22nd June, 2000
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MORE NOISE AND POLLUTION PLEASE !!

Dear Editor,

Re, slip Road off Shamrock Lawn, I think; Yes! Remove the horrible Oaks, the Ash, the Beech and the Lime Trees. In their place put a beautiful concrete wall, which our nice teenagers can decorate with spray paint and 'artwork', lots of lovely four letter words in full living colour. This is the year 2,000 the age of sex, drugs and cider parties, who needs natural things like trees to filter our air, what we need is more roads, more concrete, more noise, and more pollution.
Ghetto Lover
(Name and address with Editor)

SEEN, READ & HEARD COMMENT

Issue the first of June and the comment about men following their wives around the undies section of stores. Well I am amazed that any woman in the 2000s would even think in this antiquated 19th century manner. I actively shop with my wife, which took a lot of courage in the earlier days when women would glare at you if one looked even slightly crooked. Now I find assistants discussing purchases with us - as opposed to the glancing darts in my direction and the hushed voice syndrome. Anyway in most modern stores one has no choice as the produce is seamlessly meshed with the overall shopping experience and floor plans are regularly changed around. In these same stores the changing rooms are unisex with families outfitting toddlers to teenagers and all walks of life. However, if your reader was concerned with this male intrusion into a specialist stores which only sold female apparel then we might see a return of those little signs that dotted Pana's stores in years gone by, little signs which forbade entry for the male gender along with cats, dogs and even children. Another solution is to organize your own pyjama party and invite local women to join and model and buy, a thriving home industry is currently sweeping the city, like the 'tub-a-wear' parties but with a little wine some fine lingerie that would make any man blush --- men would be quite happy down the pub for a few hours, in fact I'd reckon most of them you be quite happy in the pub for all shopping trips, but 'she who has to be obeyed' says different.
Gerard Bonus.

DANCING AT 'CROSSER'

The Majorca Ballroom in Crosshaven was very popular with Cork dancers during the '60's and early '70's. At the height of the showband era up to 30 C.I.E. double Decker buses would be heading for the seaside town on a Saturday night. Dickie Rock and the Miami held the record for the number of buses, leaving the Grand Parade, packed with Rock'n'Rollers.
My favourite memory of the Majorca was hearing Roy Orbision, The Big 'O', holding a full house audience spellbound with "Pretty Woman", "California Blue", and "In Dreams". Cork dancers were a very discerning audience, if a personality was not up to scratch, he or she would be told so in no uncertain manner.
Yours truly, a bus conductor with C.I.E., combined business with pleasure, operating a bus to 'Crosser and dancing the night away with my girlfriend, who is now my lovely wife.
I never had much bother with messer's on the bus. I reckon the Guards Barracks in Carrigaline and Douglas was a deterrent to would be troublemakers. Return tickets were sold on the dance specials. If somebody told me he had lost his bus ticket, I used my discretion giving the chap a break, and nine times out of ten there were no problems.
Dancers of the time will recall how difficult it was to move, not to mention dance on a 'Big Attraction' night at the Majorca. Looking back now I shudder to think of the mayhem if a fire broke out.
The ladies cloakroom was another trouble spot. But when you're young and in love you took such things in your stride.
Who's to say the showband era could not re-surface for a new generation of rocker's enjoying the best years of their lives!
Neil O'Donoghue
Douglas

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