My 2018: A Tour Around my town Comber, where the famous Thomas Andrews who built the Titanic came from!

dearjyoce (58)in #my2018 • 6 years ago (edited)

Welcome to COMBER!

A little town in Northern Ireland with such a rich history. The town where the famous Thomas Andrews who built the Titanic came from. I'm going to bring you to his house and his brothers John Andrews whom house is now for sale for 1.8 Million Pounds ! And I'm gonna tell you how the Andrew's family made a small town to be an industrial centre!

HISTORY

Comber itself was known by different names such as, Commer, Cumber or "COMAR"! The latter is an Irish word meaning, the joining of two rivers (Inler & Glen Rivers). And Comber is far older than Belfast. Comber is one of the oldest town here!

My in-laws who are in their 80's were raced in Comber and love to tell me the story of it. Dad, John(87) told me that before, there's only 7 churches, 7 streets and 7 pubs in Comber. He knows everyone who live in each houses because he collect food for pigs when he was young.

Comber is but a mean village before, and has no trade!

But the Andrew's family transformed Harris, mean "little village" into an industrial town. The Andrews family made their money in milling. From Thomas Andrews passed the family business to his sons, the shipbuilders Thomas Andrews who designed the Titanic which sank in 1912 and his brother John Andrews who owns the mill.

Mum, June(84), used to work in the mill and was one of the last person to work there before it was closed 21 years ago. We have a VHS tape in the house, videos that was taken before the mill closed. Here's a bit I took.. Must watch!

Here's the sample of what they made in the mill and sold all over the world that we still have in the house.

Just want to share this Mum's picture while working at Andrews spinning mill and her payslip that I saw while doing my research.

The Mill used to be in here and now build with houses. It was closed because as per Mum, the government want too much out of the mill. 😔

This used to be the Whisky Distillery and now houses..

Let's have a tour around Comber!

THE SQUARE

"One shot more for the honour of Down"..

Every town has its heroes.

Here in Comber Square, you will see the statue of Major General Rollo Gillespie right in the middle (seventeen metre), who was born in Comber and his famous last words of "One shot more for the honour of Down" as he died at the battlefield of Kalunga in 1814. He was very patriotic, he is a great local war hero of Comber !

A war memorial is also in the Square, to commemorate the soldiers and people who died during the First and Second world wars.

Mc Whinney's Butcher Shop

This is the oldest trading shop in Comber just across The Square, going back as far as 1892!

I went inside and wow.. The shop is full of old photos in the wall!

Look at this old shop's photo!

Watch this and see it for yourself..

St. Mary's Parish Church

This church is over 300 years old! The present Queen, Queen Elizabeth II when she was Princess Elizabeth visited the church in 1946. And my in-laws were married here! It was really my pleasure to see this for the first time.

There's a cemetery too..

The Second Presbyterian Church

The building of this church commenced in the early part of 1939 and was dedicated in October 1840. It has really spacious frontage!

AUREEN

On the opposite of the square to St. Mary's Church and next to the Northern Bank (Danske), just in front of the historic house named AUREEN, is the remains of a very old cobbled footpath with outlines marked out in white cobble stones.

Quietly damaged and worn, the outlines can still be seen of a hare, a dog and a man. Apparently the dog represents the famous greyhound "Master Mc Gra" who in the late 1800s won the coveted Waterloo Cup for his owner Lord Lurgan beating the best dogs in Britain. The figure of the man represents the dogs trainer.

Here's video that I take..

The man..

The Greyhound..

And the Hare..

Let me bring you to Thomas Andrews house.. The shipbuilder who designed the famous Titanic.

And this one is Thomas brothers' John Andrews that is now up for sale for £1.8 Million!

FOOD

Ohh this is Spuds town! Mashed Potato, Champ, Chips you name it! Irish Stew, and Irish Broth are the best! And tonight I made an Irish Fry for all of you. ♥

Sausages, Beans, Bacon, Mushrooms, Tomato, Soda Bread, Potato Bread! You will love it!

Heres's a Gif for you..

A view from Scrabo Tower. I'm looking for Comber.

Just outside our house is a beautiful view of Comber and the fields.

Thank you @anomadsoul for hosting this contest and Mr. @blocktrades for making this possible because of your generous SP delegation.

I thank you because I had this opportunity to learn the history of Comber which is new to me. I am from Philippines and if I'm there I will still tour you around.

I thought I will tour you around but in the end it was for me to travel my own town.

I research its history. I read books. I look for old pictures, took photos and videos and amazed! I really enjoyed it! I've been here the whole time but never been really into it and just because of this contest, I knew my town Comber far beyond its name.

Thank you so much!

I encouraged everyone to showcase their town. Share its stories! Let us have a tour through your post. Join @anomadsoul contest! Please check this link and join.

All photos and videos are taken by me and all are original. Everthing that I've written were
made possible by:

My in-laws, John and June who have broad knowledge about our town.
The books, "Take a Second Look Around County Down" by Noel Kirkpatrick and "A Taste of Old Comber, The Town & Its History" by Len Ball & Desmond Rainey that are really informative!
And to my husband @bosshogg who drive me around.