Ulster Architectural Heritage awards

The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society is 50 years old but it has never had an awards program. Until tonight, when it made up for lost time (thanks to funding from Andrew Lloyd Weber!). It was the most fantastic night I’ve had in a long time. I could pinch myself to make sure it was real. The event was held in the Grand Opera House, the first building saved by the society.

That alone packed the night with poignancy. The Opera House was going to be torn down in the early 70s when the brand new society got it added to a historic properties list.

This photo does not do justice to the Victorian splendour of the hall. The boxes at the front, for instance, are supported by pairs of gold elephants.

What else made the night so fantastic? Partly seeing recognition bestowed on lovely old buildings and the hardy souls who bring them back from the dead. Partly poet Ciaran Carson reading three of his poems that take place in Belfast. Partly comedienne Nuala McKeever doing a very clever bit as a posh woman from Holywood (Hillary of Holywood) whose husband is a developer and is getting a green light for more glass boxes in Belfast (we are getting more than our share at the moment).

But maybe the best part was that four singers had been commissioned to write and perform songs about four buildings in Belfast. What a lovely idea! And each song was a treat. We saw slides of the buildings--none restored--as we heard about the lively world they inhabited in their heyday. One was an art deco bank building, one was Templemore Baths--where shipyard workers went to get clean. And my favourite was Floral Hall, once a dance hall, now used as storage for feed for animals at the nearby zoo. This song was performed by none other than Duke Special, who I believe is an international phenomenon. And I can see why. He wrote about a young couple meeting at the dance hall for a first date. We saw photos of couples dancing at Floral Hall as he sang his sweet song.

Just to give you an idea of the quality of projects nominated, here’s a before of Sion Mills stables:

Before I show the after, just note that this project didn’t win its category.

In a category for skilled craftsmanship, Ballycopeland windmill won. During the restoration of the windmill’s mechanics, the team learned that no other windmill remained with its particular system (roller reefing system?). It was built in the late 1700s or early 1800s.

One final note. The guy who won the lifetime achievement award began his remarks by saying: “My life is in ruins.” Ha!

OK another final note. There was a people’s choice award. The recipient was Sebastian Graham, who is cataloguing all the abandoned mills in Northern Ireland, 3,000 so far. You can read about his efforts in this BBC piece.
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