麻豆社

Anne Marie journeys to Christmas past with听Mary McArthy who grew up in Glenravel, the unofficial 10th glen of Antrim听- there may not be snow this year, but Mary's always happy to celebrate Christmas in the place she calls home.

听

Chestnut Farm听on Chestnut Road in Co Down, on the outskirts of Ballynahinch, is where the Donkey Whisperer lives - that's what Helen Mark has christened 17yr old Robert Wallace. She first visited his home when he was 12 to meet his donkeys, and earlier this year, she went back to see how they were doing. He has a herd of them now, or actually, a 'pace' - that's what they're called. He had them at Saintfield Show in the summer - an opportunity for Robert and Helen to take a trip down Donkey Memory Lane.听

Killyclogher is a village听just outside Omagh in Tyrone - and it's somewhere that two life long friends, Bernadine McCrory, who was Kelly and Donna Burns, who was McGinn, know very well. They grew up there and started Primary School in the village on the same day back in the late 60's. So, that's the clue for why this year was especially important for them - they're both celebrating their 50th birthday! Nostalgia was definitely in the air when I met them for a yarn at their old hunting ground.

Every winter 1000s of pale bellied brent geese flock听to听Strangford Lough. One of the places they especially love is Island Hill, near Comber, where, the food on offer is top class, as Dot Blakely explained to Anne Marie听when her excitement about this bird haven, subsided a bit.

Hughie McMahon is 95, and his friend George McKenzie is 94 - they both grew up on the outskirts of Fivemiletown in Co Tyrone and nearby Blessingbourne estate was a playground to them. Conor McKay hears their memories as they meet for the first time in 50 years, and George reveals how learning to swim in Blessingbourne lake saved his life at Dunkirk.