Being born and reared on the Donaghadee Road, Newtownards it was no surprise that the Nylon factory played an important part of my childhood. With my mother and, particularly, my father working in the factory I found a few perks. These ranged from attending the Christmas Party, with my sister Judith, and having our annual photograph taken in front of the Christmas Tree by Mr Stevenson, to driving around it on a Sunday afternoon with my L plates up and practising hill starts, parking ,indicating, reversing and braking. Oh yes, I passed my test, first time, in 1983; thanks to the good old Berky.

In the years between I was to be found wearing a pair of Lee Jeans from Queenie's Factory Shop. Dad bought these, with big flares, for a pound, and Mum, with a large pair of scissors and a sewing machine, made them fit...cool...well wearable. Another treat was that, after Blaxnit moved in along with Berkshire, I was always able to get plenty of Red football socks, designed, as Dad said, for my big favourite Kenny Dalgleish and my other Liverpool legends.

Getting ready for lift off.
So...last Sunday was payback time. Having been given a birthday voucher for a Helicopter Pleasure Trip around Belfast, Hollywood and Bangor in March 2006 I finally got around to enjoying it in February 2007.

How could I resist snapping the now desolate, demolished, and re-levelled site of the famous Berkshire factory
on the new BERKSHIRE ROAD .

The conditions were fine....and well...you might not enjoy looking at it, but I hope it stirs some more happier memories to ex-employees locally and around the World.
Our thanks are expressed to Helicopter Training and Hire Ltd, Newtownards.
Click here....for more of their details at www.helicoptercentre.co.uk