Truly Jubilant day for Trust

BALLANCE and McKnight family members joined near-

ly 60 Ulster New Zealand Trust members/volunteers in making the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee event truly memorable.

It was an afternoon of pleasant entertainment with good food and great company at the Ballance House.

Trust Patron Brian McKnight planted a tree in the orchard as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy – a unique initiative marking Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee as groups across the United Kingdom planted trees to mark 70 years of her rule.

Amelanchier lamarckii, a native of the British Isles, was selected. A deciduous small tree, also known as the Juneberry, it will provide colour across two seasons for generations to come.

Welcomed by Trust executive director Freddie Hall, guests en-

joyed a varied programme, includ-ing a Lisburn Camera Club film of the newly crowned Queen visiting Lisburn in 1953 – only weeks after the lucky few were able to watch on tiny black and white TV screens the Coronation in London.

Ulster New Zealand Trust mem-bers of all ages noted how Lisburn and our social habits are much changed.

Market Square in 1953 had no Linen Centre nor museum, but many small shops. Folks then dressed in their very best, complete with hats for all during the visit, followed by a quick fag for the men folk.

That young and glamorous Queen must have shaken the hands of many thousands of local worthies since then, taking care to make each individual’s big day special no matter how routine it is to the Royal family.

With Rory McGerty as the very polished Master of Ceremonies, proceedings continued with two

musical interludes by Chloe Megarry, great granddaughter of Jack and Samelia Ballance, and by volunteer guide Francis Mulley, accompanied by Ken Robb on keyboard. They were followed by an audience rendition of ‘We’ll Meet Again’.

Then came a Royal table quiz with first prize to the Team Twigg Table and an excellent afternoon tea served by Margaret Parks and family.

David Twigg proposed the Loyal Toast and encouraged those old enough to recall their own 1953 Coronation Day memories.

He reminded his audience that in 1953 Her Majesty made the first ever Christmas broadcast from overseas, live from New Zealand, during a Royal tour of the Commonwealth.

Others noted that John Ballance, the Ulsterman who served NZ so well as premier, lived entirely through the reign of Queen Victoria, our previous longest serving monarch.

John was born in 1839, two years after Queen Victoria came to the throne. Thus he knew no other Head of State during his lifetime – something John Ballance has in common with almost all of us today.