From sun to rain…

Sitting here in Dock Cafe, watching the rain streaming down the window panes… was it really only last weekend that we were scorching in blazing sunshine?

We certainly had a lovely sun-blasted Dock Walk:

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And groups meeting in The Dock (like the Northumbria Community pictured here) were able to enjoy the light streaming in the windows:

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The weather started to turn mid-week – but the massive cruise ships kept arriving in Belfast:

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…amid news that there will be a high-falutin’ whizzo new docking berth in the Titanic Quarter – great news for the whole Quarter and especially all our friends at the Thompson Dock & Pump House:

On the gloomy days, The Dock was still bunged-full – one lunchtime I counted customers from the Nomadic crew, local law enforcement, students from BMC, the Titanic Belfast crew, local history buffs, residents from the ARC… what a mix and great meeting point!

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The team kept working away at The Dock’s new extension through rain and shine…

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And so to today – rain, rain, rain.  Locals and visitors alike squeeze into The Dock to avoid protests and puddles.  At 2:00 I dutifully splashed my way to Titanic Belfast for the Slipway Pilgrimage, wondering if anyone would show up – who would be crazy to tramp around Titanic’s birthplace for an hour in this?  The answer: one of my biggest groups yet! – huge thanks to our multinational, multicultural, but uniformly soaked-through group!

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Whether for just a few or a multitude, I’m finding it a massive privilege to be leading these slipway pilgrimages every week  Every single group seems to be finding meaning, relevance, power and inspiration in Titanic’s tale – and I genuinely never tire of leading the walks and giving people some gentle prompts for reflection on what Titanic’s story means to them.  As always the tours are free of charge, open to all, accessible for all, and last less than an hour – why not call down on a Friday or Saturday afternoon soon!

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