The locals are kind and generous as well as friendly and chatty. If you walk down the streets of Lurgan or Portadown, people will nod, say hello, toot their horn or give a wee wave. We all love a good gabble. And despite our differences over the decades we are good and supportive neighbours.
Music is steeped in the soul of the people of Co Armagh from traditional Irish music to flute and accordion bands as well as plenty of rock and roll, indie and soul. With great local bands such as Flash Harry, Billy Elvis, The Bonnevilles, Decky McKerr and Black Gold, Lurgan town is full of talent. In Portadown we recently lost rock legend Les Binks of Judas Priest.
We have the most beautiful countryside, parks and the incredible Lough Neagh on our doorstep. There is the magnificent Lurgan Park and the People’s Park in Portadown but also Maghery Country Park and Oxford Island as well as the renowned Peatlands Park nearby.
We have some of the best businesses in NI from Almac in Craigavon which employs thousands of local people to Moy Park in Portadown not to mention Rushmere Shopping Centre.
And plenty of home grown businesses such as Sona Kitchens in Portadown, Foxberry Strawberry Farm, Derrytrasna and McKeever’s Sports in Lurgan as well as Wilson’s Country in Portadown and Viet By Vee restaurant plus many more.
How amazing to have Craigavon Area Hospital on our doorstep. Despite its dated buildings and over-crowded Emergency Department, surgeons, doctors and nurses as well as all the fantastic ancillary staff continue to provide some of the best care possible. There are issues and appointments are not easy to come by, however all in all, it is an amazing service and requires more investment.
One thing that irritates me most is the lack of investment in mental health services, particularly for our children and young people. Compounded with years of neglect and an explosion in illegal drugs across the area, mental health workers both in the Bluestone Unit and in the community are struggling to cope with the demand for services.
9. Delicious strawberries grown on the south shores of Lough Neagh
Foxberry Fruit Farm is one of many small businesses in the market gardening sector across north Armagh. Known for very tasty strawberries the farm produces the fruit primarily for the NI market. It's honesty box proves very popular every year. Photo: Foxberry Fruit Farm
10. Our mental health services in dire need of investment
The Bluestone Unit at Craigavon Area Hospital where patients who are struggling with their mental health are treated. It is also a unit which is used to assess those who may have dementia or other geriatric mental health conditions. There are 94 beds within Bluestone which serves the entire Southern Health and Social Care Trust. Photo: Portadown Times