Lovely relaxed morning, hope you had a chance to turn over and have another 20 winks. Did the fireworks keep you up? I remember the days when we pinned spinning wheels to wooden telegraph poles, threw jumping jacks at people’s feet and squibs galore. The night my brothers and cousins went round the neighbours asking for a penny for the guy! After about half a dozen houses and mostly sweets in the hat, we turned the corner to the last house and three boys bumped into us knocking the hat to the ground and made off with the few pennies inside. As we scrambled around to see if any of the money was still there amongst the autumn leaves and I found a shiny silver half crown, two shilling and six pence. No one had put that coin in the hat and in those days a fortune today little more than 12 pence. In our youth and wisdom we all agreed that indeed there was a God. I’ve no reason to change my mind.
This also is the day Ulster Television went ‘on air’ 62 years ago. Saturday afternoon 1959 and life has never been the same since. There is still a hard core of friends who meet on a regular basis, at least before the last lock down, and we have resumed since. Friendship is so important and those that last 62 years are very special and precious.
Good news from LibrariesNI. They are excusing all those who are overdue returning their books, no fines will be applied! If he was still alive, this would please and relieve my father who lost a library book about 50 years ago and, according to my book-worm mother, was ‘black balled’, ostracised from the library service for all time and brought shame on the family!
But this news comes with concerns, what’s to stop someone hanging onto a book they like, reference books valuable to have in your home library, children who have a favourite. My negative thought was swept aside by Karen Woods of Libraries NI. “On the contrary, we hope we’ll get a lot of books back! The fine was a barrier in the past, people were afraid they might have built up a huge fine. Libraries have changed so much in the recent past, the image of the stern librarian has gone and the 49 public libraries in Northern Ireland are places to meet, learn but also to chat, no longer solitary places where you’re afraid to cough out loud and although there are quiet places to read and study there is plenty of activity as well.”
Although like many public places, libraries had to move furniture over the past few months because it wasn’t possible to invite people to come in and spend time, hopefully that is in the past.
“We are slowly reconnecting and opening up and we hope from the beginning of next month to be back to normal, open for browsing and for people to nip in for books or to read the newspapers, take part in Knit ’n Natter sessions and since diver Tom Daly popularised the craft, we’ve had men interested in knitting for organisations like Barnardos and Women’s Aid.”
Libraries have transformed over the years and zoom has been invaluable in bridging the gap since closedown in March 2020. October has been Positive Ageing Month and much of the LibraryNI emphasis is by Zoom, subjects like learning to use the internet, understanding scamming, an introduction to the iPad and staying safe ‘online’. This helpful on line information is still available at the library web site.
The Next Big Project
Karen tells me is Turning Heads: Hair as Culture and Identity. It’s important
whether you have it or not, play with colour – I’m a rather nice shade of amethyst at the moment! – or keep it covered. Apparently hair can identify our taste in music or fashion and can carry our DNA. Turning Heads aims to spark conversation and challenge stereotypes and will be delivered through a series of online events.
If you go to www.librariesni.org.uk you’ll be surprised what’s on offer, it’s exciting and will opening up lots of new ideas.
There are many other events taking place following October’s Positive Ageing Month; go to Age Friendly Positive Ageing Calendar 2021 for more details. One important link is for older people who are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender. Talk in complete confidence with people who can provide support and information at Cara-Friend freephone 0808 8000 390 Monday to Friday 11am – 3 p.m. and Wednesday 6 to 8 p.m. www.cara-friend.org.uk . If you are in distress and need to speak to someone urgently please contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000
TO LOCK DOWN OR NOT TO LOCK DOWN?
I’m inclined to agree with Houston Marshall who sent these thoughts.
HAVE WE LEARNT NOTHING OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF?? !!It’s attitudes like this have the country in the state it is in !!! You can still get Covid even though you are vaccinated or not.You can still carry it and pass it on even though you are vaccinated. What makes you less likely to catch it on a Monday morning than a Saturday afternoon ???If you can’t operate the same safety protocols every time you are open for business then DONT OPEN !
BELFASTLIVE.CO.UKProof of Covid status needed for entry to Belfast Christmas Market at weekendsIt will take place at the City Hall from November 20 until December 23
If I do venture in I will deffo wear a face mask, go early and keep to the fringes to avoid being too close to others. There are some nice bits and pieces which make lovely presents at Christmas but do be careful and be on the safe side and keep your purse or wallet well hidden under your coat.
A Way With Words
I was sad to hear that poet Brendan Kennelly died . Such a character and such a prolific writer of poetry, novels, plays and essays and above all a story teller, a man who grew up surrounded by bustling life being one of eight children, his father was a publican his mother a nurse. He became a gifted academic who when away from lecturing in Trinity College found his classroom in the pubs and coffee shops of Dublin where he gleaned material for his writing and where he held court, a raconteur who loved to entertain not only on the page but in person. I never met him but when I was reviewing his poem The Man Made of Rain we talked on the phone and an interview became a far reaching conversation. He’d told me that the day after major heart surgery in 1996 he had a number of visions and this is when he first became acquainted with the man made of rain. He wrote of this. “He was actually raining, all his parts were raining slant wise and firmly in a decisive, contained way. His raineyes were candid and kind, glowing down, into, and through themselves. He spoke to me and took me on journeys. His talk was genial, light and authoritative, a language of irresistible invitation to follow him wherever he decided to go, or was compelled by his own inner forces to go. This man made of rain would not leave me until I let his presence flow in the best and only poem I could write for him.”
I told him of my emotions when my father was going through the same operation, in hospital the fear I felt saying goodbye perhaps for the last time, wishing I’d told him how much I loved him but was somehow too shy. He understood and like Brendan my father survived to live many more years and I did get to tell him just how much I loved him. But most of our conversation surrounded another thing we had in common, living with alcoholism, for me through my father’s addiction and for Brendan his own excessive drinking which destroyed his marriage and influenced his public life, bravely he gave up the drink 36 years ago. I’m sure we talked for an hour or more, his voice was gentle yet firm and when I heard of his death I turned to his recording of the story of the rain man and I remembered our conversation and the pleasure we both had in reminiscence. Somewhere I have a letter he wrote to say thank you for the review and the moreso for our chat.
ALL THAT JAZZ
Tributes to Gay McIntyre record a man with an enormous talent, considered one of the greatest jazz musicians Ireland has ever produced. Although he was 88 years old when he died last week, age didn’t stop him playing his alto sax and clarinet. in fact he said that even at 80 he felt his music was getting better and better.
I can speak of him as a man who came to Ulster Television studios on a regular basis especially to be part of The White Line as a member of the Billy White Quartet, Billy piano, Norman Watson guitar, Billy McAlpine bass, Tommy Thomas drums. The 1970s and 80s were the days when jazz was king, we jived to it and we slow danced to it, jazz encompassed every mood and Gay was at the heart of it as Tommy Thomas recalls:
“We played together for three years and those programmes were so popular they sold round the network, in fact I was able to buy my house on the strength of them! He also played on Tommy James shows, I remember one of Tommy’s introductions, a Cockney from London and not long in Northern Ireland, ‘And now for Mrs. Jennings in County Fur-man-a, Gay McIntyre on alto sax’. I’m honouring the memory of many happy years playing with the inimitable Gay McIntyre, a huge loss to the Northern Ireland Jazz fraternity but he leaves a legacy of inspiration to many young aspiring musicians. My sincere condolences to Irene and family.”
Gloria Hunniford spoke of her fond memories of a professional, “reliable and lovely to be around.” she said. “We used him on Good Evening Ulster as often as possible for his superb playing and his dry sense of humour.” Candy Devine sent her thoughts from Brisbane Australia “I am so sad to hear of Gay’s demise. He was the head of the talented McIntyre musical dynasty and a great ambassador for jazz. I loved working with Gay, particularly on the White Line with the other jazz legends.”
I was a production assistant in those days working in the studio control room timing programmes and calling shots. Between finishing rehearsal and going ‘on air’ there was half an hour or so to check sound and lights, props and positions and get a cup of coffee. Coffee was often brought back into the studio as cameramen and musicians – and me – sat around as the boys began to jam, playing their jazz their way and it was a joy to listen. Gay was in his element at these times, he was amongst the people who mattered to him and they all understood each other without words.
He knew when he was a teenager that music was his life once he heard a Benny Goodman recording and his father saved up for two years to buy his son a clarinet. It was a precious investment. His son played with the popular stars of the time, Acker Bilk, Louis Stewart and Nat King Cole and travelled across Ireland from the Cork Jazz Festival to Queens Festival when we all enjoyed the Guinness Spot but specifically in his birthplace Donegal and his home in Derry.
The last time I met Gay was some years ago in Cafe Vaudeville in Belfast. We sat in the opulent scarlet and gold setting, palms and pillars and we agreed it was just the right background for two old friends to sit and reminisced. And there was plenty to talk about and, like his life, it all hinged around music.
We send our love and sympathies to his wife and family.
