Belfast – Page 3 – Riccarpics

Contrasting Eras

Ewart’s Mill or the Ewart Building, once a Victorian linen warehouse in Bedford Street, has been redeveloped at a cost of £85m. Now a modern office building it is connected, at the first and second floors, to a new 17-story office complex. I take it this is the modern looking building behind.

The building to the right is the luxury Grand Central Hotel, formerly Windsor House. It was originally an office block and at one time the tallest building in the city.

The Europa Hotel can just be seen in the gap between the buildings. It opened in 1971.

Circusful

Headquartered in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, Circusful is Ireland’s premier circus arts organisation.

Bright Buoys

Belfast Buoys with Titanic Belfast in the distance

In December last year I posted a photograph of the Belfast Buoys in their original location in Cathedral Gardens.

This is a photograph of the buoys, looking bright and well presented, at their new home in Titanic Quarter. It was taken in October 2020.

Winter Palm House

The Palm House, Botanic Gardens, Belfast. The Gardens were established in 1828 and the Palm House completed in 1840. The dome was added in 1852.

In Spring the gardens will explode in colour.

Black Santa

Black Santa made his first appearance at Christmas 1976 when Dean Sammy Crooks sat out in front of Belfast Cathedral collecting money for local charities. He was dubbed Black Santa by the local media as he wore an Anglican clerical cloak to protect him from the cold and rain.

The tradition has been continued down the years and the current Dean, Very Rev. Stephen Forde stands outside the Cathedral in the lead up to Christmas in 2022.

Music provided by Laganvale Band.

On the Lagan

Spotted a couple of weeks ago on the River Lagan. I’ve walked past these bikes fitted with floats before but never saw one in action. They’re berthed on the river at the Waterfront Hall and a quick search on Google reveals they’re called Hydrobikes. They can be hired for exploring the river and come in different configurations for singles, couples and families.

Oh Buoy

While trawling through old hard drives I found this photograph of the Belfast Buoys on their original site in Cathedral Gardens, or as I believed at the time – the grounds of the Ulster University.

Regeneration of the area around the University saw the buoys moved to the Abercorn Basin in Titanic Quarter, via DunLaoghaire for restoration in January 2019. They arrived back in Belfast in time for the Maritime Festival.

I’m fairly sure I have a photograph of them on their new site. If I haven’t I’ll get one.

Rain in Belfast

There’s Only Seven Types of Rain in Belfast – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday …. says the neon sign at The Duke of York Bar in Commercial Court. It’s not as bad as that but and on a chilly wet November evening it can feel like it is.