These two boards in the West Winds estate, Newtownards, were removed by the NIHE in May (BelTel) but restored in August (News Letter). One (above and immediately below) is from the First Newtownards Somme & Historical Society (old Fb page) and the other from the “East Belfast And North Down Veterans’ Association”, which does not appear to have an on-line presence.
The original NIHE statement cited in the BelTel piece mentions both the removal of paramilitary imagery and boards being placed on NIHE properties without permission. A meeting took place between the NIHE and the Somme Society which secured the return of the pieces (News Letter) and in August they were mounted again.
Blenheim Drive, Newtownards. Also included is the Society’s board on the Dakota Avenue shops.
West Winds received its first residents back in 1970 but celebrations of the estate’s fiftieth anniversary were made impossible by the coronavirus lockdown (Supporting Communities). The long board shown here – official title “West Winds Through The Decades” – was launched in 2022 and recounts the development of the estate and the institutions that support it.
Here (from the Fb group 50 Years Of West Winds) is an image of the area before development, which began with Canberra Gardens and the houses along the bottom of Blenheim Drive. The streets are named after RAF aircraft, as illustrated by the second panel.
The third panel gives “A Brief History Of The Estate” (included below) while others describe West Winds primary school, First Newtownards Somme & Historical Society, Scrabo Presbyterian church, West Winds Community Centre, Towerview adult care, Little Doves childcare centre.
In Shackleton Walk, with support from the Housing Executive and West Winds Development Association (Fb).
“The first sod cut early 1969 and the initial tenants hailing from the Oldpark, Shankill, Ardoyne and Newtownards Road areas, arrived under Scrabo Hill to the new West Winds Estate in January of 1970. With the close location to Ards Airport, the street names were derived from RAF military aircraft which were used in WW2 through to the early stages of the Cold War. With the initial streets being Blenheim Drive and Canberra Gardens, this eventually developed into the wider estate as it is today with the help of a Residents’ Association and the Estate being taken under the wing of the newly formed Housing Executive, the street designers’ road layout provided a clear flight path to the airport in the growing roads. The Estate was planted with trees to reduce the strong winds prevalent in the area. Hence the name. Early tenants of note included the parents of Sir James Galway, ‘The Man with the Golden Flute’ and Lt Col Simon Nichols MBE, who instructed our future King, Prince William, and his younger brother Prince Harry at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. The Tenants’ Association, formed by John McClelland in 1972 as Chairman and Miss Ruth Irvine as Secretary and assisted by other members including Miss Pat Shirley, Deaconess of the local church and Mr James Ingram began work in earnest with the development of the community centre, a sports complex with two football pitches, a tennis court, a hockey pitch, a playground, improved street lighting and a bus service for the growing number of tenants. There was also the West Winds Roadhouse Hotel, initially a part of the Officers’ Mess during the Second World War. It wasn’t long before the Towerview Resource Centre and Loch Cuan Nursing Facility were built. Both are still in operation today, with The Apex Housing Association taking over Loch Cuan, which now includes a supportive living complex on the grounds. In 1997 the West Winds Residents’ Association became active working with the local Housing Executive and various other statutory bodies to continue upgrading the Estate. Funded by SPOD [Small Pockets Of Deprivation] They are now now known as the West Winds Development Association and have been involved for the last 25 years, in Youth Clubs, Pensioners’ Clubs, upgrading of the park, formation of a ‘MUGA’ pitch, fun days, addressing housing problems, community gardens, teenage drop in, girls’ groups, boys’ groups, raised beds, Christmas Parties and numerous other activities and events to mention but not forgetting, the day to day striving to make the Estate a better place in which to live.”
The streets of the West Winds estate in Newtownards are named after RAF aircraft: Lysander, Beaufort, Shackleton, Valetta, Sunderland, Catalina, Auster, Canberra, Lancaster, Dakota, Hampton, Stirling, Blenheim, Anson, and Halifax. (See 50 Years And Counting for a picture of the aircraft.)
The first units built in the estate, in 1970, were Canberra Gardens and Blenheim Drive, just off the Comber Road.
“English Electric Canberra – bomber, photo-reconnaissance, trainer, interdictor, radio countermeasures, drone & target tug … the world’s first jet bomber … first jet aircraft to make a nonstop transatlantic flight … world altitude record”
“Bristol Blenheim – light bomber, night bomber, aerial reconnaissance, heavy fighter, maritime patrol & trainer … the fastest light/medium bomber in the world”
Also celebrated is flautist James Galway, whose parents lived in the estate for a time, and Greenwell Star (Fb) – “Bridging communities through football”. Club members were involved in painting over the UVF mural on the side of the club’s changing-rooms in March (Fb), in preparation for the new board being mounted in April.
West Winds Development Association and Newtownards Cultural Society with support from the Housing Executive (Newtownards Chronicle)
The uniforms of the graveside mourners are from WWI and the image on each side is JP Beadle’s Attack Of The Ulster Division (Royal Irish) at the Battle Of The Somme in 1916, but the names on the pillar (in the image immediately below) are from the modern UVF. Little information about any of those listed is available on-line, but ten of those listed were also on a plaque in Abbot Crescent, which was similarly in front of a 36th Division mural.
A statue to WWII hero Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne (1915-1955) stands in Conway Square, in front of the Newtownards town hall and close to the “Colonel Paddy” café (final image); the family grave is in Movilla Abbey. He is featured in the nearby mural at Russell & Co solicitors and there was previously a mural in his honour in the Movilla area of the town.
The plaque at the base of the statue reads: “Lt Colonel Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne was born in Newtownards and attended Regent House Grammar School. From an early age his talent on the rugby field was apparent, with successes playing for his school, his country and the British Lions. Blair Mayne is, however, remembered principally for his military prowess. He first served with the Office Training Corps at Queen’s University Belfast where he was studying law. However, his military career began in earnest in 1939 when he obtained a commission in the Royal Artillery. He went on to serve with the Royal Ulster Rifles, the Cameronians and the newly formed 11th Scottish Commando with which, in 1941, he first saw action at the Litiani River in Syria [WP] and was mentioned in dispatches for his bravery. The offer from Colonel David Stirling to join “L” Detachment of the newly formed Special Air Services followed and it was on a subsequent raid in the North African desert that he gained the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). Later acts of outstanding bravery in Sicily, France and North Western Europe added three bars to his DSO and his regiment ended the war in Norway assisting with the surrender of German forces there. Lt Colonel Maybe was also honoured by the French and Belgian nations when he was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion d’Honneur (with palme). Following the war Blair Mayne continued to practice law and was appointed Secretary of the Law Society, although due to injuries sustained in combat he was unable to resume his rugby career. He died in a car accident in Newtownards on 10th December 1955. His funeral was the largest ever witnesses in the town and was attended by senior military figures and other dignitaries. At his graveside his former padre said: “The gift of leadership and the ability to inspire complete devotion and loyalty were his to an exceptional degree.” Blair Mayne is buried in the family play in Movilla Cemetery, Newtownards. This statue was erected by Ards Borough Council and funded by public subscription with assistance of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s National Lottery Fund.”
Ireland’s first-ever gymnastics gold medal was won at the recent (2024) summer Olympics by Rhys McClenaghan, competing on the pommel horse (Reuters | Irish Times). The new art celebrating his victory is by Cha Cha (ig) in Meetinghouse Lane, in his home town of Newtownards. McClenaghan was also featured in a 2021 wall-painting in Dublin (Dublin Gazette).
Here are some more UVF boards (in addition to those seen in 2022’s Bowtown UVF) that have been added along the length of Abbot Drive. Both “East Belfast” and “North Down” rival factions are included.
The “Lest we forget” board in the final image has been seen before, but has been moved to the location shown after being in the memorial garden.
On the left (“perception”) it seems as though three youths are thieving and spraying graffiti on a wall; in fact, on the right (“reality) they are picking up litter and removing graffiti.
This is an election-campaign sticker in High Street, Newtownards, alleging co-operation between the Alliance party (whose signature colour is yellow) and the IRA, whose signature colours are the colours of the Tricolour (News Letter premium).
Paddy Duffy Collection 