I often like sublime, quiet and relatively unknown places just as much as the big, popular cities and towns. This particular “settlement”, called Groomsport, is a Northern Irish village, located by the sea in the Belfast Lough, very close to Bangor and not too far away from Newtownards. My sister worked in Groomsport for quite Read more about Backpacking in Northern Ireland: Exploring the Village of Groomsport[…]
“The living daylights” – James Bond movie / A-Ha. This is the scariest blog post to date, and looking back at this event scared the living daylights out of me. I guess most of us will have known someone or have been in a car accident at some point in their lives. According to DingGo, Read more about The Day I Almost Died in a Car Crash[…]
In the year 2000 there was a huge buzz. A new millennium, a new century, people started being able to afford mobile phones, I used the internet, and more importantly I ceased to be a teenager! I was now 20. In that year, I worked for 48 weeks in Tesco at Springhill as a stock Read more about Phil Gray, 70: The day we beat the Malta[…]
The trials and tribulations of football cause joy and disappointment in the face of friendship and bonding. Last year I ended up finally in Slovakia. I say finally, as I had done the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Belarus, but not Slovakia. I was booked on a two day trip to Bratislava and was looking Read more about Down and out in Slovakia[…]
After leaving the Halifax in the first week of April 2002, suddenly I had my final pay packet and was going to sign on to the dole, but the same day I signed up with a job recruitment agency based locally in Bangor. It was the first (and only…) time I have ever signed up Read more about Working Wednesdays: Temporary Work with Grafton Recruitment, Bangor, Northern Ireland[…]
Childhood reminiscences are something which happened recently whilst back in Northern Ireland and sifting through old photos from P1 as we call it, or Primary One. I attended the wonderful Kilmaine Primary School in the Bangor area of Northern Ireland. The school was very small and compact in size, but actually had its own football Read more about P1 Thompson (1984 – 1985), Kilmaine Primary School, Bangor, Northern Ireland[…]
I bought some pick n mix in Woolworths this week and it was reduced. I felt a bit sad. Woolworths is a major British company which has provided a range of consumer goods for many generations. My local Woolworths is in Southbourne in Bournemouth and is about a 3 minute walk from me. My old Read more about A British Institution Goes Bust: Farewell Woolworths (I’ll miss you)[…]
The only time I’ve ever worked in any sort of “museum” or, actually “heritage centre” was back in September and October 2001. I was employed by McMillens Bar & Restaurant at the time and they also did special wine and beer nights at the local heritage centre in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Bangor doesn’t have its Read more about Working Wednesdays: Gallery Events at North Down Heritage Centre, Bangor, Northern Ireland[…]