Birth
M'WHINNEY -- February 23, 1926, at 2 Breezehill, Millisle Road, Donaghadee, to Mr. and Mrs. R. J. M'Whinney -- a daughter.
Deaths
M'NEILL -- March 2, 1926, at her daughter's residence, 28 Croft Street, Bangor, Ellen, widow of the late David M'Neill, of Cushendun.
POLLOCK -- March 2, 1926 (suddenly), at Ballycopeland, David Pollock, aged 75 years, formerly of Carrowdore.
ROBB -- March 2, 1926, at Charleville, Bushey Park, Newtownards, Margaret Robb, youngest daughter of the late Alexander Robb, Charlefield.
RUSSELL -- March 2, 1926, at her daughter's residence, Londonderry Girls' School, Newtownards, Elizabeth, widow of the late Thomas Russell, Belfast.
STEVENSON -- March 2, 1926, at her sister's residence, 1 Moat Street, Donaghadee, Margaret, eldest daughter of the late John Stevenson, Belfast.
Thanks
Mr. J. ALEXANDER DAVIDSON and Family desire to express their sincere thanks to the many kind friends who sympathised with them on the occasion of their recent bereavement; they also desire to convey their grateful acknowledgments to the local Corps of the Salvation Army.
Clippings
CHANGING NAME OF BALLYMAGEE STREET.
A memorial signed by 95 residents in Ballymagee Street was received asking that the name of the street be changed to High Street.
The town clerk said that if two-thirds of the number and value of the occupants in ony street desired the name changed the Council might change it.
Mr. Clisdal -- I propose that the alteration be made. I think that memorial is signed by 99 per cent. of the people.
Mr. Thomson said they were not going to change the name of a street without giving it any consideration at all.
Mr. Clisdal -- If 99 per cent. of the people want it, why not?
Mr. Thomson -- I don't care you had 199 per cent. Does anybody know anything about this change or why it is asked for?
The town clerk -- I know there was a like memorial some years ago but it did not come to anything. But this appears to have been taken up very heartily and it seems to be a very representative memorial. I have not had time to examine into the number and value of the memorialists, but by merely looking at it I would say that the stipulation will be complied with.
Mr. Thomson said he did not see that they could refuse the request if the representations were general and there was no opposition. They had changed Victoria Road from Fisher Hill, King Street from West Street and Queen's Parade from Sandy Row.
Mr. Clisdal proposed and Mr. W. A. M'Murray seconded that the name be changed to High Street.
Mr. Bailie asked if it was not customary for the Council to make their intention known before it was operative.
Mr. Gray said he believed that had been done in the case of the other streets which had been changed.
Mr. Clisdal said he had been approached by quite a number of the shopkeepers, and he thought their object was to give the street a better name, because it was going to be one of the important business thoroughfares of Bangor. That was their point.
Mr. Bailie said they were not to take it that he was necessarily in opposition to the change, but he thought they should know that every resident in the street had been made cognisant of the intention to change it, otherwise some person who was in the minority might complain that he had not been consulted.
Mr. Coffin -- One of the gentlemen who was round with the memorial told me that there were only two in the whole street who were not keen on the change.
The motion to change the name to High Street was then put to the meeting and passed nem con.
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High Street, Bangor.
The alteration in the name of Ballymagee Street to the more businesslike appelation of High Street will be regretted my many on sentimental grounds, simply as an illustration of how the old Bangor of a quarter of a century ago is passing away. At the same time the residents in the thoroughfare cannot be blamed for taking a step which is obviously going to lie in their interests. Ballymagee, while an excellent title for a rural road, is wanting in appropriateness now that the street is assuming substantial importance as a business artery. "High Street" is brief, impressive and business-like, and as the demand for the change was addressed to the Urban Council by practically all the residents and property owners concerned, I do not see that they had any good grounds for delaying much less refusing to give the new name their sanction. From now on Ballymagee Street is no more. It goes into the limbo of the past along with its former contemporaries, Fisher Hill, Union Street, West Street, and Sandy Row. The only objection I can see to High Street is that it is almost the equivalent of Main Street, but no doubt the residents believe that the time is coming when, on point of importance, High Street will be equal to Main Street.