There are times when it is just a monumental privilege to be Chaplain to the Titanic Quarter.  Last Sunday night was one of them, as we gathered at Titanic Belfast for A Night To Remember – an evening of storytelling, music and remembrance on the anniversary of the moment when RMS Titanic struck the fateful iceberg.

As you can see from the pics, Dock volunteers were very much involved, guiding visitors around the slipways as a series of actors enacted the eyewitness accounts of those involved in the events of 101 years ago.  (Michele, one of our Board members, made a memorable Lady Duff Gordon!)  We had an act of remembrance at the compass inside Titanic Belfast (check out the nice ‘knights of the round table’ vibe!) and then, at 11:40pm exactly, we braved the howling wind to stand on the spot where the story began, as we commemorated its end.

And new life continues to grow in the Titanic Quarter… has ever the arrival of a Mace inspired such excitement?!  Check out the pictures below to watch the shelves being stocked and the shop prepare to open this weekend:

The most exciting aspect, from my point of view, is how the Mace and the Dock dovetail together perfectly.  The Mace will have a ‘Green Deli’ hot food bar and fresh sandwich counter, serving pretty much anything your heart could desire as a takeaway slap-up lunch.  The Dock has seats galore, space to sit and eat and enjoy your food in comfort, and a BYOF (Bring Your Own Food) policy.

So in many ways The Dock is becoming more-and-more what we were hoping for right from the start: a community living room, a place for conversation to flourish.  We didn’t ever set out to be a restaurant or serious cafe – just to serve the bare essentials to make it comfortable for people to call in for a bite, eat, meet and chat.  When the Mace opens, that will become easier still – get yourself a nice chicken curry, lasagne or bowl of stew from Andy and Graham, then get yourself a plate, knife and fork at The Dock, grab a table and enjoy!

Doesn’t that sound like a whole new chapter of Life In The Titanic Quarter!