Were we mad.

We went to an outdoor concert in aid of Marie Curie a very worthy charity.

There was a barbeque, an Elvis tribute and also a Van Morrison  tribute, everything started a 6 and finished at 12 PM.

Tony Blair, most deceitful PM ever.

Tony Blair must be the most deceitful, lying, two faced  Prime Minister Briton ever had.

http://www.answers.com

First of all he lied to the British people, the British Parliament and the U.N. over the W.M.D. in the run up to the Iraq war along with his partner in crime G.Bush giving a report of a mass of weapons.

The results of that are still going on to-day and has cost tens of thousands of lives and has spread all over the continent.

Belfast tourism

Belfast becomes one of the world’s ‘fastest growing cruise destinations’

Full report on the BBC News

A record number of luxury cruise ships have come to Belfast this year, making it one of the fastest growing cruise destinations in the world.

Compulsory dog microchipping

All dogs in Northern Ireland will have to be micro-chipped from the 1st April.

Northern Ireland is the first part of the UK to bring in a law like this. The governments in Westminster and Cardiff are watching – they are considering doing the same.

This is to stop stray dogs roaming the streets, it seams that people cannot afford to keep a dog now so they drive for miles let the dog out and we have another stray. They are picked up, if there is no micro-chip found they are put into kennels.

Titanic Quarter Building, Belfast

Belfast has used almost all of the former Belfast shipyard to create the Titanic  Quarter. There are hotels, business’s , apartments, a large entertainment building with bars, ice rink, cinemas,  etc.

But the latest building to open on the 31st March Was the Titanic Building Visitor Centre.

You will see below that the three sides of the building are the same size and shape as the Titanic’s bow.

Titanic: One Hundreds Years.

This year is truly a Titanic year, as people across the globe commemorate the centenary of the tragic events of April 15, 1912.

Captain Edward John Smith

Here in Belfast, the birthplace of Titanic, the city prepares to welcome thousands of tourists for the 100th anniversary of its ill-fated maiden voyage.

The cost of Dying to increase.

Cremation cost at Roselawn Cemetery in Belfast to rise by 25%

The cost of dying is to increase this year by a massive amount  at the crematorium in Belfast. Northern Ireland has only one crematorium which has been completely re-furbished with two more furnaces up to a total of four.

They have had to open early and close later to cope with the increase of customers  since it was built 20 years ago. The Northern Ireland Assembly are going to build a new one 20 miles away in the town of Moira , and also another on the other side of Belfast ( where i live ) so that’s handy.

A forth is being thought about in the City of Omagh, County Tyrone

Plastic bag charge

A charge for plastic bags.

Northern Ireland are bringing in a tax on plastic bags, which i think its long overdue and its about time this happened.

The tax will start in April 2013 and will either be 5p or 10p per bag and will go up to 15p per bag in 2014. They are also taking about making it 15p from the start, which i would favour.

In Northern Ireland there are 200 million plastic bags used every year, and i think it takes something like 100 years for them to degrade.

Also in April 2013 Wales are going to charge 5p per bag and this will go up to 10p the following year.

Swan and Duck photos

 My Grandson Adam  who is soon to be 10 years of age, feeding the Swans, Geese and Ducks in Queen Mary’s Gardens in Belfast. They are only a five minute drive from my house.

This was at the start of November and it was a beautiful sunny day.

The birds will come right up to you to get feed but the swans do not get out of the water very often, they must feel safe in it.

These gardens are formed from the lower section of the former Waterworks, which was made a public park after its use as a source of water for the city.

There are only three male swans two of which are in the last photo.

In photo number six i live at the bottom of the hill better known as the Cave Hill and we over look the whole of Belfast.

If you click the photos they will open and look better.

M T V Awards Belfast

Belfast is bracing itself for an invasion of some of the biggest names in pop music ahead of this weekend’s MTV EMAs.

Ladygaga

With both the George Best City and Belfast International airports on standby for the arrival of private jets and commercial flights carrying many of the artists, several have already touched down early to prepare for the star-studded event at the Odyssey Arena this Sunday.

Bruno Mars

Fifteen years ago, most musicians avoided Belfast – now it’s hosting the MTV European Music Awards.

Northern Ireland Photos

I hope you enjoy some of the sights around Northern Ireland, i have been to all of these several times. They are well worth a visit if you ever set foot over here for  a visit.

Over the years i have worked in three of the buildings, Belfast City Hall, Belfast Castle and Stormont Castle.

There will be another post with more sights coming soon.

Belfast city hall and stands in the city centre. Tours are held all day and there is also a restaurant open to the public.

People relaxing in the city hall grounds on a summer’s day.



Stormont Parliament building is where the Northern Ireland Assembly sits.

Boating Holidays in Northern Ireland.

The Fermanagh lake lands are a great place to have a relaxed boating holiday, there a over 100 island’s with a few having accomodation to stay in, and it is a fisher man’s dream. I have been there many time’s to a few island’s as wel as day trip’s around the lake’s.

The Fermanagh lake lands and day-boats…





Boating Holidays in Northern Ireland.

You need no experience and no licence to drive any of these boats. Full tuition by instructors before you leave the boat’s are suitable for first time hirers. You can order food provisions in advance and they will be waiting for you on arrival. You could spend 2 week’s on the 3 lake’s and never see it all.

I have been on board these boat’s and they are so big and very nice inside, it must be lovely sailing around the lake’s slowly on a summer’s day and then calling in for a break and a drink on one of the holiday island’s on the lake’s.

Fishing is a very big thing on the lake’s, people from all over Britain and further come to fish here. There are many day boat’s for hire for the fishing or just a day out on the lake’s.