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Articles by Ellen Elder
The Mystery of The Unknown Child
Ellen Elder
Brown buttoned shoes reveal the identity of Titanic victim 'male child number 4'.
Salt, Mustard, Vinegar, Pepper
Ellen Elder
Connor Phillips on Radio Ulster was talking about inventing an adults' game park where we could go and play the games we used to take part in, in the streets of Belfast. It started me thinking about the times before TV, Internet, box sets etc.
Hot off the Press: Biography of WG Lyttle 1844-1896
Ellen Elder
In the grounds of Bangor Abbey you will find a memorial plinth erected by friends of Wesley Greenhill Lyttle, author of
Betsy Gray
. His great grandson,Tony Lyttle, has written a biography,
WG Lyttle, The Storyteller
, detailing the life and times of this multi-talented man.
Fair Winds
Ellen Elder
Ships' figureheads were carved in the form of people, beasts or mythological figures in keeping with the spirit or name of the ship.
About Time
Ellen Elder
That there was a County Down Sundial Trail was news to me before I started to research the Mount Stewart sundial for my garden tours.
Good Egg Hunting
Ellen Elder
Thanks to local lad Sir Hans Sloane, the good news is that now Lent is over you can safely eat or drink chocolate without feeling guilty.
Alphabetimals
Ellen Elder
On Wednesdays Lady Edith Londonderry hosted in her “Ark” of Londonderry House, an eclectic gathering of friends involved in war work such as politicians (of all persuasions), society hostesses, odd relations, king’s messengers, service personnel, artists and writers.
Here is the News!
Ellen Elder
I’ve been musing a bit on how and why we gather and disseminate information. Historically, the sending and receiving of messages was limited by the available technology.
Safe Driving is No Accident
Ellen Elder
It’s a long time since Lady Londonderry’s father, Viscount Chaplin, abolished the man with the red flag and raised the speed limit from 4 to 14 miles per hour.
Life is short - smile while you still have teeth
Ellen Elder
Seeing a tee shirt in a souvenir shop in Thailand put me in mind of an article about local dentists in an old edition of the
County Down Spectator
Pastimes in Times Past
Ellen Elder
These days when we are all missing our organisations, clubs, societies I thought about other times when Bangorians may have had their activites curtailed.
Hallowe'ens Past
Ellen Elder
I considered buying a turnip this week. It was very round and quite big and conjured up memories of my childhood Hallowe’ens in North Belfast.
Make Presidents Great Again
Ellen Elder
The Democrats' donkey appellation originated with our own Irish-rooted 7th President and founder of the Democratic Party, Andrew Jackson, dubbed a 'Jackass' by his 1828 campaign opponents.
Do I look Irish in This?
Ellen Elder
I discovered recently that men sporting a soup strainer were
persona non grata
in 15th century Dublin.
The Temple as a banqueting house
Ellen Elder
In the 18th century, Mount Stewart gained its own socially distant banqueting house, about 15 minutes’ stroll from the mansion house.
Ahoy the Beagle!
Ellen Elder
HMS Beagle
has been located in the Essex mudflats. What's the local historical connection with this ship?
Sounds of a Belfast Childhood
Ellen Elder
John Betjeman once said
"Childhood is measured out by sounds, smells and sights before the dark age of reason grows"
.
Remembrance Day Reminiscences
Ellen Elder
As the 75th anniversary of VE Day approaches, I thought I would tell you about attending Remembrance Day services in two very different places.
War Legacy
Ellen Elder
Certain wartime habits are in my genes, like saving bits of string and brown paper bags, and thinking that half an ounce of butter is much too extravagant to put on two slices of toast.
Northern Ireland and Tierra del Fuego
Ellen Elder
Captain Mahood of Portavogie and the crew of the
River Lagan
were shipwrecked on uninhabited Staten Island for six weeks; and then there is Captain Robert Fitzroy of the
Beagle.
How First Bangor nearly lost its tree …
Ellen Elder
Perhaps the best known landmark in Bangor Town Centre, for visitors and residents alike, is “the church with the big tree” on Main Street. The tree was planted around 1843 by First Presbyterian Church Bangor’s longest serving minister, Rev Hugh Woods.
Mercedes Gleitze - Just Add Water
Ellen Elder
Well known local seafarer Mr Brian Meharg, OBE, delivered a very interesting talk about endurance swimmer, Mercedes Gleitze, the first English woman to swim the English Channel and one of many to attempt the North Channel.
Ulster Sayings that mean something to me - so they do!
Ellen Elder
Ellen Elder takes a look back at some of the more amusing Ulster Sayings from her youth.
An idea whose time had come …
Ellen Elder
The introduction of British Summer Time in 1916 seemed simple enough - however it proved slightly more complicated in Bangor!
Local Heroes of the Great War
Ellen Elder
During the Great War, the civilian population, in the absence of home radio, was receiving the bulk of its information about the conflict from local daily and weekly papers.
The Democrats' donkey appellation originated with our own Irish-rooted 7th President and founder of the Democratic Party, Andrew Jackson, dubbed a 'Jackass' by his 1828 campaign opponents.
