Snapshots of the Gordon Highlanders on Patrol in Belfast in the 1970s

The 1977 Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours, announced on 11 June 1977, was in a year of debt, industrial problems and when it came to Northern Ireland, the Troubles. The Queen, however, was determined to include it on her travels and the IRA were determined to attack her.

On the Queen's day, more than 32,000 troops and policemen, including the Gordon Highlanders, were on duty — the largest security force ever deployed there.

At the time of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, the Gordon Highlanders were based at Palace Barracks, Holywood near Belfast. Take a look at them on patrol in the city in the 1970s through these fascinating shared by Ronnie on his Flickr site.

Gordon Highlanders on Foot Patrols in Bawnmore Estate

Gordons on patrol beside the Mc Kelvey Sinclair timber yard on Duncrue Street across from the Ulsterbus head offices, 1977

Gordons checking the map in a back alley

Berwick Road just off Alliance Avenue

Gordon Highlanders on Foot Patrols in Bawnmore Estate

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33 Wonderful Black and White Vintage Photos of British Kids Playing on the Streets in the 1980s

The United Kingdom in the 1980s was a time of turmoil, with severe recession and mass unemployment leading to widespread distress and resistance.

While working as a staff photographer for The Militant Newspaper, Dave Sinclair visited Belfast, London, Newcastle and Bradford and took pictures of the children in the cities whose lives were affected by social and political changes. Still, they carried on hanging out and playing on the streets with such carefree expressions, as wonderfully captured in Sinclair's photographs. Take a look:

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36 Fascinating Black and White Photos Capture Lives of Belfast Kids From the Late 1980s

The United Kingdom in the 1980s was a time of turmoil, with severe recession and mass unemployment leading to widespread distress and resistance.

Following a period of economic slowdown and industrial strife in the 1970s, the Conservative government of the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher initiated a radical policy of monetarism, deregulation, particularly of the financial sector and labor markets, the sale of state-owned companies, and the withdrawal of subsidies to others. There were also major changes to the governance of the UK with the establishment of devolved administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland around the end of the 20th century.

In April and May 1988, while working for the Militant Newspaper, Dave Sinclair visited Belfast and photographed the lives of the children in a city affected by social and political changes. Take a look:

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Candid Photographs Capture a Student Party in Belfast in 1970

The journey through university is not all roses and pleasures, which is why there are many other social activities that could help students relax, get to know each other and enjoy life beyond the four walls of the classroom. One of the most popular ways is through partying.

It’s Christmas time in 1970 and the students from Queen’s University in Belfast were living it up on Harp lager and tins of Guinness. The party was held on Wolseley Street, which would be called the University Quarter these days. 

These candid photographs are courtesy of Norman Craig. For more fascinating pictures, visit Craig’s brilliant Flickr site.

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60 Amazing Vintage Photographs Capture Street Life in Belfast in the Early 1910s

These photographs come from the Belfast Corporation archive and were taken by Alexander Hogg (1870–1939). The photographs show various properties, mainly older houses, to be demolished or otherwise affected by improvement schemes undertaken by the Corporation under the Belfast Improvement Order (1910) and the Belfast Corporation Act (1911).

Although focused on the properties, the photographs contain an interesting record of street life in Belfast, including inner city areas, the suburbs and the commercial centre, before and in the early years of the Great War. Most include people, particularly children, generally arranged in groups in the foreground of the scene. They also give a vivid impression of the quality of the housing stock in these areas.

Locations covered include: Little York Street; Millfield (including Gardiner Street, Brown Street and Boundary Street); mid Shankill (Hemsworth Street); Grovenor Road (Stanley Street); Hamill Street; Barrack Street; and Lower Falls (Christian Place); Mill Street; King Street; Divis Street; Manor Street; Crimea Street; Tate’s Avenue; Chichester Street; Victoria Street; Cromac Square; Shankill Road; Woodvale Road and Antrim Road.

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15 Incredible Then-and-Now Photos Show Street Scenes of Belfast in the Past

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the second-largest on the island of Ireland.

By the early 19th century, Belfast became a major port. Shipbuilding was a key industry; the Harland and Wolff shipyard, which built the RMS Titanic, was the world’s biggest shipyard.

Belfast is still a port with commercial and industrial docks, including the Harland and Wolff shipyard, dominating the Belfast Lough shoreline. It is a Gamma global city in 2018.

These incredible then-and-now photos from Public Record Office of Northern Ireland that give you a step into the past of Belfast.

Cromac Square/Cromac Place, Belfast (12th December 2014 & 11th February 1915)

Bank Street, leading to Chappel Lane, Belfast, with Kelly's Wine & Spirit Store in the foreground (now Kelly's Cellars) and St Mary's Church in the background (19th April 1915 & 22nd April 2015)

Bedford Street, Belfast, showing the Ulster Hall (circa 1890s & April 2019)

Belfast City Hall (1914 & 17th December 2014)

Belfast City Hall seen from Donegal Place (circa 1890s & April 2015)

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Incredible Vintage Photos of Belfast During German Air Raids in 1941

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the second-largest on the island of Ireland.

By the early 19th century, Belfast became a major port. Shipbuilding was a key industry; the Harland and Wolff shipyard, which built the RMS Titanic, was the world’s biggest shipyard.

The images in this album are from the Records of the Cabinet Secretariat, Official War History of Northern Ireland.

The photographs show the extent of the destruction caused during German air raid attacks on the city of Belfast in April and May 1941.

Bridge Street, Belfast, May 8th 1941

Soldier on Bridge Street, Belfast, May 8th 1941

Waring Street, Belfast, May 1941

York Street, Belfast, May 1941

“Land of Hope and Glory”, York Road, Belfast, April 16th, 1941

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Can You Spot the Ghost in This Vintage Photo From 1900?

This seriously haunting image of linen mill girls from 1900 and it appears the photo wasn’t just a picture of the living. The vintage photo shows 15 women posing in their work uniforms in Belfast, but if you look a little closer, you'll see something slightly more paranormal. Can you spot the ghost among the mill workers?

Belfast linen mill girls in 1900 pose for a photo in their working gear. (Photo: Getty Images)

Don’t worry if you didn’t, it took an eagle-eyed viewer to spot what appears to be a disembodied hand resting on the shoulder of the girl on the far right of the photo.

The photograph originally appeared on Belfast Live as part of an article looking back at trades that now no longer exist, and one reader got the surprise of her life when she recognized the picture. The woman who contacted Belfast Live said her father had the picture in his home as it featured her great-grandmother, who worked at the linen mill.

She wrote: “Great to see an old photo of my Granny, in the by-gone years photo, when she worked at the mill. She was Ellen Donnelly (nee McKillop) and she is fourth on the right in the second row down [of the main picture, below].

“My dad has this photo at home… a family ghost picture! I don’t really believe in ghosts – but there have been a few odd going-ons around this photo, so I hope this doesn't cause any more!”

“But did anyone spot the mysterious hand on the girl on the right’s shoulder?” she asked.

If you still can’t see it, it’s circled below: a disembodied hand is clearly resting on the young girl’s shoulder.

The dismembered hand gives the linen girl's shoulder a squeeze. (Photo: Getty Image, via Belfast Live)

What makes this photo so chilling is the fact it was taken more than 100 years ago. So after you get over the shock, we’d love to hear your theories about the dismembered hand giving the unsuspecting mill girl a little squeeze.

(via Belfast Live)

26 Wonderful Color Photographs Captured Everyday Life in Belfast in 1955

To the casual onlooker, Belfast in 1955 is a tranquil, peaceful city where trolleybuses run in a leisurely way through sparse traffic and lamplighters go about at night. Picture Post photographer Bert Hardy visited the city, wandering the bustling shipyards and lively streets.

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35 Rare and Amazing Vintage Photos of the Construction of the Titanic

The Titanic was a White Star ocean liner, built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. The original design was engineered to compete with the Lusitania and Mauretina built by rival shipyard by the name of Cunard Line. The Titanic had two sisters named the Olympic and the Brittanic (originally called the Gigantic), all of which were designed to be the largest and most luxurious vessels in the world. The Titanic construction was the work of Lord William Pirrie (director of Harland Wolf and White Star), naval architect Thomas Andrews (Harland Wolf construction manager), and Alexander Carlisle, the shipyard’s chief draughtsman and general manager.

Construction of RMS Titanic, funded by the American J.P. Morgan and his International Mercantile Marine Co., began on 31 March, 1909. She was 882.9 feet long and 92 feet wide, 59 feet high from water level, and weighed over 46,328 tons. She was equipped with two reciprocating four-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engines and one low-pressure Parsons turbine, which powered three propellers. There were 29 boilers fired by 159 coal burning furnaces that made possible a top speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). Only three of the four 62 feet (19 m) funnels were functional: the fourth, which served only for ventilation purposes, was added to make the ship look more impressive. The ship could carry 3,547 passengers and crew.

The Titanic was equipped with sixteen watertight compartments which had doors that would close automatically if the water level reached a certain height. The ship was designed so that it could remain afloat if any two of the compartments were flooded or if the first four were flooded. It was discovered that when the Titanic collided with the iceberg that the first six compartments were flooded. Although the Titanic was fitted with three funnels to expel gas which were constructed off site, only three were used; the fourth funnel was simply added to make the ship look more powerful. The total cost of Titanic construction amounted to $7.5 million.

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"The Irish Jaunting Car" - 1860s Carte de Visite Photograph

The photograph was taken sometime in the 1860s by James Magill of Donegall Place in Belfast.

The subject of this original antique photograph is the famous “Irish Jaunting Car” of verse and song. The photo was taken in front of a brick livery stable. If you look at the window on the far right, you can see a man in a white shirt. What appears to be a horse collar is hanging up behind him.

The detail of the photograph is exceptional, showing not only the construction of the jaunting car, but also the fashions of the day, as well as the construction of the brick livery stable. You can even see where a pane of glass over the door has been broken out.

The horse seems to be a fairly good one and appears to be well cared for at first glance, as his coat is shiney. However, when the image is viewed on the largest size, what appear to be scars from old injuries cover his legs. The wonderful detail of his collar and harness is also visible on the largest size.

It is evident that the man holding the horse moved slightly when the picture was taken, for his face is blurred; however, the features of everyone else in the photograph are clear and expressive. The dapper driver appears to be quite the character. By the way, the driver of a jaunting car was known as a “jarvey.” (Mark that down in case you ever get on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”)