Belfast's Big Freeze

Yesterday I stood at a bus stop for 40 minutes waiting on a bus. In the end I conceded defeat when I couldn't feel my toes, fingers, nose or ears. The final straw came when I was shivering and my ears were starting to sting after I tried to warm them with my hands. So I shuffled off from the bus stop to defrost and to find some hot tea and some warm food to eat.

Trying to walk, my legs felt like they'd been holding heavy ice cubes as if I had a sports injury. From the records it looks to have been around -5. Smart work trousers, it turns out, are not suited to this cold weather, below 0 the cold really does bite and that those smart trousers don't cut it. So with this freezing cold experience in mind, I'll share some of the other cold treks into the snow and ice I've been making over the course of the last week with some sights of Belfast during what has turned out to be Northern Ireland's worst cold spell in quite some time.

The weather started to turn again on the night of the 16th; a little evening shopping at City Side Mall was greeted by a snow shower.

The City Hall the next morning was looking sugar coated with this dusting of snow.

The Sheep at the Waterfront (at the top of this post) found themselves with a new wooly coat, all be it a very cold icy white jumper each. It might have been thawing a little but that was soon to change! It snowed most of the day and when I ended up at a bus stop outside the Kings Hall later that evening, here was the scene as the cold of night set in:

Following this I found myself in town and there the statues of the City Hall were doing their very best Santa impressions with the fluffy white trim of snow.

Eventually we hibernated with the ever decreasing credit on our gas meter ticking away. The next morning we woke with some serious shopping to be done. So into town again we went. First we took a wander into the 'under construction' St Anne's Square where the snow was looking quite festive with the pretty walls of this new build.

On our way to collect some parcels from the sorting office, we crossed the street to see there was plenty of out of town car parking still available (if you have 4 wheel drive):

The pigeons of Belfast had been busy making their mark on the fresh snow:

And the snow outside Customs House Square was helping take the building back to its Victorian roots with a scene not too far out of place of a Dickens novel... well, maybe if it wasn't for the 'Boat' now docked beside it.

The Merchant Hotel's roof top statues were also joining in the Arctic look of this winters collection.

A couple of days and a snow flurry or two later, the snow and cold weather is still very much with us. The snow has largely turned to slush and then to ice. The softer snow still has a crunch underneath it and the pavements are quite slippy. Transport seems to be getting better rather than worse as things move from snow to ice and some of the roads outside the city centre are pretty bad. This would be bearable combined with the fun side of the cold weather, however, regrettably I've been unable to find time to make a cool snowman or some sort of snow creation as I like to. All work and no play make this blogger something something but needs have got in the way. I still think though we should all be making the most of the cold spell, kudos to anyone who has made a snowman to look over the winter solstice and lunar eclipse today. We're not the only species to embrace it, take for instance these Seagulls, they've sensed the possibilities of turning a simple rooftop into birdy ski slope:

Belfast in December

Belfast is very cold! We've not had the quantity of snow that a lot of the UK and Ireland has experienced this week but this part of the world has nevertheless shared the freezing cold temperatures. So before I reminisce more about last months trip to New York, here is a quick start-of the-month feeler from the frozen streets of Belfast.

The city has been getting into the festive spirit. The Christmas lights were turned on the day Norngirl and I arrived home from NYC. The switch-on was apparently done by the Lord Mayor and Lisa Riley. Sadly though, we didn't head down because we were just too tired to do anything more than sleep. With good reason too! At that stage in the day we'd had a mad week, had been awake for the best part of 40 hours and needed more rest than we got closing our eyes for a few minutes on hard airport seats in Heathrow. The streets of Belfast therefore are now lit up with festive decorations, they're not exactly the Blackpool Illuminations but they do add a nice glow to our city's streets.

In the grounds of Belfast City hall is the Belfast Christmas Continental Market. I've so far only had the chance for a quick walk through and the shops seem quite similar to last year but it's still fun to take in the sights, sounds and more importantly - smells... though it would be awesome to head back and take in some of the BEER!

Belfast City Hall itself (and the rest of the grounds) have also been decorated. I think most people in Belfast, if asked, would count the City Hall as one of the gems of Belfast when speaking about its landmarks and I think the council have done a great job of decorating it again this year. Though it really is missing the Belfast Wheel :(

The other big change in this part of the city centre is the semi-completion of the paving on Donegal Place and Royal Avenue. This was a nice surprise! Before, the buses into town had to swerve through a roadwork chicane and it always threw you off balance. Now seemingly done, this area is more pedestrianised than ever and the first 2 of what are said to be 8 giant lighting masts have been installed!

Yep, the two random copper sculptures are part of 8 masts that will grace the street. They are known as Belfast City's Iconic Feature Lighting Masts though I suspect they'll get a new name before long. I've not been able to find too much about them but according to the Department for Social Development's website, the remaining 6 will be installed in January and each is to be named after a ship with a tie to the city. For a little more information here is the DSD page about the iconic feature lighting masts. I can't wait to see what it all looks like once they're done and the lights have been installed and turned on! The page linked to above has some artists impressions if you're feeling curious.

There has also been a little bit of snow and at times it has been looking quite like a winter wonderland but there hasn't been quite enough snow to be able make some snowmen or snow animals like we did in Yorkshire back in February this year. Sadly there has been just enough snow/ice for the primary school kids (who don't live in our street) to come around and pelt the windows, grrrrrrr, wee brats.

Victoria Square is also alive with festive glow; a massive tree like cone is its centrepiece but the whole shopping centre is filled with hanging lights and bunches of small Christmas trees. It's quite a sight. Sadly I've not had chance to take any photos of it yet but do head over to San Fran ♥ Belfast where Flippin' Yank has been busy sharing some snaps of those decorations and scenes.

So with that I'll get back to some online Christmas shopping and putting together some more posts about New York... that is if I can draw myself away from my new toy! I recently hit the 200 limit on Flickr so succumbed to paying to go Pro.  With this purchase I've found a new addiction... like I needed one! I've now taken to ploughing through people's photos and commenting on them as well as sharing my own. So if you also use Flickr too, don't be shy to say hi and add me as a contact, I'll be sure to reciprocate. Here is my photostream on Flickr. Tis the season to be jolly after all :)

The Lights of Belfast: My Bonfire Night and Diwali.

Around the world right now, people are celebrating Diwali (Deepavali); the festival of lights. A religious celebration based on the lunar calendar celebrating good over evil and various other human values tied to light over those tied to darkness. I'm not religious but I do appreciate the sentiment and good will behind many such tradition. According to one of my Hindu work colleagues it is a big hit amongst children because of the pretty lights and sweets. To be honest I like both sweets and lights too! So on Friday the 5th of November, a date also well known across the water in England for being Bonfire night (the English celebration of the foiling of the Gunpowder plot of 1605 which is celebrated with bonfires and fireworks) I was feeling somewhat left out. Shattered and not in the spirits to head to Jordanstown to join in the Diwali celebrations there, I needed another outlet. So to address this, on my way home from work I took a walk around Belfast City centre to take some pictures of the prettiest lights I could find. Here is what I found...

The Belfast Wheel - A belated farewell

The Belfast wheel closed back on Sunday 11th April and that was the day Norn Girl and I had our sentimental last ride. The wheel has originally meant to be a short term attraction but as it went down better than expected (I believe likely in part due to Belfast having a public starved of any traditional landmark tourist attraction), it proved to be a real 'money spinner' and so it was allowed to stay for a couple more years - in the end it was open for (if my research and math is correct) 2 years, 6 months and 3 days, or somewhere 'around about' that figure.

The ride itself I thought was very much worth it as it gave a great view of Belfast and the surrounding area. It was especially worth it in November 2008 because that was when I proposed to Norn Girl at the top of the Wheel and she said yes! That was a wheely good night!

We also went on the wheel several times inbetween, usually when family wanted to go on, it seemed like we went on every 6 months or so, maybe it was some form of 'rotational system'. Sadly it had to close because it got a few groups 'in a spin' which is understandable, hopefully it could still reappear maybe in a new location in the future.

Alan in Belfast gives a great video of the Belfast Wheel in his post about the wheel closing if you'd like to experience a full spin still. Do hang around a few minutes though and let me take you through a few of the favourites of the photos I managed to take over the time the wheel graced the grounds of Belfast City Hall...

Here is the wheel being constructed in November 2007 - almost there but looking more like a Trivial pursuit counter than a tourist attraction:

Things soon got going and in 2008 it was looking like its well known self:

After our engagement (and no doubt many others and other celebrations- and why not!) 2009 'rolled around' and the wheel started to become part of the skyline, which in part led to its deconstruction.

Here is the Belfast Wheel on Sunday 11th April, its last day of operation:

The last rides came to an end and the wheel spent a few days still standing:

As quickly as it had started spinning it came down... here is the Wheel being dismantled and packed away:

You haven't been to Belfast in 2010 until you've...

10. Taken a long detour to get to a shop because of construction works, a journey that likely resulted in a bounce across a makeshift wooden bridge which you perhaps slightly enjoyed even though you know you should be annoyed by the inconvenience.

9. Witnessed a near death 'You've been Framed' moment on or around one of the sculptures in the middle of town - like the Spirit of Belfast - and wished you'd caught it on camera!

8. Had the joy of listening to old men 'gurn' and complain at a local sports event, seemingly oblivious to the fact they aren't at home in front of the TV or watching the multimillionaires.

7. Considered how the view will look from the top of the Obel and if you could get a paper plane from the top of it to land on the Odyssey?

6. Made it to the top of the zoo on the cave hill and said "Bout Ye" to the cute Sunbears. They tend to pop their heads up to the glass to get a better look at you and maybe say "oh hai".

5. Stood wobbling at the top of Victoria Square on the viewing platform whilst peering at the passers by below and plotting the logistics of an abseil down to sneak up behind them.

4. Got bored trying to find something cheap to do so head into a bar or cafe only to find it would have been cheaper to have done the thing you were thinking about doing in the first place.

3. Felt bad for almost falling over a busker or big issue seller in the street - though in your mind questioned the choice of location they have occupied - usually at the at the other side of a blind corner!

2. Become frustrated by the tour bus people offering you a leaflet when you've already turned down their colleagues or competitors all the way down the street - especially when you're not a tourist, dagnabit!

1. Walked around the Ulster Museum and come out wondering how next time you can get away with making things in the 'interactive areas' without been frowned upon. Likely to coincide with thoughts of how you could go about borrowing a child for an afternoon or making one just for this purpose, followed by the thought of 'don't be silly, grow up', followed by the thought 'then again...'.

Madness in March

There is just too much going on at once for a dedicated post of each event that March has thrown my way so far, its madness, madness I tells ye! Thankfully, possibly related to the quantity of hours being put in at work, there has been a silver lining (or in my specific case, a giant glowing hourglass in the sky!) to all the rushing about. Though there have been far too many early mornings and late nights. A busy schedule has led to some nice photo opportunities, photos of things I would perhaps have missed had I not been moving around at funny times of the day, and here are a few of them:

It all kicked off on the 1st March with Crusaders first game live on Sky Sports and first game under our new floodlights at Seaview. The game was the kick start for a run of good results getting our season back on track with a guaranteed top 6 finish due to the league split after 33 games. Leeds sadly haven't got their act together and didn't look great this Monday just gone. In fairness though injuries aren't helping either team but there is still plenty of season to go though and its never dull when it comes to Leeds or the Crues.

Next up was part of Norn Girls birthday weekend and a trip to Dundonald and more specifically a Sunday afternoon trip to the Pirates Adventure crazy golf by the Ice Bowl. It's great fun and we've been a few times now. We prefer the course to the right because of the wet musical hole (that sounds wrong), but both are great. None of us won a free game token at the last hole but it is possible!


We also made it to two restaurants, one occasion was a trip to Gingerroot on Great Victoria Street and the other a trip to the Bellevue Arms on the Antrim road up near the zoo. 2 completely different types of food but both very, very nice. Gingeroot is the best place I know of in Belfast for a curry, though for any big heat in your curry be sure to ask for it. The flavours are yummy though and the set meal was huge! The Bellevue was great even though they were out of pineapple juice last thing on a Sunday which was disappointing as we were eager for a cocktail or two. The food itself more than made up for it though. I had the roast beef and it was perfectly cooked for a joint. Delicious and only to be equaled by the all you can eat carvery we headed to for mothers day at the Clarion hotel, the only shame there is that you have to go easy on the first 3 courses to be able to manage to sample the vast array of sugar loaded deserts.

The all you can eat was a bit like the mad hatters tea party but with cups that hold fluid and another outing we went on was a trip to the Yorkgate Moviehouse cinema to see Alice in Wonderland 3D. I hadn't made it to see Avatar whilst it was out so this was the first 3D movie I'd seen with real actors included on screen and I really quite liked the mix. I think the enjoyment was aided by the familiar voices of the computer generated characters, many of whom I didn't realize had actually been in it until the very atmospheric credits were growing and rolling.


As with the story in the movie whereby Alice finds herself at an engagement party, I found myself at my first ever engagement party. Not my own mind you (we couldn't nor really wanted one), we were invited to one of Norn Girl's friend's celebrations. The celebration was a nice evening out in the end. It was held at the Malone Rugby Union social club and the happy couple were eager to show everyone a great time. That was echoed by the performers of the live entertainment. They had a lead singer who was very eager to get audience participation. The crowd was quite young (or at least young at heart) and the tactic of joining the audience if they didn't come to you seemed to work well. I managed to escape the dance floor but had a really nice time never the less. It reminded me of a wedding reception which confused me a little but if that's the warm up, who knows what their wedding reception might be. Good luck to them in their build up to their wedding.

We had turned up a little later than we had hoped to the party that night. We had gone into town to change buses, but instead of the 6A we found David Coulthard being interviewed. He then proceeded to jump into a Red Bull F1 car and drove up and down in front of Belfast City Hall making an awful lot of noise in the process. As our bus stop was now part of a mock up race track for a one man piece of exhibition driving with hundreds of people swamping it. We realised we had to head on somewhere downstream of the event going on to some place where we might happen to find our bus. We eventually found the one of it's later stops on the bus route and the bus, thankfully, wasn't long. We sat down in seats that looked a lot more comfortable than the multi-million pound technological play thing that was wearing down its tires performing spins just down the road. One car traffic jams, whatever next.

After that, I invented a new form of sandwich or wrap, taking 2 slices of 50/50 bread and using them as a condensed wrap... any ideas of a name for this delicacy?