Country Comes to Town

Over 1000 people visit Irish Wade displays in two different venues in Portadown on Country Comes To Town day in Portadown on Saturday 15th September 2007. One in Edenderry district where the factory was and the other display in the town centre at the Millenium Court Arts Centre.

Wade Opening Night - Friday 17th August

A portion of the large crowds attending the opening night


The Wade family members are surrounded by Portadown people looking for signatures


Cardwell McClure talking to Dessie Lennon



Mr & Mrs Alan Clegg from Cornwall receiving Wade gifts from Harry and Cardwell


Jane from the Heritage Lottery Fund addressing the gathering



Shirley Branyan from Edenderry Cultural & Historical Society addressing the audience



The authors Cardwell McClure, Harry Eakin and John Wright



Our New Zealand guests - Clint, Allanah, Patricia and Judy



Harry Eakin greeting Wade designer Donald S Nelson



David Simpson MP, Cardwell McClure, Megan Johnston and Edwin Poots NI Arts and Culture Minister



Harry Eakin, Dr Colin Mathews and friends



Mr David Simpson MP, Mr Edwin Poots (NI Minister for Arts & Culture) and Mr Nigel Hamilton (Head of the NI Civil Service)




Wade family members Felicity Graham & George Wade

Zephaniah Irish dancers from Portadown at Wade Dinner

Deborah Andersons Zephaniah Irish dancers performing at the Craigavon Civic Centre on Saturday 18th August 2007 for the international visitors from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, America, Isle of Man, England and Ireland.

Irish Musicians at Wade dinner

Video clip of the Irish musicans group Dark Water playing at the Wade Ireland dinner at Craigavon Civic Centre for the international guests

GEORGE WADE

George Wade outside closed Wade Ireland factory in Portadown



George Wade with Wade Ireland nose cone

TOUR TO ARMAGH CITY

Wade Itinerary

WADE IRELAND ITINERARY

Friday 17th August @ 7.00pm : Millennium Court Arts Centre, Portadown -
(Preview night strictly by invitation only) There is no entry fee for the Preview night.

Saturday 18th August @ 10am - 4pm Coach tour of the historic city of Armagh with guided tour, visit to Navan centre & meal
Coach pick ups from Seagoe Hotel at 9.50am and Bannview Guest House at 10am

Civic reception for international visitors by the Mayor of Craigavon @ 7pm
Wade buffet dinner in the Civic centre followed by an Irish night of music, dance & song @ 8pm
A £20 per head ( to be paid on the coach ) is the cost for all the Saturday events including the guided coach tour of Armagh city, entrance fees to the cathedrals and Navan centre morning coffee and meal, Wade dinner and Irish night entertainment. Edenderry Cultural & Historical Society have subsidised these events with a reduced price per head from £30 to £20 per head.

Contact numbers of organisers:

Trevor Bonus 07733128059
Harry Eakin 07703393766
Cardwell McClure 0778955073

BOOKS IN STOCK

The Irish Wade book is in stock and can be order online at http://www.wadeireland.co.uk/

Delivery of the book will coincide with the launch date of Friday 17th August.

Wade Ireland website nearing 100k hits

The Wade Ireland website is close to 100k hits in just over its first year. There has been incredible interest in Irish Wade throughout the world and we are looking forward to meeting many international guests at out Wade exhibition in Portadown , Northern Ireland on Friday/Saturday 17/18 August 2007. A book is to be launched of Irish Wade at the exhibition.

The website can be found at www.wadeireland.co.uk

Iris Carryer award

Iris Carryer the daughter of Sir George Wade and co-founder in 1946 of the Wade factory in Portadown is to receive a major award from Craigavon Borough Council.

She is to receive a Honary citizen of the Borough award from the Mayor Councillor Robert Smyth. Only 5 have ever been handed out before.

It is hoped that she will be personally able to receive the award during the Wade ireland exhibition in Portadown which opens to the public on Saturday 18th August to mid November 2007

More Wade Dig photographs by Jim Edgar

Look there's something - Merle Edgar spots something and Harry Eakin looks on.

Who is the guy in the yellow coat?

Hi -look what I have found. Its a brown bear.

Cardwell in the middle of the hole. He wasn't the only one getting his hands dirty !

Cardwell McClure , John Eakin & Harry Eakin looking for Wade pieces.

You can now view the short video :
WATCH WADE DIG VIDEO

Wade Dig Photographs

Cardwell McClure looking for a piece of Wade. We found a good few pieces including Ballywhim Houses, Larry leprechaun, a Brown Bear, A Nat West pig and some green Irish Wade items. Photos of our finds will appear on the blogin next few days.

Merle Edgar looking at some of the pieces found.

Jim Edgar removng Irish Wade wall plaques from the Portadown Gas Works walls. Also floor Wade Ulster tiles were removed from the showroom floor

The digger moving onto the Wade wasteland .

The Wade Dig is on Saturday 30th June 2007

Everything ready we hope for the BIG DIG of the Wade Ireland site on Saturday 30th June starting at 9am. Only approved personnel and press will have access to the dig.

We will display our finds on here and our website http://www.wadeireland.co.uk/

Photographs and maybe a video highlights of the dig will be included.

The area we will be looking at is the former Wade dumping area and who knows what we may uncover. We have received assistance from former employees as to the exact location of the deposits.

This will be a unique opportunity as Vico the developer will be buiding ssometime in the future on the site.

Wade Dig

We are to have a dig at the old Wade factory in Watson Street, Edenderry, Portadown shortly.

There has been a slight hold up due to the insurance cover during the dig. The dig is now hoped to be on Saturday 29 June.

We will let you know if its going ahead. We will take photographs to be posted here afterwards. Everyone is excited as we know there were large number of products deposited in wasteland beside the factory. The exact location is a secret. ( sorry for any gold diggers out there)

VIP mailing lists being done this week. Finding addresses sometimes is difficult for those who have moved alot.

Does any Wade workers know the address for the following people?

John Drinkwater
Mr Donald Nelson
Mr raymond Piper

Wade

Any Wade collectors out there? This is my first day on a blog. please let me know if you exist