Fun, fish suppers and flutes in the ‘Shankill by the Sea’

In the latest instalment of the True North series, the television cameras follow five individuals from the predominantly working class loyalist area to Millisle on the Ards Peninsula.

Every summer, hundreds of people leave their everyday lives behind to spend time in the caravan parks around what is affectionately known to many as the ‘Shankill by the Sea’.

The BBC has described the documentary as an attempt “to understand what draws them to holiday here and how it has endeared itself to people,” from the city.

“They provide a snapshot of this close-knit community in the park with their personal stories and the reasons that makes the place so special to them.

“And while it’s a getaway from their everyday lives and their permanent homes, it’s still important to celebrate traditions,” a BBC NI spokesperson said.

“These traditions are given a seaside flavour as bonfires are built on the beach and caravans are festooned with bunting for the Twelfth.”

For those who keep returning to the coastal area year after year, they describe Millisle as a place where the pressures of everyday life are left behind.

Joan, who has been going there since the ’60s, tells the programme-makers that she counts the days until the caravan site opens so she can get back down.

For Pete, Millisle is a place to find peace and solace, and “a cure for any illness” in his opinion.

Another Shankill resident featured in the documentary – Marie – says her grandchildren always look forward every year to the chance to enjoy the freedom that being away from the confines of the city allows.

True North: Shankill by the Sea is on BBC NI on Monday night at 10.35pm.