We look at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1985...
Travellers' site
SOMETHING seems to be moving at last on the new itinerant site on the Upper Springfield Road. Tenders have gone out this week for a 40 site encampment at Windy Gap near the Turf Lodge estate and work should commence in about six months’ time.
Everyone should hope and pray that the planners have done their work properly on this scheme. Because on its success or failure depends the whole future of proper living conditions for hundreds of itinerants in the greater Belfast area and this is something of great importance, not only to the Travellers themselves but also to the whole population of West Belfast.
We have stressed in the past the very primitive and unhygienic conditions the Travellers are forced to live in, which puts a terrific strain on themselves and the larger community of settled people in West Belfast of which they are an integral part. It is for these reasons that the proper development of this new site is so important and why we hope that the planners have done their work well.
Unfortunately, the record of some of the planners in the greater Belfast area leaves a lot to be desired and in fact the havoc wreaked by some of them over the past twenty years would make one reluctant to let them loose with a lego set, let alone plan the daily living conditions of ordinary people.
It is imperative therefore that we keep a vigilant eye on what is happening on the Springfield Road and that we don't let some "eejit" who never looked beyond a drawing board in his life put a brave new scheme in jeopardy through lack of knowledge of the Travellers' plight or compassion for their cause.
Irish in Britain – an observation
THERE are two types of Irish people living in London. The first type can be found almost everywhere, through all walks of life, and can be readily recognised by a marked keenness to 'get on' in the world. However, to 'get on' in the world of the Anglo-Saxon it pays dividends to become as like him as possible.
It's quite easy when you think about it. We're the same colour, we can speak the same language and all in all he's not that hard to imitate. All that is necessary is the ability to change accents and a willingness to bite your tongue when the occasion demands. It also helps quite a lot to vociferously condemn 'things Irish'. An Ghaelige for example is best described as 'dead' or traditional music as 'just a lot of racket', it is also very beneficial to his social standing if he has the ability to remember and retell the famous 'Irish joke'. After all, it must be alright – we see it almost every day on the TV and from such patriotic Irish folk as Frank Carson, Gloria Hunniford, Henry Kelly etc.
If we move to the second type we find him less obvious. He is usually forced to take a much lower profile and is less likely to 'get on'. On the other hand he is proud of his culture, his country and his heritage and readily proclaims it when called upon.
Unfortunately for the 'fior Gael' he finds himself under constant pressure to assimilate, to 'adapt'. After all this is England, it will only confuse the children. He's here now and he might as well accept it. He'll never 'get on' in the world if he thinks/talks/acts like that. And after all if Ireland means so much to him why did he ever leave?
Finally though it seems as if the 'fior Gael' is re-emerging from his obscurity. There is a new pride in things Irish, especially among the second generation. Whilst Sir John Junor could never have intended it, his racist remarks about Ireland and the Irish created a wave of solidarity never before seen in this country... at least the media which has been baiting the Irish community for so long now know that such insults will not be treated lightly! The Prevention of Terrorism Act is, in a perverse sort of way a compliment to the standing of the ‘fior Gael'. The 'get on' brigade will quite happily justify it as 'a safeguard against terrorism' whilst the 'fior Gael' can see it for what it is – yet another attempt to make him 'assimilate', to join the 'get on' brigade... after all life would be a lot easier. But there is a price to be paid for this 'easy' life. There is the loss of his culture, his heritage, his identity and the emergence of an individual concerned only by material gain, ambition and getting on in life – not particularly worried about the rights of his compatriots or even what flag flies over his country.
TOP SWIMMERS: At the recent Ladies Inter Leisure Centre swimming competition held in the Grove Baths, the Andersonstown Leisure Centre’s June Coyle and Siobhan Hartley had almost a clean sweep of the events. The girls entered six individual events and two relays and they won seven events and came second in the eighth. John Kelly, manager of the Centre, was proud of the girls and made a special presentation to them 
Labour Party man in Divis Flats visit
THE British Labour Party's spokesman on the Six Counties, Peter Archer, paid a flying visit to Divis Flats this week to meet with the local residents’ association.
Mr Archer’s visit on Monday was the subject of a media blackout and his presence in the sprawling flats complex went unrecorded by every newspaper with the exception of the Andersonstown News.
Our photographer who was in Divis to cover another story captured Mr Archer as he was being brought on a tour of the flats by community activists. Mr Archer flew into Belfast especially to meet with the residents of Divis and left again for London later the same day. Members of the Divis Residents’ Association spent two hours with the Labour MP outlining in considerable detail the case for demolition.
He was then taken around a number of projects in Divis, including the Divis Play Centre and the Education Scheme. In a statement released after Mr Archer's visit, the Divis Residents’ Association thanked the trade union NUPE for arranging the visit.
