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:
 

People of the Dock – I need your help! The Dock ‘Meet The Neighbours’ venue is open today (and possibly over the next few days) to provide a base for a search-and-rescue operation which is currently going on after a tragic accident near the Odyssey Arena. We are providing a warm venue with a steady supply of tea and coffee for all those involved in the operation as well as family members who have gathered. Anyone available to make tea or drop by with some biscuits – please let me know!

A wee pic of a wee member of the TQ community – the tiny chap in the middle of the photo is Cian, and I’d love to find out if he is the first baby to be born to someone living in the Titanic Quarter? – if he is, it’s quite an epic honour!

Having been born here, Cian and his mum and dad are heading off home to the States tomorrow, with loads of best wishes from all of us in The Dock.  It seems to be the way of things in the TQ that people living here don’t often stay for long – work commitments, filming schedules and international business often carry them off to other climes – but hopefully they’ll carry treasured memories of being part of this amazing place for the rest of their lives.  Cian, hope we see you back here some day!

Well it’s been another obscenely exciting week in Dock  World – and the great thing is, the best is yet to come!  I know I keep being all secretive and mysterious at the minute, but all will be revealed soon…

Meanwhile (hmm, what a great word) here are a few images of things Dock-related  to feast your eyes upon.  First up, a few pics of some of the exciting development work going on at the minute, as more and more of the visionary TQ masterplan becomes reality.  On the left is the rapidly-emerging ‘Concourse 2’, the latest addition to the Science Park; in the middle is part of the new gate being fitted to allow access to the breathtaking Thompson Dock (see the New Year video for the full story); on the right you can see how fast the new building at the Paint Hall Movie Studios is progressing:

And now some Dock life in action: a few pics from another gorgeous Dock Walk on a brisk, sunset-flecked winter’s day last Sunday.  We walked, talked, laughed, met some brill new people, and as always (and I really do mean that – every week I learn something new) had a great chat about the Bible readings from Wordlive.  (And a little reminder: check out the Wordlive website/podcasts and get engaged – I honestly can’t recommend it highly enough…)

And a few Dock-world faces: I had another great filming session with Patricia (the Dock Doc) and the team during the week; I went to a ‘Community Resilience Forum’ for everyone working in the harbour area with Tegan (you’ll be hearing more from her…) and I got to spend a great morning with some of the other ‘Titanic Ambassadors’, being trained to spread the Word of Titanic!

It was a big day for Titanic Walking Tours as well, as your tour of TQ guided by Colin and his team of Titanoraks can now take place on foot (tours are about to start to ramp up to every day again – keep checking the website for details) or on board this utterly fab bus – the Titanic Explorer (also due to start operating in early Feb).  Doesn’t it really feel as if Belfast is becoming truly ready for the Titanic centenary – what a brilliant range of options lie ahead of all the lucky tourists and visitors in the months that lie ahead…

And speaking of which, I’ll leave you with another new video from the tourist board, which in a slightly cheesy but really uplifting way makes you realise just how incredibly much we have to offer to visitors from all over the world… It’s our year, people!

I heard recently that there are currently 104 events in the diary to mark the Titanic centenary over the next few months – concerts, drama, music, light-shows, walks, services…

My diary is starting to pile up with them so fast that I’m already in danger of being double- or triple-boked on some days in April.  And it’s all good stuff – it’s hard to choose!  So I thought that one of the useful functions of The Dock website over the coming months would be to round up all the events and attractions that are imminent and include them in the ‘Calendar’ tab (Events/Calendar) on the main page.  I’ll also try to mention the main events on this blog, so you Dockers can all start filling your diaries too…

So, to get the ball rolling, here’s your first date to mark off: Sunday 1st April is the date of the Yardmen cycle and walk.  The idea is that we all dressed up in scoops and dunchers (that’s the old docker’s cap, in case you were wondering) and re-trace (on foot or on two wheels) the route taken every morning by the 15,000 men who worked in the shipyards in 1912, starting in various points throughout Belfast and converging on the Drawing Office in the heart of the TQ.

Here’s the important bit of info: you have to register now to be part of the walk – places are limited to 1000.  Registering just takes a few moments at the website (link here) and your £5 ticket includes your very own duncher, refreshments, and a donation to Bowel Cancer research – not bad!

And here’s the really exciting bit of info:  The Dock is joining forces with Westbourne Presbyterian, the ‘shipyard church’ on the Newtownards Road, for a joint service at 11am on 1st April.  After the service we’ll be able to enjoy a drop of coffee and then just stroll across the road to begin the walk – it leaves from Pitt Park, just over the road, at 12:45.

Then as we all arrive at the Titanic Quarter, the plan is to recreate the fabulous old photographs which show the men in their scoops and dunchers making their way down the Queens Road with the Titanic towering in the background.  A day out, a chance to live the Shared Medley, a walk, and a bit of living history – what’s not to love?  Register NOW!