Adrienne Carson reflects on why Hilden is a school that evokes such strong loyalty

WITH the closure of Barbour Threads Mill, one of the last links to the old village of Hilden will be gone.

In its time thousands of people from far and wide worked there and the life of the village revolved around the sound of the mill horn. There was the morning horn for the start of the day, then the lunch horn and the six o'clock horn and out poured the masses for the end of another day.

The village of Hilden was a thriving community where everyone knew each other and we children roamed far and wide and every day seemed sunny.

We wandered in the fields and caught sticklebacks in the rivers around our home and played on the rocks off the 'overfalls'. Sometimes in winter these rocks were almost covered when the river was in flood and we would dare each other to wade out and climb on the nearest one - if our parents had only known.

As children our lives revolved around our school - Hilden Public Elementary as it was known in days gone by. Children of any religion or none came to Hilden School, so it was integrated long before the word was known as it is today.

We had a great time at school, and great teachers. Among them were Mr Rowan, Miss Scannell, Mr Martin and many more, and over them all was headmaster Mr Alex Woodena. They were all great teachers - strict but fair, though they did have their moments when the cane carne out or a duster flew past one's head for not paying attention.

Some days, when the weather was fine, we were taken for nature walks along the tow path of the River Lagan or to our plots of gardens at the back of Hilden Park where we grew plants and vegetables and when no one was looking hid a few apples from the apple trees in our pockets.

Hilden Park was another part of our childhood. As soon as school was out we all headed for the park. There were swings and seesaws and a lot of other amusements but what was really popular was the large rocking horse, grey and black, dappled with a mane of white hair, it was every child's dream at a time when money and toys were scarce.

We had summer concerts in which almost every child took part. We had a teacher who came every day to supervise and show us how to perform and in the winter we would go across to the Elise Milne Barbour Hall for our winter concert. These were great fun and attended by our parents and members of the Barbour family who were a constant in our lives. The Mill, the school and the park were all part off the Barbour Empire and all had an influence in our lives.

Each year Mrs Smith, a member of the Barbour family, arranged for us children to go to her home at the foot of the Mourne Mountains where a feast of goodies was set out on tables in the large gardens. We were encouraged to run wild for a few hours before setting off for home, tired but happy.

Then there was the big house owned by the Gordon family. Mr Gordon was a Director of Hilden Mill. The big house played a part in the lives of nearly all the people of Hilden.

The Gordons had a large barn which we were allowed to use for school concerts, and when the Gordon grandchildren stayed for holidays sometimes the village children were invited to the house to play. They were lovely people.

Today the house and barn is part of the Hilden Brewery.

Glenmore Estate is built on the site of cornfields where we played as children and the Hickey family home is now a children's home while a derelict car park is all that remains of the homes remembered from childhood.

Such an end for what was once a thriving community.

Maybe someday someone will write a history about the old village of Hilden before it is lost in the mists of time.

Hopefully this will bring some pleasant memories to former residents of old Hilden where we all had a wonderful childhood.