Method in his ministry

What church did you leave to come to the City Mission here?

I came from Bangor, and I was in East Bangor in Ballyholme and Primacy Methodist Church before coming here in July.

You have gone from one 'seaboard' church to another, are you happy that you have done that or would you have rather gone 'inland' for a while. Do you like being beside the water?

Yes, I like water.

You have a wonderful view of the river from where you are.

Yes, it's beautiful. It is really lovely and we are really enjoying that. We are fortunate to have such a lovely place to live.

Do you have any links with the City?

No, I had an uncle and aunt who lived in Derry a long time ago.

Really? Who?

That was David and Nancy McNeill.

Right...Where did they live?

They lived on the Cityside and then he had to go up to Belfast for work promotion and hated it.

Really?

Yes. They were very sorry to leave Derry, so...

Where did they go?

To Bangor, actually.

Right. This city's certainly got a quality to it...

I know, we just moved here at the beginning of July and we are loving it. We have found people very friendly. When I came here I had a meeting a few days after I had arrived, on the Cityside, and I wasn't sure where I was going, and I was running a bit short of time as well, and when I got onto the Strand Road, and the far end of Strand Road, I realised I had gone too far, but I wasn't sure where to turn back to, you see.

So you weren't familiar with the layout of the city, then, no?

Not really...so I decided I had better ask rather than wander around so I stopped and it was pouring with rain. I asked this fellow with a big umbrella where I should go to and he said 'Aye, you've gone too far and it would be too difficult for me to describe it. I am just going to the Post Office and sure I'll get in and take you', and sure enough he did.

And you didn't know this man from Adam?

No. Wasn't that lovely?

Uh-huh...

So, he got in and we were having a lovely conversation on the way to where he was going to lead me and on the way he was telling me that the Foyle Cup was on in the town and that he had met this couple from Holland the day before and they had no accommodation for some reason when they arrived and he had helped them get accommodation the night before and he was going out for a meal with them that night.

How lovely!

I thought that is great, it's well above what you need to be doing...

And did you get his name?

No I didn't! We are going to be the City of Culture in 2013, so we better be living up to it when I say how good it was of him to be doing that and how much he'd helped me. So I thought 'This is the kind of city I want to live in'.

So he brought you to your meeting where, over here?

No on the Cityside.

And you had no idea where you were?

No.

And he just got into your car? he could have been a mad axe murderer!

(Smiling) Yeah...

And the pair of you set off?

Yeah...but he had a nice smile, so I thought 'This is great'. (Laughing) And we had a good conversation and he made my day, and...ehm...it was very nice...

Have you seen him since?

No and I probably won't see him again, but you never know...but I thought 'This is nice. I want to live in a City like that'. It only ever happened to me once before and that was in Dublin when I was looking for a hospital and I couldn't find it and a wee man with a dog was the man I asked, and he said 'Och sure I'm only walking the dog and I can start my walk as easily from the hospital as from here. I'll get in and take you'.

You came over here in July?

Yes, the beginning of.

And you went off immediately for a holiday?

No, we were here for about a month, and then...