Cityside reports stir memories

I share the confusion expressed by Doris Carruthers concerning the report published by the Pat Finucane Centre, which claimed that intimidation against Protestants was not the “principal cause” of the ‘migration’.

This report seems to me to confirm the sentiments expressed by the Simon & Garfunkel song ‘The Boxer’ — ‘a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest’.

It should be noted that of the four Presbyterian Churches on the city side only one is still functioning.

As a student at Magee University College I remember the Marlborough Hall Rosemount with some affection as I had the pleasure of preaching there.

The Marlborough Hall, Presbyterian City Mission Hall was connected to Great James Street Presbyterian Church, where the minister at that time was the Reverend George Wynne. The Rev. George Frederick Hampton Wynne was elected Moderator in 1975.

My wife and I recall meeting the Rev Wynne and his wife in Como Market, Italy, following the introduction of internment on 9th August 1971.

He had heard a news report that a ‘Mission Hall’ had been burned down in Londonderry.

His first question was; ‘was that Marlborough’? We had the unenviable task of confirming the sad truth.

Brian Kennaway (Rev), South Antrim