28th June, 2001
Last Saturday I drove down to Carrigaline to
check out the open day at the Co-op superstore: What a fantastic
store!! Ultra modern. With everything one could possibly need for
the home. There were thousands of people there enjoying
themselves, competitions, spin the wheel, jazz band, free food,
etc. It was about 11:30 when I drove down and the traffic was
quite heavy then, but the Gardai and the stewards kept it flowing
freely. I spent about a half an hour there, met some ‘Weekly’
readers, took some photos, and then it was back to Douglas for
another engagement. If you have not checked out this superstore
yet, take a trip down, it really is a credit to all concerned.
Everyday I meet readers of the Douglas Weekly and we chat for a
while about different issues and things that upset and concern
them. One person told me the she passed a house where the owner
had cut the hedge which was facing the footpath; but the owner
had left the hedge cuttings on the footpath, for somebody else to
sweep up!!
Another reader, a pensioner, told me that O.A.P.’s do not
have access to free travel on the buses until after 9:45am. It
seems a bit unfair that the elderly who have worked all their
lives, paid their taxes , are now treated like second class
citizens, confined to a second class timetable. Perhaps we need a
Momma Rossa Parks in Douglas. For those of you not familiar with
Grandmother Rosa Parkes, she was a black woman who lived in one
of the southern U.S. states in the early 60’s. The bus
companies had a segregation role that all blacks had to sit at
the back of the bus. One hot day this tired grandmother got on
the bus and sat in the front seat, the driver told her to move to
the back of the bus, but Rosa Parkes refused. The driver called
the police and Rosa was taken off. Word spread around and every
black person in the state boycotted the bus companies. Within a
short time the bus companies were losing thousands of dollars and
eventually the rule was scrapped and black people sat where they
wanted to “because when Momma Parkes sat down, the whole
world stood up.”
Another reader telephoned me with a story of what happened to her
and her family on her birthday. I asked her to write it down,
because sometimes in a telephone conversation we tend to omit
certain things, or I forget them!! So the woman concerned dropped
in a letter today, signed with her address and telephone number
included. The person’s daughter had booked a table for three
people in a Douglas restaurant. The meal was to celebrate the
woman’s birthday. The booking was for 1:00pm. They arrived
at 12:57pm, were shown to a table and given a menu. According to
the woman they were ignored, whilst people who arrived after them
were served. Finally at 1:30 pm the family left. When the woman
got home she telephoned the restaurant, she spoke to the manager
who apologised for the staff not doing their job, but assured the
caller it was “nothing personal”. We only have one
birthday a year and its a shame that such a special day was
ruined for this family. I’ve always said that the best form
of advertising is a satisfied customer, because they’ll
spread the good news.
I called down to the new betting shop in Douglas today. Paddy
Power has come to Douglas. It’s situated in the heart of
Douglas village. This is real comfort for the customer, lots of
seating, with more T.V screens than Rupert Murdoch has, Bright,
pleasant staff should ensure that Paddy Power is here to stay in
Douglas, and you can bet on that!!
I called over to Ross’s Bakery yesterday (next to the Silver
Key ) actually, my wife sent me over for a “Spotted Dick”
,an apple tart and a loaf of bread, I called in next door to say
“Hello” to Claire Caulfield in her flower shop. Elaine
told me that her father Donie Caulfield is 60 years old this week.
Donie is one of Cork’s finest singers on the circuit. So if
you should drop in some day for some flowers and you see a dark
haired man with glasses, if he has his guitar with him, he might
just give you a couple of verses of “Roses are Red”,
Happy Birthday Donie!!
Good luck to Alan Foley on his new barber shop which is opening
on Monday 22 July in Tramway Terrace. Alan has been involved in
the hairdressing business for the past ten years and now he has
decided to take the giant step!! We spoke for a while, then Alan
told me that his grandfather is so pleased to see his articles
each week in the Douglas weekly: for a second I thought perhaps
Alan’s grandfather was a PRO for a sports club sending in
results every week. Then Alan told me his grandfathers name , Con
Foley, the man who wrote the History of Douglas! Greetings to Con
and his wife, I hope you’re both well, and Con, when can we
expect to see ‘The History of Douglas - Part 2’?
Good luck to Galway man Vincent Ledwith, now living in Douglas
who’s expertise in all aspects of financial services are
available to anybody needing his professional advice.
Finally a joke for the week
God: “Noah, I want you to build another Ark”
Noah:“the same as he last one, Lord?”
God: “No, I want you to build a six storey one”
Noah: “I suppose the same animals as before?”
God: ‘No, I want it filled with one type of fish”
Noah: “What type Lord ?”
God:”Carp”.
Noah:”Why Lord, only filled with Carp?”
God: “Because I always wanted a six storey Carp Ark!!!!”
Bye for now,
Michael O’Hanlon.
