First up, huge thanks to all those who responded to The Dock’s call for help yesterday – the situation is still going on at the Odyssey and any help over the next few days would again be greatly appreciated!  The Meet The Neighbours shop-unit will be open from 10-5 and a bit of time to man (or woman) the teapot – or even just dropping by with a fresh pint of milk or some biccies – all helps as we try to make a safe, warm, dry space for those involved in a horrible situation.

And while I remember, a big thank-you to the anonymous donor who sent The Dock a Tesco gift card – it’s been extremely useful!

And now – onwards into the new month that stretches ahead of us, closer than ever to the Big Dates in April!  But of course there’s no need to wait ’til April to start getting involved; there’s plenty happening this month and, as promised, I’ll try to keep you up-to-date with it all…

First up, your venue of choice this month (when you’re not at Dock events, naturally) has to be the Ulster Hall – they are holding the premiere of Titanic Journey, a new orchestral work inspired by the Titanic (Fri 17th Feb, 7:45, tickets £8-£22), a lunchtime lecture about our favourite city development project, the awesome, visionary Titanic Quarter (Wed 29th Feb, 1-2), and a photographic exhibition of the beautiful (even in decay) Harland and Wolff Drawing Offices (every day from the second week of Feb).  I’ve been privileged to walk through the heartbreakingly-atmospheric hallways and rooms of the Drawing Offices as part of my tour-guiding (some of my ‘umble snaps can be seen to your left and right) – and I really, really recommend that you don’t miss this…

Big centenaries this month too: this week marks the hundred-year anniversary of the Titanic being pulled into the Thompson Dock for the final stage of its fit-out, and there’s a special event to mark the occasion at 11am on Tue 7th Feb at the Kennedy Shopping Centre.  This should be a good one! – we’re going to re-enact the event with a tug-of-war along the length of the shopping centre, with 5 of Belfast’s strongest men playing the part of the capstan, and local school children playing the part of Titanic straining against the rope…  The chaos will be marshalled by (humble cough) your very own Dock Chaplain (so as you can see, that’s me in the photo), and it’ll be a great chance to pay tribute to the strength and skill of Belfast’s shipbuilders 100 years ago.  BE THERE!

Work looks nearly complete on Titanic Belfast – and I had to smile when I looked out across the basin today… Look closely at the pic on the left (it’s a fuzzy iphone photo, sorry!) and see if you can spot the 2 builders enjoying the best view in Belfast…

Last-up for now, a reminder to sign up for the Yardmen walk on 1st April, and to check out the great advertising that’s popping up all over the place as excitement mount for 2012, our year.  You’ve probably already noticed the posters, the campaigns, the TV ads – but just in case you missed them, crank up the volume and Press Play on this baby: