John Gilbert
I studied Architecture at Queens University between 1966 and 1972. Lived at 7 Rugby Road, moving to 9 Rugby Road after we restored it (owned by Queens), shared the flat with a number of people like Marcus Patton, then Stewart Parker and his wife Kate Ireland, Madelaine Stewart and quite a few others. Worked for the Planning Projects Unit at Queens University on the Markets area and then on the Taughmona estate when working with the Housing Executive.
In the late 1960s I worked on a Student magazine called ‘Interest’ and did a feature on Sandy Row where I took photos. I soon got involved with the community and helped Hector McMillan and Harry Fletcher to fight the Belfast Urban Motorway. Campaigned against the ring road and attended the Public Enquiry into it. Worked with Ron Weiner to organise a ‘motorway teach in’.
Even gave a talk at Long Kesh about the proposed motorway (however the wardens did not allow me to take in any maps of the city!). Met Fred Lancaster and Doff Pollard who were youth workers at Sandy Row and who organised a demonstration, they worked from Hope Street Church and did some great work.
When working with Cliff Moughten at the Planning Projects Unit at Queens, probably around 1977, I worked with the Markets Redevelopment Association which then had Joe Mills and Billy Magill and Patrick Riall. Prepared a plan to show that terraced housing could be built at the same density as the mega blocks planned for the area under the CDA program. Eventually the architects, Taggarts, designed a scheme that more or less helped to keep the community in place although regrettably there was no strategy to save the commercial shops in Cromac street. We had proposed that new ‘garages’ could be built to house the horses that were used for trotting in the area.
The writer Stewart Parker (who wrote ’Spokesong’) asked me to take some photos of Stone’s Bike shop in Cromac Square and I also went with Stewart to photograph the area where he was brought up in Sydenham.
I was involved in the Davis Flats at one point, seeing the flats being built and was shown around by a resident who was eventually interned.
I also worked with Louis Boyle who was a community worker and Bob and Ruth Overy, so that led me into other areas of Belfast. Strangely, at no time was housing ever on the agenda at Architecture school. I am not sure if that has changed much.
The photos of Aldergrove Airport were taken for a friend who was also studying architecture for his final year design on airports. I think it was in about 1968. One pf the shots also shows my sister and her new husband, leaving for a flight to London.
I left Belfast in 1976 to study planning at Sheffield University, but soon left the course and ended up joining ASSIST Architects in Glasgow to work on housing projects, mostly restoring tenements.
Set up my own architecture practice in 1992 and retired from it in 2020. I am still involved in a website which encourages people to maintain their tenements and flats, called ‘underoneroof’.
John Gilbert
Aldergrove Airport
demolition
Divis Flats
Initially I went to Divis during the construction of the Divis Flats. I was shown around by Jim McWilliams of the Divis Housing Action Group (Jim was later to be interned) probably around 1970.
It was shocking to see the dereliction of the old terraced houses, people were forced out of their homes by the conditions. The Divis flats were similar to the flats in the Gorbals in Glasgow, a scissor plan accessed off a deck. Security for residents was poor and condensation rife.
I was looking down from the flats at the dereliction (Divis Flats 09) when a saracen swerved into the puddle in the picture and deliberately soaked a woman pushing a pram. After that I had no faith in the ‘British’ presence.
When I worked in the Housing Executive in 1975-76 I had to attend some meetings with residents on behalf of the Executive. The play area was awful, but the main complaint was that you couldn’t get a coffin into a lift. The meeting also had soldiers at it with their guns.
When I was in Glasgow, the residents asked me to return to prepare a report on the flats, which I did. The flats have since been demolished thankfully.
Flood 1973
Gasworks
Jackie Campbell
Retired boxer at 62 Cullingtree Road. Jackie lived on his own in a rather run down house on Cullingtree Road, Pound Loney (Divis).
Jackie Campbell was a professional boxer who was active between 1931 and 1947. He boxed at bantamweight; featherweight; lightweight and took part in 150 professional contests.
Lower Shankill
Markets
Miscellaneous
People
Rag Day 1967
Sandy Row 12th July
Sandy Row Bars
Sandy Row Bus-run
Sandy Row Chippie
Sandy Row people
Sandy Row Redevelopment campaign - City Centre
Sandy Row Redevelopment campaign - In the area
Sandy Row Redevelopment campaign - Meetings and characters
Sandy Row shops
Sandy Row snooker
Sandy Row Stalls
Sandy Row Streets and housing conditions
Streets and Entries
Streets and Entries 18 is Rugby Road. The other streets sometimes have addresses but I really cannot remember their names. Most will have been destroyed I suspect.
Sunningdale housing estate
I’ve no captions to add to these photos. I was helping community worker Louis Boyle to identify issues on the estate.
Sydenham
Took these (mostly) when Stewart Parker showed me around the area as he was born in Sydenham.
Taughmonagh Housing Estate
I went to the estate on a number of occasions, first to identify environmental problems on the estate (I think again with Louis Boyle) Then when men from Sandy Row were dismantling a bungalow to re erect it as a ‘community hall’ (UDA drinking Den) in Sandy Row. I found the construction fascinating, all the aluminium trusses were so light, had not rusted and were held together with aluminium nuts and bolts. Only the outer sheets had corroded at the base.
I also went to Taughmonagh estate when I was working at the Housing Executive and helped prepare the layout for now houses on the estate. Had to inspect some of the houses. Inside one I accidentally came across a machine gun that was hidden under cushions on a sofa. Sorry I cannot date the photos but between 1972-1976.
Troubles
Galleries
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Social media
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Great book launch for Michael McCann at Cultúrlann! Pick up a copy of his Burnt Out: How the Troubles Began!… https://t.co/M9GHarkXCG
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RT @Inter_Arch: Nice to see more material on the Belfast Archive website. Includes Gerry Collins shots of Bombay St in August 1969… https://t.co/kgtGGySLiK
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RT @Inter_Arch: Bombay St, 1969 and first (Troubles-era) barricades in #Belfast. Photos by Gerry Kelly on @ArchiveBelfast https://t.co/H4mAW2GHRX
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Thanks Vicky! https://t.co/MhiaSys4Lr
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Planning some great projects for the year! https://t.co/c3zz0DXaqi
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We have come a long way since we started building the BAP two years ago. Check out this 2016 article from the Irish… https://t.co/SJF7nHksDD