Greta’s special week evokes memories of a time long gone

Jeanie Hunter has carefully kept cuttings from the paper from May 7, 1953 which tell how a varied programme of events, organised by the Ballygally Sports Club, were held “in delightful weather” in a field provided for the occasion by Mr JC Tweed.

The event may have been 59 years ago, but Jeanie remembers it well.

“I was about 12 years old at the time and I remember everyone turning up to join in the fun,” she said.

Jeanie has a very special reason for bringing these faded cuttings out of her scrapbook this week.

Her sister, Greta Robinson, the girl crowned Club Sports Queen back in 1953, celebrated her 80th birthday on Tuesday.

The old Larne Times’ cutting reports that Greta enjoyed the honour of presenting prizes at the event, having been crowned at a dance held in the old school, Cairncastle.

The old Larne Times cuttings reveal the names of field officials who were on duty on the sports day - J McGarel, P Magill, H Magill, R Green, W Boyd and D Mulvenna.

The winners of the boys’ under six race were: 1. F Burley, 2. B Frazer, 3. G Connolly. The girls’ race was won by R McAuley, with C Turk second and S Russell third.

Other events included a race (440 yards) for married men and a musical chairs (on bicycles) event.