Thursday 10th April. The DG and I are aboard the
overnight ferry to Belfast from Birkenhead.
We have our own cabin and at 5 a.m. a loud tannoy announcement tells us
that we will be docking in Belfast at 6 a.m. This announcement was intended to
wake us up from our slumber, but we were already wide awake. The DG likened her
bunk bed to a Medieval torture chamber as there was so little space, and if she
moved too suddenly she would have injured herself on the various grab rails
which were suspended just above her head. I decided to get up at 4.30 after
very little sleep and found the DG was already up and had gone to persuade one
of the stewards to make her a cup of coffee.
Bunks similar to ours, but without instruments of torture
In the lounge we met up with a number of Rotarians also on
their way to Belfast for the RIBI Conference. We also saw our companions of yesterday evening
Martin and Wendy Williams, who had access to the Executive Lounge, leaving the
rest of us poor souls looking enviously through the door. Although our car was
already seriously full of luggage, I suggested that they might like a lift to
the Hotel, which would save them a taxi fare. Like us, they were booked into
the Hilton Hotel, a short walk from the Conference venue. I warned them it would be uncomfortable, but
shouldn’t be a very long drive, and we decided to give it a go.
Belfast Hilton
When the time came to disembark, we all went down to the car
deck and squeezed into the car. Martin, Wendy and the DG all had suitcases
across their laps, whilst I, as the driver had no rear visibility, and could only see one
of the wing mirrors. Also I almost lost my door to a lorry which decided to
move past as I was getting into the car. Luckily it was a near miss, we were
unscathed and were soon off the ferry and into the sparse early morning
traffic. Jane, our Sat Nav voice confidently directed us to the Hotel, and we
were there within 10 minutes. The only issue was that our rooms were not
available until the afternoon, but the problem was avoided by the Hotel staff
kindly storing our luggage, leaving us free to explore the city.
With Tim Cowling - red carpet treatment for 2 DGs
Over breakfast in the Hotel, we decided that a bus tour
would be a good way of getting our bearings in the city. Several other DGs and
their Consorts, including Wendy and Philip, Keith and Mary, Stuart and Janice,
Stan and Sheila and Sandra Townsend, some of whom had been in the Hotel for a
couple of days already, also thought it a good idea, so off we went on the 10.00
tour. Picked up outside our hotel, we were taken to the High Street, where we
boarded the official tour bus, complete with guide. The bus stopped several
times at places of interest, and passengers could hop off at any of them and
catch another bus to continue their journey. It was an open top bus, and the
more hardy souls among us went upstairs. The DG and I, of course stayed
downstairs.
Belfast tour bus
I thought the tour was terrific, and well worth the cost.
Lasting about two hours, we had a very amusing and knowledgeable guide, a local
man who was a fount of information about all aspects of the city. Starting in
the central area, we were surprised how close many of the major sights were to
our Hotel. In no particular order we passed St Georges Market, The Royal Courts of Justice (surrounded by a thick steel barrier to dissuade attackers), and the
impressive City Hall. We also passed the Albert Memorial Clock, Belfast’s answer to the
leaning Tower of Pisa, as it leans four feet to the left and a similar distance
backwards.
City Hall
Tourism is now a very big industry in Belfast, and even cruise ships
are calling in. Our guide told us that since the Peace Process began, following
the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Belfast has become one of the UK’s safest cities to visit. He thought that local people, whatever their
religion were putting pressure on the paramilitaries not to spoil the progress that
has been made. This progress is self-evident in the enormous investment in
infrastructure projects in the city, including new buildings with almost
entirely glass frontages, which would have been unthinkable 30 years ago.
Ring of Steel around Royal Courts of Justice
Next we moved on to some of the more well known places,
owing to recent history. We stopped outside the famous Crumlin Road Jail and
Courthouse, now a visitor attraction, and then moved on to the Shankill Road
area followed by the Falls Road. Here we saw the contrast between the two communities.
In Protestant Shankill Road, colour schemes were predominantly red, white and
blue, and there were impressive murals painted on the sides of houses. However, when we crossed over to the Falls
Road, a fiercely Republican area, The Irish flag was predominant, and murals
depicted their heroes, including the famous hunger striker Bobby Sands.
Loyalist mural
Bobby Sands mural
We saw the high walls that separated the two communities,
some of which had gateways that were
open during daylight hours, but closed after dark. The famous ‘Wall of Peace’
was an amazingly tall structure, about 18 feet high in places, which was an
ugly blot on the local landscape, and ran for a couple of unbroken miles.
However, it had largely achieved its purpose, which was to ensure the Catholic and Protestant
communities were kept apart, reducing the opportunities for violence. Loyalist
areas marked their territory by painting kerbstones and lamp posts red, white
and blue, whereas nationalist areas did the same thing, only using green, white
and gold paint. I was pleased that the tour took us to these places, as I
wouldn’t have dared to go there on my own. Our guide explained everything to us
in a neutral way, and if he had loyalties to one side or the other, he hid them
very well.
Painted kerbs denote Loyalist area
In Great Victoria Street, we passed the Europa Hotel, which
achieved unwanted fame as the most bombed hotel in Belfast but is still very much
open for business. We then moved on to one of the major tourist attractions in the city, Titanic Belfast, which has only been open for three years, but has attracted over a
million visitors already. The outside of the building is impressive, with
replicas of the prow of the Titanic (exact in height) on each corner. We were
due to come back here later this evening, for a dinner and private tour, which
we were looking forward to. Nearby are
the famous symbols of Belfast, the huge yellow Harland and Wolfe gantries.
Titanic Belfast
Another major attraction was a little out of
the City centre, but worth the trip. Stormont Castle is the home of the Ulster
Parliament, and has regularly featured on news programmes about the recent
history of Belfast. It is a very impressive building, situated in hundreds of
acres of landscaped grounds. Before we went through the gate, a policeman came
on board to ensure no-one was planning to cause trouble. The check was
perfunctory to say the least, I don’t even think he looked in my direction.
After he got off and we continued into the grounds of the Castle our guide said
‘I bet you all feel safer now!’
Stormont Castle, seat of Northern Ireland Government
When the tour ended where we had started, the DG and I
decided to walk back to the Hotel. Passers-by were very helpful in offering
directions, even offering to walk with us to make sure we got there. I think we
both feel that the friendliness and kindness of the people of Belfast, which we
encountered throughout our stay was exceptional, and made us feel very
comfortable when out and about. The Hotel wasn’t very far, and the walk gave us
an opportunity to study the leaning Albert Clock Tower more closely. We passed
the Waterfront Centre on the way, which is the venue for the Conference. It is
only about 200 yards from the Hotel.
Albert memorial Clock
We had good news and bad news when we arrived back at the
Hotel. Good news was that our room was ready and we could check in. Bad news
was that there was no swimming pool. We had taken the trouble to bring our
swimming togs, and it was a wasted effort. Someone should have read the small
print. We had a lovely room on the first floor, commanding a view across the
river Lagan towards the iconic Harland and Wolff gantries, and, in the distance
we could see Stormont castle. This wasn’t of course a bird watching trip, but I
couldn’t help noticing a couple of black guillemots on the river. A city centre
is not their normal habitat, I thought. They are cliff-breeding birds and I presumed
they were stopping off on a migration route. Having got my bearings now, I went
out for a stroll whilst the DG caught up on some sleep.
Iconic Harland & Wolff gantries
Black Guillemot
In the evening we had to get suited and booted for our visit
to the Titanic Belfast. It was a VIP occasion, so as Consort to the District
Governor I was naturally invited, along with all other DG’s attending and their
Consorts, as well as RI President Gary Huang and his wife Corinna, RIBI
President Peter King and his wife Di and various other RIBI dignitaries. The
Conference Chairman, a lovely Ulsterman called Frank Arnold organised coaches
to get everyone to the Titanic exhibition. As they were not wheelchair
accessible buses, he arranged a Mercedes to take the DG and me to the event. It was driven
by a local Rotarian who proved to be good company on our short journey. The
plan was that we start with a quick (40 minute) tour of the Titanic Exhibition,
then there would be a drinks reception, followed by dinner on the top floor. It
all sounded good to me.
Guide speaking to VIPs
The Titanic Exhibition was fantastic. Visitors are guided
through the building, on different levels, as the story of the city, the
shipyard and the ship itself unfolds. I did not realise just how prolific
shipbuilding in Belfast was in the early 20th century. The Titanic
itself, huge ship that it was, was one of 9 ships completed by Harland and
Wolff Belfast shipyard in 1912. It left Belfast on 2nd April 2012, on 10th April it started its maiden voyage from Southampton, and on the night of 14/15 April it sunk.
The Titanic
The exhibition starts with a description of the Linen Industry, which was the industry that initially brought wealth to the city. Then shipbuilding started, and there are some graphic descriptions, and terrifying photos, showing the conditions under which shipbuilders worked, with no thought seemingly given to health and safety. As we progressed through the exhibition, we saw the original designs of the Titanic, various stages of its’ construction, we heard eyewitness accounts of its sinking, and finally we walked across a glass floor beneath which we could see the wreck of the Titanic as it lay at the bottom of the ocean. 40 minutes was not nearly enough time for this exhibition, I could easily have spent all day there. The same could be said for Gary Huang, who seemed similarly reluctant to leave the exhibition.
The exhibition starts with a description of the Linen Industry, which was the industry that initially brought wealth to the city. Then shipbuilding started, and there are some graphic descriptions, and terrifying photos, showing the conditions under which shipbuilders worked, with no thought seemingly given to health and safety. As we progressed through the exhibition, we saw the original designs of the Titanic, various stages of its’ construction, we heard eyewitness accounts of its sinking, and finally we walked across a glass floor beneath which we could see the wreck of the Titanic as it lay at the bottom of the ocean. 40 minutes was not nearly enough time for this exhibition, I could easily have spent all day there. The same could be said for Gary Huang, who seemed similarly reluctant to leave the exhibition.
Jenny Muir (left) with Sheila and Stan Keller
At the drinks reception I managed to commandeer a tray of
glasses containing sparkling wine with fruit in. I think I managed all of my
five-a day before going into the dinner in rather high spirits. We enjoyed
excellent company at our dinner table in the form of DG Judy Barnard-Jones and
her Consort Keith, DG Jenny Muir, DG Sandra Townsend and DG Stan Keller and his Consort Sheila.
Duck was served for dinner, not something I would normally choose (unless it
was crispy and served with pancakes and hoisin sauce) but it was actually
delicious. Speeches were mercifully kept short, so we could enjoy the
fellowship. When we eventually got back to the Hotel, we joined Les and Pat
Wilson in the bar for a drink, and were joined by Sean Parry and a couple of
other Rotaractors. The DG was to spend a lot of time this weekend with
Rotaractors, in preparation for her new role as RIBI chair of the Rotaract
Committee from July 1st.
Judy and Keith Barnard-Jones with the DG
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