But we always had plenty work. Put out some lumber. We worked with some people a day, helping cut firewood probably, or doing anything. We’d go in and cut and haul it home, all at the same time. You’d have seven or eight work in the woods. We’d do one fella’s woods work, do another fella’s woods work, and go along. You didn’t hire people in the woods. They just all went together. All neighbours. Everybody was neighbours. There wasn’t a person I’d meet on the road but I knew in Belfast district.

They were all one. That’s about what they were.

Hired Hands

Oh, I liked both [fishing and farming]. I liked both of them. I always had a fella home on the farm, you know, when I was fishing. After I got married

I had somebody home all the time, year round. My family? Well, I had all girls. They didn’t do too much. Milk cows

with me. Milked by hand, then, when they were young. They were all good workers. We got milking machines after that.

Courtesy Jean Homby

Stewart in 1982.

__________________________________ 46 BELFAST PEOPLE