John Chambers - A Belfast Child: My true story of life and death in the Troubles

Published by John Blake Publishing,

an imprint of Bonnier Books UK

80-81 Wimpole Street

Marylebone

London

W1G 9RE

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First published in paperback in 2020

ISBN: 978 1 78946 274 6

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data:

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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Text copyright John Chambers 2020

The right of John Chambers to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Every reasonable effort has been made to trace copyright-holders of material reproduced in this book, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers would be glad to hear from them.

John Blake Publishing is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK

www.bonnierbooks.co.uk

This book is dedicated to my father, John Chambers.

I miss and love you every single day.

To my siblings, Mags, Jean and David this is also your story.

To my wife, Simone, and my kids, Autumn and Jude you fill my life with joy and happiness.

To all other members of the Chambers clan no longer with us, as well as all the innocent victims of the Northern Irish Troubles.

And finally, of course, to my mother.

CONTENTS

Historically, Unionist politicians fed their electorate the myth that they were first class citizens... and without question people believed them. Historically, Republican/Nationalist politicians fed their electorate the myth that they were second class citizens... and without question the people believed them. In reality, the truth of the matter was that we all, Protestant and Catholic, were third class citizens, and none of us realised it!

H UGH S MYTH , OBE (19412014). U NIONIST POLITICIAN .

Although I was raised in what is probably one of the most Loyalist council estates in Belfast, I was never what you might term a conventional Prod. Dont get me wrong coming from Glencairn, situated just above the famous Shankill Road and populated by Protestants (and their descendants) who fled intimidation, violence and death in other parts of Belfast at the beginning of the Troubles, I was (and remain) a Loyalist through and through. I was unashamedly proud of my Northern Irish Protestant ancestry (still am) and couldnt wait for all the fun and games to be had on 12 July, The Twelfth, or Orangemans Day (still cant). Even after thirty-plus years of living away from the place my dreams are populated by bags of Tayto Cheese & Onion crisps, pastie suppers from Beatties on the Shankill and pints of Harp lager. I cheer on the Northern Ireland Football team (though Im not a massive football fan, I watch all the big games) and I bitch frequently about the doings of Sinn Fein.

Im a working-class Belfast Loyalist through and through and very proud of my culture and traditions. Yet from an early age I sensed that I was somehow different. As a child I couldnt quite put my finger on it and when I discovered the truth in my early teens, I was embarrassed, mortified and ashamed but maybe not particularly shocked. I always knew there was something not quite right about me. The secret was that I wasnt as Super Prod as I thought; there was another strand of Northern Irish tradition in my background, one that was equally working-class Belfast, but as diametrically opposed to Protestantism as youre likely to get. Theres a comedy song that probably still does the rounds in clubs across Ireland, North and South, called The Orange and The Green, the chorus of which goes something like It is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen/My father he was Orange and my mother she was Green. In other words, a Protestant father and a Catholic mother. This song could have been written about our family directly, so closely did it match our dynamic.

Now, if youre reading this from the comfort of any other country than Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland or Scotland, youll be (just about) forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about. Catholics marrying Protestants? So what? No big deal, surely. No one cares. But in a country like Northern Ireland, where tribalism still reigns supreme and the local people can sniff out a persons religion just by looking at them, the prospect of the mixed marriage is still cause for a good gossip, at the very least. During the Troubles period it was an excuse for deep embarrassment, banishment, a paramilitary beating, or worse. Those Protestants and Catholics who married and stuck it out either slunk away into some quiet corner of Northern Ireland, trying to ignore the ongoing conflict while hoping the neighbours wouldnt ask too many questions, or left the place altogether, never to return.

The marriage of my own parents, John Chambers (Protestant) and Sally McBride (Catholic), fell apart in the late 1960s as Belfast burned in the early days of the Troubles. The ferocity of hatred between the citys two warring communities scorched many people desperately trying to find sanctuary in a country heading towards all-out civil war. As well see, my parents marriage was among these early casualties. Their lives, and the lives of their four children, would change for ever and were shaped by the sectarian madness that tore Belfast and all of Northern Ireland apart and brought us all to the brink of an abyss that threatened and ruined our daily lives.

This isnt a book about the day-to-day events of the Troubles. There are plenty of excellent histories available detailing the period in all its gory glory, and from all viewpoints. If you need deep context, Id recommend reading one of these, or even visiting Belfast. Its safe now and as a tourist you wont find a warmer welcome anywhere on this earth. As we say, Northern Irish people are the friendliest in the world just not towards each other.

Although I love history, Im not a historian and I dont intend this book to be a dry run through of the events of 1969 onwards. As a child I learned the stories and legends of the Battle of Boyne and the Siege of Derry at my grandfathers and fathers knees, becoming immersed in the Loyalist culture that would shape and dominate my whole existence.

I just happened to be there at the time an ordinary kid in an extraordinary situation made even more complicated by the secret of my dual heritage. This is simply the story of a boy trying to grow up, survive, thrive, have fun and discover himself against a backdrop of events that might best be described as explosive, captivating and shocking the world for thirty long years. Ive written this book because even I find my own story hard to believe sometimes, and only when I see it on the shelves will I truly know that it happened. In addition, its a story I would like my own children and grandchildren to read. I want them to live in peace, harmony and understanding in a multicultural world where everyone tolerates and respects each other. I suppose Ive always been a dreamer...