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....

Have been doodling a bit with acrylic paint recently as an antidote to the stress of commuting and the sundry vicissitudes of life. This image of the Celtic eagle intrigued me and I had a go at reproducing it.

Apparently, in Celtic stories the Eagle (Iolair, Fireun) is a bird noted for wisdom and long life. The eagle represents swiftness, strength, keen sight, and the knowledge of magic. It helps you to see hidden spiritual truths. The bird is considered a bridge between the worlds- this world, earth and water. Birds are also viewed as symbols of bearer of messages.

Buttons Barrels and Bows.

This trio of accomplished musicians gave a wonderful concert of traditional and contemporary folk music in Ballymoney Town Hall on Wednesday the 24th March. Consisting of Caoimhín Ó’Raghallaigh on fiddle/hardanger fiddle,Catherine McEvoy (flute & whistle) & Micheál Ó’Raghallaigh (concertina) the trio kept the full house entertained with two hours worth of music of a very high standard. The hardanger fiddle in particular produced a lovely sound.

To get some more info about Caoimhín Ó’Raghallaigh and his fiddle music have a look here: http://www.stateofchassis.com/

To check what is on in Ballymoney:
http://www.visitballymoney.com/

Email:  townhall@ballymoney.gov.uk

Good citizen vs 'Disaffected yoof'

A couple of Sundays ago whilst walking the dog in glorious sunshine we were greeted by the smell of burning grass as we entered the park. It transpired that a small group of youths were trying to set light to a large patch of undergrowth next to the river. By the time we had arrived at the scene the little twerps were legging it across the level crossing and heading up the town. A public spirited jogger had chased them off and was in the process of extinguishing the fire; cleverly using a large sheet of plywood as a means of smothering the fire. He flipped the sheet of wood over and over and quickly had the fire under control. Mortimer's contribution was limited to tramping on a couple of small flames which were trying to reignite at the edge of the fence. The public spirited runner then jogged off along the fitness towards the forested end of the park next to Trolans.

Didn't have the camera on me at the time so couldn't record the actions or our good citizen but took a snap later to record the small amount of damage done by our 'disaffected yoofs'...