In the days of my youth, growing up in Belfast my greatest memories were those of the weekends. Friday was payday, fish and chips for supper, best shirt and tie, money in my pocket and off to the local dance hall. On Saturday it was off to Windsor Park to watch Linfield play. After the game, if the Friday night dance had been successful I’d have a date for the pictures. I’d meet my girl, she’d take my arm and we go to the Stadium,Savoy or Crumlin cinemas. This was out of economic necessity, local cinemas were cheaper. To go downtown to the major cinemas was still out of my league. The Ritz, Classic and Royal were all reserved for the older guys and their dates. They would line up outside the city cinemas, their girls bedecked in the latest fashions waiting for the 9pm show. Often religious types would walk up and down the lines preaching about the sins of going to the movies and trying to save souls. They passed out religious tracts containing the wisdom of their particular beliefs. Sunday morning was stay in bed time to read the papers and study the football results from Saturdays games. Sunday afternoon I would visit my Aunt Cassie with my father, this was his Sunday afternoon ritual. Then it was home for supper after which I headed off to the evening church service. The purpose of which was not to save my soul but rather to meet girls. After the churches emptied around eight o`clock the girls usually in pairs, walked up the Crumlin Rd to the Horse Shoe Bend. Naturally we boys also walked up the same road hoping to catch the eye of a particular girl. If we were lucky we`d get to see a girl home to her front door, a quick kiss and a cuddle, and maybe a date for the following Friday. I`d be in bed by eleven, working the next day, but my weekend did not end until I listened to the Sunday night top twenty radio show. It was a bit like watching the football leagues, but instead of scores, it was to hear if your favourite songs had moved up the charts. Wonderful memories of simpler times, now sadly gone forever. Yet memories never die, we fondly relive them again and again in the autumn of our days. Have a great weekend!
God Bless and keep reading
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