Filed under: Belfast, Corporate Greed, Economy, Entertainment, Hidden Belfast, History, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Nostalgia, Thoughts, Titanic, UK
We took advantage this week of a free tour around the “Titanic Quarter”, which is the brand name, so to speak, of that area of Belfast which is home to the derelict shipyards, the Odyssey Arena and a number of industrial complexes directly across the Lagan from the Belfast Harbour Commissioner and the Customs House.
As part of the current Made In Belfast Festival, the guided bus tour is a great starting point for the novice historian. The experienced guide, Stephen Cameron, has researched his subject in great detail for many years and is affable and knowledgeable company for the two hours of the tour. I have actually met Stephen before, in a previous life, and it was a pleasure to see him again after a gap of ten or so years.
On what was a rather changeable day, we set off from Belfast’s City Hall having seen both the Titanic Memorial statue and the statue of Sir Edward Harland within it’s grounds. First stop was at the original offices of Harland & Wolff. Access was gained and we started off in the drawing offices where many years before, the original plans for the Titanic and her sister ships, Olympic and Brittanic were made. This remarkable building was specially designed to allow as much natural light as possible to reach the draughtsmen, and later the ladies, who made copies of the thousands of individual plans for the teams of workmen who built the ships.
The next attraction was a viewing of the boardroom, sadly without any original furniture. The building has suffered over the years since it was last used as an office but has now been listed and is in the initial stage of refurbishment. In it’s derelict state it has been of value to the film industry lately, featuring in films such as Closing the Ring, City of Embers and Breakfast on Pluto.
Next stop was a short distance away by coach as it had started to rain. We drove about 100m to two large ramped areas close to the bank. The guide showed us the same ramps in a large black and white picture taken in 1911. These were the very ramps on which Titanic and Olympic were built.
From there we made our way to the Thompson Dry Dock, built to allow completion of the three sister ships’ fit-out. A very impressive structure which looks to be twice the length of the Clarendon Dry Docks, the pump equipment was designed to be capable of pumping out all of the water in the dock inside 100 minutes.
The picture below gives an idea of the size of the structure with HMS Caroline in a nearby dock for scale. In the pictures we were shown of Titanic in the dock being fitted with her engines and propellers, the stern of the ship stuck out over the gate at the back of the dry dock – an immense ship that would have stretched from the front door of Belfast City Hall right down Donegall Place, past M&S, past McDonalds, the Tesco Metro and as far as the H&M shop.
At this point, the tour ended. Very satisfied with our new-found knowledge, we climbed back aboard the coach and headed back to the City Hall.
A very enjoyable morning. I have been inspired by this tour to look for more opportunities to learn more about local history and perhaps consider doing a similar job on retirement, to that of our eminent guide.
Filed under: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK
This old building, which was originally a factory, holds a particular fascination for me as it was the site of the first Crazy Prices store I had full responsibility for as store manager. That was back in 1986. The weekly turnover was £35K. It was a dingy store which never made a penny of net profit in the ten years it was open but came pretty close to do doing so towards the end.
Anyhow, the building originally housed Ross’s Lemonade factory and had at least four floors. When I worked there, the top two floors were derelict with broken windows and dead pigeons and no doubt, a few other pests. The “shopping centre” known as Central Arcade was the 70s/80s equivalent of the Hi-Shops in High St, in other words, it was a really awful collection of grotty businesses anchored by a grotty supermarket and a very busy Stewarts Winebarrel.
In later years, the building changed hands and was developed into Ross’s Court, a rather upmarket and ultimately doomed centre due to the unfortunate fact that it was just too far from Royal Avenue to attract the business it needed. Timing is everything and if the centre had been able to hold out, the recent introduction of the Victoria Square complex would have supported and sustained the centre.
Today, the most upmarket and best-looked-after Argos I have ever seen occupies the Victoria Square end of the building. The original stonework still shows the name of the original owners, W.A Ross & Sons – a nice touch!
Filed under: Belfast, Culture, Hidden Belfast, History, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK
This beautiful building can be easily missed while hurrying up or down High St. It is opposite the “monsterous carbuncle” that is the Hi-Park parking and shopping centre. Built in 1890, this listed building is one of only a few to escape demolition during the Belfast Blitz in 1941. Apparently this was due to the fact that it’s front wall, floors, chimneys and roof were constructed using concrete.
The building is currently being renovated and is undergoing conversion to a hotel and tea rooms.
Filed under: Belfast, Environment, Hidden Belfast, History, Memories, Nostalgia, UK | Tags: Belfast, Environment, Hidden Belfast, History, Memories, Nostalgia, UK
It has been some time since I posted a Hidden Belfast picture, but I thought I’d better get my skates on and take these pictures before these derelict buildings come down. The first gives you the view of the front of the building which has been affected by commercial development over the years and is now “on it’s last legs”. The detail on the “balcony” and the cornices are beautiful, or at least were, before the onslaught of 100,000 pigeons over the years!
The second, and much more interesting picture, is the one from behind which was the first aspect to attract my interest. Hidden from the street are a couple of spires complete with what look like flag poles, various chimney stacks and assorted dormer windows. It is a view of haphazard additions over the years as well as representing good solid build quality. Many of these old red brick building are fast disappearing in the centre of Belfast and are worth documenting. They have seen a lot of history and unfortunately, I am unaware of most of it. What I can remember is visiting a night-club on the first floor back in the early 1980s – but it’s all very vague!
This view can be seen from the car park, which has access from North St. Have a closer look if you get the chance; it’s worth it!
Filed under: Belfast, Culture, Environment, Hidden Belfast, History, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Environment, Hidden Belfast, History, Tattoos, Thoughts, UK
Hidden in plain sight, this one. One of the nicest pieces of architecture in the centre of town and at one of the busiest points, I’ve passed this for years without taking the time to appreciate the detail. I’ve no knowledge of the history of the building at all, unfortunately, but that doesn’t take away from it’s beauty. The beastly bottom half does though!
Filed under: Belfast, Culture, Environment, Hidden Belfast, History, Life, Memories, Nostalgia, Society, Thoughts, UK, Uncategorized | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Life, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK
I have admired this building since first spotting it around 1976 when traipsing down to the Belfast Central Library to borrow some LPs that were beyond the financial reach of a 14 year old. The Art Deco building reminds me in some ways of a church organ with it’s straight vertical lines and height versus it’s width.
The facade could do with a good cleaning to restore it’s brightness and help the strong contrast with the dark green parts of the building. Last time I looked, the building appeared to be occupied on some level. It would be a real shame to allow it to slide into dereliction.
Filed under: Art, Belfast, Culture, Environment, Hidden Belfast, History, Life, Memories, Nostalgia, Society, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts
Now mainly used as a rat-run for commuters, Upper Crescent was, at one time, one of the grandest streets in Belfast. A “yellow-pack” version of the well known Royal Crescent in Bath, it still retains some of the grandeur of it’s former self despite being mainly used for offices and having some almost derelict sections. The small park opposite, is a great spot to sit and mentally time-travel back to when those ladies and gentlemen in their “Quality St” style dresses inhabited this area.
Filed under: Art, Belfast, Culture, Hidden Belfast, History, Life, Nostalgia, Society, Thoughts | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Nostalgia, Society, Thoughts
This fine example of Edwardian architecture has been protected from much of the strife that faced Belfast since 1910 (date of it’s construction) by its location at the far end of Murray Street. Murray Street is the shortish cul de sac that runs along the side of RBAI (Inst). The building was originally the offices of Glendinning, McLeish and Co. Ltd., which was a major player in Northern Ireland’s linen industry. Co-incidentally, the Glendinning in the title lived in Windsor Park in 1910, which is where my own parents live today.
Filed under: Belfast, Culture, Economy, Hidden Belfast, History, Life, Memories, Nostalgia, Society, Thoughts | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, Memories, Thoughts
Clarendon Dock is now the name for the collection of recently built, up-market and trendy office buildings situated around the original Clarendon Dry Dock or Clarendon No. 1, as it is known. Built between 1790 and 1800, it was joined by No. 2 in 1826. No. 1 remains the largest dry dock in existence in Ireland today. Between the dry docks, in what was the original pump house I believe, is the office of the now defunct Laganside Corporation, which was responsible for the “reclaiming” of this area in the 1970s and 1980s. The recent dissolution of the Laganside Corporation might explain why this tourist attraction has rubbish and litter lying in the dry docks, which is a shame as there is a walkway open to the public with some large art pieces along with other industrial exhibits right beside the docks.
Other than my employer, Tesco, renting office space here during its acquisition of Stewarts Supermarkets/Crazy Prices in 1997, I have two tenuous connections to this area. The Rotterdam Bar, now sadly standing on it’s own (for how much longer?) was the scene of a particularly enjoyable night out for me some time in the early 80s, and much further back, I can vaguely remember my father taking me and my brother to board a US destroyer which visited Belfast on a PR mission in 1967. It was docked just fifty yards or so from the dry docks.
Walking around this area, you get a real feel for the gritty industrial side of old Belfast. Having been closed off to the public in recent years, for obvious reasons, this new open access is yet another “peace dividend”.
Become a “local tourist” – you’ll enjoy taking time out to rediscover our city.
Filed under: Art, Belfast, Culture, Fun, Hidden Belfast, History, Life, Memories, Society, Thoughts | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, Nostalgia
This is one of my favourite buildings in the city centre. I would love to have a house with as many corners, round rooms, balconies and shapes. This building on the corner of Donegall Square South and Bedford Street has been hit by many years worth of flying debris from car bombings and has survived. It looks better suited to some Austrian or Czech city than Belfast with its ornate turreted towers and gables, but I’m so glad it’s there.
I can just imagine the wrangling among managers in the various companies that have occupied its offices to get a prized corner window. Imagine the festivities viewed from those balconies over the years, such as VE Day in 1945!
It’s a beauty! To any readers in or from Belfast; take a moment or two to look above head height and soak up your heritage in the form of architecture and history. Ok, so it’s not always been everyone’s heritage, but look forward, not back!
Ravings From The Bog 