In Third Year at Queen’s, Engineering Students were required to obtain a holiday job as training on a building site and, as I have said, I had managed to be taken on at a building site constructing houses to reduce the post-war housing shortage. I was involved in the supervision of the road and sewer… Continue reading The building site
Month: December 2010
Civil Engineering
For the sake of those who are interested in engineering, and those who know nothing about civil engineering, I will write a short description of how the system works, and the variety of work that it covers. Civil engineers, per se, are generally people who have had university training followed by three to four years… Continue reading Civil Engineering
1946-50, Hostelling, then
My brother-in-law and I decided we would walk from Ballycastle to Coleraine by every inch of the Coast, instead of sticking to the roads. In those days we would hike in the Mournes, and the Antrim Coast at weekends, and with rationing still a serious consideration, our pack weighed about forty pounds because we had… Continue reading 1946-50, Hostelling, then
1946-50, For interest and Conclusions
There was one instance of which I was quietly proud, apart from graduating, that is. I say ‘quietly’ because I never told anyone and had forgotten all about it until now. We were in Second Year Structures and the lecturer was warbling along about testing bridges with strain gauges and how it was essential to… Continue reading 1946-50, For interest and Conclusions
1946-, Irish Politics, Part 2
The most salutary lesson, though, was to come on the ‘Glorious Twelfth’ of July 1949. By this time I had learned that it was referred to as the Glorious Twelfth. An aunt living in Bangor who had borrowed a camera from our next-door neighbour, had unfortunately been rushed to hospital. The neighbours were going on… Continue reading 1946-, Irish Politics, Part 2
1946-50, Irish Politics, Part 1
When deciding to live in Ireland I should have done my homework. It is surprising how completely ignorant I was of the traditions of this country, even though I had lived and worked here for fifteen months. During the war local differences did not seem of the same proportion, dwarfed by the greater disunity. In… Continue reading 1946-50, Irish Politics, Part 1
1946-50, The wonderful University years
The Sweet CheatAt Queen’s I came across a very talented conjurer who was a medical student. I believe that he had sat his finals at least four times. In those days there did not seem to be any limit to the number of chances one had to qualify. The reason for the repeated sittings was… Continue reading 1946-50, The wonderful University years
1946-50, The wonderful University years Part 4
The following year, before I realised what was happening, I became embroiled through offering an opinion, something which always heralds trouble. Some of the men were wondering what sort of show to put on, I had said that every year there was the same procession and we should be putting on a static show of… Continue reading 1946-50, The wonderful University years Part 4
1946-50, The wonderful years at University,Part 2
THE TRIALS OF PARENTHOOD, They tell me the purpose of university life over other modes of education is that it broadens the mind as well as the backside, the latter from hours of sitting in the Stack, mugging. In the first year Linda was too young to know she even had a father so I… Continue reading 1946-50, The wonderful years at University,Part 2
1946-50, The wonderful University years, Part 1
HOW SCHOOLS CAN MOULD CHARACTER When I was on board a corvette in Belfast Harbour, talking to the wireless operator while repairing a set, an officer stuck his head into the office and said “Williams…” and then he stopped. “I thought you were Williams, ” he said, “You sound just like him.” I smiled, he… Continue reading 1946-50, The wonderful University years, Part 1