BUS TOUR IN BELFAST.
When I roamed around the province (Ulster) in the
sixties and seventies, I had no idea you could celebrate Christmas in the sun AND
on the beach but for the last thirty years or so, I have managed to do just
that. I know some people return “home”
at this time of year (from Australia) and from what I hear you all enjoy yourselves; even the
colder weather. I might try it sometime
though not in this century. Ah but I am
reminiscing and that brings me back to my bus trip around Belfast; yeah the hap
on hap off bus. Well I already told you all about the first half of the trip
out to the Titanic Quarter, the Sydenham Road and Stormont. The second half of
the trip proved to be much more daring.
We set off from Castle
Place towards St. Anne’s Cathedral and the City Hall which like most buildings
in Ulster has an interesting history.
Plans for the City Hall began in 1888 when Belfast was
awarded city status by Queen Victoria. This was in recognition of Belfast's
rapid expansion and thriving linen, rope-making, shipbuilding and engineering
industries. And where have they all disappeared to over the years you might
well ask?
During this period
Belfast briefly overtook Dublin as the most populous city on the island of
Ireland. Interesting enough, (for all my South African readers) the city hall
in Durban, South Africa is almost an exact replica of Belfast's City Hall. It
was built some 20 years later in 1910 and designed by Stanley G. Hudson, who
was inspired by the Belfast design. The Port of Liverpool Building, designed by
Arnold Thornley and completed in 1913, is another very close relative. I am not
sure this will help you all on quiz nights but you never know.
And so onwards to the peace line situated between the Falls and the Shankill Roads.
As our well
informed guide told us sarcastically; “All is well here in Belfast. It is one
of the safest corners in the world. The peace treaty was signed some 15 years
ago. Yet the peace wall was constructed 4 years ago!” Well maybe they were trying to make up for
the infamous Berlin Wall.
We then
travelled down the Shankill Road complete with more murals. Hey we really have some fine artists in the
province.
And so back to the centre and the famous Albert clock. Belfast's most prominent
timepiece was built from 1865-1870 in memory of Queen Victoria's husband,
Prince Albert, who died in 1862. Apologies are due here as I had actually
forgotten who Albert was. The 43m-high landmark is famous as Belfast's very own
leaning tower. Like many structures in the city, it was built on reclaimed land
on the River Farset's somewhat marshy foundations and the clock tower currently
leans 1.25m to the left or the right if you look at it from the other side! A
two-year £multi-million restoration project saw craftsmen working 'round the
clock' to spruce up its sandstone, polish its two tonne bell and add gold leaf
to its four faces. I always thought that two-faced was bad enough.
It certainly was a whirlwind tour and I am sure if you had ever lived in
Belfast and you took this tour, it would bring back many memories. I do hope
most of them would be good ones. And so
to my sad end. The guide was genuinly humourous and entertaining but was also somewhat
pessimistic. “We are just one bullet away from it all starting up again” he smilingly
informed us. I am so glad to report that
so far he has been wrong.
By the way, I only haped off once and no points for guessing where that
was. My favourite picture I took at the
end of the trip in a friendly shop window opposite the famous Europa Hotel; the
most bombed hotel in Europe. Must be the
only country in the world you can get a free guinness when you buy a loaf of
bread.
