Quality Local Product

This card was received recently and shows a very nice picture of the hotel mentioned and the rather splendid conservatory attached to it. Turns out the conservatory is designed and produced by Hampton Conservatories, based on the Ballybogey road which runs between Ballymoney and Portrush. These conservatories and orangeries are arguably among the finest handcrafted examples being produced in the UK or Ireland today. A look at their web site shows an outstanding catalogue of stylish designs and peerless craftsmanship

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The hotel itself looks like an ideal base to explore the south west of Ireland. Have a look here.

Tribute or 'Trip Hazard' ?

Now, I don't want to sound picky or churlish, but what the heck is this meant to be?? After sixty dedicated years service from Her Majesty the Queen to the country and the commonwealth, you would have thought Ballymoney might have had a little more imagination when it came to commemorating the jubilee.
The planting of oak trees is a welcome and long lasting tribute which will benefit generations of park users but how many people will walk past this little heap of stones and wonder why the council bothered. It is, to be fair, just opposite a seat where people can presumably rest a while and contemplate the wonderful service of the Queen to the nation. The problem is it is such an insignificant little heap that in many ways it is nearly an insult. Maybe it is Sinn Fein's contribution to the jubilee and they just haven't owned up to it!
In a town like Ballymoney, coming down with builders and tradesmen of all descriptions, and not all employed due to the recession, you would have thought the council could have a least erected a cairn of sensible proportions. How hard would it be to collect up a small load of rocks and  build something relatively substantial instead of this 'trip hazard'.

Ellie Bee's

What must be the most compact and bijou coffee shop in Ballymoney has opened at the top of the town just opposite the town hall, in what was formerly a gift shop. This very small space has a couple of tables and hit the spot on a cold November night.

Hopefully the townfolk and visitors will support this new venture. Ideal for grabbing a quick coffee to go.....

Christmas Lights and a new name in town..

The Christmas lights in Ballymoney were switched on Thursday evening. A good crowd braved the arctic weather to come out and support. The shops in the town all had 20% special discount for the day and seemed to be getting good footfall. Hopefully it translated into a bit of business as most of the shops had made an effort to make their windows look nice and bright.
 

From out of the darkness a new name on the high street, Danske Bank. It is sad that a long standing bank like the Northern has gone but I suppose life moves on and nothing stays the same forever. Hopefully the new name will engender a bit of optimism and help us move towards a better ecomomic situation in the coming year.

Ethernet Powerline dapter

Here's a handy way to create a 'wired' network without installing a lot of new cabling.

TP-LINK's TL-PA251 powerline adapter takes advantage of your home's existing electric wires to transfer data while transferring power. That means, with no additional wiring required, users can simply plug the TL-PA251 into existing power sockets and establish networking infrastructure in a flash. With an additional integrated power socket, it solves a common powerline problem where power sockets would be blocked and thus unusable for other devices. Adopting a totally new product design, the TL-PA251 enables high data transfer rates of up to 200 Mbps over a home's electrical circuit for up to 300 metres with an Auto Power-Saving Mode that reduces energy consumption by up to 75 %.
With it's integrated power socket, the new TL-PA251 provides real convenience for your home network. The integrated power socket allows an additional device or power bar to be connected to the adapter as though it were a normal wall socket. This ensures that even with the TL-PA251 plugged in, users won't need to worry about disconnecting their internet to get power for their other devices.
NB: They come with a 3-pin plug, and are only suitable for the UK Mains.

Digital Changeover Unexpected benefit

With the recent shutdown of the analogue TV transmissions it was time to retire the VHS recorder and go digital. On the recommendation of a colleague I purchased a Humax HD receiver/recorder. Our Samsung television is full HD but had displayed only standard definition as we had not bothered to upgrade to an HD receiver.

What a revelation, the HD channels are clear and crisp with an unexpected depth. What we had been used to in SD and accepted as pretty good, now looks distinctly average. As for the digital recording, it is extremely simple and the 500 Gb hard drive allows for many hours of recording; if in doubt, set it to record. Better to simply delete the unwanted programs rather than miss the occasional good one. This also has allowed more freedom to use the programs to suit our lifestyle. Rather than have to sit in and watch or record each one individually, we now set it to record the series and watch at a time that suits and in the chunks that make for a better viewing experience.

All in all I would give this HD recorder 5/5  *****. 

It has probably been superseded by a new version so have a look at the Humax Site

Bluesy.. Jazzy...Rootsy...

Bluesy.. Jazzy...Rootsy...

Ronnie Greer's own description of what we were about to receive on Thursday evening. I would add excellent, polished or any other complimentary adjective to describe a performance that at nine quid a ticket (with a glass of wine included!) has to the bargain of the Autumn season so far.

Working their way through a set that included blues from Texas and Chicago, JJ Cale and Ray Charles, the Ronnie Greer Band lit up the town hall with a show that had the audience hanging on every beautifully crafted chord. Ronnie with his contortions and facial expression seemed to be giving painful but loving birth to each and every note played on his baby blue guitar. Alan Hunter on bass, Colm Fitzpatrick on drums, John McCullough on keyboards and Anthony Toner on guitar and vocals completed the band; each one a master of his craft.

I last saw the band at the Flowerfield Arts Centre a couple of years ago and was impressed. However, they have developed into one of the tightest, smoothest bands I have seen for a long time; each member contributing perfectly to an end result that was getting close to perfection.

Little needs to be said about the incomparable Hunter who along with Fitzpatrick on drums provided the rhythm over which the others painted their magic. McCullough was a revelation on keyboards, absolutly stunning when he got tore into his solos. Toner, deservedly becoming a bit of a legend in his own right, gives the band a breadth and depth that allows Greer to give full vent to his virtuosity. In the past when I've seen Anthony Toner perform, I've felt that he was a songwriter first and a singer second but his voice has really developed and he must now be considered a first class bluesman.

All in all a great evening....

Characters from the area immortalised in sculpture.

     Wednesday evening and the wooden sheets have been removed ......

The Ballymoney Portrait Bench

The Portrait Bench, part of a unique national public art project, is a simple bench with three life size local characters chosen by the community to represent their culture and history. 
Six characters have been selected by the Ballymoney Steering Group from images supplied by Ballymoney Museum and now it’s your chance to vote for the final three. The bench will be installed in Riverside Park at the entrance to the new walking and cycling railway bridge bringing the National Cycle Network into the heart of the community. (Excerpt from Ballymoney Council leaflet)

Have a look here for more information about this excellent initiative: www.sustrans.org.uk 

See the latest information published by Ballymoney Borough Council: Ballymoney.gov.uk/news

Invite to Bridge Opening

Official opening on Wednesday the 7th November 2012.

Path Reconstitued

Walkers will soon be able to return to their original routes now that the bridge works have been completed and the contractor has returned the park to it's original state.. almost.

New Railway Access Bridge Completed

View across the new railway station access bridge, looking from the park towards the chapel.

  

Revenge on the Cold Callers

We all suffer the nuisance of telephone sales people, cold calling on behalf of all sorts of companies. A guy called Richard Herman has got one over on these pests. Click on the hyperlink and have a look at how he made one company pay for not listening to what he was telling them...    http://www.saynotocoldcalls.com

New Railway Bridge Nearing Completion

The new railway bridge funded as part of the Sustrans initiative is fast approaching completion. The contractors have been pulling out all tyhe stops to get it ready for the grand opening in November.
It is indeed very pretty bridge with easy access for pedestrians and cyclists alike. Wheelchair users and parents with prams will now be able to gain access much more easily than before.
The residents of the houses on the other side of the park wishing to walk to the town will have greatly improved; across park, over the bridge and straight up mainstreet. Likewise those from the town side wanting to walk up to the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre will be able to stroll uninterupted without the need to go near the main road.
The only thing is, it may be a bit glitzy and out of keeping with the rest of the town! No doubt with time it will fit in perfectly. In fact it may lead to the rest of the town getting a bit of a scrub up; the main street is looking a wee bit tired at the moment.
Here are some snaps of the work in progress....