Charlotte Street welcomes royal baby

That’s because many people living in Charlotte Street, Ballymoney, are overjoyed that the street where they live now shares the name with Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.

The Princess, was born on May 2 weighing 8lbs 3oz, to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and when she was named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, back in Charlotte Street, Ballymoney, nobody was more pleased than Mollie Holmes, a remarkable lady who is looking forward to celebrating her 101st birthday later in the summer.

A former mayor of the old Ballymoney Borough Council Mrs Holmes said: “There is nobody more pleased than I am about Charlotte as I will be 101 years in Charlotte Street in August.

“I met the Queen and some of the others, Princess Anne over the years.

“The Queen gave me the OBE in 1978 and she came to Ballymoney when I was in charge of Girls’ Brigade cadets in 1953 and we had to stand at Ballymoney Train Station when she came out.

“I was born in 1914 and I have seen a lot of Royal babies in my time and I think it is wonderful that this Royal baby has been called Charlotte.”

Jean Dinsmore (65) walks along Charlotte Street into Ballymoney town centre almost every day.

She said: “Charlotte is a lovely name but then her mother Kate is a lovely girl.

“It is nice to have a Princess again and it is good that she is called the same as this street.”

Jimmy Mariano (18), who lives on Charlotte Street and is the son of New York-born actor Nick Hardin, said: “It is good for Ballymoney, I guess, having someone worldwide-known with a link to here.”

Ballymoney historian Alex Blair explained the street is named after Lady Charlotte, Countess of Antrim. Her husband was Lord Mark Kerr. “Lord Kerr named a street in Ballymoney in honour of her and she named two streets in Portrush in honour of him, Mark Street and Kerr Street.”