Orangeman and author

Colin, has it sunk in yet that you have written a book, and that from this week you are an author?

I don't class myself as an author.

Do you not?

No. All I did was put information together for a local village.

Do you not feel just a wee bit excited about this and that your name is going to be on it?

I am excited about it, but I'm only collating information that people gave me.

But, sure is that not what authors do?

(Laughs) Yes.

I think you are being a bit shy about it...

Aye, I'm a very shy person.

We know you better as the Secretary of Newbuildings Victoria 1087. How long have you been doing that.

Since 2003, since the formation of the Lodge.

So you'd be one of the founder members then?

A founder member, yes. It is a nice feeling because you will always be known in history as being a founder member of a Lodge, and to look back in years to come the family will be able to say I was a founder member of a Lodge.

What appealed to you about setting up this Lodge. Was there a gap?

It was actually John Keys' idea. He thought it was important to get an Orange Witness in Newbuildings village, and to start up a Lodge you need six members of another Lodge to get together to form a Lodge. Just by default we were sitting in John's one night deciding who was going to take specific offices and just by chance my name came up. I had never done Secretary of a Lodge before, so again, that was a challenge.

What does the Secretary do?

There is a lot of responsibility there that you have. You have to keep members notified of when there is a meeting, you have to get Minutes as accurate as possible. We might want to invite specific guests to a particular meeting, so I have to ensure they get enough notice to attend and if they can't then I have I have to find a substitute. We moved out to Newbuildings three years ago and we have to ensure the building is available to our meetings.

That must have mean quite a challenge in terms of fundraising and organising to get something like that set up.

It was. You don't really need that much money when you are setting up, but we were very grateful on the night we were formed that the gathered Brethren had a Free Will Collection and that was given to us to start us off. We do a lot of fundraising throughout the year like sponsored walks and draws and stuff like that and there are opportunities there to do street collections to keep the Lodge running.

What sort of things do Lodges need money for? Do you do day trips? What sort of stuff?

Obviously there is the day-to-day running of a Lodge, because you have to pay hire costs and tax and you have to ensure there is enough money there for that. It's not all money for ourselves. A lot of people think that the Orange Order is just for walking down the streets, but we do a lot of community work and we do a lot of fundraising for charities. Our own Lodge since we were formed in 2003 has raised in or around 6,000 and one of our biggest goals was doing the Foyle Hospice Charity of the Year for the City Grand Lodge in 2005, and I was the fundraising co-ordinator of that at the time. Our Lodge raised 2,000 for that. As part of that we did sponsored walks and I did a 13,000ft sky dive down in Garvagh.

You did?

I did, yes.

What was that like?

Great. I'd do it again!

Really?

It was one of my best experiences ever, sitting up there at 13,000 just floating in mid-air. It was lovely.

Were you on your own?

I was in tandem. I was attached to somebody.

What group did you do that with?

The Wild Geese in Garvagh.

Is that the group that does the hang gliding too?

Yes.

Has that inspired you to go on and take up more aerial pursuits?

Maybe. If it comes up again and the opportunity arises for a specific charity I would definitely would do it again. I would love other people to come along with me as well.

Was your heart not in your mouth?

It was out through me mouth!

Did you scream?

I can't remember! It was alright, you know? When you get over the side the wind just hits you and the parachute just opens. The fellow along with you opens the parachute and you shoot away up for a bit, and then you just float down and I was watching the scenery. I saw the scenery as I never saw it before. It was lovely just looking down and not a care in the world.

You see, I'd have had my eyes shut tight...

No, definitely not. But, you do have a lot of trust for the man in behind you...and in the parachute...

Were you glad to have your feet back on the ground?

Och aye. I was glad I was able to get my feet back under me but it was nice now, I definitely would do it again.

How long did it take you to float back down?

A few minutes. I can't just remember now it is that long ago, but a few minutes.

You'd have had to get the Fire Brigade out to me...

(Laughs) It was actually nice watching I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, and seeing them free-falling, because I knew what they were going through. When you see it like that it can be scary. Don't get me wrong, Here he speaks to Sentinel reporter Olga Bradshaw about his love of the Orange Order - and parachute jumping.

I was a wee bit apprehensive at the start, but I enjoyed it.

I know when you have your feet firmly on the ground you enjoy nothing better than a game or two of bowls.

My son Jordan and I play indoor Church bowls. It is enjoyable getting round meeting people.

See, I look at you and I don't see a man who plays bowls! I think curling or something a bit more dramatic, but not bowls...

No, bowls is a nice relaxing sport.

How long have you been doing that?

On and off since I was 13 or 14.

Really?

Yes, and I'm only 25 now!

There's another thing you love doing too - caravan touring!

Caravan touring, yes. I enjoy hitching on the caravan on a Friday and heading off to Benone, Portrush or Enniskillen.

Do you head off regularly?

Not as often as I would like.

Are you just confined to Northern Ireland?

No. A few times I went with to two friends to Killarney and Wicklow, but in 2006, I really chanced my arm and I went to France. I went down into mainland France.

What was it like driving on the other side of the road with a caravan attached?

I was a bit nervous at the start, but one of the highlights of that was myself and William Wray and David Ramsey, whom I went with, were able to visit some of the graves of the Somme, which was very very touching. It was surreal, you don't realise what it is like until you are there. As soon as you walk into the graves the hair just stands on the back of your head. There are memorials all around the place and hopefully in a few years' time we will be able to plan a trip to the Somme. It would be nice to see it again because we do the Battle of the Somme commemoration every year in Newbuildings.