5039 Titanic and Stedman Cinques for Titanic100
A peal rung on the bells on which I learnt to ring, with at least one ringer I know ringing. Rung on the eve of RMS Titanic striking an iceberg.
Continue reading 5039 Titanic and Stedman Cinques for Titanic100
My apologies to my readers that there has not been much from my desk in recent days, I’ve been on holiday in between a committee meeting of FLAGS and a ringing tour with FODS. But it seems that Bedford is getting ready for the holiday season of Christmas quite early in the year. As Peter and I returned from the Barley Mow last evening [or was it this morning?–Ed.] we saw that Bedford Borough Council had started to put the Christmas lighting up. This reminds me of my home town where Ballymena Borough Council causes embarrassment to its residents by … Continue reading it’s not just Ballymena that brings Christmas early…
Last night there was a fire at Arthur Cottage, Cullybackey. Arthur Cottage was the ancestral home of Chester Alan Arthur, 21st President of the United States of America. At the time of writing, the cause of the fire is not known, nor do we know if it was malicious. However, what I do know is that Arthur Cottage was a favourite place for me to visit on my bicycle when I was younger. It was about 3 miles away from my home in Ballymena, which is where I am as I type this article, and was a rather easy trip. … Continue reading fire at 21st US President’s ancestral home
Michael welcomes the Royal Irish Regiment back home after their tour of Helmand Province and suggests that the events that are happening this weekend are appropriate and measured. Continue reading Royal Irish have a weekend of ‘coming home’
The announcement of the engagement of Lib Dem blogger, Michael Carchrie Campbell and Andrew McFarland. Continue reading McFarland – Carchrie Campbell engagement
I am HIV positive.
Just saying that brief sentence or its alternative
I am living with HIV.
gives people the opportunity to do and say the most remarkable things. Continue reading “each time you tell, you’ve no idea what you risk unleashing”
Every year for at least the last twenty years my parents have issued a Christmas letter with what we have all been up to. Now sitting in their dining room, opposite my little brother Duncan who is reading about why does E=mc²?, and having just seen the other one Peter who is off playing taxi driver for some neighbours, I reproduce the letter that has been sent out – with some editorial from me in purple.
Although plenty seems to have been happening this year there’s not a vast amount of any significance to report; so here we go on the annual ramble. Continue reading “the parents’ annual ramble (not in the snow thank goodness!)”
Diamond Jubilee of HM The Queen We’re coming up on a milestone in the reign of our Sovereign Lady, Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and of her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, &c.*. The last milestone was Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee – the forthcoming is the Diamond Jubilee in 2010. Jubilee Cities With these milestones often comes a race among various towns in the United Kingdom to be the three in 2000 (or four five† in 2002) that become cities in what … Continue reading Paisley; a Borough; no respect for Crown authority; and a city…
It’s Friday and when I was a teenager, Friday night meant bell practice night. We never got to hear Lady Gaga ringing out from the St Patrick’s in Ballymena, even with the new ring of 12 hanging there. We were more used to the gentle sound of the ‘middle six’ and sometimes if we were lucky to hear the sound of the 12 bells being rung. It is always a pleasure to hear the bells of St Patrick’s ringing out, the pleasure is now tinged with sadness at the illfeeling that was created when FODS toured Northern Ireland and one … Continue reading it’s five o’clock on friday – it’s bell night
It’s coming round to that time of year when our clocks spring forward to British Summer Time or rather GMT+1. But should there be differing time zones within the UK? Some campaigners are looking for the South West (at least) to be on SDST – that is Single/Double Summer Time or rather GMT+1 in Winter and GMT+2 in Summer. Now in Scotland and probably Northern Ireland this really wouldn’t work – it would be far too dark to get up in the mornings. Take today for instance – sunrise will be at 06.26 in Ballymena (according to the Met Office … Continue reading differing time zones in the UK?
Gyronny Herald 