WE look back at the stories that were making the headlines this week in the Andersonstown News in 1982
WORK: The housing development in the New Lodge in 1982
Fears over UDR home census on Catholics
PEOPLE in nationalist areas are concerned at the disclosure this week that the UDR has set up its own intelligence network, independent of the RUC and British Army.
This emerged following a late night census collecting exercise by a UDR patrol at a Catholic house in Dunmurry at 11.30pm last Friday night.
The family answered a knock on the door and where confronted by a UDR foot patrol who said they were carrying out a census. The householder gave his own name but refused to supply details on the other people in his home, pointing out that the British military are not authorised to carry out a census.
After a short discussion the Dunmurry man closed the door on the UDR and rang up Woodbourne Barracks. There, the desk sergeant said at first the RUC patrol had no knowledge of a UDR patrol in the area and agreed that the UDR is not authorised to collect census type information.
Later, however, the RUC again called the man back and admitted that there had been a UDR patrol in the area. The family in question fear that the UDR have now begun compiling information on all Catholics living in the fringe areas around Dunmurry.
This incident has added weight to recent speculation that the British authorities have sanctioned the UDR’s compiling of detailed dossiers on Catholics.
It is also believed that high ranking UDR officers have been appointed to the staff of the Army intelligence Corps at Thiepval Barracks – headquarters of all British intelligence operations.
Computer files are kept on 750,000 people in the North but before now the UDR enjoyed only restricted access, through the RUC, to this information.
UDR members have been convicted of over 250 ‘off-duty’ crimes since the regiment’s inception in 1970. These include the Miami Showband murders and the assassination of South Derry farmer, Samuel Millar. It is thought that a considerable percentage of the UDR’s 7,5000 members are connected with paramilitary organisations.
Hazel Getty, Madge Cheddy, Teresa McFall, Meta Wilson, Lily Houston and Margaret Porter at the Falls Bowling and Tennis Club grand opening in August 1982
New homes in New Lodge
Painstaking precautions are being taken in the building of a Housing Executive development in the New Lodge which fronts onto the Antrim Road.
Every effort is being made by the contractors to ensure the new buildings blend in with the old shops which have been left standing.
Nine houses in the 29 house site have been finished to date. These are on the New Lodge Road, and have been occupied for almost a month now. The development also takes in houses in Donore Court and Annadale Street which is being built as a cul-de-sac.
Massive cellars below the demolished shops and houses on the Antrim Road posed quite a headache for the contractors. To overcome the problems the basements were filled in giving the new three storey homes huge foundations.
A special brick, imported from England, ‘Butterlee Old English Brindle’ is being used in the development.
The first homes to be finished in Donore Court are expected in three weeks while the entire development should be completed by November.
Good news for the punters is that Lynch’s Bar, which stands unoccupied on the corner of the New Lodge and Antrim Roads, is not to be knocked down. Deemed a building of historical interest, the 100-year-old building, plus premises, has been put up for sale.
Golden anniversary of Joe and Peggy Gillen from Theresa Street with children Sally, Joe, Marie and Geraldine
Editorial: Stormont and SDLP
THE decision by the SDLP to fight the new Stormont elections, but not take their seats immediately, should not create too many problems for British Secretary of State James Prior.
At this stage his only concern is to hold an election in which a substantial number of politicians from both sides of the religious divide would participate, even though some of them are threatening not to take their seats if elected.
The only way that Prior’s plans could have been frustrated would have been through a complete boycott by politicians from the nationalist side, which would have rendered the election null and void in the eyes of the world.
At this stage Prior is not too worried about the make-up of the new Stormont, or what way the discussions will develop. The SDLP decision to work the system means that he has succeeded in his first aim, and a couple of months in politics is a very long time.
The SDLP leadership was in a very difficult position over the election, with the party split down the middle, and in the end succeeded in saving the day by buying one half of the party and fighting the election, and conning the other half in announcing a short term abstention.
No one can have much doubt that the SDLP will eventually participate in the new Stormont when all the hue and cry has died down, and the end result will be exactly the same as if they had announced full participation from the start.
The only thing one can hope for now, is that the Nationalist population will be so disgusted with the whole sordid business that they will do the sensible thing on polling day, and stay away from the booths and let the budding politicians weep into their rosettes.
Enjoying the evening at the Falls Bowling and Tennis Club grand opening
