Belvoir Estate Belfast My Sentimental Tour

[@florencemcneill7410]

Hi Tom I just watched your video on Belvior Park ,it was great .I lived in the masonetts Dunseverick Lodge for 2 years then moved to Castlecoole PK for another 10 years before I immigrated to Canada .Your video brought back wonderful memories for me off my time in Belvior PK .We were living there when they blow up the Forensic lab remember our Windows shaking and I thought they were going to blow out !! Thank you for sharing .greeting from Alberta Canada .

[@TomMcClean]

Wow! brilliant to hear from you all the way from Alberta, Florence. I taught in Newtownbreda High school along the carriageway. My wife Tanya came from Castledillon road near the Methodist and Church of Ireland. I remember the bomb going off and the aftermath! How anyone wasn't killed I will never know! I'm so glad yo have brought back happy memories too. I have quite a number of videos about my old school and from in and around Belvoir. I thought it was a super estate with the forest nearby. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh Hills.

[@Dhuleb2]

I grew up in castlecoole pk. I was only a baby when the forensics lab was blown up so I don’t remember it. Mum and dad still remember it. You probably knew my mum and dad.

[@aleckeagan3895]

Nice video Tom. Remember you and all the old teachers from NHS,or NSS as it was back then. A great school and the best time of my life,if I'm honest. Brought up in Belvoir and returned as it was always home to me,and a great place to live with everything you had around you.

[@TomMcClean]

Hi Alec, What a lovely post. I enjoyed my time at NHS too. I stayed for nearly 30 years and did all my teaching there before getting out on early retirement. A lot of the other teachers stayed for decades as well. This says a lot about the place. Teachers loved it as well as most of the pupils. We are still in and around Belvoir forest a lot.We go for walks there all the time. I videoed the wildflower area along the drive a few weeks ago. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereahj hills.

[@aminman15]

I went to Newtonbreda High School across the carriageway 15 years ago; nice to see the forestry has matured nicely. The trees are huge now, and the entrance to Belvoir has become a lot nicer. Even the carriageway. haha

[@TomMcClean]

Yes it is well matured Opie. The forest has had difficulties over the years. Quite a number os trees had to be cut down as they were infected by disease. Happily these bad days have passed. I had just retired from NHS a few years before. Best wishes

[@aweedander4989]

OMG don't get me going about Belvoir! I cried when I left in 1983

[@TomMcClean]

Oh deat A Wee Dander. I hope this brought back happy memories. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh Hills.

[@aweedander4989]

@@TomMcClean Really good memories from living there. I lived in 5B Breda House from 1973 till 1983 ( from P1 in Belvoir Primary till 1983 when we moved to Lisburn) Went to Newtownbreda High 1982 = 1985 . Great video by the way!!

[@TomMcClean]

I was teaching in NHS over those years. Belvoir was a good place to live the forest and the Lagan on one whole side and Supermac a long walk away but you had the shops in the Square.Very few real baddies about in it and apart from the Belvoir bomb relatively untouched by the Troubles.

[@aweedander4989]

@@TomMcClean 100% Tom, you're so right. There was no chance of getting cabin fever living in Belvoir, as kids we had the run of the place from one end to the other and the forest, we covered the lot! Only as far as the top of Grays Park mind you, or Dunservick at the other end then you had to turn back as of course we weren't allowed to cross the dual carriage way lol

[@TomMcClean]

A wise and safe rule made by your parents!

[@healey100austin]

Nice view of the house I grew up in,82 Milltown Rd.Went to the primary school too,We left after the Stagg Inn shooting in 76 😢

[@TomMcClean]

Hi H100A, I missed hearing about the Stag shooting but I remember it being gutted by fire in 1977. Best wishes from Belfast

[@healey100austin]

I moved back for a while to Castlehume gdns,now live in Chester.Nigel.😁

[@TomMcClean]

Right Nigel I hope it was the right decision for you.

[@healey100austin]

Tom,it sure was.😎

[@andybrown223]

Lovely video!you filmed the square,that's my band hall,and our flags up around it.our band hold a culture day every year,which was started to fund the owners of the houses ,which my relatives house was wrecked with the roof coming off too.she worked in the forensic lab as well.lovely estate,and really nice people.across from Belvoir beside the garage is the old orange hall,which once was our band hall.their is a nice ww1 memorial at the hall which was made by our band members.

[@TomMcClean]

Right Andy. I reckon Belvoir is the best estate in Belfast. In my 30 years teaching i can't remember any major trouble in the whole estate.

[@SteveL84]

Hi Tom. I grew up in Belvoir for 22 years and went to Belvoir PS and Newtownbreda HS. You actually taught me RE at Newtownbreda. It was and still is the best estate to grow up in. I've moved away now to Wales and my parents have recently moved away from Belvoir too. But my granny and sister still live there so there is still a connection and I visit regular with my own kids. Newtownbreda was definitely the best secondary school to go to. I wasn't the brightest but the teachers there always pushed you to get on. Many good friends were made at the school also. Good times! Very nostalgic watch even though I'm only early 30s

[@TomMcClean]

Hi Steve, What a wonderful post. Thank you so much for posting. ( Anyone reading this will think I paid you money to say this! lol ) I'm delighted you have great memories of Belvoir and the schools. I know that everyone will not have had such a good time but it was a happy environment to grow up in for most people young and older. Belvoir was/is a brilliant estate. I don't think it has ever been given the credit by the media etc for being so. For such a massive estate there was rarely any real trouble. There were so many good people who made the difference for so many. Unfortunately time waits for no man and many folks have died but they left a good legacy which lives on in the ethos of the place. Belvoir was fantastic to have green wide open spaces to ride a bike or kick a ball always nearby and then there was the massive forest and the Lagan. All of this was often within sight of your own front door! I have fond memories too. I made life long friends both adult and among the pupil who are now all grown up often with kids of their own. I'm glad you have children of your own and still have a family link to Belvoir which means that you will be back now and again. I am constantly amazed where former NHS pupils are now living and what tey are doing. Some are on the other side of the world! Hey Steve I have a stack of videos on my channel about Newtownbreda High School days with old staff photos and filmed walks round the corridors etc Please pass this info on to anyone you are still in contact with from the old days. Brilliant hearing from you! Best wishes and God bless. Tom

[@SteveL84]

Tom McClean Hi Tom, I had actually recently watched your you tube videos about NHS and remember a a lot of the teachers. I was a pupil from 95 - 00. It is a shame that the school has now lost its identity forever and can remember signing a petition a few years ago against the amalgamation with Knock. With reference to your video I can remember well that the school not only took on pupils from Belvoir and Breda areas but from far and wide around Belfast and beyond. My classmates came not just from Belvoir but from South, East and North Belfast as well as Carryduff, Saintfield, Comber and as far as Ballynahinch which says a lot about NHS. I know there are many other good communities in Belfast but in my opinion Belvoir was 110% best place to grow up. Mainly because of the natural green area around the estate to play sport ride a bike and explore the lagan valley regional park right on your doorstep. There were also great youth groups too having been in scouts at ardnavalley and BB in Methodist and COI churches as well as football teams to play for within the estate. It is hands down a top place! I would go back in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose. My wife who is from Cardiff and has visited with me many times has said what a brilliant and friendly place Belvoir park is.

[@TomMcClean]

The whole forced amalgamation of NHS with KHS was and has proved to be a disaster. I could go into a massive rant for about a week about this but there you are..............what's done is done. 'Important' number crunchers and people who just didn'y give a fig in the Department of Education got their way and destroyed NHS. The whole truth will out some day and the only response will be, 'Lessons have been learned.' Well who knows what the future may bring Steve? Be patient and bide your time, work away and raise your wee family and who knows the way may open for you to come back. Your kids best always comes first and if they are settled where they are at the minute, well you'll maybe just have to wait. You gotta weigh up the pros and cons. Anyway I totally agree with your comments about Belvoir. We go over and walk the forest quite a bit and we still have family/friends connection to Belvoir. The place was good to me all those years ago when I arrived as a blow in from Banbridge. I have alot to be grateful for landing up there and getting a job in NHS. Life has been very kind to me and I appreciate that. Take care.

[@jeanettekennedy7433]

Great video i enjoyed it thank you

[@TomMcClean]

I value your support jeanette.

[@TheCrescentFusilier0961]

Brilliant Tom, a lot of people moved to Belvoir/Milltown from the Sandy Row, Donegall Road and Donegall Pass areas. Best kept large housing estate a few times, even when bombed by the IRA

[@TomMcClean]

Hi Robbie, Belvoir has to be, ( in my opininion ) the top council housing estate in Belfast in terms of views, well built housing, friendly community atmosphere, good amenities, well kept appearance. Thanks for your encouraging comment. Best wishes

[@mawhinney2.026]

I loved ther when bombed by the ra. Miltown

[@sentimentaloldme]

Good video Tom. I think the estate was built around 66/67. As a matter of interest the people that moved in there..where would they mostly have come from? I presume Belfast? .

[@TomMcClean]

Hi Michael, They began building Belvoir in the early 1960s on a green field site, with the bulk of the building taking place right through to the 1990s. Really the building work hasn't really stopped because they are alway adding new bits. e g the many pensioner bungalows. Most of the residents would have moved out of inner Belfast. Unfortuantley the majority of the people moving to Belvoir were almost 100% from a Protestant background. There was no mixing of residents -Protestant/Caatholic. Back then this was deliberate policy- to keep them apart to avoid trouble. Catholics were allocated house in their own areas of West Belfast. During the 1970s a lot of 'Protestant' folk were forced out of 'Catholic' areas like Suffolk/Lenadoon and came to Belvoir. This is why my father in law brought his family. You were threatened out or burnt out so you got out quick. this happened the other way round too to Catholics.

[@sentimentaloldme]

Tom...It looks like a beautiful estate...Every place is so clean and tidy...

[@TomMcClean]

Yes the Council are doing a good job and the majority of folks do make an effort with their gardens. A lot of the properties have now been bought by their occcupiers. I think they could do this after 15 years or so. The prices were very low compared to the market prices so they all got bargains. I've been inside a lot of these houses visiting parents etc and the ones i saw were very good properties.

[@TheCrescentFusilier0961]

@@sentimentaloldme - Sandy Row, Donegall Road and Donegall Pass

[@IAte50TwistedPebbles]

I'm a P3 in at it Shcool

[@TomMcClean]

Belvoir is a great place to live and Belvoir PS is a super school. Best wishes.

[@prawnjohn]

My ex girlfriend`s, girlfriend came form here in the 1980`s

[@TomMcClean]

Belvoir is like a town. It is massive but folks don't realize it because it is well hidden.