CHATTER

Ann Allan. Imagine!Belfast and Opengovni

Posted on 23/03/201609/08/2021 by Chatter

Imagine ! The Belfast festival of ideas and politics came to an end last weekend. From all accounts a very successful week. Opengovni had two events, both of which were well attended. Both were interesting and entertaining and both introduced new ways of looking at the problem of governments withholding both information and data.
The first venue was the magnificent City Hall and it was nice to be back. I hadn’t been there since acting as an observer at the count for the council elections back in 2014. But that’s another story.
After welcomes from our host Quintin Oliver, from Stratagem and from Alderman Jim Rogers, we were given a background to OGN by Colm Burns. ( OGN Chair). Alderman Rogers recognised that, with RPA ( review of public administration), this is an opportune moment to embrace open government for the benefit of citizens. Good to hear this from a politician.
It was then time for the keynote speaker, Dr.Michael Harris, founder of Guerilla Policy and who also runs the website Guerilla Wire.

http://guerillawire.org/
The key points of his talk:
He spoke about the disenchantment of voters and how that could explain why controversial characters like Donald Trump are doing so well in the run up to the American elections.
He talked about how we need a new approach to developing policy. We should, he suggested, be developing a way for public service practitioners and service users to conduct research and policy analysis. These groups are at the frontline and as a result have practical expertise and experience.
Dr. Harris then explained the growth of Podemos ( We Can) now the second largest political party in Spain. Interesting to see the rapid growth of what started off as a small pressure group reacting to inequality and corruption within government. Too early to say how the rise of austerity parties throughout Europe will pan out. ( my opinion)
Dr Harris ‘s talk was followed by lightning talks focusing on the theme of : Making Open Government Open to Citizens.
Dean Blackwood, Director, Faugan River Anglers was first. Dean spoke about the difficulty of obtaining information from government departments, Why? What is being covered up?
Katherine Torney from The Detail emphasised that if Open Data is really open it allows for evidence based policy and decision making.
Glenn Jordan, Director of the Law Socity spoke about corruption. ” The effects of corruption are personal so they are devastating. Corruption leaves children without mothers, families without healthcare, people without food, the elderly without security and businesses without capital.
Daniel Holder Deputy Director of CAJ outlined the excuses for the refusal to use bilingual road signs. Road safety being one! Perhaps not really the reason.
Finally Lorraine Boyd from NEET ( In Need of Education Employment or Training). Lorraine outlined the problems facing troubled young people who need to access, maintain and progress to employment.

We then divided into workshops and discussed among other topics, open data, access to information, civic participation, public accountability, and anti corruption.

During feedback from the different groups and in a robust panel discussion with the audience it was clear that there is a lot needs to be done to further our aims but the audience was enthusiastic and we were all singing from the same hymn sheet.

Concluding remarks from our host included the invitation to some horizontal networking over lunch. Me? I stayed vertical.

Thanks to https://imaginebelfast.com and

http://www.buildingchangetrust.org/

For further information re open government go to:

http://www.opengovernment.org.uk/about/ni-ogn/

Ann Allan: NI 21

Posted on 03/03/201618/05/2016 by Chatter

I first became aware of Basil McCrea when in February 2013 he left the UUP after a disagreement over the fielding of a unionist unity candidate in mid ulster. I had listened to Basil and his then friend John McCallister on television debates and I liked what I heard. They both appeared to be in favour of a Northern Ireland where it was possible to aspire to having an Irish or British identity. That appealed to me as I feel proud of both my identities, the one that is native Irish and the one from Somerset that can be traced back to Sir Walter Raleigh. I hoped that they would set up a new party so when they launched NI21 on the 6 June 2013 I thought, even at this late stage in my life this is a party with which I can identify. I did not see myself getting actively involved but was persuaded to go to a meet and greet in the Europa hotel.
I had no preconceptions but had a few points I thought worth bringing up. There were others there, some of whom were already committed to the party. Basil went round each one asking for their views. I remember saying that they were losing momentum from the date of the launch, that it seemed a bit like the Basil party and I wanted to know how they were different from the Alliance. I think Basil thought I was cheeky but he was charming and if that annoyed him he said nothing. I think that might be when he daubed me as feisty.
I came away convinced that this was a party that was going somewhere. I read all the adverse comments by commentators and wondered why they would want to slate a party who genuinely wanted to make a difference. Basil was passionate about the new party. I had no way of assessing Mr McCallister’s commitment as I never really met him. He was at a meeting I attended but had to rush away after a few minutes. The conference came and went. It was very successful. Both Basil and John made rousing speeches which were well received and got standing ovations.
We were promised that day in November that things would swing into action and this would be up to David Rose. I heard later that due to other commitments he wasn’t able to fulfil that role.
I think it was around that time that our local commentators started trying to demean the party. We had the beauty pageant incident, possibly an error of judgement on Basil’s part, but the detractors licked their lips and scented blood.
John McCallister started to be as illusive a sight as a Duper in the Vatican and it appeared that the administration was under pressure. Egos got a battering. One trying to outdo the other as to their importance in the party. Personnel came and went. Things were beginning to fall apart. Candidates should have been announced much more in advance but for various reasons we were still in the dark until just six weeks before the election. I got a phone call two days before the election from a candidate telling me that we were redesignating. I have to be honest and say that we both thought this was a risky strategy. I was present three weeks before the election when Basil Mc Crea was told that John McCallister was intending to leave the party. He was not happy with Basil being leader. He wasn’t happy with the executive although they were voted in by the membership on the day of the conference. He was no longer supportive of the party and that was obvious from the fact that he didn’t actually know all the candidates. Perhaps he was annoyed that he not been chosen as the MEP candidate?
Basil was distraught . He had worked incredibly hard and found it difficult to manage all that he was expected to do. The fact that he no longer had John’s support was a major problem. He knew what would happen if the press got wind of the dissention in the party. This could jeopardise the election and all the hard work put in by the candidates. I advised him to speak to John and ask that for the sake of the 47 candidates he put this challenge off until after the election. I understand a meeting, which was quite heated, took place but I understood a truce was arranged until after the election.
They were barely speaking and had I also been told that there had been a rumour of inappropriate behaviour. These allegations had still not been made known to Basil Mc Crea (apart from the Ashleigh Murray allegation ) two weeks after John McCallister had passed the names on to Carecall. I understand someone was threatening to go the press with these allegations. What has also been overlooked is the fact that at least one of those who saw Carecall had not progressed any allegations. This was due to the fact that they had been mislead over the purpose of the Carecall enquiry. Carecall is not an investigative organisation, more a counselling organisation designed to solve problems between employers and employees. I don’t know why John chose the time to release details of the enquiry to the News Letter two days before the election. Was it in a fit of pique over the designation? No one was in any danger if he had waited a few days.
I have met Basil McCrea on many occasions since the election. His physical and mental health have been a cause for concern and I feel for his family. To date no one has made any allegations to the PSNI. He was under pressure to get things done and didn’t always cope well and I know he would admit that there was a lot of pressure on him. He had no experience of setting up a party and made many mistakes. However I feel he has suffered enough. His future is uncertain, his reputation has been tarnished and so called friends have deserted him. He is a man who has been let down by his friend. Those who continue to make snide remarks, hint at goings on that they didnt’t know the truth about, read the report and see what was going on to bring NI21 down
Hopefully the release of the report clearing Basil of any wrongdoing will allow him to move on and also reinvigorate NI21.

Ann Allan: Memories No 19: 1971. Good Times, Bad Times

Posted on 18/02/201609/08/2021 by Chatter

As we settled down to married life in 1971 the troubles intensified. Punishment beatings were becoming a common occurrence and there were nightly riots. However, we steered clear of any trouble spots and life went on fairly normally for us. We did however lie in bed at night and hear shots being fired and the bang of the petrol bombs as they hit their target. Over the year the number of killings increased. These included civilians, soldiers and policemen.

It was a relief to escape to the country at the weekend. Here we could go for long walks, go out for a drink and relax before returning to Belfast on a Sunday evening. It was also cheaper as we didn’t have to buy any food. No flies on us!!

On Saturday afternoons, if we were in the country, we made a point of visiting my great Auntie Peggy. Peggy was a real character. She came from a large family and had 4 sisters and 5 brothers. The sisters all arrived one after the other and then the five brothers. All of the brothers emigrated to America to look for work and in the late twenties Peggy joined them. She was having marriage problems and needed a break. She loved America and all things American and loved being with her younger brothers. When the crash came and the depression set in she packed her bags and returned to Northern Ireland. She made up with Tommy and they ran a pub in a small Co.Armagh village. I often visited it when I was young. Peggy still thought of herself as being American and constantly referred to her handbag as her pocket book. She loved to tell us that was what American ladies called their handbag. The ‘powder room ‘ was another of her favourites. Peggy and Tommy had a little sports car which they named ‘sparky plug.’ I wish I could have seen the two of them out and about in it. The pub smelled of beer and smoke. The smoke came from an open range which belted out fumes. It was in the kitchen behind the pub. We weren’t allowed into the pub and had to sit and inhale the fumes while having a lemonade. I think we would have been better of in the bar with the cigarette smoke from the Gallagher’s Blues. Peggy smoked, something she told me she learned from her brothers at a very young age, and she also liked a whiskey. When visiting Rostrevor when we were children one of us would take her up to the village and on the way past the pub she would pop into the snug and have her wee tot of whiskey. We were sworn to secrecy but it was an open secret. She always dressed in black and she wore a black berry tilted at a cheeky angle. She loved her red lipstick but never managed to get it right. This made it all the more endearing. These were the days long after Tommy had died and the pub had been sold. At 90 she fell and broke her hip and sadly died of pneumonia, but she enjoyed her whiskey and her cigarettes right up to the end. A character if ever there was one and when I think of it, what a brave lady to travel to Philadelphia and to a completely different world in 1927. As you can see from the photo she was very attractive in her youth.

Living in Belfast was becoming very unpleasant. The number of pop groups visiting Belfast dried up and nightlife was being affected. Fewer people were venturing out a night and it was impossible to drive freely round the city. I was working in Rathgael House Bangor in 1971 and the hubby was in Stoney Road. On the morning of 9 August 1971 we were wakened to the news that internment without trial had been introduced. As I stood on the Ormeau Road, waiting for my lift to Bangor, I could hear in the distance gun shots and the stench of smoke hung over the city as a bus or busses were hijacked at Smithfield bus station and set on fire. The guys who I got a lift with were from West Belfast and they spoke about friends being lifted from their houses in the early hours of the morning. The arrests were made only in catholic areas. Part of me had thought on hearing the news that maybe things would quieten down but I was assured that this was going to be a recruitment godsend for the IRA and things could only get worse. Over the next four days of horrendous violence about 24 people were killed. Looking back on that day I think I must have been quite brave to travel across the city on internment day. There were many days like that.
Meanwhile, on a personal level, I had talked the hubby into buying a house. We were spending the princely sum of £22 a month on renting an unfurnished flat in Wolseley street. I was ambitious and wanted to move on to the property ladder. As the Ministry of Education had moved to Bangor we decided on a halfway house at Comber. In those days it took 6 weeks to get a mortgage so we had to wait and there was great excitement when our application was accepted. Our deposit was £70 on a semi detached chalet bungalow without heating, price £ 3200. We only learned many years after that Gordon’s great- grandfather had come from Killinchy and had lived in Comber. Bit of a coincidence.
It so happened that there was a regulation in the Civil Service that if an employee moved from an unfurnished residence to a new residence in order to be nearer to a workplace that had relocated, they were entitled to removal expenses. Bingo. Our luck was in and we were able to claim for carpets and curtains and solicitors fees. We couldn’t believe our luck. Hubby’s reluctance to buy turned to a high-five for having had the guts to go for it.

We moved in round September and started painting. I’ll never forget the mint green colour of the living room. Not having a clue about DIY we thought it a good idea to dilute the emulsion. We had very little money for decorating. We thought it would go further. However It ran down our arms as we painted and we spent about a week coating and recoating the walls to cover the plaster.

'Until you remember where you put the ladder, be quiet!' — ‘Until you remember where you put the ladder, be quiet!’

This was to be our home for the next six years. We used to take turns in the evening when we got anything new to walk past the front of the house to see how it looked from outside. What were we like? The day we got our central heating installed only paled in significance to the thrill of getting our first twin tub washing machine. Compare that to today’s newly weds where unless there is a sound system, wall mounted TV and underfloor heating they feel hard done by. Our first coloured TV was rented from Radio Rentals in Dundonald. No remotes in those days. I think the channel ( all 3 of them) were changed by a lead that plugged into the TV. Anyhow it proved a great attraction for the mother- in -law and her friend who travelled all the way from Warrenpoint to see Princess Anne’s first wedding to Mark Philips.

The one downside to our little house, which was unusually numbered 13, was that we were next to open farmland and on many occasions we woke to cows in our back garden.They kept breaking through the hedge and were prone to walking through our vegetable garden where we grew most of our own veggies. We also acquired a dog that we called Cotton. Cotton used to chase the cows and roll in cow and badger poo. The farmer was not amused. He also chased cars and sadly ended up being hit by one of the cars.

The 15 February 1971 was Decimalisation day. Civil Servants had all been sent on a training courses to teach them how to work in the decimal currency. Members of the public weren’t so lucky and it took a while for the new currency to be accepted. Personally I think many manufacturers used it as an excuse to put the price of things up before an unsuspecting public got to grips with decimalisation.

As 1971 came to a close, a bomb exploded in McGurks bar, killing 15 people. This was one of the worst atrocities in the city during the troubles. The UVF carried out the bombing. This pub was mainly used by Catholics. There was now fear through the community and many gave pubs a miss. We were heading into 1972 which turned out to be the worst year for fatalities during the troubles.

Ann Allan: OpengovNI

Posted on 06/02/201603/05/2016 by Chatter

It’s always hard to turn up at an event where you are the newbie and the others are chatting away with each other. But this time I wasn’t the newbie, I was an ‘ old hand’ and the event was the first meeting of the new steering committee of the Open Government Network N.I. Everyone there had been elected to serve over the next two years to progress the good work of the previous steering committee. Due to other commitments, some of the previous group had not stood for re-election, so here we were, the old faces meeting the new, enthusiastic in our aim of making our public representatives more accountable to their electorate.

I have been involved since its inception and have enjoyed meeting new people and attending the various events organised by the committee. It’s good to feel involved in something that can hopefully make a difference as to how transparent our government is and how much more transparent it could be. Even more so is the fact that not having been involved in anything but childminding for some time I feel that I am contributing something to society, no matter how small that contribution may be. I confess some of it goes ‘over my head’ but I’m learning, and I now feel more confident in speaking out, so I would urge anyone with a few hours on their hands to get involved and join our network.

Our first meeting was a “getting to know each other” session and being brought up to speed on what had been happening by Jonny Bell, our network coordinator. Jonny, who plays hockey for Ireland, will be taking some time out to train for the upcoming olympics. We wish Jonny all the best and hope he gets picked for the team. We are pleased to hear that David McBurney will cover in his absence.

In October 2015 there was a meeting with officials from the Department of Finance and Personnel. This was the second time to meet and members of the committee found the meeting to be very constructive. To read more about this and to see what else has been happening, you can visit our website :http://www.opengovernment.org.uk/about/ni-ogn/

David outlined our commitments as a network for our new committee members and I have listed them here:

Open Data: Implement NI Open Data Strategy for all public sector agenciesAccess to information: Publish performance data externally; greater coordination & collaboration re Freeddom of Information; implement ‘Open by Default’ procedures.

Anti-Corruption: Fiscal transparency, citizens’ budget, open contracting pilot.

Technology & Inovation: New tools & opportunities for citizen engagement.

Public Accountability: Publish diary information in open data format; greater lobbying transparency; forum to monitor delivery of Open Government commitment.

Citizen Engagement: Adopt open policy making principles in NI; pilot projects re participatory budgeting; open contracting; open policy making etc; make NI Direct a more effective consultation hub; create a consultation tool kit; evaluate consultation impact.

We also have a very interesting programme of events over the coming months. On Thursday 11 February, Brian Cleland of the University of Ulster, will deliver a seminar on Open Data and Transparency. Apply here if that floats your boat. If you can’t make it, I hope to ‘do a Basil ‘ and periscope the seminar:

https://t.co/kCJ4aaRxyy

This year we are pleased to have two events included in the Imagine Belfast Festival. The first event is in the City Hall on 16 March is entitled ‘Open Government for the Common Good.’ Further details can be found here:

https://imaginebelfast.com/events/open-government-for-the-common-good/
On the 18 March a mock participatory budgeting exercise called ‘ How would you spend your Council’s Money? An excerise in participatory budgeting‘ will take place at The Mac. I think there might be a few interesting suggestions for that one. Again further details here:

https://imaginebelfast.com/events/how-would-you-spend-your-councils-money/

We would love to see you at some or all of the above events, so come along and support us and help us to work towards a more open government in Northern Ireland.

Ann Allan: Bits & Bobs

Posted on 18/01/201609/08/2021 by Chatter

2015 was not a great year from a personal point of view. Three close family members diagnosed with cancer, one of whom is sadly no longer with us. It hits us all and very few families are immune from it. Because of this I was very honoured to be allowed to write a blog on behalf of Pancreatic Awareness month and as a tribute to my friend Olive who is bravely facing up to fighting the disease. Love you Olive. I was thrilled to see that the blog was seen by over 59,000 people, not all reading it, but being aware of it and perhaps following it up at a later date. This was helped by Eamon Holmes, Marian Keyes and Slugger 0’Toole sharing. Thank you.

Edwin Poot’s recent comments about Arlene Foster reminded me of an interview I did back in the late seventies. I applied to the BBC as an audience researcher. During the interview I was asked if I had a family. Replying that I had two young children I was asked who would look after them while I was working, something that would be unlawful to ask today. I somewhat cheekily replied that I didn’t think that I should be asked a question like that and challenged that I wouldn’t have been asked that if I had been a man. I resigned myself to have blown my chance of a job but was surprised and delighted to get a phone call to say I was successful. No matter what Mr. Poots says I 'I've always believed my wife should not work. She should stay at home and do the cooking, cleaning, ironing, gardening, washing, painting.' still believe there was a underlying message to Arlene Foster saying “Don’t forget you are a woman and the bible says your place is in the home.This post should have gone to a man.”

It is refreshing to see a woman in charge but for those of us who feel it’s time to come into the 21st Century and come into line with other regions of the U.K., I feel we are going to be disappointed. Legalising same sex marriage and relaxing the abortion laws are still going to be a big challenge and I think we may be clutching at straws if we think things may change with a women in charge. I hope that Arelene gives a free vote and abandons any thoughts of resorting to petitions of concern. However the DUP is influenced by a large number of fundamentalists and I dare say they will fight it tooth and nail and I’m not sure that Arlene will go against the cabal.

Elections are looming. I had hoped when I threw my weight behind NI21 that it would be fielding candidates in every constituency for the upcoming election. No point in looking back on what happened. I have no idea what, if anything, is happening but as far as I’m aware there has been no communication with members for over a year. I have no idea if Basil will be reelected but it would help if the Assembly committee’s report into the coming and goings of NI 21 was made public as soon as possible. So I will have to think carefully as to whom I’m going to vote for, but the Green Party are certainly in the running.

The world is in a sad state at the moment. Millions have been displaced. There are children literally starving to death because of wars devastating their countries. I have listened to arguments for and against bringing in refugees to mainly European countries and I honestly don’t know if that is the answer. Surely we need to put more effort to stabilzing Syria, rebuilding the infrastructure and getting accommodation sorted for those who want to return. But let’s not get it out of proportion. History shows that the world has always been in turmoil and the common factor is religion. An ideology that so many embrace has been anything but good for mankind.

On a lighter note, I have just about got used to my new teeth. My sore back eventually eased but not without a bit of a bump in the hubby’s car. I was given pain killers to relieve the pain. As someone who can fall asleep on two co-codomol I was unaware of the strength of the tablets. As I sat in the driveway listening to Talkback I obviously was in drive and not park. ( It’s an automatic). Suddenly I saw a summer seat coming towards the car. As I realised what was happening I braked and turned off the engine. Getting out I realised that the summer seat was firmly lodged under the car ( which to make matters worse was already traded in). A rather awkward phone call to the hubby phone followed.

'The funniest part of it was...'

” Er … could you come home, the summer seat is lodged in the front of the car and I can’t get it out.” ” ‼️⁉️🗣🗣🗣” I can’t repeat what the reply was. After dismantling the seat and removing the number plate the damage wasn’t too bad but it was a warning to me that you shouldn’t drive while taking medication if you are unsure how it affects you and certainly not in the hubby’s car.

I’ve been on the steering committee for OpenGovNI since its conception and have been helping to bring awareness to the organisation through my blogs. I’m happy to be going forward with the newly elected committee. Our aim is to deliver a more open, transparent and accountable government and to give citizens the power to shape decisions that impact on their live. When we look back at the various scandals in 2015 we really need more openness from our politicians. There are a good cross section of members on the new committee from many diverse backgrounds and many events are planned for 2016. The first one being :

Click to access NIOGN-Seminar-Series-James-Orr.pdf

There are many challenges for us all in 2016. On a world wide scale there is the threat from Isis, the management of the biggest migration of people in our life time but there are also many local issues, some of which are dragging on year on year. I really wish we stopped looking back on celebrating the past and moved forward with planning a better future. I hope whatever is happening with you, 2016, is a happy and healthy year for you. Thanks to those of you who have continued to read my blogs.

Ann Allan: Shattered Dreams

Posted on 05/01/201619/09/2024 by Chatter

Margaret Gibson Simpson was born in the station house at Broighter near Limavady in 1886. She was one of 12 children and her father was the Station Master. Agnes his wife was the Post Mistress. The station house was not suitable for 12 children. It was riddled with damp and one by one the children succumbed to TB until only two were left, Margaret and her sister Hilda. They were beautiful children and the apple of their daddy’s eye. William was in his late forties when the two little girls were born and having buried the other ten he cherished and protected them as best he could. Every day, the train passed by their house rattling the windows and shaking the house. When they were young they would cry and William would comfort them but as they grew older they loved to hear the train coming and would rush out to see the passengers as they disembarked. A donkey and cart would be waiting to take them to their destination.
Both girls were pretty with long fair hair. They had attended the local
school where they learned to read and to write and they attended
church every Sunday. They learned to sew and to cook and were able
to help in the home where Agnes,their mother, was now frail and needed help. When Margaret was sixteen it was decided that she would go to the ‘big house’ close by, as a servant to the local Landowner and Hilda would stay and look after the home. For many years she served below stairs but when the children came along she began to take care of them and with her household skills and her way with the children, Margaret soon became a favourite within the household and before long became a nanny to the children in the house. She was highly respected by the family and so many years later when they decided to move to England she was asked to go with them.

Breaking the news to her parents was difficult. This didn’t happen in
Limavady in 1914. The usual plan for a girl was to find herself a husband, settle down and have children. As Margaret was almost thirty and had not found a suitable husband her father thought this might be a sensible move. He was distraught at her going but he knew that this was a great opportunity for her and he had the assurance of the family that they would look after her like one of their own. Her mother and father had conflicting views. Agnes knew that she wasn’t going to live much longer and the chances of seeing her daughter again were slim but William persuaded her that it was the right thing to do. With a heavy heart she agreed.

And so, on 28 June 1914, Margaret along with her new employers
boarded the train at Broighter and headed to Belfast where a boat was waiting to take them across the Irish Sea to Liverpool. Arriving at the docks she had her first glimpse of the ship that would bring her to a new and exciting world. The Graphic was the name of the ship, built by Harland and Wolff. Little did she know that the very same ship would have an encounter with a U-boat during the First World War. It did escape, however, and Margaret travelled home on it on a number of occasions over the coming years. As they drove through the streets of Liverpool in their taxi cabin she noticed a newspaper stand which declared that Archduke Ferdinand and his wife had been assassinated. She felt uneasy but was unaware of the significance of the event. She heard her employers talking quietly and noticed that they look concerned. She realised that things were serious and she began to wonder if she had made the right decision. After an overnight stay in the newly erected Adelphi hotel they all boarded a train, which would take them to London and eventually to the leafy suburbs of Surrey and to a beautiful house called Tudor Lodge.

Her employer was the son of an hereditary peer. He had taken ill and
was not expected to live and so his son had been summoned back to
take over the running of their estate. There was mounting speculation that war was imminent and fears that her employer would have to fight for his country. It was becoming clear to Margaret that things were moving along fast and on a number of occasions she heard war mentioned. She wondered if her parents back in Ireland had also heard the news and were worrying about her.

Tudor Lodge was beautiful. For the first time she had a room with an adjoining sitting room and she spent her days looking after the children that she had grown to love. Her employer’s younger brother, Nigel, a Naval Officer, was a frequent visitor to the house. It was fair to say that from the moment she set eyes on him she was smitten. At first he acknowledged her politely and there was little conversation. However, not long after their arrival her employer’s father died and as she wandered around the house helping to make arrangements for the funeral she came across the Naval Officer in the drawing-room. She offered her sympathy and before long they were chatting. She told him about life in Ireland and he spoke about his naval career. Over the following days they frequently bumped into each other and it was obvious that he was smitten too. Margaret was worried about the fact that although she was a valued employee, she was just that, and she felt that the romance would be frowned on by her employers. She broached the subject with Nigel but he reassured her that was not the case. They started having walks around the large gardens of the estate and he told her of his fears should war break out.

On July 25 Austria – Hungary severed all diplomatic ties with Serbia and began to mobilise troops. A family gathering was organised at Tudor Lodge that evening and Margaret was surprised to be included. She knew now that she was accepted by the family and that her romance had been validated. Nigel arrived looking very handsome in his uniform. He called her to one side and handed her a present. It was a silver dressing table set on which he had her initials MGS-Margaret Gibson Simpson inscribed. Overwhelmed and somewhat surprised, she wondered how he knew her middle name. He explained that it was on her trunk which he had seen sitting in the hall on the day she arrived. Talk turned to the prospect of war. It was now 31 July and reacting to Austria attacking Serbia, Russia had begun mobilising her troops. It wasn’t looking good and the chances were that war would soon be declared on Germany as they were now in combat with Russia, France and Belgium. Margaret knew nothing of world affairs and all the talk of different countries at war was hard to understand. She hoped that they would sort it out and things would go back to how they were. A letter had arrived from home saying how worried they were and pleading with her to return home. Margaret knew however that her future lay in England and that she and Nigel had plans to marry.

It was now August and the Austrian – Hungarian empire had declared
war on Russia. There was a sense of dread hanging over Tudor Lodge.
Baronet McLintock as he had become on the death of his father was
spending more time in London and when he returned at weekends he looked worried and agitated. This was affecting the mood in the house and everyone sensed that something awful was going to happen.

A sombre looking young Naval Officer called to see Margaret on 12 August 1914. The conflict now involved Great Britain and war was declared. Nigel McLintock informed Margaret that he was joining the Grand Fleet, which was at that time based in the North Sea. It was there to combat the Germans. Margaret was devastated. She pleaded with him not to go but he assured her that the war would last only a few weeks and he would soon be home. He also said that he had written to her father to ask for his approval for their marriage. They began to make plans for a wedding on his return. As he left to return to London he gave her a beautiful silver jewellery box again inscribed with her initials. She embraced him and said goodbye.

That was the last time Margaret saw Nigel. In the early hours of 22 September 1914, the cruiser H.M Cressy was torpedoed and sunk. A total of 149 were drowned including Nigel McLintock .

Margaret Simpson never married. She remained with the McLintock
family for many years and died a spinster in 1954. She traveled the
world with the family but never met anyone to compare to her first love. She was buried in Wandsworth cemetery in London and Thompson McLintock one of her charges was a witness on her death certificate. The war had ruined her chance of having a happy life but she never regretted meeting Nigel. She was grateful for the short time they had together. The trunk now sits in the home of her great-niece in Normandy and the jewellery box and dressing table set are in the home of her great -nephew in Belfast.

Based on a true story. Dramatic licence!

Ann Allan:Christmas Past and Present.🎄

Posted on 09/12/201509/08/2021 by Chatter

Morcambe and Wise, Val Doonican, the not so politically correct Black and white Minstrel show, Noel’s presents, theses shows entertained us at Christmas for many years. There wasn’t anything else.

Christmas is a bitter-sweet time, it brings good memories and not so good memories. My father passed away a week before Christmas in 1989 ending a year which was one of the worst of my life. To hear Adeste Fideles brings a lump to my throat as I have happy memories of him singing it with great gusto every Christmas.

But I prefer to dwell on the happy memories. Today I’m having a look back at Christmases past. Over the years Christmas has changed for me as it does for a lot of people, every few years taking on a different way of celebrating depending on family circumstances and obligations.
In Rostrevor in the fifties, Christmas was a fairly sombre affair. We still had rationing, not that I remember much about it other than when we went shopping we took our ration book. Sugar and butter, which we needed for the Christmas cake, we got down South and smuggled them across the border. There was no hopping out to Marks and Sparks in those days, everything was made from scratch. We had a real tree with very antiquated decorations. Lights on the tree were bell-shaped, painted with characters from Disney. There was a lot of tinsel. Decorations were like mini accordions, made of paper that unfolded and were then slung across the ceiling from wall to wall. The tree was topped with a huge orange star which I tend to remember had an orange bulb inside to light it up.

As the younger brothers and sister arrived I took more responsibility and my role was to make the stuffing and the trifle and set the table for dinner. Carol singers came round the houses on Christmas Eve. There was a special feeling around our house at Christmas that I’ve always found hard to recapture. I think through the eyes of a child it is a magical time and that magic disappears as the reality of what life is really all about clicks in.

I was allowed to go to midnight mass at aged eleven where the choir would sing the mass in Latin and the Hallelujah chorus was glorious. On one occasion as we came out into the cold night, snow was falling and turned the village into a Christmas card. When we got home my dad would cook sausages and onion soup and then we’d put out the younger sibling’s toys. Magical!
After the turkey dinner, washed down by all colours of lemonade, everything was called lemonade in the fifties, we played games and listened to the radio. We did have a TV from around 1955 but I don’t think there were programmes on Christmas Day.
We rarely had to buy a turkey. In fact there were often up to three hanging in the pantry. Dad was a great billiards player and always won a turkey in the local competition at Christmas. My dad being a surveyor meant we got lots of presents from local businesses, including a hamper from Fortum and Mason which arrived every year for many years. My first introduction to dates was from that hamper.
My first recollection is of Christmas Eve sitting in the kitchen listening to Radio Eireann where Jimmy O’Dea presented a programme in which we were told that Santa had just set off from Dublin. Jimmy then gave estimated times of his calling with ‘good little boys and girls’ over Ireland. After trying hard to stay awake I would wake up next morning to a few presents at the bottom of the bed. The excitement! An orange, some sweets and a large net stocking full of small puzzles and tiny gifts. We were made up. Compare that to tablets, iPhones and computers. I remember being told that one Christmas I awoke to find a walking -talking doll at the bottom of my bed. Instead of being delighted I threw a tantrum and sulked all day because I really wanted a pram. I believe my dad could hardly wait to see my face when I saw the doll. It was almost as big as myself and when you held its hand it walked and talked. It was not meant to kneel which is what one of my friends tried to make it do and bang! the head, the arms and the legs flew off. She ran and left me ‘holding the doll’.
This routine continued year in year out until I got married in 1970. Then things changed. My husband Gordon’s mum and dad had no family in Northern Ireland as his sister lived abroad, so for many years after, either they came to us on Christmas Day or we went to them. It began to feel obligatory and we weren’t free to celebrate the way we would have liked. When the children came along they wanted to stay at home and play with their toys but most years and as the in-laws got older we made the trip to Warrenpoint.

On one occasion when they were visiting us and just before they arrived we popped across the road to a neighbour’s house. After a few sherries, well maybe more than a few, I went home and put the turkey in the oven. After many hours in the oven dinner was ready to serve. That’s a funny shaped turkey, I said to the hubby. Not much meat on the breast. Reminds me of that duck we had one New Year, I’ll be having a word with that butcher on Monday. I scraped enough meat to put on the plates and hoped nobody would want seconds. Later on that evening while making sandwiches I turned the turkey over and discovered I’d cooked the bird upside down!

Over the years with the arrival of children Christmases were special occasions. We skimped and saved to make sure that they got what was on their Santa list. Looking back it was pretty modest compared to the grandchildren’s list. Now I Pad pros and Mac airs are being bandied about as presents. I feel the spirit of Christmas is dead and buried. It’s now a commercial enterprise with the hype starting earlier and earlier each year. We stock up with enough food to feed a small African village and most of it gets thrown out. Do we really need 6 different vegetables and three desserts and carrot salad? Many put themselves into debt so that their children don’t feel left out when they hear other kids boast about their presents. Being grandparents we are amazed at the money spent on presents but we are as guilty of indulging the ‘little darlings ‘as everyone else.

I make a point, however, in not sending cards, not wrapping presents and buying a couple of goats for a needy family.in Africa. These by the way can be bought from Oxfam or Trocaire. So I just pull all the pressies out of a black plastic bag. Everyone sees what everyone else has got. Most satisfying. Nothing to clear up.

However you spend Christmas I hope it’s a good one. Hopefully 2019 will be a calmer year politically. Maybe our politicians will come together and form a functioning assembly. Maybe Brexit won’t happen. Maybe Trump will be indicted. We can only hope.

Thank you for your support on my YouTube channel and on my Chatter account. Happy Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ann Allan: Waste Not Want Not.

Posted on 23/11/201509/12/2017 by Chatter

Coming up to Xmas, think before you buy.

Fad: An intense widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short lived.

Are you like me and tend to buy the latest fads? On looking back I can’t believe how guilty I, sorry we, have been of jumping in and buying something because it seemed like a good idea at the time. So I’ve had a look back at the things that we have bought that have turned out to be a tremendous waste of money.

First of all the 3D TV springs to mind. Remember a few years ago as you entered those electrical shops like Currys and at one time Harvey Normans, you were invited to sit on a sofa in front of a large TV screen and watch the latest innovation TV. We ducked and screamed when it looked as if something was going to come out of the screen and hit us. It was so exciting, so new and such a waste of money. “We have got to have one of those” said the hubby, after watching the 3D golf. “the grandchildren will love it.” “Hmm,” I thought, ” didn’t know the grandchildren were into golf” The oldest was nine at the time. Anyhow we bought the TV and extra glasses so nobody would miss out. Not sure we had thought about enquiring as to how many programmes were available on the 3D channel at the time because ( a) the same programme played over and over again, (b) one of the grandkids felt sick after watching it and ( c) to be honest we felt extremely daft sitting in our front room wearing the 3D glasses. So big disappointment all round. Some of the glasses are still in their original boxes. They could become a collecters item in 50 years!

'I can watch T.V. shows on the computer, so who needs a TV?' — ‘I can watch T.V. shows on the computer, so who needs a TV?’

The next waste of time was a Smart TV. It could do everything bar making a cup of tea. All the apps were on it, Netflix , Twitter Facebook and the Internet. Turned out the control box was a nightmare and the time it took trying to type in anything meant it was quicker to do it on the iPhone or the iPad. So we now use the TV…… yes you’ve guessed it, as a TV.

Which takes me to the iPad. I really should have shares in Apple for the number of devices we have purchased from said company. What I should have realised is that I can do practically every thing I want on my iPhone. Well, that and a Mac Air. Grandkids have all had tablets but they invariably spend most of their time on their iPhones too. I suspect that they will soon become obsolete and we will do everything on our phones.
Remember when juicing was the in thing? Yep, we bought a juicer. The amount of fruit it took to get a half glass of liquid would have cleared Tescos shelves. Buying the juice proved easier and cheaper. So it gathered dust in the cupboard beside the George Forman grill. That seemed like a good idea too. But cleaning burnt oil was rather messy and it was a lot easier to clean a frying pan. There was also a lot of smoke produced during the cooking process. Yes, I know it was healthier! That fitted nicely beside the cafetière. All those coffee grounds! A Dolce Gusto machine with neat little pods put paid to the wafting smell of fresh coffee and the coffee grounds. What’s that behind the cafetière? Oh yes it’s the chipper. My mum had one and the chips were lovely. Had to have fresh chips. Much tastier than frozen or bought. Tried that a couple of times. Had to cook them in the oven as I had got rid of the deep fat fryer. Thought it was unhealthy. So we ended up with pale looking, not very crisp chips. Back to Aunt Bessie’s. I justified this by thinking that my mum probably had no other choice back in the fifties and would probably have been happy to buy ready made chips. The device for poaching eggs never actually saw the light of day as I forgot about it after I bought it. Lakeland has a lot to answer for. Lakeland is the kitchen goddesses’ ultimate orgasmic experience. Here you can buy such useful items as a ‘wavy trivit’ and a’rabbit cookie cutter’ along with other unheard of kitchenalia. I usually come out with the Kendal Mint Cake which will not last long enough to gather dust at the back of the cupboard.
We’ve also had one of those devices where you could watch Sky in another room. However this meant if I changed the station in the bedroom it also changed the main one. Angry shouts from downstairs. Apple TV seemed a good idea at the time too, no idea what happened to that. It may be stored with the device for measuring the distance from one hole to another on the golf course, the cover for the iPhone that acts as a charger i.e. until we got a new phone that no longer fits, and oh yes, what about the photo frame that used a photo card to display a constant stream of photos? Who prints photos anymore? Must throw out all the photographic paper lying in the drawer.

Then there’s the karaoke machine that hasn’t been used for over two years. Pity that, cause I love Karaoke and have never needed encouragement to sing. Note to self, I’ve got to organise a Karaoke party.

I’m sure like me you also have a drawer full of leads and chargers without a clue what they belong to. But the hubby says not to throw them out as you never know when you might need one. Aye right!
We are a nation of money wasters. Many of us buy on a whim or are influenced by advertising. I think the test before you buy is to consider how you are managing at present without said item and if you are managing ok then you probably don’t need it.

Ann Allan: ‘There seemed to be a Purple glow over the city’

Posted on 04/11/201503/05/2016 by Chatter

As a blogger I’m always on the look out for a subject for my next blog. In my case it is usually something witty ( hopefully) and the word ‘me’ or ‘I’ comes up quite a lot. As I lay in bed last night unable to sleep I was thinking about what I was going to write about for my next blog. It was going to involve what I’ve been doing over the last few days and it was probably going to feature me.

And then I thought about where I had been on Monday and I abandoned any idea of being witty and self-deprecating and decided to concentrate on the hours of Monday afternoon. I have to be honest and say I wasn’t looking forward to the event I was going to but I was going with my friend Olive and so that didn’t matter. She is great company and we can talk for hours. Olive collected me at 3p.m. and we headed for Stormont. A car parking space had been pre booked so we didn’t have to drive around looking for a space.
After the formalities of getting though security we headed for the long hall. I admired Olive’s purple nails. They looked gorgeous. We took the lift to the first floor where we were joined by Olive’s partner.

We had arrived at the launch of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month # PCAM . We were early and took our seats. Basil McCrea came and said hello and Joanne Dobson who sponsored the event arrived shortly after. The team from the UK led by David Parke also arrived and after introducing themselves proceeded to set things up.

After an introduction by Joanne Dobson, Victoria Poole spoke about how she had recently lost her grandmother due to late diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. She explained that she now worked in PR and was using her skills to raise awareness of the condition and how the symptoms don’t always present themselves until it’s too late. Victoria has become a spokesperson for Pancreatic Cancer Uk in NI. She thanked the large number of MLAs who turned out for the event.To give them their due, there were a large number present.
Next to speak was Gráinne O’Neill. Gráinne recently lost her mother, again due to pancreatic cancer. She talked poignantly about how herself and her siblings were dealing with the loss. Again she highlighted late and misdiagnosis were a contributing factor to her mother’s death.
And then it was Olive’s turn. Olive told a hushed audience how she had been recently diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. She had noticed no obvious symptoms and it was only when she went to her doctor when she noticed her skin becoming yellow that alarm bells began to ring. She listed the symptoms to look out for which are:

stomach pain,

weight loss,

yellow skin or eyes or itchy skin,

oily, floating faeces.

The Northern Ireland Public Health Agency’s ‘Be Cancer Aware’ campaign publicise these danger signals. It is understood that PCUK are campaigning for the symptoms of pancreatic cancer to be included in their ‘Be Cancer Aware’ campaign.

Olive addressed those MLAs who are on the health committee and in a position to influence policy about the use of drugs provided in NI. The availability of these drugs, she said could mean adding months to her life expectancy. My admiration for Olive is immense. The strength it took to stand up and tell us her story was inspirational and I was so proud to be there. You can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=HQd2AA-znTs&u=/watch%3Fv%3DxpB0MZJqBNg%26feature%3Dem-upload_owner

Thanks to all the team from the UK who braved the weather to come to Belfast. After a very successful launch we headed out to the cool night air and as we gazed down over the city there seemed to be a purple glow dotted with the orange street lights.

If you would like more information or you would like some advice you can contact:

http://www.pancreaticcancer.org

Pancreatic Cancer UK Support Line: freephone 0808 801 0707

* Since writing this piece it has been announced that as of today, the 4th November, the life extending drug Abraxane is no longer available in England, ( through the Cancer Drugs Fund ), to newly eligible patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Ann Allan: A Tale About a Dog.

Posted on 02/11/201509/08/2021 by Chatter

It was Halloween and I was dog sitting and looking after the eight year old grandson. Not the best weekend for dog sitting I soon realised. When Poppy (that’s the dog) was dropped off she ran in circle like something possessed for at least 5 minutes taking in a tour of downstairs at the same time. She’s a black cockatoo,sorry cockapoo, 😂 and as her coat is long at the moment she appears to have no eyes and therefore looks like a shaggy rug. I wasn’t prepared for what happened when her ‘mummy and daddy ‘ left. She howled and cried like a baby. She ran to the window and perched up on my new armchair which didn’t go down well. She was looking to see where they’d gone. She then decided that my knee was the place for her and dog sitting literally became the dog sitting on me. As the shivering and shaken stopped I breathed a sigh of relief. Daughter was texting to see if she had settled. Just like she used to do for the weans.
Took her out to the back garden for a wee run around. ( I was terrified she’d leave any little parcels in the house) and some idiot, sorry the hubby had left the side gate open. Poppy made a break for freedom. We all three charged frantically after her as she headed on to the main road. Luckily her attempt was thwarted and we caught her in time. Cue hubby cursing and swearing.
Back indoors Poppy followed me everywhere I went. Tripped over her a couple of times and patience was wearing thin. Fed her, hubby took her for a walk and we settled down to watch Strictly. Well when I say ‘watch Strictly’ strictly speaking since I started tweeting I rarely watch anything properly. I glance up every so often and annoy G by asking what’s happening. This time it was difficult to do both cause Poppy again insisted sitting upright on my knee. I was now her best friend.
I hadn’t envisaged what it would be like to have a dog at Halloween. First there were a few bangs then more bangs. The poor thing started to shiver and shake while uttering a sound of pure terror. I hugged her and stroked her and once more she settled down. That was until the door bell rang and the trick or treaters arrived. Poppy went berserk, barking and growling. This happened on more than 5 occasions and I was seriously considering opening the door to the trick or treaters and telling them to f.. er, go away. Then the fireworks went off in town. The whole house seemed to shake and Poppy was traumatised. I began to panic. Can dogs have heart attacks? This one was surely heading for one. A lot more hugging and stroking and she again settled down.
Bedtime and I made her a bed on a chair in the bedroom. She settled down and exhausted I drifted off to sleep and forgot all about Poppy. I felt something nuzzling up to me during the night and thought G was dreaming. But as this was an unusual occurrence I reached out to return the sentiment. When the panting started and I felt something really hairy I jumped out of the bed in a panic. It wasn’t the hubby ( I might have known ) Yes, Poppy had been sleeping in the bed between the two of us. Pushing her off made no difference so all three of us settled down to sleep. At about 8 o’clock the grandson decided to go on the Mac in the study and I swear the whole street was wakened with the volume. At least the dog had vacated the bed.
Daughter and son-in-law collected both at about 12 and I sank down on the sofa to catch up on some sleep. What have I learnt from this? I wouldn’t like to be a dog at Halloween.