LEO Convery grew up in a cottage in Rocktown along the Kilrea Road towards Clady. Times were hard and he had many chores to do. He hated having to crawl into the foul-smelling duck house to collect the eggs – his fear was that some day the door would snap shut behind him, trapping him in the dark for ever.
He carried the heavy water buckets from the stream, filled the creel with turf and had to watch one evening as his pet pig, who’d grown big, was slaughtered as he looked on.
It was an unhappy time for the little boy, one of seven children whose mother died when he was only two. Because it was difficult for his father to cope with a young family, the boy was farmed out to Aunt Matilda along the way but he sorely missed his brothers and sisters.
Now Leo has brought all his childhood memories together in his book The Island Boy and without doubt he is a modest but talented man whose writing is both sad and joyful. It’s straightforward and he paints a picture of a tough life in idyllic surroundings and, later, the happiness of being reunited with his family on the small farm called The Island, in the townland of Tyanee.
His growing up meant catching rabbits and hares which were cooked in a big pot of water hung over the turf fire, homemade fishing lines, trapping wood pigeon and pheasant in a web pegged to the field where the birds would feed, helpless when their feet got caught in the woven fabric. Tough but essential when it came to putting food on the table.
Eels were less of a delicacy and more of a necessity and they were abundant in the stream at the back of the house as they swam towards the River Bann.
Leo’s love of wildlife and the environment was born in his youthful days of learning the ways of animals and the beauty of spring flowers.
“The mayflower shone like gold coins sitting on top as their green leaves spread out over the stream. It was magic to our eyes, an invitation to come and spend some time with the wonders of nature”
A childhood of butterflies and dragonflies four inches long
In The Island Boy Leo takes the reader on a journey through Portglenone up the Clady River and down the Kilrea line, of growing sweet William and orange lilies fresh for the banner on the Twelfth of July parades.
He left school at 14, worked in a fish and chip shop, then got a full time job with Martin-Bakker Aircraft Co Limited at Langford Lodge, Crumlin.
“I had various engineering roles before I started my own business – my new enterprise was a garden centre.”
And he succeeded in his chosen business not only with his plants of all sorts but also with his advice. Since he told me ivy is a major threat to gardens, hedges and buildings, I’ve kept a close eye on this ever-present danger.
Convery’s Island Nurseries is still a thriving business but it’s not the end of this story which goes back to Sunday June 21 2009, a day he says he will never forget. It was in his mind to write his story.
“I came in from 9am mass, I took off my good clothes and changed into casual ones. The wife started to make a fry, as is her Sunday routine. I got out a new A4 writing pad with 300 pages. Then I started to search for a pen but something in my mind said, not any old pen, one that you will be content with.”
And so, the age of 70 Leo joined Portglenone creative writing group, contributed to their 2016 publication Starting Out, and his special pen has flowed ever since.
Despite his dyslexia, which makes every word a struggle, The Island Boy is a gentle stroll in the countryside, looking at its beauty through the eyes of a child.
:: Details www.facebook.com/Converys-Island-Nurseries
THEY ARE AT IT AGAIN
IT’S grand the way maturity brings with it a desire to expand life experiences. Like Leo and his writing, members of Engage with Age are tackling new adventures, they are taking to the dance floor to enjoy The Slipped Disco.
This charity is dedicated to combating social isolation and loneliness among older people and they do this by having a lot of fun.
On Monday September 2 from 7.30 until 10pm, the Black Box in Hill Street, Belfast, will be alive with the sound of music from the 60s and 70s. And the DJs know it by heart: they grew up with it.
DJ Groover (John Bradbury) and Nick Menhinick will be manning the decks. John is a former advice worker and his talents and activities have blossomed in later life to include history talks, promotion of Ulster’s Linen Heritage and becoming a disc jockey.
Nick Menhinick is a volunteer and trustee with Engage with Age and one of the people helping to put on the Slipped Disco. Nick is involved in the charity and encourages people to get out and about and meet people. He’s active with voluntary groups in Belfast including Men United and Volunteer Now and he’s a fervent supporter of the Campaign for Real Ale. He notes that there’s a full bar and a free raffle.
As one dancer said after the last Slipped Disco: “I hadn’t been to a disco in years. I really enjoyed getting out – it was like giving me a thousand pounds. I’ve been very lonely so it was a really good feeling to get out amongst company.”
A wide welcome is extended to older people, who are invited to get their dancing shoes on, get down to the Black Box and have fun. Although admission if free booking is essential – you can do this by calling 028 9073 5696 or email martin.towers@engagewithage.org.uk
