Note from a slightly less angry island...

Saturday In Belfast...



Sunny Saturday weather and blue skies with the occasional fluffy friendly cloud hovering like a big goofy smile above our heads (-; "wouldn't it be great if it was like this all the time" ;-).

It was lovely.

I went into town on a whim and everything else just fit nicely from then on in.




I couldn't think of where to go that evening, all I knew was that somewhere there had to be a good vibe and I was going to find it...


Got a lift into town and walked towards my friends place of work to throw him in a CD (was Public Enemy, if you must know). On my way I passed through the grounds of Belfast City hall.
There was the usual selection of young punk/goth/metal kids (for want of a better word) scattered about, some with guitars.
As I stopped to send a text to someone I heard a noise. It was music. Good music. Alive live music.

Two guys had set up amps and had a bass and a electric guitar plugged in flinging out some pretty nice tunes. No one seemed to mind.
They were singing a song "I'm In trouble, I'm in trouble, I'm in trouble with the law" .
I was hooked....



I went on to the shop my friend was working in and told him about them. It was five O'clock, time for him to shut up shop. I helped him wheel in a few rails of clothes, he put the shutter down and we left.

Sadly when we got to the city hall the guys had stopped playing. But... They were still there, So we asked them a few questions, (IE. what do you call yourselves? A; We are called "Pat and Nipsy") and low and behold, they were playing a gig that evening....


That was my plans sorted.

They were to play as part of the bill in the crescent arts centre "NEW MOON SHOWCASE" http://www.crescentarts.org/events/ .
So My friend and I then went to see about getting tickets, There was none.
But We were told to Que at the door and perhaps we would get in, so we did, and we did (get in).

But That story will have to wait as I am tellin this one,

So after trying to get tickets we went to have a few cold beers in Botanic Gardens, Was great.
After an hour or so I had to go.
I walked up the road next to the Lagan river towards the Ormeau Road and the bridge that divides the Upper and Lower Ormeau Communities. The boundary that either facilitates of denies the crossing of the parades (especially the July parade) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/829470.stm .

It has so often been a scene of I'll will and confrontation, but today was different, Today was special.

The sun was smiling and warming all bellow, and now it was the turn of the water to contribute to the day.



















On the lower Ormeau side of the bridge someone had loosened something and made water burst out from this water main (or whatever you call it).

I was bursting upward, throwing a fountain of water toward the sky of at least twelve foot high.

Some contrast to the usual focus of traffic jams and murals. Frustrated drivers and pedestrians alike crossing the invisible divide of nothing.





















On the right are some young guy who were soaked and alive. The "Give way Sign" in the center, unintentional, as far as I know seems to work for the traffic. With the exception of the occasional over eager driver ("doesn't work for people though") ;-)...

On the right you can see some murals in the background. I can't find any photos on the web but I found a site that may explain some things http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/mccormick/album3.htm.






















Close up of fountain, washing someones car.

As they say, "Necessity is the mother of all invention".


.........................................................................
After all this I realised a few things.

Today was a good day to be in Belfast.

Also, Camera phones can be a wonderful thing....


So where there is smiles and fun, there is hope... Therefore, there will always be hope...

Thanks to who ever made the water happen, thanks for Mckeiver for selling me his old camera phone, thanks to the sun and the clouds for not getting in the way of it.

I love Belfast Again... x o x