then & now...
the story of it all began back in 1949...
B. McNAMEE & Co. Ltd
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The Story of B. Mc Namee
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he story of B. McNamee began in 1949, Bernard McNamee acquired a terrace of three houses and a large yard at Main Street, Newtownstewart and began a joinery workshop.
Many months were spent (perhaps up to a year), preparing the yard manually by shovel, removing huge quantities of rubbish which were taken away by horse and cart. At the rear of the dwelling house, a workshop was constructed using corrugated iron to accommodate work benches and racks which held all the hand tools (chisels, planes, saws, hammers, drills, clamps etc.), needed for joinery work. No power tools in those days.
Farming Community Work entailed mainly supplying the local farming community with all sorts of wooden artefacts: sheep/cattle troughs, pig feeders, wooden wheelbarrows, and hen houses. Repairs were carried out to farmyard carts, ladders, doors and door frames and sash windows.
Bernard & Brigid McNamee.
ried out by our father cycling out to the country location to carry out a repair or a fitting a new article. Some of the people who worked with our father in those days were Cecil Brown, Raymond Maguire and the late Frank McGonigle. In those early days, our father worked closely with some of the other local tradesmen. In particular the local blacksmith Mr Hugh Harkin. As children, we would be sent to enquire when the iron rims for the cartwheels would be ready, so that the fire could be lit in the back garden, ready to fit the wooden wheel to the iron rim.
The smell of the burning wood and the sizzle of New wooden bodies were also made for flatbed the water used to cool the wheel is one of those lorries. In those early days, off site work was car unforgettable childhood memories.
Stores at Main Street, Newtownstewart.
The cleared timber loft at Main Street, Newtownstewart.
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HARDWARE SHOP OPENS
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s the years progressed, a circular saw was pur- between two houses) and into the yard. Timber chased and the hardware shop at Main Street, from Keys of L/derry or Corry’s had to be shoulder Newtownstewart was opened around 1954-1955. carried. The shop also supplied gas cylinders and had petrol pumps in front of the shop at Main Street. Bernard was subsequently joined in the business by his daughter, Annie Josephine and his son Edmund.
Bricks and blocks were dumped in the entry and carried after school by the young Canning brothers, David and Paddy (who still works for the company).
Hand Carried Cement was supplied in cwt bags. This was hard, As the workshop and storage areas were behind manual work, transporting by hand all supplies to the shop, all supplies had to be hand carried from the yard at the rear of the premises. No forklifts at Main Street up the entry (which was a passageway that time.
LOCAL TRADESMAN Some of the other local tradesmen of the time that our father spoke about were: Ned McNamee and his son Edward, St Eugene’s Street, Newtownstewart, who did fine carpentry work and painting. Sammy McCurdy, at bottom corner of Main Street, Newtownstewart, electrician. John McGlinchey, Mill Street, Newtownstewart, who had a thrashing machine and garage. Ned Morris, Douglas Bridge, Joe McKelvey, St Eugene’s Street, Newtownstewart, Gerard Harkin, St Eugene’s Street, Newtownstewart, painter and sign writer. He painted all the signs of Bernard McNamee’s vehicles. Graham Davis, Moyle Road, Newtownstewart, for whom our father would have fitted lorry bodies. John Beattie, Crosh, Newtownstewart, whose home was renovated by our father along with his brother Patrick. Tommy and Davy Watson, Mill Street, Newtownstewart and Bobby Sharpe, Castle Brae, Newtownstewart, worked with our father worked with on various projects.
One of Bernard’s daughter’s (right) and a friend at NTS shop petrol pumps.
Newtownstewart shop with petrol pumps at front.
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TRANSPORT & THE METRIC SYSTEM
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he first vehicle purchased was a Bedford Van which was used to collect stock from Charles Tennants and Keys in L/Derry. All administration was hand written, most of it undertaken by Bernard McNamee, assisted by his wife, Brigid.
Long hours were spent manually preparing accounts. The launch of decimalisation on 15th February 1971 brought a huge change with the switch from pounds, shillings and pence to decimal currency. Many businesses used dual pricing of supplies for a period of time. There was also the adjustment from pounds and ounces, gallons and pints over to kilograms and litres. This was a complete new learning process for businesses. The Bedford Lorry proofed a reliable vehicle and successive Bedfords’ were purchased as this one shown in a later year.
Value Added Tax The introduction of Value Added Tax in April 1973 added to the burden of calculating invoices. Running a business in general became more legislated with the joining of the European Economic Community (EEC) on 1st January 1973.
The process of introducing the metric system of measurement in place of imperial units was particularly problematic in the measurement of timber lengths.
Although moves to introduce the metric system were agreed by government in 1965, it wasn’t In line with their laws, further changes affected until entry to the EEC in 1973, that EEC directives businesses with the introduction of Health and demanded a more wide spread use of metric sizing. Safety procedures and regulations regarding There were many robust debates between our accountability. father and the sawyer of that time, Arthur Loughrey, when customers continued to place their orders by feet and inches and these had to be converted to metres and centimetres. There were many robust debates
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between our father and the sawyer of that time, Arthur Loughrey, when customers continued to place their orders by feet and inches and these had to be converted to metres and centimetres.
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Conversion from one system to the other did not always produce the exact size expected by the customer. This was a very steep learning curve especially for those who had used imperial measurements for a greater part of their lifetime.
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HAND WRITTEN ACCOUNTS In keeping with the gradual development of computerisation, the company replaced the manual writing of accounts with computerised accounts in 1985.
An invoice showing materials supplied to D. Caldwell 1955, which was discovered by his son David Caldwell in 2013 and the copy kindly returned by him can be viewed framed in our shop
An invoice of materials supplied in 1977 for C. McMenamin - copy supplied to us by his family.
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Further expansion In the ensuing years, the Main Street site was developed with the acquisition of the garden of the neighbouring Bank and Gallagher’s Store at St Eugene’s Street and also the purchase of Joe McGuigan’s yard at Dublin Street, Newtownstewart.
Edmund McNamee with son Bernard and niece Roisin Falconer at time of expansion at top of NTS yard.
NTS shop with Bernard McNamee’s car parked on the street outside.
Patrick McNamee, Bernard’s brother carrying out repairs at NTS hardware shop.
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Edmund McNamee (right) with Sales Rep in NTS hardware shop. Newtownstewart hardware shop is currently managed by Edmund’s son, Sean McNamee.
strabane premises Old portacabin in Strabane branch.
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he business expanded in 1985 with the purchase of approximately six acres of land at Park Road, Strabane. This new hardware branch started trading with two sheds and a small portacabin. A new shed was erected in November 1986. Strabane town suffered a devastating flood on 22 October 1987 after the River Mourne burst its banks, leaving homes and businesses destroyed. Thankfully damage to the Hardware store on Park Road was not as severe as many of the other businesses in the town and loss was mainly confined to Fuel Briquettes.
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STRABANE SHOP UPGRADED
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further shed was built in struction of the northern half yard and a further large store at the 1991, with the plumbing of the Strabane Bypass which top of the yard were completed in store added in 1992. 2001. was completed in 1992. Three acres of land were Band-saws were introduced to Following the purchase of the small vested by DOE Roads Service the Strabane premises in 1992. field adjacent to the Strabane branch in 1991 to facilitate the con- Additional concreting of the in 2004, a new purpose built shop, offices and entire re-concreting of the site were completed in 2005 replacing the portacabin and some of the sheds. The Strabane branch was managed from opening in 1986 by Kevin Falconer, Annie Josephine’s husband, until his retirement in 2004. He was succeeded by his son, Owen Falconer, the current manager. Our advert from the time of the expansion at Park Road, Strabane in the 90’s.
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TRADING FOR OVER 65 YEARS!
Strabane’s new shop and offices in 2005.
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This establishment has all come about by the vision, commitment and hours of hard manual work began by our late parents. We thank God that we were given the health and strength to continue this ethos.
aving traded for over sixty five years in business in Newtownstewart and in Strabane for almost thirty years, we are delighted to be opening this new extension today.
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A special mention must be given to all our staff, past and present. Their loyalty and support from the early years in Newtownstewart to the present, has been deeply appreciated by the family. We should not forget that without the long hours and hard work put in by our father and mother, none of us would be here today.
None of this would have been possible without the As we reach another milestone in opening this support of the people of Newtownstewart, Straextension, we would like to thank all who contribbane and surrounding areas. uted in any way whether it is customers or staff and hope we can continue serving you long into In this present time, we are now serving the grandthe future. children of those people whom our parents would This establishment has all come about by the have served. vision, commitment and hours of hard manual The family are grateful for all theloyalty and sup- work began by our late parents. We thank God that port over these many years and can assure you that we were given the health and strength to continue this ethos. it has not been taken for granted.
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MEET THE OWNERS & STAFF
BIG GROUP PICTURE OF STAFF OUTSIDE STORE/SHOP
Bernard McNamee
Brigid McNamee
Kevin Falconer
Edmund McNamee
Owen Falconer
Annie J. Faulkner
Sean McNamee
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TODAY at B. Mc NAMEE & CO. LTD
NTS shop in present day.
Strabane shop in present day.
B. McNAMEE ADVERT TO GO HERE
with thanks to our sponsors wishing b. mc namee all the best for the
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