Old billheads recall bygone businesses of Ballinascreen parish

Members of the Ballinascreen Historical Society and their friends will welcome in the New Year with a different style of meeting.

The open forum format will allow everyone in the audience to have their say regarding the location, nature and heritage of many, long forgotten, small businesses throughout the parish.

Old billheads are very valuable local archives and the Society is always keen to preserve such items – either originals or photocopies – and that meeting would provide a good opportunity to share such material. Credit: Submitted

placeholder image — Old billheads are very valuable local archives and the Society is always keen to preserve such items – either originals or photocopies – and that meeting would provide a good opportunity to share such material. Credit: Submitted

The discussion will be prompted by using old billheads from the society archive and the reminiscences emerging should be a lot of fun, as well as helping to document our local history.

Small country shops which will be featured include those of M’Bride’s, Eddie Connelly, Ellen Bradley, William Hutchinson, Charles M’Vey and James McCormick. Recalling the location of some of the village shops might be even more challenging – for example, S. W. Barclay, Peter M’Bride, P. D. Carleton, E. O’Kane, John Conville, J. F. M’Geagh and many more. Where was “The Cross Public Crane”?

The craic will start at 8.00pm on Tuesday, January 9, in the Workspace Community Hub, Draperstown.