The Other View

A Century of Memories

The booklet ‘The Journey Man's Memories’ are the memories of Mr William Robert Hyndman as told to Jeanette Baird, Reminiscence Officer, Fernhill House Museum.

William Robert Hyndman was born on the 28th December 1899, at 82 Oregon Street in the Woodvale area of North Belfast. Mr Hyndman started his working career in Sharman D. Neil, which was in High Street, Belfast. He was to work there from 1914-1950 with only breaks of service in 1918, when he went to work in Lockhart's on the Dublin Road and for four years when he joined the RAF in 1944-1946.

Mr Hyndman served his time of seven years in becoming a 'Journeyman' going on to become a qualified watch maker (tradesman), and on his retirement travelled to London to receive a C.M.B.H.I. (Craft Member of the British Horologial Institute).

He recalls Stormont opening and he was put in charge of all the clocks that were there and in the Castle where the Craigs were then living. The first time he met Lady Craig he had and argument with her over the Grandmother clock that she had in one corner of the entrance hall. He had been called out to this clock a few times because it had stopped before he realised that the clock was sitting on a loose floorboard.

He moved the clock to a new position where it ran perfectly. Lady Craig came down the staircase and told him to move it back to it's original position. Mr Hyndman explained that in that position it would not work because of the loose plank. She was adamant that it should be put in it's original position and though he argued she stormed off.

The butler said to him "Do you know who that was?", he replied "no",
"That was Lady Craig" said the butler,
"I don't care if that was Lady Muck. That clock will not work if it goes back to it's original position".

The next week when he returned the floorboards had been attended to and the loose board fixed with the Grandmother clock in it's original position.

Mr. Hyndman recalls the funeral procession of Lord Carson. He had to climb on top of the Albert Clock and hit the big bell with a hammer every minute of the hour it took for his coffin, on a gun carriage, and the procession to pass. He also did the same for Lord Pirrie.

Mr. Hyndman was responsible for nineteen other clocks in Belfast town. These included the Bank Buildings the Belfast/Newcastle and other railway stations, and they were all key-wound in those days. The Royal Victoria Hospital had twenty-seven clocks; one of which he himself installed in the King Edward Hall.

The above is an extract taken from the book ‘The Journey Man's Memories’. Mr Hyndman still lives in North Belfast.

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