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New Saturday morning ritual. Wake up early. Coffee, breakfast, St Georges Market!
I just don’t go enough and there are too few markets like it, if any(?) in Belfast. This was taken at one of the stalls, where such a wide variety of items are sold.
Leaving a little later than planned, I arrived at the Harbour Commissioners Office at 14:20. I didn’t know much about the building, which dates back to 1854, and admittedly still don’t as I haven’t read the leaflets I was given as I left, though the website tells me that “For almost 150 years the Harbour Office has been the headquarters of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners.”
I wasn’t sure what to expect, I knew of the outside of the building, but looks can be deceiving (as I found out a little later), not in this case. The lobby is like that of a grand manor, marble floor, yellow walls and generally a lot of light, and paintings of old people. Lots of rooms to check out with lots of old stuff. Old maps of Belfast and plans of Belfast Harbour and all its ports.
Next was Custom House, which I was looking forward to getting a look around as I really do like the building - but not any more. Okay maybe I still like it a little, but inside is crap. It’s just another civil service office, all modern and lifeless. Besides the fact that I wasn’t allowed to take photographs, there was nothing I wanted to shoot as there was nothing original. Old-building restoration fail.
Disliking my own city is something I try not to do too often any more, it does try very hard. Sometimes does a good job, and sometimes looks like it was trying very hard but will maybe get it right next time. Either way, when there are times in the year where historic and important buildings are open to the public which are normally closed it’s good to check em out. Just because I am not “important” or don’t work in these departments why does that mean I get to lose out on piecing together some of the history. Also there could be pretty photographic stuff inside.
First Presbyterian Church was up next. I’ve probably passed it billions of times, but never thought much of it. The oldest Church in Belfast with a congregation dating back to 1644 and the current building completed in 1783, it is very plain, very boring, but in a good way. With lots of light, interestingly shaped seating, and a pretty organ. Just a regular church in a lot of ways. But its very old and thats what makes it interesting.
Finally, I went on a tour of the Freemasons Hall in Arthur Square. I don’t know a lot about Freemasonry, only though assumptions and general overheard theories, though this tour seemed to confirm many of those. The “Secret Society” is indeed deep within the roots of Northern Ireland and Belfast City in so many ways, including owning Victoria Square, and many other expamples of traditions in society started by Freemasons.
History has never been a favourite subject of mine, only from a very broad sense of being interested in the city, it’s culture and filling my head with as much useless information as possible.
Summer’s over so I’ve decided to have another go at this photoblog lark.
This is a photo from back in June when the Lord Mayor’s picnic was on in Fitzgerald’s Park and on the way in we had a look at a game of cricket in the Mardyke.
A burned out car lies upside down next to the river in Inniscarra, Co Cork. I wonder if it’s still there?
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Tags: Black and White, car, Cork, Cork Photos, Inniscarra, Ireland, Irish photos, irishblogs, Photography, Photos, River, Rocks, rubbish, Vehicles, waste
