Blog: 2012 - The Year of The Shankill

I'm not given to New Year resolutions but this year, I solemnly resolve to provide you a weekly blog, whether you want one or not.  So keep checking every Friday starting the 13th – if you feel lucky!

I can feel it in my bones that 2012 is going to be a special year for the Greater Shankill – a year of achievement, of positive change, a year in which we will build on the foundation laid down by all your work and the four Conventions in the past 13 months.

In early 2012 the new four year Neighbourhood Action Plan (NAP) will be formally launched and the revitalised NAP Task Groups will be asked to prioritise its implementation on a theme by theme, year on year basis, with a particular focus on issues affecting children, young people and their families in our community.

By the end of January the Agreed Agenda Steering Group, mandated by two Conventions in March and May 2011, will produce a 'Manifesto for Education', which will outline how we can deal with the educational deficit in Greater Shankill.  Key to this will be a call for the establishment of a Children's & Young Peoples Action Zone in 2012.  The negotiations with the relevant Departments will commence in February.

Last month's Housing Convention provided the basis to develop a new housing strategy for Greater Shankill, based on the regeneration needs of the area aimed at creating a sustainable community.  This strategy will be nailed down in 2012.

The Greater Shankill Greenway proposals have gone through a full economic appraisal and during 2012 we will begin to see its incremental implementation.

Other Convention issues, in both the Agreed Agenda and Neighbourhood Action Plan, will now be developed further including employability, physical infrastructure and quality of life issues, such as community safety.  These will see step by step development and realisation during 2012.

'A tall order' you say?  Well no, because maybe for the first time, from the days of Save the Shankill Campaign in the 1970's, we have all our politicians and all our key community constituencies working as one to back this programme of change in 2012!

With such positivity and unity of purpose nothing, I believe, will be able to stand in our way and with the excellent work of so many groups and programmes on the ground, this community can make significant gains in 2012.

So let's declare 2012 – 'the Year of the Shankill'.

Last Linen Factory Closes

It is testimony to the area's rich industrial heritage, that the last working linen factory in Belfast, was in the Shankill.  After almost 60 years, Copeland Linens on Boundary Street will close.

The linen industry in the Shankill was in it's heyday in the late 1800's, when thirty eight linen mills surrounded the area; by 1901 24,000 women and 7,000 men were employed by the industry.  Two of the original mill buildings, though no longer operational, still exist nearby on the Crumlin Road at Conway Street.

Copeland Linens has a long list of illustrious clients and commissions, including; producing an altar cloth for Prince Charles' wedding and supplying fine linen tableware to Irish embassies all over the world.

Peter Smyth told BBC Radio Ulster, "We got involved with the Republic of Ireland government and the then president, Mary Robinson, decided that when she went round the embassies and consuls throughout the world, the linen that they had was pretty awful and it certainly didn't do anything for Irish linen", "She picked this particular motif of the flax flower and we submitted samples of placemats, napkins and coasters."

Sadly this lucrative contract was lost due to government cutbacks, Copeland Linens once employed dozens of people but at present only 10 remain.

Mr Smyth cited the economic downturn, his age and health as the reasons for the closure, "Well I'm approaching 80 and my health's not grand and I think I should maybe call it a day.", "I am disappointed but I think it's time I hung up my boots".

Source: BBC News

Blog: Back on the Blog

Glen's back (from his honeymoon), so that means, after too long a gap, I'm back as well – so here goes – personal views as ever and a short topical history lesson.

Did you know that yesterday (31st October) was Reformation Day, celebrated as a holiday in parts of Germany, Chile and U.S.A. – I didn't!

In 1516/1517 Johann Tetzel, Papal Commissioner for Indulgences was sent to Germany to raise money to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  Roman Catholic doctrine claimed that "good works" needed to accompany faith to achieve salvation and that, in this instance, that could be achieved by donating money to rebuild St. Peter's.

On 31st October, Martin Luther wrote to his Archbishop, protesting (hence Protestant) against the sale of "indulgences" (as above).  His letter became known as the "95 theses" which he ended up nailing to the wooden door of Wittenberg University, as was the custom in "disputations".

While Luther's objections were believed to be scholarly, as opposed to revolutionary, they nevertheless contained the seeds of the Protestant Reformation.  He objected to Tetzel's attributed saying "as soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs".

In one of his theses (No. 86) he asks, "why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"

The 95 theses were quickly translated from Latin to German, printed and copied throughout Germany in two weeks and throughout Europe in two months, and the Reformation was on.

With social networking today, it could take two hours!

Glenwood & Edenderry Get Green Light

The project to improve the buildings of Glenwood Primary School and Edenderry Nursery School will proceed, as part of a potential £220 million investment from the Department of Education.  The project is part of twenty two announced by Education Minister John O'Dowd in a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Glenwood and Edenderry currently share a premises on Upper Riga Street, with an entrance on the Shankill Road.  The building dates back to 1928 and is a B1 listed building; it does however suffer from inappropriate extensions built from the 1950's to the 1970's.

In his statement Mr O'Dowd said, "In managing the wide and diverse schools' estate we have, one of the major challenges is the need to balance limited capital resources against the large-scale capital investment needed across the estate. Using the strategic work on area planning I have moved to ensure capital investment is targeted to ensure the delivery of modern, fit-for-purpose schools that will be sustainable long into the future."

Source: DENI