Today’s update is all about The Dock’s Shrexpansion, and Sunday Night On Nomadic (Not On Nomadic).  What does it all MEAN?

What is Shrexpansion?
We love our next door neighbours in the Mace and Green Deli – they cook our soup, make our Saturday-morning Ulster Fry-ups, lodge our loose change from the Honesty Box, and are just generally great neighbours and great mates! However the time has come in their business life to expand their storage capacity – which means that The Dock Cafe will have to shrink just a leeeetle bit smaller.

However all is not lost – while the cafe space is getting smaller, The Dock Market is getting bigger, better and more popular all the time – so we’ve hit on the bright idea of using the tables and chairs of The Dock Market as an overflow area for big groups or busy lunchtimes. So, we’re shrinking, but in a way we’re expanding. Shrexpansion!

And so The Dock Cafe will be closed from Mon 8th – Thur 11th September to allow the Shrexpansion to happen. If you’d like to be part of the team moving, painting, fixing, changing, hammering, cleaning, re-arranging and generally just shrexpanding Dock Cafe – giving it a bit of a mid-year spruce-up as well as developing our new layout – just let James or Joachim know when you’re free, and wear some old clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty!

And then get ready for the Grand Opening of The Dock Cafe version 4.0 (is it?! – I’m losing count!) next Friday!

What is Sunday Night On Nomadic (Not On Nomadic)?
Due to a double-booking on board SS Nomadic, we’ll be holding our next Sunday service on 7th September at 6pm in The Dock Cafe rather than on board ship – hence the snappy title.

And since that’s the last thing to happen in the cafe before we close for shrexpansion, that actually gives us the perfect chance to say farewell to our beloved shabby-chic no.1-rated big cafe/living room/home-away-from-home in its current incarnation before the transformation starts, Peter Capaldi-stylee, into its new shape on Monday morning. Tears may be shed!

Mairtin O’Muilleoir (aka the selfie-tweeting ex-Mayor with pink hair) will be our special guest at the service, telling the story of the creation of the Prayer For Belfast, and sharing some tales of his time at the frontline of the life of Belfast City during a very dramatic year. See you there!