If you lived in this street and you have any photos or memories you would like to share with us then please forward them to us at Sailortown

                                                                by

                                              George Eagleson

I was born and reared in North Thomas Street, living there until I married and moved away. North Thomas Street ran from York Street to Garmoyle Street. Earl Lane intersected it and Dock Lane joined the Street to Dock Street.

North Thomas Street was divided in half by Nelson Street. The Protestant community occupied the York Street end with a few exceptions and the Catholic community lived at the Garmoyle Street end, with a few exceptions. During the time I grew up in the Street, we had a Unionist hall, bakery, two corner shops, pub and a vinegar store, as well as a variety of parlour and kitchen type houses. The bakery was destroyed by fire around 1950 and I believe Rotary Electric located there for a while. Occupations ranged from dockers, seamen, labourers, boatmen, lorry drivers and a rag dealer.

Community relations were good and I remember attending a children's Coronation party held outdoors under the decorations. Some years later we held our own version of the Glasgow Derby under the same buntings. These games were fiercely contested by Davy and Winkie English, Jim Langley (Quinn's Place), Ginger English (Earl Street) and Tommy Lowry junior on one side. Tommy senior was our only spectator, a very fair-minded man, who got very excited jumping up and down on his one leg and crutch. Our side comprised  Tommie Murphy, myself ( North Thomas Street), Pat Devlin (Short Street), Joe McGuigan bottom of Pilot Street and Joe Scott (Earl Street). Both teams had other players whose names escape me. Where are they now?

My sisters and their friends were experts at skipping, two and three ball, and lamp swinging. Cyclists would gather outside Charlie, Rose, and Anne Murray's house on bikes that would make your mouth water. A few years later Joe Scott, Hughie Jamison (New Andrew St), Benny Mc Kinley (New Dock St) and I would follow in their tyre tracks.

Residents of the Street  stick in my memory, Billy Turner slicing a loaf on his bacon slicer. Robbie Hunter with a towel under his arm going for his daily swim. Mary Ann Shepherd (Dock Lane), in her black shawl hurrying to visit Midge Dempsey. The silver grey hair of Rosie O' Prey, Dinny Farrelly, out looking for his hire bikes that were overdue. Paddy Lundy, neat and dapper going for his evening pint, quietly singing to himself. Billy Gough on his return from sea standing at the front door in a pure white vest, no matter what the weather. Alice Reynolds and her lodgers Nan and Mary for their quiet ways.

My lasting memory of North Thomas Street is in the stillness and quiet of an Autumn Sunday morning, hearing the rich tones of The Salvation Army brass band playing 'Abide with me', followed by Billy, with a ' message boy' type bike piled high with Sunday newspapers, yelling "Empire, News of the World, Sunday Chronicle." Gone but not forgotten !   

            Geordie Eagleson.