THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: From the News Letter of October 1930

Pictured in September 1980 is Dame Margaret Miles, chairman of the Central Bureau of Educational Visits and Exchanges, who attended the opening of the bureau’s Northern Ireland office at 16 Malone Road, Belfast. She is pictured with Mr James Platt, left, director, and Mr Trevor Fannin, who was in charge of the Northern Ireland office. Picture: News Letter archives

Miss Helen Marie Boyd, an Ulster-American girl from Medina, New York State, was planning on flying from New York to Belfast across the Atlantic Ocean.

Miss Boyd, it was reported, had been practising daily at her local aerodrome with the view of making an attempt in spring 1931 in order to “take advantage of the milder weather”.

Miss Boyd was the daughter of one Mr Thomas Boyd who had emigrated from Ballyclare “many year ago” and who was the owner of the Medina Iron and Brass Company.

Environment Minister Philip Goodhart is escorted safely across the pedestrian crossing by eight year old Jenny Brown, from Holywood Primary School, in September 1980, after he witnessed a ‘mock’ accident acted by pupils of the school. The minister was at the launching of the BP road safety team’s tour of Northern Ireland when 67 schools would be visited. With the minister are Mr D M Brown, director of BP, Northern Ireland, Angela Gatford and Helen Cuthbert, who would be taking the road safety message to schools across Northern Ireland. Picture: News Letter archives

The Ulster-American girl had many relatives still living in Co Antrim, including her grandparents Mr and Mrs Boyd of North End, Ballyclare.

The News Letter reported: “The incentive behind the girl’s attempt is that she may visit her grandparents for the first time. Miss Boyd, who is 19, was born in America, her mother being an Irish-American.”

New tramcars being built at Sandy Row depot

During this week in 1930 the News Letter reported that 50 new tramcar shells had arrived from England and that they were being assembled at the Sandy Row depot in Belfast.

Ulster Dairy Queen, Nicola Stephens, 18, from Carryduff, helped Northern Ireland drivers test their skills on and off the road in a series of competitions in the Safe Driver of the Year contest which was held at Nutt’s Corner in September 1980. Picture: News Letter archives

Each tramcar provided accommodation for 68 passengers.

The News Letter noted: “The cars will be completely enclosed and will contain many up-to-date features.

Transverse seats are being fitted except at the ends of the lower saloons, where they are being placed lengthwise, and a special form of floor covering is be provided instead of the wooden seats.”

The Dusseldorf ‘ripper’

It was understood that the judicial examination of Peter Kuerten, the workman arrested for the Dusseldorf ‘Ripper’ murders was drawing to an end.

There were no details reportedof the proceedings in the specially convened court in the German city, the public had been “rigidly” excluded.

But it was known that the judges over the past number of months had dealt with “masses of evidence and statements”, and that Kuerten had been “subjected to almost unceasing interrogation”, with the result that “the full story of this sensational series of murders is now practically complete”.