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.
Rain in Belfast
The difficulty is capturing surprise on film
The title is a quote from F. Murray Abraham.
This image is from a Women Demand Better protest rally in Belfast on 29 October. Everyone seemed in good spirits although it was one of those miserable rain all day days with rain interspersed with periods of light drizzle. The days you don’t realise how wet you got until you get back to the car or go in for a cup of coffee and find you’re sitting in a pool of water.
January
It often rains in January and and its usually cold. I think I’ve said it before that I don’t remember anyone ever telling me they came to Ireland for the weather.
Last week I had an appointment in Belfast and with some time to kill had a walk around the city centre. It was raining – that light drizzle that soaks you without you realising it until its too late. There were more people about than I expected on such a day, perhaps drawn by the New Year sales
What I was surprised to see were people, obviously visitors to the city, posing and and taking pictures at the Big Fish.
Shortly afterwards I came across a walking tour preparing to set off from the city hall and I saw another couple of walking tours as I wandered around.
Belfast suffered badly during “The troubles” with few tourists in the height of summer, never mind January. To people that remember those times these visitors bring a sense of normality.
Good to see.
