Since my previous clinic appointment, Margaret and I spent a few days in Northern Ireland. To explain, my first posting after training was to RAF Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland. Originally developed as an airfield in WWII it then became Ulster Radar with two huge radar systems, one on the former airfield and one at nearby Killard point. As such it provided long range surveillance for both civilian and military air traffic. I joined the communications section providing high power UHF and VHF services. We even provide the communications for the Concorde supersonic trials which took place over the Irish Sea. I arrived in April 1975 and we married in the November. Margaret immediately joined me so in effect we did not have a honeymoon. (we've made up for that since !). We were finally posted away in April 1977.
Being very junior in rank at the time, I didn't qualify for service accommodation so I successfully applied to live "off camp". Initially we lived in the coastal village of Killough, but soon moved to the charming village of Strangford. Our return trip started with a visit to the recently-opened Titanic Experience located in the famous docks area.
Well worth a visit, the impressive building houses a combination of audio visual displays which tell the story of Belfast's shipbuilding heritage, the construction of the famous liner and her ultimate demise.
We then drove on to Strangford where we booked into a very comfortable and friendly hotel. When the weather allowed, we were able to walk around the village and especially to our former home.
Our home, of 40 years ago, was the lower of the only two bungalows in Quay Lane and within yards of Strangford Lough. Across the lough is the village of Portaferry. During our trip, we were thus able to eat dinner in our own hotel and also, by taking the ferry, to eat across the water.
Each day we had trips out to the site of the former RAF station and down the coast to Newcastle (with views of the majestic Mourne Mountains, and to National Trust properties of Mount Stewart and Castle Ward.
This proved to a short but very enjoyable and fulfilling trip. Strangford was, and still is, a very special place for us.
And so to choose this month's saying:
Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
(Dr. Seuss)
Keep well, and remember, YOLO
Stephen
