A huge welcome to one and all for one more Meet the Neighbours bash in 2011 – Thursday 15th December, call in any time from 5pm onwards to the pop-up coffeeshop at the base of the Arc Apartments.

There’ll be loads of festive goodies, steaming mugs of hot punch, Christmas music (but no ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ – guaranteed), comfy chairs, twinkly lights… and of course the chance to meet and catch up with the nicest bunch of people ever to live and work in the Titanic Quarter…

Yes here I am again, up with the birds at the crack of dawn to invade your airwaves at 6:55 and 7:55am, today and each Wednesday in December, for Radio Ulster’s Thought For The Day.

So whaddaya reckon, did I abandon all mention or reference to Titanic? As if! I would never do that to you! And so today’s ‘thought’ was about Eleanor, the fantastic lady who told me the story of her father, Ambrose Willis – the man behind Titanic’s beautiful carved wooden fireplaces and panelling. If you haven’t already seen it, you really have to check out Eleanor’s video – she’s a natural born storyteller:

Eleanor’s story really brought the Titanic to life for me; all the facts and figures I’ve learnt are transformed by the picture of Eleanor’s father returning home from work, being scolded by his wife because his clothes smelt of paint and varnish. The facts become a face. Which is a tiny little picture of the story of Christmas – a story in which the awe-inspiring, far-off fact of God’s presence in the Old Testament becomes the face of a vulnerable baby, crying in a stable.

Everything changes when the facts become a face – in bringing history to life, in building relationships between people, communities and nations – and in the realm of faith. “God is”, is a pretty huge statement to make. But “God is near”, “God is personal” – how much more amazing. And life-changing. And true.

Catchable on BBC iPlayer at 1:25:00 into Good Morning Ulster by clicking here.

Well here it is, the month that fills up faster than any other. The Bennetts are actually considering a proper, real Christmas tree this year, and making more of an effort with the twinkly lights – although at the same time we respect the out-of-the-box thinking of this guy:

Two dates for your diary over the coming months.  First up, Thursday 15th December is The Dock’s annual Christmas bash – from 5pm onwards we’ll be filling the Arc shop unit (venue for many a happy barbecue, birthday party and pop-up coffeehouse) with the smell of mulled wine, fruit punch, mince pies, a blazing brazier at the door, chestnuts roasting on an open fire (TBC) and all sorts of Christmassy goodness.  Last year we were able to provide the first proper snowfall of the winter just to add to the atmos; no promises this time but, y’know, we’ll do our best…

Put it in your diaries NOW!

The other diary date is the Dock Book Group Christmas gathering – Saturday 17th Dec, 9:30am at the Premier Inn.  Ironically we’re moving on from C.S.Lewis just as the wintry Narnia becomes the perfect backdrop – but as a complete contrast and change of pace, we’re looking at leadership guru Seth Godin’s new book Tribes for our next gathering.  You might remember that i was hugely impressed and challenged by Seths’ sesh at the Willow Creek leadership summit a few weeks back and I’ve been itching to give his books a try ever since.  Tribes looks fun, short, snappy and (much like our friend with the Christmas lights) a bit out-of-the-box.  As always, anyone who has read it, heard of it, or just fancies being part of a good discussion about it, is very welcome to join us over coffee on the 17th.

If you want a taster you can catch Seth giving this great Ted Talk:

My absolute favourite part of being a TQ chaplain at the minute, even amongst all the excitement of boat-hunting, is being part of the emerging community of the Quarter, as neighbours meet, connections are made and friendships forged. The Titanic Quarter’s vision – ‘Where once we built ships, now we build community” – is becoming reality on a daily basis. Which is a long-winded way (unusual for me, I know) of saying I’m really looking forward to the next Meet The Neighbours gathering on Saturday morning – pop-up cafe, luxury hot chocolate, fresh-brewed coffee, locally-baked goodies – you know the drill!

See you there!

This week I got a tantalising glimpse of a huge sheet of paper, crammed with tiny type, that contained all the Titanic-related special events planned for next year (that we know of… so far!). Concerts, services, displays, plays, lightshows, openings, commemorations, dramas, songs, orchestras, exhibitions… you name it! It is going to be a year like we’ve never known or seen in Northern Ireland – we’re at the centre of a story that just seems to get more famous, more captivating, more fascinating as time goes on.

Just one way in which the centenary is being marked is with a host of new or spruced-up film and TV versions of the story – with loads to look forward to.  One of them – a digitally-restored and remastered version of the seminal 1957 A Night To Remember – was premiered in Belfast a few weeks ago and will no-doubt be making its way onto crystal-clear Blu-Ray in time for the anniversary.

I’m especially intrigued by a TV series called Titanic – Blood and Steel, which will tell Belfast’s story – a 12-part mini-series concentrating not on the maiden voyage and the iceberg, but on the Belfast men who hammered together the largest man-made moving object in the world, right on the ground I walk every day.  A high profile-ish cast (Derek Jacobi, Neve Campbell), a massive budget, and a fascinating story with plenty of time to tell it.  Could be amazing, could be a hatchet job… (click on the link and see if it sounds like the old “the rivets were rubbish!”/”the Titanic-era shipyards were a hive of sectarianism!” stories are going to get another airing…)

And of course there has to be yet another version of the story of the sinking: this time scripted by Mr Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes, starring Linus Roache and Toby Jones, and unfolding over 4 episodes on ITV.  No expense spared on the production of this one, and hopes are high that Julian Fellowes will recapture some of the upstairs/downstairs magic that made Downton such a huge hit, while a 2011 special-effects crew tackling the recreation of the sinking might even surpass the tremendous visuals of Cameron’s 1997 film.

Speaking of which, Leo and Kate won’t be left out of the party either: the movie’s being re-released next April with every scene painstakingly re-mastered in 3D by Cameron himself, who insists that this is a proper job and not a cheap gimmick.  A cash-in, or a glorious opportunity to wallow in Dion-themed multimillion-dollar emotion all over again (with stuff poking out of the screen)?  Decide for yourself with a glimpse of the trailer with an intro from the man himself (warning: contains traces of Celine):