[JM123]

The 12th of July parades are on us again so I've had to take the day off (can't get out of my house).  Was wondering if anyone else having the same problem?

[alansavvi]

i am sick with the flu for the second time in two months, way behind on work!!!!!!!!

[Jon T.C.]

Came back from holiday in the south of France last night  - So getting myself straight today

[pjulk]

No no parades here didn't even know there was 12th july parades.
So i had to go out and earn some money just like every other day.

Paul

[JM123]

aye its a Northern Ireland stupid thing.  Funny enough it also means my latest night working as I have to do insides shpping centre after, only finished at 1:05am!!

[Squeegee Clean blackpool]

I had a similar prob today did 3hours work and the surf was calling so i thought stuff it

[matt]

dont mention days off

you know what happened last time  :

people can get funny about others having days off

[JM123]

yeah but its not really a day off when you are more or less locked in your house - the roads are closed and some people would take offence to you working during the parades anyway, more like a non-event day for me.

look what time I had to work to after it all finished - i was working from 6pm to around 1am!! Started this morning at 9am again got finished up bout 4, not bad but would have been nice to get it done yesterday and have tomorrow off.

[matt]

are they the orange men marches then ?? ?? ??

[JM123]

yeah - right old pain in the backside, don't mind them but really waste the day for the rest of us.

[matt]

to outsiders (and i will speak as a outsider to the NI issues)

it just seemed like a march along "a rival religions" patch to stir up trouble

of course i expect i am wrong and its a time honoured thing

[JM123]

mostly its in their own areas except for a few which pass along nationalist areas, there's another one today - hence why I am stuck in (again). 

PS - you've no idea how loud lambeg drums are either, nurofen anyone?

[windows_chepstow]

Having spent around 8 years in Northern Ireland, on and off, as a soldier; I always loved the Marching Season which culminated to it's peak on the 'Twelth'.

There were always plenty of scantily-clad women to letch at while I was hiding in some back-garden or other.

The people watching the parades, with their carrier-bags full of cans of lager always used to be generous too; and I've returned to barracks loaded with beer in my pouches on more than one occassion.

Drumcree was always a different matter though.  The 'Orange blighters' weren't so keen on the British Army there!!!!

'Wor Lass Number 1' was one of those 'strange Presbatarians from the North' and many of her family were truly Orange; some - the thicker ones - are members of the UVF and are also members of one of these Orange bands from Carrickfergus.

From the Nationalist viewpoint, I can really understand why they get upset about these 'yobs' who want to bash their drums and stick two-fingers up to them, get upset about it.

Remember, these bands and the paramilitaries go hand-in-hand and literally wear their UVF/UDA badges on their sleeves.  These people are no 'Jazz Band' members.  The band's members are the same organisations that may have murdered someone in their family.

Saying all that; I always loved the marches.  It's a pity they can't do it in some out-of-the-way field; but still have the same party atmoshpere.

[JM123]

its just that when every parade passes along your house and you have better things to do it just gets on your nerves a bit - ps I'm from Ballymena Tosh, I'm sure you know it, we get marches all the time.

[JM123]

I bet it was some craic at drumcree for you then!!!  Nasty stuff.

[windows_chepstow]

ps I'm from Ballymena Tosh, I'm sure you know it.

Yes, I've shopped at Fairhill Shopping Centre.

Do you have the Ballymena accent?

If you do, I like you already... It's an entertaining accent, but in a nice way.  Ballymena people almost 'sing' to you, when they speak.  Do you remember the advert for Fairhill Shopping Centre; 'Hey'?  It always cracked me up.

I spent two years at Aldergrove, near Antrim, just down the road from you; sort of.

But I'm more au fai with West Belfast, Lisburn, Carrickfergus and surrounding areas.

I think Northern Ireland is the best bit of the UK.  It's got a great coastline - the North Antrim Coast - including the Giant's Causeway - is brilliant.  Good pubs too.

County Down is spectacular also; Strangford Loch in particular (have you been on the 'side-ways ferry?), although while water-skiing there, I ended up with what I suspect was a 'Strangford Turd' down my kneck and had what my sailor-father would describe as amoebic dysentry for three days.

Then you've got the Mountains of Mourn (my eldest daughter was concieved there; in some sheep hut; it was a bit better than what it sounds mind).

I'd reccommend anyone to have a holiday in Northern Ireland; it's a cracking place; better than Scotland (which is full of Porridge-Wogs).

The Northern Irish, what-ever their political stance, remind me of Geordies.  I think that's why I like them so much.

[JM123]

ah doo hae a Baulemeenah aksunt hey, jeekers ohh.  haha, glad you liked it, no-one else does.  Yeah the Fairhill, know the fairhill bar opposite - I'm in there a bit, nice pub, good craic, guinness is lovely.  Went to uni at Jordanstown (5 miles from Carrick) so know lots of ones there too.  Bureau up the road in whiteabbey is a nice bar/restaurant.

Sheeps-hut!!???

[windows_chepstow]

Went to uni at Jordanstown (5 miles from Carrick) so know lots of ones there too. 

I worked for two years just down the road from your university, in the RUC Station.  Small world isn't it?

I worked with a bunch of Irish nutters though.  They were five 'old school' special branch RUC men and they were truly mad as hatters.  Four of them had been investigated by John Stalker (ex Manchester Chief of Police) whose now flogging double glazing on TV)) over the RUC 'shoot to kill policy'.  My work-mates often referred to themselves as 'murderers'. 

You wouldn't believe the stories they told me and you wouldn't believe what they did.  My job was 'admin', I used to drive them about; basically; but what they actually did makes the American police films look tame.

And much of this was planned just a mile from where you went to university?  Anyway, why are you cleaning windows with a university education?

[JM123]

a) do you know how little they pay Engineers over here?
b) I enjoy it

The old special branch, ha, you'd know all about the b-specials etc, they were probably making it all up, we're laid back over here

That RUC station, the Forensics one on the road to Carrick?

[windows_chepstow]

That RUC station, the Forensics one on the road to Carrick?

Yes, that's the place, but they were only 'forensic' in so far as that it was 'weapons intelligence' that they dealt with; guns and gun related items.

Not blood and DNA and stuff.

The 'RUC E4' was the RUC 'intelligence' bit, but I worked with 'E4a' which was 'Weapons Intelligence'

As for the B-Specials, I know the history of them, but an ex-girlfriend (from Finnaghy) had a Dad who was a B-Special.

Apparantly they were anti-Catholic bustards, but my ex told me that her father had no hatred for Catholics; yet he was found dead (25 years ago now mind) in a black plastic bag with two bullet holes in his head, close to Finaghy Railway Station.

Another lady told me that her husband had been 'murdered' because he was a B Special, yet he was only in it for the social life that came with being a special constable.

I think the Republican 'media machine' hypes up a few bad apples when it came to the B Specials and when they were disbanded, they just changed uniforms into the UDR.

My first tour in NI was in 1989, the twentieth year of the 'Troubles', and I've made an effort to attempt to understand the history of the place.

Things have improved since then.

Anyway, I'm dribbling on here, when I'm meant to be cooking dinner!¬