As promised, lots of pics and stories of the most incredible weekend of bikes, banter, madness, markets, pop-ups and (above all) pinkness as the Giro swept through the Titanic Quarter.

Thanks to our coffee providers, Bailies, the Dock team were resplendent in pink (even Arthur the knight got in on the act)

And thanks to the Friday knitters, visitors to the cafe were greeted by knitted pink bunting… how very Dock!

Meanwhile, just a few units along at the other end of the ARC, the Dock/We Make crew were busy putting the finishing touches to their pop-up market.  As with all such things, at the 11th hour there was still so much to do:

…but when the time came, it all clicked together beautifully.  Fifteen traders set up their stalls in a big, bright space with the smell of cooking filling the air… the atmosphere was brilliant, the buzz of happy customers eating, drinking, shopping and chilling – another new dimension to Life in the Titanic Quarter.

These are just a few of the stalls – I was overwhelmed by the quality, creativity and variety of top-notch stuff on offer:

When they could grab a gasped free moment in the middle of the madness, the Dock Cafe team were to be found feasting their faces and trying their best to sample everything from all the stalls…

And the best news is that the Dock/We Make pop-up is returning for the Maritime Festival next weekend (24th-26th May) – and who knows what might happen next after that…

And of course at the centre of everything, serving coffees to over 2000 people, providing space for chilling and conversation, full of music and friendly faces and life and joy… our beloved Honesty Box Cafe

What a weekend… I feel as if I’m only starting to recover now – but the Maritime Festival is just around the corner!  Whatever else it may be, Life in the Titanic Quarter is never boring!

Well that was quite a weekend!

Lots of pictures and stories from the Giro to share over the next few days – but first, a little glimpse of the fantastic pop-up markets run by the DOCK team and WE MAKE BELFAST: