A Belfast Blog A Starting Point for the City

Park Love © Sophie Hayles 0

Park Love

When the highlight of your week becomes the supermarket shop, you know it’s time to find something else. My children are 2 years old and 7 months old. Constructive, outside-the-house activities are fairly limited. By...

Merchandise in the Museum of Orange Heritage shop © Jonathan Brennan 0

Orange is the new black

Every week on my way to the supermarket I pass a brown sign pointing towards ‘Orange Heritage’. You can’t be in Belfast for long and not be aware of Orangemen – from mural depictions...

Colour chart © Jonathan Brennan 2

The Space Beneath

We bought a house in East Belfast at the end of last year. Some thoughts on interior decoration: Period Features According to estate agents, ‘period properties’ are largely a sequence of fireplace/s, evidenced in...

Touring the Parliament Buildings (Stormont) © Aptalops 0

Symbolism and Symmetry at Stormont

Stormont is associated with scenes of massive political wrangling, with heavy bureaucracy, with feelings of immense frustration and confusion. I have made a few visits recently, and it’s disconcertingly peaceful and welcoming. The large...

Sinclair Seamen's Church - collection plates © Jonathan Brennan 0

Sinclair Seamen’s Church

The Rough Guide to Ireland‘s section on Belfast has an entry for a curious church in the docklands area, situated more or less on the quay opposite the Odyssey arena. The entry invites readers...

The Linenhall Library © Jonathan Brennan 0

The Linenhall Library

The Linenhall Library was one of the first places I discovered in Belfast. However, I’ve been reluctant to write about it until now, for fear of not doing it justice, because it really is...

Strangford Lough © Jonathan Brennan 0

Signed, Sealed, Not Delivered

Email, 14 December 17.22: Dear Sophie This item will arrive in to our warehouse tomorrow & will be delivered via Yodel on Wednesday or Thursday. You will receive an email to confirm.Email, 14 December 17.32: Dear SophieI...