I’ve been taking a few days to get back in touch with my inner hunter-gatherer. Me make wood shed. Me chop logs. Me put logs in wood shed. Result!
But the 21st Century is re-asserting itself, and I’m really looking forward to being back to the rhythm of Dock Cafe life this week. So I thought I’d catch you up with a few pretty pictures of Dock Life over the past few weeks. The big event was of course the Land of Giants spectacular spectacular on the slipways – beautiful, awe-inspiring stuff (even if I’m not entirely sure what was going on most of the time…)
And as well as the treat of the show itself, there’s the thrill after it’s all over of walking down the Queens Road in a throng of thousands of people, echoing the old Titanic yardmen photos…
That same weekend I made my now-annual visit to ‘Mass Rock’ in the company of the friendly parishioners of St Oliver Plunkett’s parish in West Belfast. Hidden deep in the woods above the Glen Rd, Mass Rock is a place where Catholics would have gathered during penal times for secret services, in the dead of night, constantly on the lookout for redcoats. In the 2012 equivalent, when we emerged from the woods after the service, we found the PSNI directing traffic so that we could get back to our cars safely… changed times!
I always find these services incredibly moving – a reminder of how once we were deeply divided, yet full of the faith we share. How can believers who recite the same creed have become so bitterly separated?
Back in the Titanic Quarter, there has (as always) been plenty going on. Still recovering from royal visits and handshakes, there was more and more good news over the past few weeks – look out for updates soon about Prayer Rooms in the TQ, pilgrimage walks on the old Titanic slipways, and big, big plans for the future of Dock Cafe.
In the meantime, Dock Cafe life was as full of variety, colour and laughter as ever – whether enjoying more impromptu acoustic sessions, hosting a visit of a local cycling club (go Jackie!), or watching a family while away a rainy afternoon plaining the Titanic Board Game (I knew if we left it out someone would play it some day!)…
And no need to go to see the new Spiderman movie – we got our own live show, watching the TQ window-cleaning crew in action:
And finally, on the subject of pictures, a while back I published a very daft picture of me at Diocesan Synod (where I do not have a good track record of always behaving with due dignity) and invited your best caption-writing efforts. Huge thanks to all those who replied – but I think the prize has to go to Chris Matchett’s suggestion:
