As travellers we visit a lot of countries, but it’s also nice to get out there and experience some places that are often called “countries” but yet they are not. It’s actually a huge topic for debate amongst travellers as to what is a country and what is not, I mean is Podjistan a country? Read more about 5 ‘Fake Countries’ to Visit When Backpacking the World[…]
My Working Wednesdays series covers stories from my constantly changing career. For today’s post we head back to January 1998, exactly 15 years ago this week I was working for the local newspaper, the County Down Spectator in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Now obviously writing is something I love doing, so this seemed an obvious job Read more about Working Wednesdays: Journalist for my Local Newspaper![…]
As the title suggests this is a compilation of the 10 best Northern Irish travel blogs out there, as of January 20th 2013. What do I mean by that? OK so these are travel blogs that are written by world travellers who come from Northern Ireland and are currently travelling around the world or have Read more about The 10 Best Northern Irish Travel Blogs, 2013[…]
Today’s Friday’s Featured Food is a personal favourite of mine as it’s from my home country – the Northern Irish pastie supper. From my experience most travellers forget Northern Ireland exists, some even forget that it’s on the island of Ireland and most travellers head straight to Dublin when they book a flight to the Read more about Friday’s Featured Food: Northern Irish Pastie Supper in Bangor, Northern Ireland[…]
In many ways, the 1980s were the best decade ever!! I love looking back 20 odd years at those photos, and this one here, in particular encapsulates the sort of Jonny Blair I was and always have been. Plus the furniture, the style, the fashion and the era of the 1980s is fantastic. For the Read more about Drawing Maradona and Other Things in 1986[…]
I spent manys a day in Castlerock during the 1990s. Castlerock is an excellent little seaside town on Northern Ireland’s north coast. A number of reasons influenced the fact that I spent Summer and Easter days there. One was with my old school, Bangor Grammar who made a habit of holding summer camp at Guysmere Read more about Castlerock, Northern Ireland, The 1990s[…]
It’s a great honour and a privilege to play sport and to take part. What is an even bigger honour is to tell people that you were the champion at that sport in your country. I was and we were. I am proud to say I was and really, I wouldn’t have had it any Read more about 10th Bangor Boy’s Brigade: Northern Ireland Champions 1997 – 1998[…]
I had always loved the radio. I used to listen incessantly to Radio 5 live (909 medium wave) and Radio Ulster (1341 medium wave) mainly for the football. But I also enjoyed Mike Edgar’s show on Radio Ulster and plenty of music. It was only natural that when I was 17 and started a course Read more about “Jonny Blair on the air” – Nerve Radio Days at Bournemouth University[…]