Like “You’re never too old to set another goal or dream another dream” in east Belfast, “We are what we believe we are” appears to be another of those inspirational quotes attributed to – but not actually by – CS Lewis. The quote appears alongside Belfast landmarks the Titanic centre, Aslan, the Big Fish/Salmon of Knowledge, an unidentified cupola. Part of a piece by Faigy (ig) in Wilson’s Entry, Belfast.
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Mother of two Demi Corry died in July (2022) on a park bench in Buoy Park, in the shadow of St Anne’s, of a suspected drug overdose. She was one of at least 15 drug-related deaths in the city centre this past summer (itv.com) many of them of homeless people (Guardian).
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“Merry Christmas, yis cunts yis” – happy holidays from Belfast city centre. Stan Carey from the blog Strong Language suggests the name “pronominal split reduplication” for the repeated “yis”.
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The buildings on North Street above the art deco Bank Of Ireland building – including a former home (called The Loft) of the artists’ collective now known as The Vault– were razed in 2017. Since then, the hoarding around the site has been a site for street art and graffiti art, most recently a series of Clash Street Kids pieces (inspired by the ‘Bash Street Kids’) by the TMN krew. The plan for the location is now to produce (for 100 million pounds) a building housing a multi-media presentation of the results of an “unparalleled programme of story collection” (Belfast City Council) that will be attractive to an anticipated 1.8 million annual visitors (Architects’ Journal).
For the street art in the background, see Belfast Deco.
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Liz Truss’s Titanic hit not one but a series of icebergs (described previously in Broken Promises) and announced her resignation as leader of the Conservative party, and therefore as UK prime minister, on October 20th, triggering another leadership contest, with the previously-defeated Rishi Sunak back in the running in addition to – for a day, at least – former PM Boris Johnson; the third person shown is Penny Mordaunt. In the end, Sunak went unopposed (WP) and left the lifeboat to join the circling sharks: Putin, strikes, NI Protocol, energy costs.
This is the fourth in a chronicle of the Truss premiership by Ciaran Gallagher (web) in Hill St: And In The Blue Corner … (Truss vs. Sunak) | It’s A Knockout! (Truss wins) | Broken Promises (Truss crisis). Many of the pieces were later mounted in the courtyard of the Dark Horse bar – see the entry in the Paddy Duffy collection.
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One row of street art around a construction site might look much like another, but do not be alarmed – this is your first time in Kent Street, Belfast.
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Work by Leo Boyd (web | ig) – and five other artists – is currently showing in The National in High Street. Today’s post shows 2019’s ‘Belfast Romances’ – still rolling in Victoria Street – featuring many familiar Boydisms: When Urban Love Goes Wrong, Belfast Kitty Hall, DeLorean cars, Godzilla – “The monster created by atoms gone wild! Escaped from Belfast zoo”, and the wind-up police land-rover.
“Approved by DC Tours“
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The newspaper front pages reporting the “90-minute shouting match” between the resigning UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Prime Minister Liz Truss (third image, below) were barely dry when Truss herself resigned yesterday. The main cause was the September 23rd “mini-budget” that promised to scrap the 45% personal tax rate entirely, lower the 20% to 19%, and keep the corporate rate at 19% instead of having it increase to 25% in April 2023 – these numbers are seen on the pages falling from Truss’s hands, above – without explaining how the reductions would be funded. Over the next three weeks these positions were reversed – “volte face”, Truss’s flip-flops, and the two-headed Truss; all part of a pattern, artist Ciaran Gallagher (web) suggests with Truss’s clothing: she was originally in the Lib Dems before joining the Conservatives in 1996 and supported ‘remain’ in the Brexit vote (WP).
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng went on the 14th. Braverman resigned over a breach of the Ministerial Code – sharing an official document on migration from her personal e-mail account – but got in a few digs at the Truss government as she left. (WP)
The Tories hope to put a new leader and PM in place within a week. Rishi Sunak, Terminator-style, says “I’ll be back!” and is – as of today, at least – the bookies’ favourite (BBC).
For Larry the cat – who was previously pictured sitting on the steps outside Number 10 but has gone from the mural – next week’s prime minister will be his fifth.
Previous versions of this mural: And In The Blue Corner … (from the Truss vs. Sunak leadership contest) | It’s A Knockout! (when Truss won)
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This Wee Nuls piece is a commercial piece for Rapyd (tw). The tattoos on the bodies represent local independent businesses Seedhead Arts, Fresh Garbage, the Sunflower bar, PaperxClips, and Bullhouse East.
The middle image shows Wee Nuls being interviewed for a Rapyd short.
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A gallery of faces from KVLR (ig) in Exchange Place, perhaps on their way to Belfast’s first maternity hospital, the Humane Female Society For The Relief Of Lying-In Women (Clifton House). “The Entries are passageways for the comings and goings of rich and poor, sugar and coal, horses and handcarts, porter and print, secrets and songs. Openings and entrances over the centuries. A labyrinth of muck-made Belfast brick at the mouth of the Farset.”
The in-progress shots are from June.
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Extramural Activity 