Bedsit Days On The Cliftonville

Bedsit Days On The Cliftonville

By Paul McCann

Back in 1989 I was looking for a place to live and as a single person it was hard to find a place in Ardoyne that was vacant . Sheila from Open door housing found me a bedsit flat at 43 Cliftonville Road that was vacant , so I moved in . It was only about ten minutes walk to Ardoyne so it was easy for me to visit my friends and relatives there . The bedsit flat was one of 5 in this old Georgian building with marble  mantle pieces  around it large open fireplaces  .

Beautifully carved  Irish timber posts stood at the bottom of the polished  banister they descended down to the hallway to the front door .

I moved in and went out to celebrate getting a new flat and stayed overnight in Ardoyne at my Aunt Lilys . On my return back to my flat I could hardly believe my eyes . The place had been gutted . There was just a shell left . The old house had to be boarded up and luckily there was a bedsit next door for me to move into . Although I had no furniture some of the local people were very kind and offered me bits and pieces . Tommy and Margaret O’Neil who owned the Gable Shop opposite offered me a wall unit that I carried over . In Ardoyne Marie The McQuillin and he husband gave me a 20 piece dinner set and some blankets . St Vincent De Paul also came to help and I was able to buy the rest from second hand shops . The flat was almost fully furnished  and it was the same style a beautiful old Georgian home .

Ther people of the Cliftonville were just brilliant with befriending and supporting me and I’ve never forgotten their kindness . I found work in Carrickfergus with a  furniture manufacturer and things were going along well .

Later that year Open Door Housing had a new flat that  was ava ilable about seven doors down on the Cliftonville road which I accepted and moved into number 53 with Leemah my recently acquired Rottweiler pup which was a gift from Tommy and Margaret O’Neill . Once or twice I had been getting a few unwelcome callers to the door late at night but once Leemah had a word with them they never bothered me anymore . Leemah and I always enjoyed I loved talking walks over to the waterworks although at first Leemah tyook me for a walk until I got a choke chain and trained her to walk beside me . She was very strong and if ever she would turn on me all had to do was roll up the Irish news and she would cower away . It must have been the only thing that she was frightened of . I was happy there and always had regular visits from Tommy and Margarets children Colleen and Clare who brought their friend Dennis over . I was always glad to help Tommy and Margaret do wee odd jobs for them in their wee shop . A young lad called Noel would often call in and helped wash their front window . There was a very friendly community all around the little streets off the Cliftonville road .

Then as life often does I found myself in a position where I could help others , I met up with Tucker and Sammy one day who were in need and I was able to hand them a few quid . They lived across the road in the Simon Community Shelter and were going through a hard time . They soon became friends of mine and we spoke about life . Tucker learnt the ropes and went to work on the boats or years until his Mammy took ill and then he returned to look after her . After she died Tucker was left all alone in the world and one night after a few drinks he stumbled out of the Shamrock Club in Ardoyne and was run over by a British army Saracen . They never even  stopped to see if Tucker was ok . Tucker had been severely injured and had to have two amputations done . Both his legs from the knees down had to be amputated .

Sammy was another man who had seen better days , also enjoyed a drink after some hardships in his life / Sammy was also left alone in the world . He had drifted from pillar to post with no family or friends to support him . Sammy enjoying singing most days in Cornmarket . Some people would put a coin in his , others might hand him a packet of cigarettes , He was well known around the town and at one time he could have had a professional career in singing if he had got a break into show business . Sammy used to pour pints of buttermilk from a cart and he told me stories about the old times of the Market men he knew in Belfast who would push their hand carts into the town . There was a place known as the Weighbridge Markets then where you they sold about anything you would need . Ballinderry onions a penny a pound and pork scraped off the pigs back .  You could but potatoes from a sack or wee hot mutton pies and Chelsea buns off carts there  . Cows were driven in and slaughtered on the spot    There were old folk there who had their home made tonics and remedies for anything ailment you might have . I always loved to hear stories like that from people who had first hand knowledge about things .

Ass time passed I had to go back to Australia . My Daddy just had passed away and Mammy was on her own in Sydney , Part of me never left Ardoyne or the Cliftonville Road as even still I have memories that remain of the people and the places there .

The End