Glenarms to Bangor

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We spent four nights in Glenarms because of the weather. At times it was blowing a F8 -9 in the North Channell and so we stayed tucked in safely in this lovely little marina. It has a resident Black Guillomot population that nest in the harbour walls and add a delightful air to the place, a fact which we were at pains to point oout to the local struggling tourist office. When we arrived in Bangor 5 Star marina a few days later they had aa whole page in their brochure about THEIR guillemots.... so Sally sent a card to the Glenarms office saying 'Check this out!'
There is a delightful walled garden which is seriously overpriced at five pounds but we went in anyway. Its calm and tranquility is a wonderful balance to the stresses of the sea.....
Glenarm is again awash with Union Jacks. Every second building is empty. Most businesses have shut down but ULSTER STILL SAYS .........Maybe!..... We frequented the first pub on the Main St which we soon identified as being of the friendly persuasion by virtue of the St. Anthony collection box on the counter. Our friendly host Steve agreed that introjecting a Tricolour into the maze of Union Jacks would cause a riot.... so the nationalist community kept their head down. It needed a wonderful sense of humour.... We watched Darren Clarke win THE Open and one local remarked that 'We have three majors now while our Lords and Masters are struggling....'
It was good to relax here and on the Monday we took the 40 mile bus trip into Belfast. Return ticket was 8 pound and that included all metropolitan services...... Once in Belfast bus station we hopped into a black taxi. Sally was on a search for her father's home place. We found one house in Arizona Street but the Clonard Gardens house was gone. This had been her Grandparents house off the Falls Road.... the whole area had been re-developed. Their was a memorial garden here to commemorate the lives lost in the violence. The taxi driver took us on a short tour of the Fallsand the Shankill. These two ghettoes are mirror images of each other. The only difference being the flags that are flown. Both areas are poor and stark but the wall art is spectacular.
We finally left Glenarms on Wednesday and with a cold N airflow and a F4 on our tail we tied off the main and rocked and rolled to bangor. We left at 0915 to catch the south going flood tide and arrived in Bangor about 1430. This is a five star marina right in the centre of town. It cost 24 pounds for the night but this included electricity and showers. In fact we have not had to pay for any showers or power in any of the NI marinas. In our one night stay in Bangor we had a memorable encounter with the Royal Ulster Yacht Club. The pilotage book says that 'they welcome visitors'. So in a spirit of rapproachment, friendliness and curiosity we searched out and found an imposing red brick buildind overlooking the bay. There did not seem to be much activity but we approached the pin-coded entrance as three blue-rinse ladies (literally) were exiting so we slipped in to the entrance hall. This little foyer is awash with Royal memorabilia. The (British) queen is the Patron. The Commodore is the Duke of Something. The last entry in the visitors book (before Sally Cush... Spangle Hill Sailing Club) was Lady Blah de Blah. My humble Cork roots were definetley showing as we wondered what lacquered door we should (or should NOT!) open. A sign said that denim was not allowed in the Front Bar. A door said Strangers Bar. But there was not a sound or a sniff of activity. A slightly strange and silent man appeared. To our eternal relief he assured us that he was going to take down some flags (I had been very concerned about this) and that he would be back in a moment. So we waited and looked at the signed photographs of HRH Elizebeth (of English Market fame) until the strange man reappeared and walked silently past us and disappeared. We made a few forays to find a bar until we eventually decided that this was not a fun place to be and so Sally signed the visitors book and we left. We walked back into the centre of Bangor and found a delightful pub called Feallys. Without as much as a word they filled us a pint and a glass. God bless Ulster friendliness.

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Photos

Falls road
home of cush before move south