LOCAL IMAGES

Photographic exhibition by Thomas “The Miller” Doherty

A unique photographic collection of Buncrana throughout the years is now on display at the Inishowen Art Gallery, Milltown Business Park, Ardaravan.

Thomas “The Miller” Doherty from Ballymagan Buncrana, has been snapping and collecting old images of Buncrana and local residents since 1944. It started when he worked for Neil Farren who was the chemist in the town. “Neil was also a professional photographer as well as a chemist and was a real inspiration to me.” Thomas explains, “He saw I was interested in taking pictures and bought me my first camera, a box brownie.”

“Neil and I would go out to the Plaza on the Main St and Neil would take photos of people dancing and enjoying themselves.”

“As the pictures were taken I would take the film to Neil’s wife and she would develop them straight away in the shop. It’s hard to believe now, but thanks to a state of the art Roll Head printer, those photos were ready by two in the morning when the Plaza closed. Neil and I would be outside the Plaza doors with the pictures ready for sale. We sold hundreds of them.” He remembers.

Thomas, who is a long time member of the Buncrana West Inishowen History and Heritage Society, explains how the exhibition came about.

“I was talking to Adam Porter who runs the Inishowen Art Gallery about this year being Heritage Year and we thought it would be a great idea to set up the exhibition to celebrate the fact. Adam is showcasing Inishowen based artists in his gallery so this exhibition complements it well.”

Thomas also hopes people will be generous and put some money in the donation box in aid of the Foyle Hospice. Copy of the prints will also be available and all of the proceeds from these will also go to the Hospice.

“There isn’t a family in Inishowen that hasn’t been affected by illnesses such as cancer so the hospice is a vital part of the community and is well worth supporting.” Neil reminds us.

The photos Thomas has in his vast collection are of people of Buncrana dating back over 100 years. There are also street scenes. “It’s amazing how many people who look at the images see someone that they know or are related to”

Thomas also takes his show on the road and has done slideshows in local schools and the Buncrana library and is keen to expand his collection “ If anyone has old photo’s of the town and people from the area I would love to see them.” He says. “I can take a copy instantly and give them straight back. Photo’s are very precious and they become more valuable over time, and I realise their value to families.”


Adam Ported is delighted to have the photographs in his new purpose designed art gallery in the HML complex at Ardaravan. “Thomas has gathered the most comprehensive collection of local photographic history and we are delighted to have it here at the Inishowen Art Gallery. I think it will be a real draw for local people to come in and is bound to awaken some old memories.

Thomas agrees “Photo’s are for sharing” he concludes.

The exhibition is on now at the Inishowen Art Gallery, Milltown Business Park, Buncrana. For more information please contact Adam on 086 3552500

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 74

A Betting Man

A man and his wife went to visit friends in another part of the country and were taken to a racecourse. Fascinated by the sight of horses chasing one another around a track, the two of them kept betting all evening till they had no more than two dollars left.

The following day the man prevailed upon his wife to let him go to the course alone. There was a horse with a fifty-to-one odds on it in the first race. He bet on the horse and it won. He put all the money he won on another long shot in the next race and again he won. He kept doing this all evening and his entire earnings came to fifty-seven thousand dollars.

On the way back home he passed by a gambling den. An inner voice, the same that seemed to have guided him in his choice of horses, said, "Stop here and go in." So he stopped, went in, and found himself standing in front of a roulette wheel. The voice said, "Number thirteen." The man put the entire fifty-seven thousand on number thirteen. The wheel spun, and the croupier announced, "Number fourteen."

So the man walked back home with nothing in his pocket. His wife called out to him from the porch, "How did it go?"

The husband shrugged his shoulders. "I lost the two dollars," he said.

LORRAINE MCCONALOGUE AND CONAL DEVLIN GET MARRIED

NATIONAL ORGANIC WEEK

Donegal Potatoes visiting schools in Inishowen to spread the word about healthy eating. Donegal Potatoes deliver organic vegetables to all of the Aldi stores in Ireland

Read more about the events around the country

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY

SuperValu in Buncrana held a Customer Appreciation Day on Friday.

PAUL HOUSTON

News from around the peninsula of the tragic death of Paul Houston

Inishowen News
Derry Journal

Soft Serve Ice Cream Dreams

As I've said before in this blog and for anyone who knows me, one of my fave things EVER is a perfect soft serve ice cream cone! When I was in Japan visiting my sister and best friend Tara, I would have green tea and vanilla soft serve swirl ice cream almost every day-- whenever I saw it I would get it! In Japan they also have amazing flavours like black sesame soft serve, purple taro soft serve... This place in New York Momofuku makes crazy flavours too-- I've never been there but I'd like to try! There are some reviews on the ice cream here and here.

Basically whenever there is a chance to get soft serve, I will try it. I've had ice milk soft serve, high butterfat soft serve, soft serve that tastes like plastic, frozen yogurt soft serve of many different brands from different shops... soft serve sandwiched between chocolate cookies as an ice cream sandwich... It always looks like magic to me. That hum of the compressor and the motor, a pull of a handle and the smooth pouring out of white billowing fancy swirls of ice cream... Wonderful! When there is a choice of twist, I usually get vanilla. Vanilla gets a harsh rap for being boring... No way! Delish! Unless it's green tea on the other side, in which case I get swirl.

Today I got the pleasure of a real live soft serve ice cream demonstration, at a food machinery sales demo kitchen located in Port Coquitlam! Deep fryers, milkshake machines, hot holding display cases, slushie machines, the test kitchen looked like a little mini mart. Yes, I got lost on the way there, and I got lost on the way home, but my excitement kept my mood high! My new friends Sam and LK (see below!) walked me through the process of how a soft serve ice cream machine works... I even got to pump a few of my own, and try their "Razzle" maker too, which is essentially how you make a Dairy Queen blizzard. FUN!

Sam and LK also answered all of my queries, such as:

"What on earth is behind those handles that you pull down when you make the soft serve?"
Behind the handles are these little party chambers that are like big long frozen tubes. Above is a pic of the handles removed, revealing the inside. The turning mechanism attachment (as seen above, partially pulled out of the chamber) scrapes off the perfect amount of ice cream from the sides of the frozen tubes and pumps it out into a beautiful ice cream swirl. Apparently Taylor soft serve machines are the only ones with a fully frozen chamber using liquid technology; other machines use a frozen "coil" technology.

"How do you get the ice cream mix all up in there??"
On top of the machines are chambers called "hoppers". Basically where you pour your ice cream mix, which is then covered with a lid. The hoppers have a tiny hole in which a stick is inserted into it with an even TINIER hole. The mix seeps through the tiny hole, and when you pull down the lever, the right amount of mix gets sucked into the hole, to then get frozen in the frozen tube, which then billows out onto your cone. This is where you would pour in test batches of your own flavour creations: I want to try making some delighftul new flavours! Of course green tea, as I LOVE green tea soft serve, but also raspberry, caramel, etc... The key to the soft serve is texture, and my pal LK said it's tricky getting the right homemade formula. But I am gonna try!

"Can I try this thing??"
Yes, most certainly!!

Wheeee!! So fun!! My dream job!!!

My haphazard soft serve ice cream pile!

My ice cream... so fun!!!

I drove home with a whole lot of information about soft serve machines: water cooled vs. air cooled, the importance of servicing these puppies, how to replace parts, how to wash the parts, and an operating manual and a spec sheet for a specific Taylor Soft Serve ice cream machine, as well as my little ice cream cup. YAY! Now I know how these crazy machines work!! Too fun...