To see ourselves as others see us is a risky business. So I was fascinated to hear the options of my brother and his wife who spent four days in Belfast last week.
The wind was howling and the rain sleeting down and I was worried about their journey from Edinburgh via Cairnryan and over the sea to Belfast. Surely they would be battered and bruised by the time they reached the safety of a warm house and a bowl of broth. But no, the North Channel was apparently like a mill pond so it was a good start. Arriving at 5.30 p.m. wasn’t a great idea, tackling the West Link traffic did have its drawbacks but on a positive note by then the sun was shining and the air was warm.
That was Friday, Saturday was scheduled with a visit to Belfast city centre and ended up with a few hours spent in St. Georges Market, a first for them, and what a good choice. “Fantastic” was the verdict.
This market is magic for both visitor and local alike. Something for everyone and they were fascinated at the variety of goods on display and the history of the area, the plaques on the walls telling of the original market where fruit and vegetables were piled so high ladders had to be employed to reach the top, however onions were scarce so women used leeks instead and leek and bacon was favourite dish. – there’s an idea! Their baskets were lined with straw to keep the fresh eggs safe and butter was taken from a big pot and shaped into pats which were stamped then wrapped in paper.
It Was Also An Emergency Mortuary.
After one raid during the Blitz of April 1941 225 bodies were brought to the market, 151 were identified, only 92 were claimed by relatives and taken away for burial.
Today it’s a thriving hub of shopping and entertainment as my visitors discovered.
“We had a great time and it was a pleasure to meet Robert Jamison.” He of ‘Your Home Made Perfect’ TV programme and apparently the craic was great. “And I’ve never seen so many vibrant young people out and about enjoying the sunshine, very different from Edinburgh streets and good to see the majority of people wearing masks. There are plenty of small shops when you’re just walking around and have time to browse and buy. And,” Johnny added, “your street art is amazing.” Altogether a very good resume of a place we tend to take for granted.
I’m only sorry Johnny and Roz couldn’t stay for the re-opening of the Opera House with the sassy, sparkly, frenetic ‘SIX’, the wives of Henry Vlll each vying for the title top dog. It was sensational but there were two performances, one behind the footlights and one in front. The audience were mega, every new comfy seat taken, a huge cheer when the curtain went up and prolonged applause throughout the 80 minute singing and dancing show, it must have filled the heart of Ian Wilson and his staff with joy. By the way, the competition ended with the girls reckoning that they were actually united because their husband is only remembered as the King with six wives!
I got a phone call on Friday morning asking me had I heard BBC Nolan that morning. I’m a 5 Live person so the answer was no. “Go into Sounds and listen,” he gave me the details saying that Nolan had been rude to Linda McAuley who apparently talks about her Saturday programme for a few seconds during the show. Well, Linda did indeed come on the airwaves to plug her programme but asked for a little more time, just 30 seconds as she was anxious to give important up-to-date news on a road traffic accident which was causing huge disruption between Bangor and Belfast, he kept butting in as she was speaking, he kept counting her down and the cut her off before she had finish talking about the accident let alone her programme. It was most uncomfortable and worse, he must have been directed to go back to her but all we heard was her muttering under her breath “ah dear.” Eventually he whisked away to another listener, Sara who pulled him up for his comments in a previous item. “You said earlier in the segment why make him bisexual why not just go the whole hog and make him gay.” She felt it was important to challenge this. Bisexuality, she said, is a valid stand alone sexuality it’s not a stepping stone or an in between place of being between straight and gay. Nolan’s sounded as if he was still amused with his treatment of his fellow broadcaster; his response: “You’re totally right that’s all I can say, totally right I thank you for calling us. It was just lazy language from me so you’re right.” Lazy language? Hardly an excuse at this level of broadcasting, language on the radio should always be considered and beyond reproach. Then it was back to Linda to give her 15 second rundown on her programme on Saturday, I felt with tension in the air. An unpleasant little spat, banter has to be clever – take a lesson from Terry Wogan.
Lifting A Curse
This time last year Belfastman Tim Shaw, an award winning sculptor and one of the youngest members of the Royal Academy of Arts, was putting the finishing touches to his contribution to the prestigious London exhibition. The subject was four Armagh Rhymers, or mummers; during his research for the quartet he met the rhymers Christmas two years ago when they were performing on the Falls Road, Belfast. “As we arrived in front of a terrace of houses, the mummers processed down the road, to form a ring on the grass. We looked across to the people who lived in those houses and they looked at us. There was a moment of acknowledgement that once we were on different sides of the sectarian divide. Then one person came over with an offering of mulled wine and biscuits. This moment of reconciliation, subconscious or otherwise was for me what gives depth and meaning to the rhyme and song of the mummers’ tongue.“
His interest began when as a boy living on the Cavehill Road and buying sweets in the local newsagents, he saw a photograph on the front page of a newspaper of men in masks of straw and wondered what part of Africa they were from. It sparked an interest which ended up with a 2019 series ‘The Mummers’ Tongue Goes Whoring Amongst The People’ and has lead onto greater things as his intension to scale up one of his foot high mummers has come to fruition.
Bad Losers
For this years exhibition Tim has revisited one of the figures and developed a new work entitled ‘Lifting the Curse’ a response to the curse that artists Gilbert and George issued to the Academy when their work failed selection. In a fit of peek their response left no-one in any doubt! We herewith return our medals and certificates. We curse the Royal Academy and all its members. “Whether these were flippant words or targeted toxic energy it’s a serious business to curse someone. As one of the cursed I feel an obligation to address this act with a robust response.”
Fashioned from tree branches tied to a metal welded framework with a belly full of charcoal wrapped in blanket, a heart made from charred wood lacerated and bound in copper, ‘Lifting the Curse’ is designed to absorb dark energy. Tim who lives and works in Cornwall added: “On the penultimate day of its completion a shamanic practitioner carried out a ritual connecting giving focus and potency to the grubby working as the old moon passed over to the new.”
Apparently once the exhibition finishes in January Tim promises the entrails will be delivered to the river and burnt, transmuting negative into positive energy. I hope someone invites Gilbert and George.
A SPECIAL WOMAN SHARES HER STORIES
Liz Weir has been drawing people to the centre of her wonderful universe. Liz runs the Ballyeamon Barn, a spic and span hostel looking out over Glenarriff Forest Park where the red squirrels made their home in the eco friendly grounds. This old whitewashed farm house with red doors and windowsills is her Cushendall home and she throws it open to people from all round the world. There’s always music, craic and stories and everyone joins in. I visited Ballyeamon for a storytelling workshop some years ago and learned how to express myself, to make eye contact with my audience, to use facial expressions, to use my voice, to improve my timing, to hold people’s attention and, above all, to sub-edit my story so it didn’t become long winded and boring. No lazy language allowed. Now I’m looking forward to this year’s Glens Story Tellers Festival starting tomorrow and running, on line, until next Sunday. Over 30 tellers, singers and musicals will be performing and you’re invited, free of charge, to sit back and be enthralled. The Glens of Antrim are rich in stories and those who tell them and with others from around the world this will be a very special week. I learned the importance of story telling especially when you have children around you or older people who just love to swop tales, in fact there are interaction sessions for people living with dementia so have a look at what’s on at www.goastories.org.
