Big thank you from Lisburn.com

LISBURN CIVIC WEEK

Town sets out to enjoy itself

Although blasted by bombs. on several occasions,, Bow Street in Lisburn is still very much in business and will be a lively scene when the Mayor's Show parades through it next Saturday. An early closing day picture of Market Square, the tidyness of which is a tribute to the bomb-harassed townspeople.
Although blasted by bombs. on several occasions,, Bow Street in Lisburn is still very much in business and will be a lively scene when the Mayor's Show parades through it next Saturday. An early closing day picture of Market Square, the tidyness of which is a tribute to the bomb-harassed townspeople.

It is to the credit of the borough council and people of Lisburn that they are having a Civic Week at all.

It is to their very great credit that, with less than six months of preparation, they have arranged the one which will take place from to-morrow to next Saturday.

The seven-day programme of events will open officially to-morrow with a civic service in Hillsborough Parish Church and a service for youth organisations in Wallace Park, Lisburn.

Between Monday and Saturday there will be more than 120 separate events, covering an incredibly wide range of indoor and outdoor activity, from band concerts and fancy dress parades to dairy competitions and a squash - in , which would baffle most people till they learn it is being organised by Lisburn Racquets Club.

It will be quite an event, for it will go on over Friday and Saturday, a total playing time of 25 hours.

The outdoor highlight of the week will undoubtedly be the Mayor's Show on Saturday.

A procession of almost 30 floats will leave the assembly point at Hillsborough (Moira Road) at 2-00 p.m. and will parade through Lisburn to Dunmurry. It will disperse there and many of the floats will go back to Lisburn for a big Civic Fair in Wallace Park.

Indoor highlight of the week will be the Civic Charity Bail in the Woodlands Hotel, on Thursday, when guests will be received by the Mayor and Mayoress and will receive a glass of champagne each.

During dinner, music will be provided by the Boys' Band of the Royal Irish Rangers and afterwards dancing will go on till 2-00 a.m.

There will be tombola, a Dutch auction and baret and proceeds will be divided between the Army Benevolent Fund, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Council for Orthopaedic Development.

It will be a wonderful week. The programme is huge and it would be impossible to give details in the confines of this feature.

But the fact that it is happening at all speaks volumes of the courage and determination of the people of Lisburn, who have recently had more of their share of trial and tribulation.

They deserve a week of pleasure and relaxation, and they are providing it for themselves - with the help of some good friends.

Another cheque for Mary's fund

As part of the Civic Week programme, Lisnagarvey Harrier and Athletic Club has arranged an athletics meeting at Thiepval Barracks on Monday evening.

Olympic gold medallist Mary Peters will be there to receive a cheque for £300 from the Mayor for her track fund.

Other sporting events include canoeing, five-a. side soccer and nine-a-side Gaelic football, tug-o-war, darts, bowling, six-a-side hockey, squash, badminton, cycling, tennis and six-aside cricket.

The Bridge Youth Club has organised a series of canoeing events on the River Lagan, which flows through the town. They are open to young people living in the Borough and heats will be held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the finals on Friday.

Then, on Thursday evening, a canoe "spectacular" will be staged on the lake in Hillsborough Old Fort.

The tug-o-war contests in Wallace Park should provide a "spectacular" in themselves, for although five teams of burly men have been entered, there will be two sections, one laughingly entitled "lightweight" even though the aggregate weight of the teams is 88 stone.

The heavyweight teams are more aptly named, for their aggregate weight is 100 stones - or well over half a ton.

The preliminary pull-offs will be on Monday evening and the finals on Friday.

The old golf course land at Longstone Street will be the venue for a scramble organised by the Lisburn and District Motor Cycle' Club on Thursday evening. There will be 11 races for different classifications and about 250 riders are expected to take part.

News Letter, Saturday
May 4, 1974