Thread: Alfred's and Fanny's, Ballintoy, Northern Ireland, January 2019

Final report from my trip to Northern Ireland. I’d gotten up early to look at a couple of derps not far from where we were staying (see previous report HERE) and I was just on the way back to base. As I drove past this house I saw the curtains flapping out the window. Having pulled up and walked back up the road I saw that this roadside house was abandoned. With the front window accessible I decided to have a look with expectations pretty low, given the location and the previous derps I’d looked round. Hence on first glance I couldn’t believe my eyes. The place was absolutely packed with stuff. At last I’d found a proper derp house to look round.

Despite some search on the internet I could shed no light on the history of this place. Clearly once the house’s residence Alfred and Fanny had both passed away there was no family to pass the house to and it has just remained empty since. The calendar on the wall would hint that the house has been abandoned from 2006. The place was packed full of stuff and despite it being in a bit of a mess the place hadn’t been trashed and vandalised – quite surprising given the house’s prominent location.
So, nothing spectacular but plenty to photograph. I have to say, given the number of personal effects still left in this place it was tinged with a heavy sense of sadness.

Full-frontal:

Roadside house 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Said curtain that alerted me to this place’s state:

img0566 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The sight that first greeted me after hopping through the window:

img0565 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Roadside house 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img0568 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img0569 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Coal still in the bucket:

img0571 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A broken and glued Josiah Spode blue and white plate:

img0572 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Earlier mentioned calendar:

Roadside house 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Roadside house 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

On to the living room:

img0585 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Roadside house 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img0587 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Roadside house 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Roadside house 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Up-stairs was equally as messy:

img0588 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img0589 by HughieDW, on Flickr

But these family pictures remain:

img0591 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img0593 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Roadside house 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Bye bye, little house of memories:

img0594 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Brilliant,thank you

A nice little house, needs a clean up and its ready to move in. I'm wondering could it be the relatives are to blame for the untidy state while looking for precious items. The relatives could have kept the photos.

Re the old photos and relatives. I once walked into someones house and they were ramming their bins with stuff. Seems the old grandad had been moved from his flat and into an old folks home. The people I was visiting were going through his junk but at their own home and binning things. I'd missed one wheelie bin full of family photos but saved the second bin full - the family were wiping out their past like it had never happened. Made me angry and sad too - horrible people!
I saved and scanned every single image and slide. I then sold them on eBay! Made over £400 by selling what a family didn't care about.
I still have a few here I think. I suspect they might be those old Victorian images where the deceased are posed into family photos before they're buried. I dunno though.

I'm a mature person. Old yes. Whenever I see a thread like this one it really does bring life, death and reality crashing home. I'm certainly not planning on popping my clogs anytime soon but am making huge strides towards making things easier for people once I do go - and we all will. I think I managed two skips of 'un-necessaries' in my last clear-out!

Incredibly touching post this. Not so much anything of value but what I do see are memories. Small inexpensive trinkets that can be looked upon to make that persons life come flooding back to them. The spoon rest in the cabinet for example. Literally not much but so full of meaning to that person.
Thanks for sharing.

Nice find Hughie :)

Originally Posted by Sausage

Re the old photos and relatives. I once walked into someones house and they were ramming their bins with stuff. Seems the old grandad had been moved from his flat and into an old folks home. The people I was visiting were going through his junk but at their own home and binning things. I'd missed one wheelie bin full of family photos but saved the second bin full - the family were wiping out their past like it had never happened. Made me angry and sad too - horrible people!
I saved and scanned every single image and slide. I then sold them on eBay! Made over £400 by selling what a family didn't care about.
I still have a few here I think. I suspect they might be those old Victorian images where the deceased are posed into family photos before they're buried. I dunno though.

I'm a mature person. Old yes. Whenever I see a thread like this one it really does bring life, death and reality crashing home. I'm certainly not planning on popping my clogs anytime soon but am making huge strides towards making things easier for people once I do go - and we all will. I think I managed two skips of 'un-necessaries' in my last clear-out!

Incredibly touching post this. Not so much anything of value but what I do see are memories. Small inexpensive trinkets that can be looked upon to make that persons life come flooding back to them. The spoon rest in the cabinet for example. Literally not much but so full of meaning to that person.
Thanks for sharing.

Basically everything you've said there. Well articulated mate.

What is the man holding in each of the photographs? Amazing photos, exactly the place I'd love to explore

Originally Posted by missypink

What is the man holding in each of the photographs? Amazing photos, exactly the place I'd love to explore

Looks like a small folded brolly.

Originally Posted by Hugh Jorgan

Looks like a small folded brolly.

The menfolk are dressed for the occasion and holding a pair of folded leather gloves - A photograph of a formal occasion, requiring formal dress. Gents carried gloves on formal occasions, even on hot summer days! No brolly I am afraid.

I've been enjoying all your posts from Northern Ireland and you've certainly saved the best till last. A very interesting story of lives lived. I always hope that the memories that places like these are happy ones.