Northern Notes

By Debbie Orme Notes

Keeping them down on the farm..

Visitors to Slemish Farm enjoy the craic, while Rae (background) prepares some traditional Norn Iron food!

With ‘staycations’ on most people’s agendas this year, it’s great to know that the North’s Mid and East Antrim areas has plenty to offer everyone.

The area’s beautiful landscape, with its rolling hills and blue skies has been heavily promoted over the last few years – even during the pandemic! – with a view to offering a wide range of interesting and often unique activities to both Northern Ireland’s population – and those from further afield.

The province is well known for its farming industry and at Slemish Farm Tours, visitors can embrace what grassroots farming is truly about. ‘Our farm tours really do provide the ultimate learning experience for adults and children over twelve years of age,’ says owner, Rae Kirk, who runs the business with her brother, Thomas Moorhead. ‘The farm has been in our family for six generations and Thomas, our father, and Thomas’ son still work the farm today.

‘We farm cattle and sheep, but we also have a soft spot for other farm animals, including donkeys, pygmy goats and hens. We also grow our own vegetables and trees, doing as much as possible to sustain the environment and work with nature to protect the wildlife around the farm.’ Although she’d spent her childhood on the farm, once Rae married, she became a ‘townie’, working in offices and travelling extensively with her husband. It was while returning from a holiday to Spain, however, as she was flying over Northern Ireland’s beautiful green countryside and mountains, that Rae decided to share the beauty of the area with tourists.

Once home, Rae trained as a tour guide and began to fulfil her dream of showcasing everything she loved about home with people visiting the area. During her training, Rae conducted a tour of the farm: a tour, which proved so popular that Slemish Farm Tours was born.

‘Farming,’ says Rae, ‘is more than a job – it’s a way of life – which six generations of this family can vouch for. As well as enjoying the fabulous farm tour and going out over the fields in a trailer pulled by our tractor, Thomas takes visitors on a walk and explains how further development of the environmental aspects of farming is important. The tour also provides the opportunity to see the great range of farm machinery and implements and learn how they’ve been used through the years.

‘Any visit to the farm wouldn’t be complete, of course, without meeting our four-legged family of animals. From pygmy goats and donkeys, to cattle and sheep, visitors have the opportunity pet and fed them. Then, once the tour is over, we then welcome everyone into the kitchen for the ‘yarn and craic’, where they can enjoy traditional Northern Ireland dishes of stew, shepherd’s pie or champ, while listening to stories of the ‘olden days’.

Heather (middle) helps her clients to create their own unique pieces.

Heather showcases her crafts to locals and visitors

For those more interested in arts and crafts, meanwhile, Gobbins Crafts, which is based in the picturesque village of Islandmagee on the worldfamous Causeway Coastal Route enables owner, Heather McFadden, to showcase the joy of jewellery making for both locals and tourists alike.

‘Throughout history,’ says Heather, ‘the island of Ireland has seen some of the most beautiful pieces of jewellery created. My classes allow people to create their own unique pieces. To see the delight when someone sits down with a strip or sheet of silver and transforms it into a ring, knot or pendant is wonderful.’

Heather has been showcasing the joy of making jewellery for the past four years, and is going from strength to strength. ‘I had been teaching at Belfast Metropolitan College for a number of years,’ says Heather, ‘and I wanted to develop this further by offering my own classes. Over the last few years, jewellery making has proven to be something that more and more people want to learn and I firmly believe that, in light of the pandemic and people’s need to staycation in Northern Ireland, more people will be searching for new and interesting ways to spend their holiday time.

‘Here in the north, we have always had an extensive world of crafting, but with so few classes outside colleges offering the basics, I wanted to offer something that everyone could participate in at every level. That’s why I’ve now got something for everyone – from taster classes to fourweek evening courses – so everyone can embrace the experience!’

Alderman ‘honoured and humbled’ by award

Bannside Councillor, Alderman Tommy Nicholl MBE, has thanked the people of the area for their loyalty and support during his 40-year career in local government, after he was presented with a prestigious award from outgoing Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Peter Johnston.

Alderman Nicholl, who was first elected to the former Ballymena Borough Council in May, 1981, said he was ‘humbled and honoured’ to receive a special certificate from Councillor Johnston in his last official engagement of his Mayoral term.

‘I have fought eleven elections over the course of 40 years as a councillor and have been privileged to represent the Bannside constituency throughout all of that time,’ Alderman Nicholl said. ‘The people of the area have remained loyal to me and I am deeply appreciative of that support. I have a great love for the Bannside people and I have been proud to lobby and campaign on their behalf on a wide range of issues, from roads, to health and education.

‘It was an honour for me to serve as Mayor for two terms, during 2000/01 and 2005/06, and to be able to work for all the people of the Borough, across all sections of the community. My wife, Ellen, was only 44 when she died, but my sons, Raymond and Norman, and the many wonderful friends I have made throughout my life, have given me such support and joy. I am truly grateful to every one of them for being by my side throughout the last 40 years.’

Northern Notes NI 100 programme unveiled by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has launched its NI 100 programme to coincide with Northern Ireland’s 100th anniversary.

Launched against the iconic backdrop of the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland’s only World Heritage Site, the once-in-a-life anniversary encourages everyone to ‘Glance Back, Look Forward’ while showcasing Causeway Coast and Glens’ unique achievements, people and places.

‘We’re proud of where we live,’ said the Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Alderman Mark Fielding, ‘and we want to showcase this through our programme of events which will take place between now and the end of the year. As a Council we want to mark this important date by focussing on our Borough and its place within Northern Ireland. We have a rich past and generations of people who have made an enormous contribution to all facets of life throughout the past century and into the present day.’ Among the programme events are:

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Alderman Mark Fielding and Councillor Michelle Knight McQuillan, Chair of Council’s NI 100 Working Group, pictured at the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland’s only World Heritage Site, for the official launch of Council’s NI 100 programme of events.

100 Years – Our Famous Sons and Daughters May 2021 – March 2022 An online exhibition showcasing the achievements of 100 individuals with links to the Borough over the last 100 years, who have made a positive contribution to people’s lives.

NI 100 Commemorative Floral Displays June 2021 Themed floral displays will be created across the Borough enhancing our urban areas while increasing biodiversity. Eat Local Celebration Summer 2021 In association with Taste Causeway, visitors can learn more about the provenance and heritage of our local food, meet local producers and suppliers through a series of videos and menu demonstrations.

For more information, visit causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/ni-100

Back to the past for Natalie

Tracing the family tree has become increasingly popular over the last decade but, while many choose to research their own genealogy, family historian and genealogist, Natalie Bodle, has found her research services in increasing demand.

As a child, Natalie had always been interested in her family’s past, but, thanks to her company Roots Revealed, Natalie has now taken her research to the next level as she assists clients from the States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand with finding out about the generations that preceded them. ‘I had had many years’ experience of researching family trees,’ Natalie tells Northern Notes, ‘and found genealogy such an absorbing and interesting hobby that I decided to work towards a professional qualification. I completed a postgraduate certificate in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies at the University of Strathclyde, with the aim of setting up my own business as a genealogist and family historian.’

Natalie feels that the link to the past is something that many people now want to discover. ‘I suppose it’s important to have a connection with the past,’ she says, ‘and with people that you don’t even necessarily know. The more you find out about these people, the more real they become, and you can build a picture of their lives and you can tell their stories. though they’re not my ancestors – and they’re other people’s family trees – I find the work very rewarding.

‘The fact that you can discover information for people that they really want to know, often something that they’ve been researching for many years and that has eluded them, they’re thrilled with it, and I’m really pleased to be able to help them on their ancestral journey.’

Irish genealogy research has a reputation for being difficult due to the destruction of many documents, but Ballymena-based Natalie’s experience and knowledge of where to source records means she can provide detailed family histories.

‘Sometimes,’ Natalie continues, ‘people come over here from countries such as the US and Canada want to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors. They want to visit the places where their ancestors lived.

‘There might still be a little cottage that would be lying in ruins somewhere, and it’s great when we can find that – or maybe the graveyards where some of their ancestors are buries, or the churches where they were married, or places where they worked or the towns and the streets that they walked down. They want to be able to have that connection with the land and walk in their ancestors’ footsteps.’ Natalie says that local access provide added information for her.

‘I recently had undertaken family research for a client to find out about his family before they emigrated to America. And we knew that some of his family were buried in a particular graveyard. It’s a nice old graveyard and I was able to take photographs and provide him with photos of his ancestors’ headstones. He was delighted with that the information on some of the headstones expanded the family tree even further.

‘People will often find me in a variety of locations. Sometimes, of course, I’ll be sitting in front of the computer at my home office, but at other times I can be in the Public Records Office in Belfast, the General Register Office out at Stranmillis, the Central Library in Belfast and yes, even the Linen Hall Library in Belfast.

‘My hometown of Ballymena has a great local studies section as well, and you can also find me sometimes walking around old graveyards, searching for headstones. The newspaper library is another great place as well. There’s an awful lot of records that aren’t available online, that locally-based genealogists such as myself can access.’

Roots Revealed founder, Natalie Bodle, in the Linen Hall Library in Belfast.

Strong uptake in Lifetime Loans since new availability in January

Home refurbishment or retrofit most popular use of funds

With a well flagged pent-up demand for lifetime loans, as the product was not available for several years, it wasn’t surprising that Spry Finance have been busy since re-launching in January.

Even before the relaunch, they had built a significant pipeline of unsolicited leads from prospective borrowers who had joined their waiting list on their website. Demand has remained consistent which isn’t surprising as the number of Irish people aged 60 or older has increased by over 50% since lifetime loans were first introduced into the market back in the early 2000s. Today’s over 60s are also more active and feeling younger at heart than ever before – arguably therefore having an even greater desire than their predecessors to maintain a certain level of lifestyle in retirement. Unfortunately, adequate pension planning and provision has not improved much in that period for many of this new and growing cohort of over 60s who now face the same classic issue of being asset rich but cash poor.

How people use the funds Spry's experience over the last few months would indicate that borrowers will continue to use the loan proceeds in similar ways to those previously experienced in Ireland and other countries. The loans are typically used for more than one purpose, but consistently the most common use is to fund works to the home to make it more comfortable and energy efficient. After that, clearing residual debts to free up monthly cashflow and funding specific care or medical expenses are amongst the variety of other purposes for which the loan proceeds are used. These are generally once-off expenses that may be a challenge to fund solely from a retiree’s existing pension income.

Experience in other countries The reasons behind lifetime Loans’ consistent popularity in other countries are primarily that older homeowners are often ‘asset-rich’ but ‘cash-poor’ and do not have access to a traditional re-mortgage product due to their reduced income and their age. Cashflow is the big issue. Many of these people live in homes that need upgrading and/or retrofitting. They may also need money for healthcare needs, or simply for everyday purchases. But understandably, many people in their 60s and 70s don’t want to sell their homes – downsizing is an attractive option for some – but not for all. Other finance options for this cohort might be to take in a lodger by way of the rent a room scheme; to get financial support from family or friends; to use existing savings if available and/or more efficient budgeting of income and expenditure. Again, these are all worthwhile options for people to consider depending on their individual situation and their needs. A lifetime loan is just that – a solution for a certain situation – it’s certainly not for everyone, but for many people it satisfies a real need and indeed a want for additional funds to support them in later years.

Getting good advice Making any financial decision must be approached with prudence – especially one of this size. Interested parties must know all the facts and figures and use them to assess whether this option is right for them. Speaking with a lifetime loan expert and taking separate independent legal advice is essential. Experience indicates that applicants also often include their sons or daughters in the decisionmaking process, as it’s often a case that the family home would become part of their inheritance further down the line. Most sons and daughters invariably wish their parents latter years to be as comfortable as possible and accept that this may involve a reduction in any future inheritance they may ultimately receive.

All applicants are encouraged to take their time in deciding whether a lifetime loan is right for them.

The concept This financial product allows people to release some of the equity (value) in their home without having to sell it or move out. Effectively, a person borrows a lump sum secured on their residence. The amount depends on their age and the value of their house. For example, an 80-year-old can borrow up to 35% of the house value, whilst an 85-year-old could borrow up to 40%. The mortgages are generally much smaller than a conventional mortgage – a typical lifetime Loan would be anywhere between €50,000 to €100,000. The borrower does not have to make regular re-payments. Instead, the interest is added to the loan each month, so the loan balance grows over time. The interest rate is fixed for life at the outset, therefore, there is predictable certainty in terms of the size of the outstanding loan balance at any time in the future.