I’M GOING TO miss the para olympics – they were brilliant and I guess tonights ending ceremony is going to be spectacular. The excitement was enormous over two weeks and above all the camaraderie between not only fellow athletics but between countries too. The whole thing coverage, action, interviews just everything was exceptional. Well done to everyone and well done Paris.
If you are going to have a blow out, I recommend Doogary Road outside Omagh. Have a road side assistance phone number and a couple of hours later you are on your way home. It’s a scary thing to hit a piece of metal, I believe a hangover of road works at that point, there’s even a sign to that effect right where I had to pull over into someone’s drive way. It was a scary moment, the awful noise and flashing up on your screen zero air in front passenger tyre. There was no doubt and I immediately realised this wasn’t a puncture, the tyre was ripped. I felt very lonely and didn’t for a moment know what to do, who to turn to. So a quick phone call to Ford’s roadside assistance and a delightful man at the other end tracked my position via my mobile phone then told me someone would phone me and and should be with me as soon as possible but an estimated two hours. Yesterday was hot, my car was full of food and clothes and all my important things after a holiday. But there was nothing for it but to sit and wait, thankfully I’d bought a newspaper so I had something to read. The world is in a dreadful state and I don’t have much faith in any of our ‘leaders’. so the Daily Mail didn’t cheer me much! But when I got a call from Pat at Alan Graham Recovery I felt safe. He organised WWTyres to the rescue and two young men came and changed the tyre and we saw the slash about eight inches long and deadly.
Within two hours I was back on the road and grateful to all the people who assisted me so professionally but more than that, with concern and gently taking on my worry and sorting it. I am grateful I could pull in where I did and I was grateful my car didn’t go into a speed wobble on a busy road and believe me I was grateful to pull into my own driveway.
I’m sorry I don’t have many photos this week, they are refused entry onto this page for some reason.
Fancy becoming a star of stage, screen and television? This just might be your chance, a stepping stone to success. I’ve always wanted to be a singer with a band, in fact I was offered a tryout with one of our top jazz bands but I was too scared to take up the opportunity – who knows where I might be today if I’d impressed. So here’s news. If you have a talent, or even if you only think you have star quality, Belfast Has Talent wants to hear from you. It couldn’t be easier and most importantly, while you are strutting your stuff, you’ll be supporting the Mental Health Awareness Campaign #MovingMindsTogether which runs from Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September through to World Mental Health Day on 10th October. The aim of this campaign is to increase awareness and also encourage people to get physically, mentally and socially active to support their own, family and friends mental health. The more performers taking part the more the awareness campaign will be talked about and the more money will be raised to fund this local group. Figures published in December 2023 by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show deaths registered in 2022 were 203, each a personal story and a grieving family. So it’s important to publicise and support all charities and organisations who reach out to help vulnerable men, women and children. And that’s the purpose behind the talent competition.
The man behind the extravaganza is TV and radio presenter Robin Elliott explains
“To register for a chance to win the grand prize of £2,000 and share your talent on stage, interested participants are invited to email felonzentertainment@gmail.com. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or just waiting for your big break, now is your time to step into the spotlight.”
If you are a singer, dancer, comedian, magician and reckon you might make it to the big time, now is your opportunity to try out before a distinguished panel of judges – the X Factor has nothing on this.
“Belfast Has Talent is supporting #MovingMindsTogether a Belfast-based charity providing life saving support and raising awareness around the issues of suicide and mental health.” He added: “Their mission is to ensure that no one faces their struggles alone. The legacy of the campaign will be the hope that people will sustain those relationships long after the month long awareness campaign is over.
“To take part Suicide Awareness & Support Group are asking people who enter to take videos of themselves or with family and friends all being physically or socially active. For example Robin suggests a short video when you are working out at the gym, playing a sport, dancing, gardening, even with friends having a cup of tea and talking.
“With an array of talent and personalities taking part, Belfast Has Talent is set to be an exciting competition for both participants and audiences alike with an important financial end product. “
For more information, how to register and how to enter your video contact felonzentertainment@gmail.com.
I read the following recently: ‘Having anxiety and depression is like being scared and tired at the same time. It’s the fear of failure but no urge to be productive. It’s wanting friends but hating socialising. It’s wanting to be alone but not wanting to be lonely. It’s caring about everything then caring about nothing. It’s feeling everything at once then feeling paralysingly numb’. I expect most of us have some of these feeling from time to time but if you have all of them lots of times it’s important to talk to someone who understands.
The Samaritans in Ireland are at the end of this free telephone number 116123
BOXED IN!
I will never learn – box sets are a liability, if you get hooked they become obsessive and many hours are wasted. For me it began with The West Wing, I knew I was in trouble when I addressed my husband as Mr. President! My latest addiction is New Amsterdam a five part hospital film on Netflix starring Ryan Eggold as the wonderful miracle worker Dr. Max Goodwin. Now that’s fine but I have one big problem. I can’t take Max seriously, I expect him to come up with some witty quip in a Belfast accent or start talking sport. Which is which, Ryan Eggold or our own darling Colin Murray?
