Do we take good care of you guys or what?!

Hot on the heels of the news that Dock Cafe achieved a 5-star hygiene rating for its Scores at the Doors, this week a bunch of Dock Volunteers were trained in Emergency First Aid by Rosie from St John’s Ambulance.

So if you feel funny, faint, injured or in pain in Dock Cafe – look out for one of these friendly faces!  (except for Andrew and Martin the CPR Dummies – they won’t know what to do)

At times it resembled Armageddon in the cafe as people collapsed, choked, or rushed in spurting blood (all imaginary, don’t worry – all in the name of role playing some First Aid scenarios!)

And a big hand for all our volunteers – for the amazing team who gave up a Friday night to be part of the training – and to the many others who give time, talent and sheer hard work every day of the week to keep our beloved crazy pop-up community space open, warm, inviting and equipped with a steady stream of hot coffee and delicious tea.  What amazing people you all are!

Volunteering at the Dock Cafe from The DOCK on Vimeo.

First up, the big news of the week: you will not die if you eat at The DOCK! (probably).  We’ve just been awarded a top-mark 5-star hygiene rating for our Scores At The Doors – so obviously the inspector was very impressed by the wonderfully clean and healthy DOCK Cafe volunteers and the high standards of all the facilities.  Massive props to James and the team – for a home-made pop-up cafe, that’s quite an achievement.

Our certificate of amazingness joins the other new signs which greet you as you peer in the windows at DOCK Cafe – these wonderful local suppliers are the reason why your tea, coffee, scones and bakes are so yum!

Next, big thanks to everyone who came along to our very first Comedy Night.  A fantastic crowd squeezed in to the squashy sofas around the Prayer Garden for an hour of banter, merciless micky-taking of the audience, wild theorising about just what was happening upstairs to cause such rushing waters to flow through the pipes in our ceiling, and generally lots of great hearty belly laughs.

The first of many such nights, I hope…

Up next in the diary – don’t forget that it’s DOCK Market day THIS Saturday (27th Feb) from 11 – 5…

…and then our Saturday Nights meeting NEXT Saturday (5th March) at 5:30 in the cafe.  Apologies to those who get the Dock email updates – you had to cope with a few extra correction  emails clogging your inboxes while the wires in my brain fizzed and spluttered.  I think I’ve got it all worked out now!

(Incidentally if you’d like to sign up to receive news from The Dock, which is almost always accurate and never confusing at all, just enter your details at the bottom of the blue bar on the left)

And finally, just in case you were wondering how you would squeeze in time for all these wonderful things, remember that you’ve got an extra day – this year is a Leap Year.  So on 29th February why not take advantage of the extra time to have a think and a chat about what it’s all about?

That was a very long-winded way of me telling you that the DOCK’s first-ever Alpha will be starting on Monday – 6-8pm in the cafe for food, friendship and a chance to ask any and every question you’ve ever had about Life, the Universe and Everything.  Alpha isn’t a sermon or a service but conversation in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere where no question is too big or too small.  Click here if you’d like further details.

Welcome laydeez and gentlemen to… The DOCK’s very first and very wonderful Comedy Night!

Put the date in your diaries now – Sunday 21st Feb at 7pm.  Perfect chance to start the week with coffee and craic in Dock Cafe.  There’ll be admission at the door on the night – but this being The Dock, it will be an Honesty Box ticket desk!

I’ve seen Andy Kind in action in front of a packed Waterfront Hall and I know it’ll be a fantastic night.  Here’s a bit of info from his website:

Andy Kind won Anything for Laffs in 2005 and recently hurdled over the 1000-gig barrier. Other stuff happened in between. Described by The Scotsman as ‘Terrific’, Andy’s stand-up style can best be described as ‘the joyful rant of a post-30 chaos vacuum’, and he has been featured on BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 in the UK.

Not long after supporting Tim Vine, Andy’s first book ‘Stand Up and Deliver’ was published by Lion Hudson. The sequel, ‘The Gig Delusion’ was released by Wilmot Books last year. Andy is now working on his third book (his second with Lion Hudson) and recently hosted successful residences at New Wine 2013 and Spring Harvest 2014. Soon after, Andy toured a series of churches in South Africa alongside Mark Palmer.

“We booked Andy for a ‘fringe’ gathering of friends new to church and ‘Alpha’. Andy won us all from the ‘get go’! His dazzling humour was pacy, real, self-critical, teasing, and hilarious! Waves of laughter from a crowd of 150 plus. He’s inventive, playful, totally original, with a ‘knock-out’ spiritual punch to finish with. What a buzz!” Rev. Greg Haslam, Westminster Chapel, London

“Without doubt Andy Kind is one of the best evangelists I have come across – a brilliant comedian! Over 170 came to hear him in our church building – well over 100 of these were first time visitors – he held the audience for one hour – no one walked out! Two women came in and said if this is about God we are not interested – they took alpha leaflets on the way out! I would book him now before word gets out how good he really is – then it would be difficult to get hold of him!”
John Owen, Pastor South Manchester Family Church

“I laughed, cried, laughed some more. Andy was hilarious. His opening routine was totally off-the-cuff as he bantered with the audience- this spontaneous comedy was genius. As good as anything I’ve seen on Live at the Apollo.”
James Hunting, Crown Church, Hillingdon

“Andy took the roof off during our event earlier this year! A packed house for an hour of belly laughing, alongside a genuine and cringe-free provocation for people to explore the claims of Christianity made it one of the best evenings we’ve done for guests that aren’t yet part of the church. I’d encourage you to invite Andy… and make sure you get your friends along!”
Steve Wilson, King’s Arms, Bedford

The last time I was on board HMS Caroline, in 2012, I was in the audience of a Wendy Austin radio broadcast aimed at keeping Caroline here in Belfast, where she has been moored ever since the 1920s.

At that time it looked as if her future lay in being transported to the Naval Heritage dockyard at Portsmouth – but, as everyone who phoned, tweeted or spoke in the radio programme maintained, Belfast and Caroline have been inextricably entwined for so long that it would be a crime to move her from her adopted home.

Fast forward a few short years – and Caroline’s future in Belfast is now assured.  Her future lies in the Titanic Quarter, repaired, restored, and re-interpreted as a visitor attraction with hundreds of tales to tell – adventures in the East Indies, base of operations in World War Two, a long career as the headquarters of the Naval Reserves here in Belfast, and – most significant of all as we approach its centenary in May this year – the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland in World War One.

I’ve been longing to get back on board for ages, especially as we’ve watched the scaffolding going up and the repairs progressing as we tootle past on the Wee Tram each week.  And thanks to the wonderful Jamie, I finally got my chance!

So here’s a little glimpse of the phenomenal work that’s underway to get Caroline ready to open to the public this May:

A special treat was to get down into the engine rooms, where the original engines (now the last of their kind in the world) lurk in the darkness:

Out on the deck on a gorgeous crystal winter’s day, the views of both the ship and the Titanic Quarter were amazing:

And down below, the low Winter sun looked phenomenal streaming through the portholes:

It was fantastic to be beck on board, and to see the evident care and passion that’s going into Caroline’s rebirth.  This workman’s doodle on a porthole window summed it all up!