Drumbeg Community Association

Drumbeg News

Volume12 Issue 1 Spring 2015 Online Edition

A New Chapter
Irene MacWilliam after eight years as editor of the Drumbeg News, during which she produced 17 editions, has called it a day and passed it over to Sheelagh McRandal.
Happily, she is still very much part of the Association doing a host of jobs including maintaining the DRA web site and compiling and producing the programme for the Annual Show. She is a very hard act to follow.

Litter Picking
The DRA continues to be very concerned by the amount of rubbish which litters our roads and the towpath. A stalwart group goes out regularly to clean up the Drumbeg Road but more needs to be done. The chairman, Hugh Crookshanks, is speaking to the Council with the intention of getting a councillor to speak to the Association and a plan of action formulated.

St Patrick's Church Hall
Planning for the new hall for St Patrick’s Parish on the Drumbeg Road continues and it is hoped that digging will start by early June. Completion is expected to take 10 months:
You will have noticed that the old hall has been sold but it will continue to be used until the new one is opened.

Drumbeg Art Club by Michael Boyd
The Art Club is in full swing with good numbers attending each week. It is again pleasing to have several new members join us this year.
The club invited well known artists along throughout the season to demonstrate their skills. On Saturday 14th February, Manson Blair came along to give an all day workshop. He started with an oil painting demonstration and followed this with one to one work with individuals. After lunch and refreshments in Bob Stewarts the tuition continued until around 3:40pm. A great day was had by all and everyone appreciated Manson's generous support and advice.
Grahame Booth, the well known watercolour artist, came along just before the Easter break. He did a superb painting of Polperro Harbour in Cornwall and showed just how talented he is in this most difficult medium.
If you might be interested in taking up painting please come along to see what we do and feel the fun. If you wish to take up painting the Art Club will get you started.

Drumbeg Art Club 14th Annual Exhibition
Friday 15 May - Saturday 16 May in Drumbeg Church Hall. All are welcome to view this highlight of the Club's year.
Drumbeg Residents' Association Coffee Mornings First Monday at 10.00 am Cooper Hall, Church Hall For all residents: an opportunity to catch up on what is happening in the area.

Drumbeg WI by Maureen Toner
Drumbeg WI has been having a busy year. It continues to hold monthly meeting in Drumbeg Orange Hall and has had varied speakers including a talk on making handbags with recycled material and an evening's discussion with the representative of the Government's New Accessible Transport Strategy.
Several of our members have been successful in competitions run by the WI Headquarters for all the Institutes in Northern Ireland. They won prizes for an essay, traditional embroidery and a water colour painting: Our Culture Club organises occasional outings and we have been to Swan Lake in the GOH, a Mac Exhibition and a concert in the Island Centre to name but a few. We will end our year at Puttin' On the Ritz in the GOH in June.

Rambling Club
The Rambling Club meets weekly for forays along the tow path and once a month the more intrepid members go further afield and have been recently been to Helen's Tower and the Cavehill. Trips are planned to Glenariff and Slieve Gullion. We are a friendly lot and new members are always welcome.

DOGS – Drumbeg Occasional Golfing Society by Michael Boyd
Due to poor weather the DOGS had little action since President's Day last September and were "barking mad" for a game of golf. A rearranged outing to Lisburn Golf Club was held on 23 March. There was a very good turnout with 26 golfers taking part and 27 attending the meal afterwards.
Captain Elizabeth-Anne Baillie presented prizes as follows:
Winner of the Longest Drive -was Walter Miskimrnin
Winner of "Nearest Pin" was Heather McIvor
Winner of the 9 holes competition (on a count back) was Betty Thomas
Runner up Team was John McVicker, Ken Orr,Martin Cromey and Michael Boyd
Winning Team (by 1 point) was Elizabeth-Anne Baillie, Marie McLean, Cyril Hunter and Glenn Hunter
Further outings are arranged as follows: -
Monday 11 May at Malone GC - DOGS Captain's Day
Monday 14 September at Dunmurry GC- DOGS President's Day
The Society is open to a1l golfers in the local community, both male and female, of any ability. It is just for fun and fellowship and a good day out finishing with a meal. The golfing format is of mixed gender teams playing for team prizes except on Captain's Day and President's Day when individual prizes are also awarded.

DRA Annual Show
Calling all gardeners, bakers, photographer, floral artists and crafters.
Now is the time to start preparing for the DRA's Annual Show which will take place on Saturday 5th September in the Drumbeg Parish Church Hall. The programme will be distributed in August.

The New Council by Brian Bloomfield
Drumbeg residents will be aware of the changes in local government which came about on Wednesday 1st April whereby the existing 26 Councils were replaced by l1 new "super" councils. These were created by the amalgamation of neighbouring councils together with a number of boundary changes. The former Lisburn City Council has amalgamated with part of the former Castlereagh District Council.
Additional responsibilities have been devolved to the new councils. These include planning, local economic development, local tourism and off-street car-parking. This will present both challenges and opportunities for all the new councils. Responsibility for planning is probably the most significant of the new powers of the Council. Transferring from the Department of the Environment, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council's new planning unit is already based in the Council Headquarters at Lagan Valley Island.
From lst April the L&CCC will be responsible for making the majority of planning decisions, drawing up local. development plans and shaping the way the new Council area develops in response to the needs of the varying local communities. A new Area Development plan will be drawn up. This plan for the spatial development of the area will incorporate a Community Plan which involves integrating all the work of the statutory bodies responsible for, for example, health, education, community safety, arts and leisure along with the views of the wider community.
More details regarding the role of planning in the new Council can be seen in the Road to Reform document delivered to all household. It also contains other useful information relating to Council services, service charges, facility opening hours and the Council members.

Walk for Nepal
On Friday 1st May 60 members of St Patrick’s Church and the Drumbeg community walked from Shaws Bridge to Drum Bridge to raise money for the earthquake victims in Nepal. The magnificent sum of £2,260 was raised. A big thanks to all who took part.

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