Carrick in the sun

Carrickfergus has been bathing in sun now for almost three weeks Carrickfergus Council: MARINA . It all came to an end yesterday-the day we were having our home group b-b-q. There was I standing outside, in the rain, wood smoke belching everywhere and everyone else sitting in comfort in the house. Anyway on Saturday Carrick council held a farmers market in the town, a bit disappointed in the number of stalls, but as a first for Carrick I hope it develops.

Walk for life

Tonight was the first night of six nights in which the ladies of Carrick Baptist Church Welcome to - Carrickfergus Baptist Church will run a walk for life outreach with the woman of the town


In order to gauge the length of the walks on Sunday afternoon we sampled the delights of the glen, now having lived in Carrickfergus for almost thirty years, I had seen the signs but never had been into Oakfield Glen. Oakfield Glen, Antrim
It was a delight , like a total oasis in the midst of a busy town.



Another walk took us down by the duck pond where a swan was caring for her six baby cygnets, the cob having been savaged to death by a dog.

New Attitude | Articles

Came across this blogger, thought it was an interesting piece.

New Attitude | Articles

Who do you think you are?

I am fascinated by the BBC series of programmes entitled "who do you think you are?"

Who Do You Think You Are? BBC Magazine -

In this series famous people, with the help off genealogists, research their family background. I guess it appeals to the innate nosiness that I have-I love to take train journeys just to be able to see parts of property that you can never see by car.
In these programmes certain events stand out, I will never forget that hard man of political journalism, Jeremy Paxman, reduced to tears as he read of his family's stay in the poor house or John Hurt in total devastation when he found that there was no Irish blood in his line at all.

My niece has managed to trace my family on my fathers side back my Great,great,great,great,great grandfather,born in 1699 died 1780. She managed to go back on my Great,great,great,great,great grandmothers side to 1563 another 5 generations!



I find this amazing that you can trace history back and know that you are part of this line going back to the 16th century. So much detail can be found, my Great,great,great,great,great grandfather(& GGGGGGmother) had nine children and lived in East Moen, Hampshire, England East Meon, Petersfield, Hampshire, United Kingdom - Google Maps

Gloria Prisca Novatur.

Carrickfergus Borough Council
Gloria Prisca Novatur ,is the town motto of Carrick, translated "The glory of the old made new". Lately the town has been certainly living up to this motto and it has been interesting to watch the upgrade of the sea front(even when they didn't have the lights arrive on time). The other weekend I took my first stroll down the new esplanade and it is a vast improvement to the town and over the summer I'm confident will be well used.

Saying of the week

While listening to The Museum of Curiosity on BBC 4 yesterday

BBC - Radio 4 - Comedy - The Museum of Curiosity

I heard this quote from the Late Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury



"The church is like a swimming pool, all the noise is at the shallow end."

What a difference a week makes.

Last Monday, St Patricks day, we enjoyed a sunny day with the warmth of the sun promising us brighter days ahead. Today, Easter Monday, a biting North wind blows bringing the occasional snow and sleet shower.



I took this picture of a gorse bush in full flower last week, it was a tree we always looked out for in the run up to Easter as we boiled our eggs in water infused with the flowers to give the eggs colour. On Easter Monday we were taken down to Tullymore forest Park and we rolled our eggs down the hill.

Tollymore Forest Park Homepage | Northern Ireland Forest Service


Oh the innocence of those days some 40+ years ago - today it's a competition to see who has the most chocolate eggs!

Political incorrectness

The other week I flew to Scotland to attend a meeting at a hospital in Glasgow and on Wednesday past I had to go to a hospital in Dublin. What amazes me is the fact that from home to destination, I could get to the Scottish hospital quicker than I could to Dublin. Now admittedly I flew to Scotland and took the train to Dublin but it still seems odd that I can get to Glasgow in about 2 and a half hours. It also does not take away the incongruity of flying to Scotland for a committee meeting in the electronic age that we live in.



The meeting in Scotland was held in the Museum Suite and asking at the reception no one knew off it. Eventually on finding it I found it was a "shrine" to Lord Lister the forerunner of antisepsis. The room had an old conference table and 12 ancient leather chairs, the one free wall having old photos and documents displayed.



The other three walls had floor to ceiling display cabinets, the contents of which where obscured by paper. These where anatomical specimens dating back to 1710 from a Dr Noble but also included Lord Lister's collection. In the politically correct days in which we live it was felt that it would be too offensive to display such specimens. On asking what was going to happen to them I was informed that they could possibly be sold to the USA!

St Patrick shines

So the 17th March has come and gone, another year less to debate the denominational bent of this man,Patrick. But the day came and the sun shone.
We went for a walk along the blackhead in Whitehead-there's an Irishism for you.

http://www.walkni.com/Walk.aspx?ID=322

Took the climb up to the lighthouse and the view was spectacular across the lough

Thailand

A few pictures from Mays visit to Thailand.

I'm still here

Didn't quite realize it had been so long since I last posted, I have been so busy I haven't had the time or inclination so sorry Jim! With my wife away in Thailand and the 11+ exams I just forgot about the blog.



On my constitutional lunch time walk round the hospital site a few weeks ago I noticed these early signs of spring.

Happy 2008

So this is 2008, funny it seems the same as yesterday-is it just that I am another day older?
I have this week off on annual leave from my busy place of work




I removed all the decorations and cards before I left so that all I'll come back too will be a backlog of work.

Spent boxing day at my brothers, nice log fire burning on a grey December day




We brought the new year in at Jim and Jacqui's and and we were treated to a chocolate fountain


After toasting in the new year we then had a competition on Wii - sad to say I was beaten by someone almost half a century younger than myself!

The King is coming-again!

Two more days to Christmas, two days to that time when the God became man, the reality of this is that He is coming again.

Continental market

On Tuesday past we eventually had a free night to visit the continental market in the grounds of Belfast City Hall.
The night was dry and crisp and the town was packed by people doing their Christmas shopping. It appears to have expanded since last year and a large collection of stalls offered food varying from Kangaroo burgers to bowls of Irish stew. Tim and I opted for the roast pig that was gently turning on the spit.
Bought some cheese, ate a few free olives
and Heather bought her sweets.
May refused to try the Belfast eye so had to forgo that pleasure.

The Christmas story.

Belfast - City of change.

As someone who lived in Belfast for the first 26 years of my life, but has lived outside it for almost 30 years , I see changes in the city every time I return to it. Most of these changes are for the better, others I feel have ruined the character of the city particularly in the northern part. Driving through it on the park and ride bus I noted the changes in an area known as sailor town and in the cathedral quarter. Even up to my late 20's these areas still had thriving communities with albeit poor quality housing, but instead of upgrading the council in their wisdom demolished the whole area and replaced it with motorways and parking areas.
But yet it is good to see the prosperous look that is beginning to mark Belfast as the place to visit Belfast Tourism | Goto Belfast Belfasts Offical Tourism Website Even on a cold November day the city was full of foreign tourists, something unimaginable even 10 years ago.
St Georges market was full to capacity


The newest attraction to the city is the Belfast eye offering panoramic views over



the whole of the city, three uninterrupted revolutions of the wheel. I thought it was really good value and hope it can be relocated permanently after its short time by the city hall.

39 days to go.

Talking to Debbie Allen on Facebook the other day she mentioned she was putting up her Christmas lights.And driving home last night I passed the second house that was fully bedecked in stars, climbing Santa's, snowmen etc.
However I think we have a long way to go before we meet the standard of this house.

The Flu and men.

One of the "advantages" of working in the health service Health and Social Care Northern Ireland Gateway is that as a member of staff I can get an annual flu jab.
I can count on three fingers the number of times I have had the flu, so I usually decline the offer, maybe when I'm a bit older I'll take it!
There is a certain tendency to imagine that there is a specific flu that applies only to men - the "Man Flu".
I poured scorn on this idea until someone sent me this clip.

Things I haven't heard before.

Gerry Anderson on his radio show (BBC - Northern Ireland - Homepage) often comes out with the statement "I haven't said that before on the radio", well I thought I'd start a run on things I haven't heard before. Please feel free to add your suggestions to this comment.
This morning in church the speaker came out with the statement "lets play chopsticks for God this week"
Now don't get me wrong I am not criticising the speaker-far from it- it followed on from a good illustration, but in my twisted mind as he said it the thought "I haven't heard that before in church" came to mind and hence this post.

Collective nouns.

I attended a seminar yesterday at Altnegelvin Hospital, nothing exciting, all to do with document management systems, but it enabled me to be home earlier than needed to pick up my daughter from Irish dance class. As it was a sunny afternoon I took the proverbial walk along the marina.
It was then I spotted something I had never seen before-about eight seals just lying basking in the afternoon sun, lying on rocks just under the water that made it appear that the seals where floating.




As usual the digital camera was in the car so excuse the phone pics,



Which brings me to the title of this blog-what is the collective noun for seals? Is it a school, a pack a herd or maybe just alot!