End of an era as Malachy closes menswear shop after 57 years
Hello, Mairead here, reporting for newsletter duty again.
Hope you all had a good weekend. I took myself off to the Omniplex in Armagh on Saturday evening to see 'Belfast' and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I hadn't been to the cinema since the Covid pandemic started so it was bliss to sit in the dark with a box of popcorn and be transported back to another time, even though that period in our history was a turbulent one for so many people.
It also made me think of so many practices that were normal then. In the street where I lived, the accepted way to call somebody in for their tea was to stand on the front doorstep and holler their name as loudly as possible. Even if you were 20 houses up, you made sure to get home sharpish.
On Sunday, I held a bit of a garden party. There were drinks and a few nibbles and after a slow start, a few guests turned up. Well, okay, I exaggerate for effect. It wasn't exactly a party. It was, in fact, the annual Garden Watch run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
The gist is you put out a bit of food and record which birds and how many visit in the space of an hour. It was a chance to settle down in a comfy chair with a big piece of soda bread, binoculars and a notebook.
I won't bore you with numbers but my feathered friends didn't let me down - blue tits, a jay, blackbirds, robins, wood pigeons and a bullfinch turned up for the free feed. Who says I can't throw a decent party? And the bonus was that a fox appeared too in the shadows (think he was munching on some sort of prey, but such is the cycle of nature, as David Attenborough would say.)
Just sitting still and observing is something I would recommend. You never know what you'll see.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this week's newsletter.
Newsletter preview
This week, I caught up with Lurgan tailor Malachy Cumberton, who first picked up a needle and thread 57 years ago, at the age of 13, and served his final customers on Saturday at his shop, MC Menswear.
End of an era as Malachy closes menswear shop after 57 years as a tailor, man and boy — armaghi.com
Headlines you might have missed
Sexual assault accused told police he only opened woman’s trousers because ‘I want to be a gynaecologist’ — armaghi.com
Co Armagh student’s shock as CCTV captures moment man slips phone from her pocket — armaghi.com
Portadown pensioner accused of ‘blackmailing and harassing’ neighbours — www.armaghi.com
Suspected puppy farm dog dumped in ditch put to sleep after ‘distressing neglect’ — www.armaghi.com
Dog fouling: Council ‘failing the ratepayer’ as concerns raised over private enforcement firm’s targets — www.armaghi.com
Lurgan Park known ‘far and wide as one of the worst parks for toilet provision’ – Armagh I — armaghi.com Armagh I reports on the county's breaking news, sport including Football, GAA & Rugby. Also Videos, Farming, Entertainment and Events.
Obituaries
Forkhill ‘has lost a gem’ – a ‘one of a kind’ and ‘unorthodox’ character who changed things for the better — www.armaghi.com
"Marie’s successes did not directly benefit Marie, they benefitted her community. Marie loved Forkhill and she dedicated so much of her life to improving life in this rural village."
‘Small in stature, big in heart’ – sister of Lurgan man Paul Cardwell pays emotional tribute — www.armaghi.com
Paul was 50 years married this year; he spent 51 years at his place of work and was a major cog in the running of his local club – loyalty underpinned the man so many people loved and cherished.
Win cinema tickets
Omniplex: Win cinema tickets for a film of your choice — armaghi.com
To conclude
Back to the movie 'Belfast' again, and I just want to say well done to young Gilford boy Jude Hill who plays Buddy. Without giving any spoilers, he delivers some great lines, has real screen presence and played an absolute blinder. I hope we see him many more times in the future.