Wednesday 30 January 2019

Archbishops

Archbishops in the British Isles have the ducal title of "Grace", and have historically taken precedence of all dukes next to those of royal blood.

The Archbishop of Canterbury ranks as first peer of the realm, and the Archbishop of York as third, coming immediately after the Lord Chancellor.

The (Anglican) Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin ranked immediately after the Archbishop of York.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is styled "Most Reverend" and "by divine providence"; while the Archbishop of York and bishops adopt the term "permission" instead of "providence".

First published in December, 2013.

Sunday 27 January 2019

Nu Delhi, Belfast

Great Victoria Street, Belfast, is a major part of Belfast's Golden Mile.

Certainly during the Troubles this street was buzzing, despite the bombing campaign which destroyed many businesses and livelihoods.

From the Grand Opera House, the Europa Hotel, the Crown Liquor Saloon, and numerous other establishments towards Shaftesbury Square and Bradbury Place, it remains one of the liveliest parts of town.

All of the said establishments are still there and continue to thrive.

I called for the old school pal, NCS, and we motored in a westerly direction into town, where I managed to find a tight space at the Great Victoria Street end of Wellwood Street.

It was cold, windy and wet.

Our venue, the Nu Delhi Indian restaurant, is on the first floor of a building beside Bruce Street and Hope Street.

It used to be the premises of the house-furnishers, Donaldson & Little.

It's probably necessary to reserve a table in this large restaurant at weekends.

We had booked a table and the place was practically full when we arrived at seven o'clock.

The staff gave a good impression on greeting and tending to us during the meal.


As far as Indian cuisine goes I usually opt for something on the mild side, so I ordered Desi Chicken Masala with pilau rice, accompanied by peshwari naan bread and a glass of lassi.

NCS had a popular lamb dish, I think, and we shared the bread with poppadoms and three types of chutney.

While NCS was getting some fresh air at the open balcony, I had a look round and my eyes focused on the ceiling, one of those non-ceilings, bare, un-plastered, concrete, loose cables, vents.


My meal was good, mild-to-medium hot, I should say.

The bread was light and freshly made, I'm sure.

My meal cost about £20 (we went Dutch).

Thereafter we hopped on to the lift, emerged at Great Victoria Street, and walked to Robinson's Bar or, rather, Fibber Magee's.

I don't know whether you've ever frequented this bar, though it's at the rear end of Robinson's, a former alley called Keyland's Place.

Keyland's Place was largely demolished to make way for Blackstaff Square, the most direct means of entering Fibber Magee's.

It's a kind of spit-and sawdust theme bar, a Victorian general merchant's, probably conceived twenty-five years ago by the proprietor of Robinson's.

Robinson's Bar was fire-bombed and demolished in 1991, so Fibber Magee's, one of those renowned faux Irish pubs, dates from that era.


The atmosphere or ambiance is very lively indeed with merry revellers, a few of whom were raucous; singing, dancing to a live duo of singing guitarists, bare wooden floorboards, wooden stools, wooden benches, dimly lit.

It has a large, unlit fire-place.

It's undeniably popular and the musicians were playing their own version of well-known pop songs.

I was sitting beside a Yorkshire plumber (who lived near Guiseley), who, with his wife, was staying with friends in Bangor, County Down.

He'd certainly had his fair share of stout or whatever, and kept repeating himself on topics like Retirement, Skiing etc.

I'd had enough of it all by ten o'clock, and bade farewell to NCS, who decided to remain for the duration.

Saturday 26 January 2019

S D Bell's

S D Bell's Original Premises, Knock, Belfast

I met my Aunt M for tea this morning at that venerable Belfast institution, S D Bell & Company, purveyors of finest tea and coffee.

They extended their premises about five years ago to include the remaining units beside them.


You enter by a wide, electric door; the ethereal aroma of freshly-roasted coffee beans beckons visitors and patrons.

I usually meet my aunt here for the weekly chin-wag.


They serve freshly-cooked breakfasts, artisan tea and coffee, scones, iced fruit buns, cakes and biscuits in the morning.


I often have the fruit scone with butter and raspberry jam, and a pot of their blended Director's Brew tea.

Friday 25 January 2019

Paddy Fermor Talk

With the Hon Artemis Cooper, Lady Beevor

The Bank Buildings in Belfast city centre remains a disaster zone. Such a pity.

Yesterday the contractor was working away, shifting blocks of stone from the top of the burnt-out building to the ground.

The interior is a complete mess of collapsed debris.

There's a kind of tunnel, which skirts the immediate vicinity of the building, that I passed though en route to the Ulster Reform Club, Royal Avenue, where I'd been invited for a lunch and talk by Artemis Cooper, Lady Beevor.


Her topic was none other than the extraordinary Sir Patrick  (Paddy) Leigh Fermor, DSO, OBE, adventurer, soldier, polyglot, and all-round good egg.

Having relieved myself of the heavy winter overcoat, scarf, gloves and umbrella in the cloakroom, I made my way to the old billiards-room on the third or fourth floor.

This room has a good prospect of building work at the adjacent Bank Buildings.

Only the Tesco Metro (formerly a bank) stands between the Club and Bank Buildings.

There were ten of us yesterday. The room, however, was full with other tables and parties of guests.

We had a large, circular table at the window nearest to the Bank Buildings, and we could hear constant beeping from tractors and machinery reversing within the disaster zone outside.

We were all guests of Ken Belshaw, who also happens to be the honorary consul of Hungary.

Ken follows the blog.

I was seated beside a medical doctor from Garvagh. We had a very good chin-wag about this and that during the meal, including the distinguished naval sub-mariner Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Hezlet.

Of course I've written about Garvagh House and the Cannings.

I also chatted at length to a retired detective, who sat to my right.

I happen to know, or be acquainted with, a number of former or retired police officers in the Province.

Rodney Hermon's father was Chief Constable of the RUC, and I recounted my memories of him arriving at Ormiston about 1974 in an Austin Cambridge or Morris Oxford driven by his father, a Superintendent or Chief Superintendent at the time.

Robin Gouk, QPM, was also in my year at Campbell.

We enjoyed sirloin steak, vegetables, apple tart and cream, wine and convivial company.

Artemis Cooper's father was John Julius Norwich (2nd Viscount), and when I met her after the talk, I told her that I recalled her father as a panellist on the BBC series Face The Music in the 1970s.

I've no idea why the BBC doesn't revive it. It had a dummy keyboard and panellists had to guess what piece was being played.

I must have confused her father with somebody else, or so she believed.

Was John Julius Norwich ever a guest on Face the Music?

After luncheon some of us ambled into the Members' Bar, which was packed!

We had a few more drinks (I stuck to port), and the arcane licensing laws obliged us all to vacate the room at five o'clock.

I'm returning to the Club in about a week's time for the annual Brackenber dinner.

Saturday 12 January 2019

Le Croque Monsieur

The television happened to be turned on to the BBC show Eggheads recently, and Judith Keppel made a remark about the classic French sandwich, Croque Monsieur.

Now I have never tasted one, and if I ever did it must have been donkey's years ago.

As a consequence of the Keppel Factor I decided to acquire some thinly sliced cooked ham, Gruyère cheese, and white sliced bread.

My method is to spread one slice of bread thinly with Dijon mustard, trim the cheese slice to fit and put on top.

The ham slices are trimmed, too, and placed atop the cheese.

This is topped with the remaining slice of bread and put on a baking sheet.

Brush one side lightly with melted butter and toast in the oven at 230ºC for about five minutes or till lightly browned.

Turn the sandwich over and brush the other side with melted butter, and toast for a further three minutes.

Cut it in half and serve hot, wrapped in a small paper napkin.

Sunday 6 January 2019

New DL

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

Mrs Joan Christie CVO OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, has been pleased to appoint:
Colonel Stewart DOUGLAS OBE
To be a Deputy Lieutenant of the County, his Commission bearing date the 30th day of November 2018.


Signed: Joan Christie

Lord Lieutenant of the County

Saturday 5 January 2019

High Sheriffs 2019

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NORTHERN IRELAND


APPOINTMENT OF HIGH SHERIFFS FOR NORTHERN IRELAND



COUNTY ANTRIM

Mr James Ronald Hassard
Ballyclare
County Antrim


COUNTY ARMAGH

Mr Ian James Chapman
Portadown
County Armagh


COUNTY DOWN

Mr Henry Shields
Spa
Ballynahinch
County Down


COUNTY FERMANAGH

Miss Mary Kathleen Doherty OBE
Drumgay
Enniskillen
County Fermanagh


COUNTY LONDONDERRY

Mr Samuel David Graham Mawhinney
Draperstown
County Londonderry


COUNTY TYRONE

Mr Samuel Wesley Atchison
Omagh
County Tyrone


COUNTY BOROUGH OF BELFAST

Alderman Thomas Henry Sandford
Belfast


COUNTY BOROUGH OF LONDONDERRY

Ms Julia Elizabeth Kee
Eglinton
County Londonderry