Pork and Football

George V was on the throne and the Great War was still raging when this photograph was taken. Was the Commercial League a precursor of Londonderry's current amateur league? Perhaps so.

For most of the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century Londonderry's pork trade was the main provider of male jobs in the City, certainly on a consistent basis. The majority of the pork stores were concentrated along Foyle Street. At the tine this photograph was taken the largest of these were Buchanan Bros, Mark Roulston & McLaughlin and Biggers Ltd. The individual second from the left on the back row, (W Carruthers), hailed from Culmore and was an employee of Biggers Ltd.

A Victorian Childhood.

When I look at this photograph I always think that there is a huge age difference between the subjects. Is it an old father or a young grandfather with their son or grandson? Tis neither. The occasion of the photograph was the tenth birthday of the young schoolboy and his fellow subject is his elder brother (by sixteen years), William. I suspect that today's twenty six year olds would be slightly concerned if they looked as aged! It is almost one hundred and thirty years since this photograph was taken in the garden of, "Church View,"  Ballyshannon. The certainty of nineteenth century values has withered away. Brexit was not an issue for my ten year old grandfather.

Victory in Defeat

Yesterday for the first time ever I was lapped in a track race. This was I suppose an inevitable consequence of age and the shortness of the indoor athletics track. I am searching for some comfort in the fact that it was a 1500m race rather than an 800m and that my nemesis was forty years my junior but it still rankles no matter the logic.

Running in a combined seniors and masters race is always going to be a matter of mindless hope over physical reality. The winning time was 4.01. My time a more pedestrian 4.49 but if you factor in the degenerative quotients of age I beat the young upstart by eleven seconds. Now who is smug? But I would still swap the seasoned bones for the vitality of youth. I will not go gently into that good night!

Garvagh's Weed Patch

On 7th April 2009 the Coleraine Times reported the official opening of the Community Courtyard Garden in Garvagh. As one would expect at such events the funders were much lauded. They were named as Ulster Wildlife Fund and The Bjg Lottery. The work appears to have been carried out by Breathing Spaces and the Conservation Volunters NI. I haven't managed to find a photograph of how the garden looked nine years ago but today it might be more accurate to describe it as a weed patch rather than a garden. One is tempted to question the expenditure. What was the point? Does the world of grants provide sustainable facilities? The very fact that grants are needed might give an answer.

Autumnal Colour

At this time of year the fruit and veg patch is definitely beginning to look a bit sorry for itself. The broad beans, runner beans, peas and courgettes have finished their cropping and have been removed. The tops of the main crop potatoes are dieing back and the Autumn raspberries have been picked and their foliage is turning yellow and beginning to fall. Amidst the greens and yellows the vibrant autumnal purple red hues of the blueberry bushes push themselves to the forefront of ones cognisance. Outdoor gardening is drawing to a close.

Runner Bean Ali.

I wasn't intending to take out the runner beans for a few weeks yet but storm Ali brought my plans forward. As in previous years I grew this year's vines up a nine foot high wigwam constructed of ash poles. Rather shortsightedly I had placed this growing frame within four feet of the greenhouse. When I was tramping around the garden at eight o'clock this morning it was very evident that the leafy vines were presenting ,"Ali," with a punchbag that was not going to be able to resist the storm's gusty punches for very long. Rather than have several panes of glass needing replaced I decided to crop the beans and dismantle their scaffold. Most of the pods were quite young and tender but I did discover several very mature pods which had escaped my earlier croping. These have yielded me with enough seed beans for next year's planting. I must remember to locate the wigwam further from the greenhouse!

Before the Fridge

Before fridges established themselves as an essential feature of the kitchen keeping food fresh, particularly in the summer months, was a definite problem. In the early 1960's and yes I do remember those years, very few families had the luxury of a fridge.

My maternal grandparents had a food safe in a shaded area of their garden. It was constructed of wood and fine wire mesh. The mesh was of a sufficiently small gauge that flies and wasps were excluded. The woodwork was painted a muted green colour. This was where the meat, milk and butter was kept.

Clearly it wasn't as efficient as a modern fridge but it was cooler than their kitchen. My paternal grandparents didn't have a food safe but they did have the advantage of a cellar. That was probably a better and more proficient home for their comestibles. There is no doubt that peoples' standard of living has improved dramatically. Unfortunately most people take this for granted or worse as their entitlement.