Belfast R1

WALTER F. RUSK 3674
Walter F. Rusk was a pioneering Northern Irish motorcycle racer and Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot
1939 saw the outbreak of the Second World War, and like many road racers with a love for speed, Rusk enlisted in the Royal Air Force. While undergoing pilot training with the R.A.F. No. 7 Flight Training School, Walter Frederick Rusk died in a crash on 8th October 1940. As a pilot under training, he crashed Hawker Hart K4368 into high ground at Tilton-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire, England.

ROYAL AVENUE 4591
This is Royal Avenue in the 1940's and right away an old saying comes to mind “You wait ages for a tram – and then two come along at the same time!” Behind the trams the large white building is the Royal anvue Hotel, on down the black building is the Post Office. Next is the Avenue cinema and on down the white building is the bank.

ROWLAND STREET 4597
Here we are back in 1950 in the Sandy Row district and this is Rowland Street. Now behind the stable door of these houses there was a tiny water tap right up until the 1980's.
At number 59 lived the worth family in 1930 and they were the Worth family and they had 5 sons, Artie, Jackie, Tom, Billy and Edgar. Here in the photo is a man with either his daughter or son holding his hand while out for a walk. On down is a lady standing in her doorway anxiously watching the little girl or boy walking towards her perhaps coming from the shop.

ROBB'S 4592
Here we are inside Robb's department store in Castle Place. When ever we were in Belfast I always begged my Mother to take me to Robbs so I could watch the Cash carriers flying to and fro carrying customers' payments from the sales assistant to the cashier and to carry the change and receipt back again.

RAPHAEL STREET 4593
This is the Markets district and we are in Rachael Street in 1912. The black holes at the doorways were from a time gone by when you would clean your muddy boots on an iron scraper inside the opening, not that they would be any use to some of the girls as they are bare footed.

ROYAL AVENUE 4598
THere we are on Royal Avenue back in 1919 with WWI thankfully over but not for one of the two officers talking on the corner of Berry Street as he's in crutches. To the right of them is a young lad looking at the photographer taking the photograph. On the extreme left is a shop called Everything for Boys with a lady looking in the shop window. Upstairs we have Charles & Russells Studio, the Sun Life Assuraance Company of Canada and Premier Office for Investment Assurances. Below them on the corner of Royal Avenue and Berry Street we have W.J.Reid the owner of Paragon House which sells Hosier and Glover. Nexr door the owner call Duff sells all types of Irish Linen and passing the shop are two Shawlies and one has her head covered also down Berry Street is the National club on left side.

ROLLER SKATING RINK 4596
This is the new Roller Skating rink which opened in 1909 at the Exhibition Hall being held in the Botanic Gardens. Apparently it was a great success as you can see by the crowds here and among them are military men Soldiers and Hussars.

RAVENHILL ROAD 4595
It's the 10th September 1948 and we are lookiing at the Junction of Ravenhill Road, Albert Bridge road and Madrid Street.On the left we have some of the local bssineses, Plumber J. Thompson Irish Tweed Store and across the road the white building is Reid's. The road works in operation is the making of a roundabout.

ROYAL AVENUE 4602
This is part of Royal Avenue and on the extreme left is Gresham Street and the Regent Cinema on the corner. Next you have Adlestones the jewellers, then the Mens shop followed by The Ulster Value Centre shop and Goorwichs.now below the Raymonde's sign was a doorway withs or a lift that would take you up to Hitchcock Williams Fashion agents and also Raymondes where I went to work as an appentice back in 1955 when I was 13 years old. Courtesy of Stephen Lyons

ROYAL AVENUE 4601
Looking down on Royal Avenue and Upper North Street which went on to Peters Hill and the Shankill road. On the left we have at No. 61 Hill's Bazaar owned by W. Hill a well-known fancy goods dealer, china merchant, and bazaar operator. Next on the corner is a Fruit Specialist the owner's name starts with James. Across the road the building on the corner is the Provincial Bank of Ireland.

ROYAL AVENUE 4603
5.45pm Royal Avenue in the 1900's looking towards Castle Place. On the left we have Tate's Medical Hall which was owned by James Tate a pharmaceutical chemist, in here as well as getting your prescription made up for you they had everyting medical. Nex door was Connell's Civil Service and Business Training Institute Hall and finally D. Lyle, ladies' outfitting specialist and gentlemens' outfitter. On the road we have four open topped trams, one going into Castle Street avertising Inglis Bread one coming out of Castle Street, one In royal Avenue the other Donegall Place. Out in the road is young boy most likley selling the Belfast Telegraph local newspaper.

BELFAST GENERAL HOSPITAL 4604
Here we are at a photographic Studio somewhere in Belfast in 1895, if the nurses look very stern it's because back then you had to keep very still for at least 3 - 4 minutes so the picture came out nice and sharp. The nurses which are from the Belfast Royal hospital which was on Frederick Street. The Belfast Royal Hospital was officially renamed the Royal Victoria Hospital in 1899. This change was made under an extended royal charter to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It was then renamed the Royal Victoria Hospital.1903 and relocated from Frederick Street to its current purpose-built site on the Grosvenor Road.

ROYAL AVENUE 4600
This is Castle Junction back in middle 1900's and what a busy place it is, then if you include Royal Avenue it really is packed with people.On the left you can just see a flat bed cart filled with bags of coal heading up to the Falls Road. quite a number of men wearing straw hats must be the fashion back then. The large department store is the Bank Buildings and next to it is the bank. Crossing Royal Avenue is a horse and cart while going in the opposite is a horse and flatbed cart loaded with wooden boxes and directed by a policeman. A bit further up is another policeman guiding traffic coming out of Castle Junction.

ROYAL AVENUE 4599
Where we are here in Royal Avenue I don't know but it is 1930, it looks like it's after 5.30pm and people are heading home, man on his bike ladies with their shopping bags full and getting on the tram even the pavements are packed with people.except for the schoolboy his home must be the Gas works area.