Street,’ which appears on some old postcards and ran for a short stretch to St John’s Church from Central Promenade.

This sign for “Quay Street” at the Harbour shows there is clearly another contender when giving an answer to that general knowledge question. I know it’s been there for some months, but passing it the other day prompted a number of questions to spring to mind.

Firstly, how official is the sign and what are its origins? I ask that because it doesn’t carry the same ‘Down District Council’ reference that features on many of the new road signs being erected around the town.

Secondly, does anyone actually claim to reside in Quay Street and does it have its own postcode.

As local initiatives go (presuming that is what it is), the sign is a very good idea and helps to preserve the unique identity of the Harbour area.

Celebrities have been thin on the ground

THE Mail on Sunday published a list of Britain’s Top 100 celebrities at the weekend and my colleagues and I scoured through it for any sign of famous names that have visited this part of the world.

Northern Ireland people were included in the list (i.e. television presenter Christine Bleakley), but those from the Republic were excluded (i.e. Bono and Colin Farrell).

The only one from the entire 100 to have ever visited Newcastle – and for that visit to have been widely known – was TV presenter Philip Schofield. That was more than 20 years ago when he hosted the Radio One roadshow and stayed overnight at the Slieve Donard Hotel.

Council urged to empty bins

A LOCAL reader is calling on Down District Council to hire someone to empty the dog waste bins in the Islands Park, Newcastle, because all too often they are left in this state.

“I took this picture on Wednesday at the first footbridge while out walking my dog,” stated the reader. “Come on Down District Council, if responsible dog owners can clean up after their pets, you could at least empty the bins.”

(The bin was subsequently emptied - MAT)

Support for Gerry

DEAR Man About Town – I have read some of the many letters that have been submitted to your paper’s columns in recent years by Drumaness man Gerry Rice.

Since the ‘smokey house’ events he complains about happened more than 30 years ago, before I was even out of primary school, I must confess I have only a limited understanding of the complex issues he raises.

However, the bottom line does seem to be a warning to the public that Down District Council is not to be trusted. As a ratepayer who was nearly taken in by the recent patter trotted out by the Council, when it imposed an inflation-busting 6.78% district rate increase (but dressed up as a figure half that amount), I can see precisely what he is getting at.

Down District needs more people like Gerry Rice to keep us on our toes about such shoddy practices.

The continuing silence from our elected representatives (you can edit this line out if I am wrong) speaks volumes.

CASTLEWELLAN READER

IT took quite a lot of effort, I should imagine, to set up this picture, which contributor Tracy Hamilton entitles “Anyone for a Creme Egg?”

Demise of the car parking charges

IT would be remiss of the column to allow the scrapped car parking charges ‘initiative’ to slip away without comment.

At the end of the day, and according to reports on their concluding deliberations, it seems as if few if any Councillors ever really supported them for Newcastle and Castlewellan. That prompts two questions: whose idea was it in the first place and how come there was such a loud initial clamour for the charges?

To the innocent observer it certainly seemed to be a Councillor-driven initiative rather than some kite being flown by a paid employee of the local authority. Then all of sudden, when the public very clearly voiced their opposition to the plan, everyone backed away.

Could this be the beginning of an exciting new stage in the Council’s life, when they actually start listening to the people who put them there?

Apparently the Council will now explore better ways of managing car parking in Newcastle and Castlewellan. Maybe they could begin with a survey of how many valuable parking spaces are used up each day by employers and staff from town centre businesses, who could, perhaps, be coaxed to use the outlying car parks.

Mayobridge hopeful on new TG4 programme

PICTURED is 21-year-old Stephen Rooney, from Mayobridge, who appeared in last Wednesday night’s Lorg Lunny on the Irish TG4 channel.

Lorg Lunny is a new Irish Language Broadcast Fund series from Stirling Productions, where Dónal Lunny, a key player from the Bothy Band, Planxty and Moving Hearts, searches for young musicians to create a new band with a fresh new sound in traditional music.

Stephen took part in rehearsals at Newforge House, Magheralin, with Dónal and other band hopefuls.