Lyttelton's Britain (27 page)

Authors: Iain Pattinson

2007, Northern Rock announced 125 per cent mortgages for prime investment property

LYTTELTON’S BRITAIN
NORTHERN IRELAND

BELFAST

B
ELFAST
boasts a rich and diverse history and the city has managed to survive troubled times with an air of optimism, recently being awarded status as ‘European City of Commerce’ for its services to the balaclava industry.

The name Belfast is derived from the ancient ‘Bel Fierster’: ‘Bel’ being the Gaelic for ‘a river mouth’ or ford, and ‘Fierster’ meaning ‘a cheap hatchback’.

Unlike the rest of the British Isles, this area was never occupied by Romans, who arrived to find a race of backward, Stone-Age savages, when they went, by mistake, to the Isle of Man in 1982.

By the Middle Ages, the area around Belfast was noted for its manufacture of fine linen. Famous as the Handkerchief Capital of Europe, Belfast Linen Mill proudly boasted that the world wiped its nose on their products, while the Newtonards Soft Paper Mill kept very quiet. Luxury linen production continues to this day, and hankies with hand-embroidered initials are supplied to many celebrities, although Val Doonican always prefers his blank.

The National Toilet Roll Museum, Belfast

During the late 17th Century, Huguenots fled to Belfast from France, seeking freedom from religious bigotry. Not a mistake they’re likely to make again.

The city and its environs can boast much of cultural and historical interest. Belfast is rightly proud of its neo-classical palazzo, where may be found a memorial to the awful
Titanic
disaster – and quite rightly, as it was possibly the world’s worst ever movie.

It was from Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard that the
Titanic
sailed on her maiden transatlantic voyage to New York. They called at Southampton to take on passengers, Cherbourg to take on coal, and then Oslo to get the compass fixed.

The
Titanic
’s sister vessel, the
Britannic
, was converted to become a troopship, seeing action off Israel in 1946, where she was eventually sunk by a Goldberg.

1894 saw the completion of the Tudor-style Queens University, although these days they admit men of all persuasions.

During the Victorian era, many of the population emigrated to the USA, and Northern Ireland sent America no less than ten presidents, until the White House asked them to stop as they already had one.

The nearby town of Killyleagh is noted as the birthplace of Sir Hans Sloane, the founder of the British Museum, although little of interest at his family’s fine mansion remains, after everything was stolen by the Egyptians.

Very much a city of tradition, Belfast is famous for its marching season, when men in dark suits and bowler hats parade in tribute to the Homepride Flour Graders.

Amongst the many famous local names is that of Eamonn Holmes. He started out in Belfast as a local reporter before going on to become very big on television.

The author C. S. Lewis was also born in Belfast. Following his success with
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
, C. S. Lewis went on to invent riot gas.