Well it would probably be quicker to tell you what isn’t happening down in the Titanic Quarter this weekend….

First up of course it’s the Dock Dinner and the Business Plan Launch on Friday night at the Drawing Office – a chance to float the Dock vision to some of the most influential people in the land.  Am I nervous?  Yes.  Am I excited?  Yes.  We’ve been building towards moments like this for the last year-and-a-half – and it’s been a huge, humbling privilege to be part of The Dock every step of the way.  Many tremendous people have given freely of time and skills to get us to the point where we can hold this dinner – it truly is an expression of the team, the ‘Shared Medley’, we’ve been praying for from the start.

I’ve just finished printing off the numbers for the tables, don’t they look snazzy?  Makes me feel as if I’m organising a wedding…

Of course, because it would be too boring to hold the dinner in an otherwise-quiet weekend, we’ve chosen to land smack-dab in the middle of the Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival, which is running from Friday 24th until Sunday 26th.  Last year this was a fantastic event and all the signs are that it will be even bigger this year – pride of place goes to the exhibition of beautiful old Tall Ships behind the Odyssey and around the Abercorn Basin, but there are also fairground rides, food stalls, bands and all sorts of “good day out” type stuff.  Well worth a visit over the weekend!  As you can see from the pics, the gorgeous old boats have already started to arrive – kinda appropriate in the weekend that we’re launching our own campaign for a boat!

In the middle of it all The Dock will of course be helping to stretch both your legs and your brain cells… you can join us on Sunday afternoon at 3:33 in the Odyssey Streat for the Dock Walk, when we’ll weave our way through the festival and the tall ships as we explore, pray, catch up and chat; or you can join us for Dock Book Group at 9:30 on Saturday morning in the Premier Inn, when we’ll find out what everyone made of Tim Keller’s Reason For God.

Add in a weekend of Titanic Walking Tours, the fact that the massive Crown Princess cruise liner is rumoured to be berthed in Belfast this weekend, and you’ll have the kind of mad, busy, bustling, vibrant weekend we long to see for the TQ and for our city.

It’s been a turbulent week in Belfast – I had the great privilege last night of being part of a prayer walk organised by the wondrous Willowfield Parish around the areas affected by the violence in recent days.  By praying, by walking, by believing, by launching Business Plans, by coming along to Maritime Heritage days out, by welcoming tourists, by building wherever we can our vision of a renewed city… we refuse to return to the bad old days.  Let’s live out the new Belfast this weekend.