Filed under: History, Nostalgia, Thoughts | Tags: History, Nostalgia, Thoughts
Ballyholme Esplanade always seems to be under development somewhere. I can imagine the appeal of a sea view, living in a cul de sac and yet being close to shops, post office and schools. In the original postcard, the gate pillars are still in situ but not very much else is instantly recognisable.
I don’t know exactly how old the postcard is. It isn’t used but my estimation is 1905-1915.
I’m struggling to find the time and motivation to maintain my blog. This is the first time since starting last July that I am having difficulty finding something to blog about and the motivation to do so.
I’ve started an anonymous (for obvious reasons) personal finance blog to chart my path through the current economic situation and this has had an impact.
Not sure how long I can keep this one going…but you never know!
Filed under: Blogging, Society, Technology, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Blogging, Society, Technology, Thoughts, UK
I’ve been using Twitter since August last year. I cannot remember why I signed up to use it and I’ve only a vague recollection of it’s existence before then. Since then, the phenomenon has grown greatly, particularly through some celebrity endorsement from Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) and Jonathan Ross (@wossy) here in the UK. The premise if simple. Upload a message of up to 140 characters, which can be all text or can include a link to a picture on Twitpic or another service, or a link to a web page. I can vouch for it’s addictiveness – I would rarely take a bathroom break now at work without checking in on my iPhone!
Twitter’s uses are as varied as the messages and content that Tweeters put on it. It can sustain a direct conversation between two Tweeters who follow each other. It can be a marketing tool. It can be just a way to vent on some subject that is vexing you at the time. It can be a means to share good or bad news instantaneously – reference the aircraft crash-landing into the Hudson River recently. It was news across the world via Twitter long before the news services got to the story. And many, many other uses, such as organising people quickly and easily for political or charity-based events. A recent world-wide Twestival was held to raise money for the charity:water organisation – over $500,000 was raised in one night across 175 cities.
For me, however, it provides a sense of community, some great links to information I wouldn’t normally get and humour. That human relationships can develop on nothing more than 140 characters at a time, is the best testament for Twitter.
The montage above shows my “followers” a few days ago. It gives a flavour of the diversity of the users of this tool. Try it, you’ll love it!
Filed under: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK
This old building, which was originally a factory, holds a particular fascination for me as it was the site of the first Crazy Prices store I had full responsibility for as store manager. That was back in 1986. The weekly turnover was £35K. It was a dingy store which never made a penny of net profit in the ten years it was open but came pretty close to do doing so towards the end.
Anyhow, the building originally housed Ross’s Lemonade factory and had at least four floors. When I worked there, the top two floors were derelict with broken windows and dead pigeons and no doubt, a few other pests. The “shopping centre” known as Central Arcade was the 70s/80s equivalent of the Hi-Shops in High St, in other words, it was a really awful collection of grotty businesses anchored by a grotty supermarket and a very busy Stewarts Winebarrel.
In later years, the building changed hands and was developed into Ross’s Court, a rather upmarket and ultimately doomed centre due to the unfortunate fact that it was just too far from Royal Avenue to attract the business it needed. Timing is everything and if the centre had been able to hold out, the recent introduction of the Victoria Square complex would have supported and sustained the centre.
Today, the most upmarket and best-looked-after Argos I have ever seen occupies the Victoria Square end of the building. The original stonework still shows the name of the original owners, W.A Ross & Sons – a nice touch!
Filed under: History, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Bangor, History, Memories, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK
I collect postcards of Ballyholme Bay which is about half a mile from my home. My collection sits at 51 and includes pictures taken from either ends of the bay, the yacht club, some of the Esplanade and one of the Ballyholme Windmill (pre-1911 when it still had it’s sails). This is one of the older postcards and I particularly like it because the chap in the straw boater and the lady in the background give a sense of the time through their clothing. The contemplative pose of straw-boater man is also indicative of a less frenzied and more sedate period – something I feel nostalgic for!
I took the opportunity this morning to photograph the scene and compare the two. In 1912, when the postcard was postmarked, Ballyholme was a separate entity to Bangor, a point indicated by the old Bangor town limit represented by the rusting and decayed marker just fifty yards from where straw-boater man sits. (Picture below)
Many of the buildings visible in the postcard are still there today although the blueish-roofed building on the far side of the bay, formerly The Ballyholme Hotel, and then the Ballyholme Residential Home (my wife worked there at one point), was demolished some years ago and rebuilt into apartments in a similar design. The wrought-iron and wood benches are also still available although moved to a safer distance from the incline in this health and safety conscious age.
I intend to do more of these photo-comparisons. They remind me of a practice common in an interesting magazine called After The Battle which compares photographs taken in battle during WWII with the same scenes taken today. It will be the closest I get to time-travel in my lifetime.
Filed under: Fun, Life, Society, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Fun, Life, Society, Thoughts, UK
No not really! I noticed that our local plods are making an effort (in darkest Ballyholme anyway) to become neighbourhood police. They have a sign, similar to that which sits outside shops advertising ice cream etc) that sits outside their paddy wagon asking for people to come and talk to them. I took them up on their kind offer asking if thought it might be more neighbourly if they didn’t take up two parking spaces rather than one. In reply to the charge, one officer shrugged and said “I don’t know…”
Some way to go yet then! 🙂
Filed under: Belfast, Culture, Hidden Belfast, History, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Hidden Belfast, History, Nostalgia, Thoughts, UK
This beautiful building can be easily missed while hurrying up or down High St. It is opposite the “monsterous carbuncle” that is the Hi-Park parking and shopping centre. Built in 1890, this listed building is one of only a few to escape demolition during the Belfast Blitz in 1941. Apparently this was due to the fact that it’s front wall, floors, chimneys and roof were constructed using concrete.
The building is currently being renovated and is undergoing conversion to a hotel and tea rooms.
Filed under: Blogging, Entertainment, Technology, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Blogging, Technology, UK
Rockers!
Belfastwestival took place in Lavery’s Bunker on Thursday evening. £500 was raised by a combination of door money, raffle proceeds and donations to the event’s Paypal account from Twitterers who couldn’t make it to the event. Well done to @goodonpaper and @icedcoffee who organised and compere’d the evening.
The Rockband tournament allowed many to let their hair down (figuratively, as only one of the many band members actually looked like he might be a rocker (see guitarist above)). Groups created on the night included The Test Eagles, “We’re Trying, I Swear”, The Sonic Artists, Unlucky Fried Kitten, Apple Pie and Three Smarties and a Tube, with the winners picking up a replica Fender Stratocaster donated by the Belfast Guitar Emporium. The eventual winners were….Apple Pie!
It was nice to be able to put some faces to the Twitterers who I had “met” since starting tweeting last August. Everyone was very friendly and it was clear that Twitter can bring disparate age and demographic groups together to do good!
And the winner is...
Filed under: Belfast, Blogging, Entertainment, Technology, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Blogging, Entertainment, Technology, Thoughts, Twitter
I had an interesting experience this morning. Myself and Andy McMillan (@goodonpaper on Twitter) has an opportunity to promote this evening’s Twestival event for charity:water on Belfast’s U105 FM radio station. Carolyn Stewart seemed genuinely interested in Twitter and had us on air for eight minutes rather than the usual four! Nerve-wracking stuff but despite a few SNAFUs and stumbles, we managed to get the point across well, we think.
The event takes place in Lavery’s Bunker between 20:00 and 22:30 this evening with entertainment, raffle prizes and good craic (still hate that word!). Pay at the door or buy tickets online at the Belfastwestival website – costs £5, 100% of which goes to the charity (Thanks Laverys!)
Filed under: Belfast, Blogging, Entertainment, Fun, Technology, Thoughts, UK | Tags: Belfast, Blogging, Entertainment, Fun, Technology, Thoughts, UK
This Thursday night, Twitterers from all over Northern Ireland will congregate at Lavery’s Bunker in Bradbury Place, Belfast for a night of fun and craic (hate that word!) and at the same time raise money for charity:water. Similar events will be taking place across the globe on the same day. Everyone’s welcome to attend and Lavery’s management are donating the entrance fee straight to the charity.
It kicks off at 20:00 and there are lots of raffle prizes, entertainment, etc.
For more details, contact:
@belfastwestival
@itsabenzbaby
or check out the website at:
Ravings From The Bog 