James “Yogi” Young of Kilwinning Ayrshire was a Scottish supporter of Belfast flute bands. He died in 2016(?). This memorial bench, which also commemorates the centenary of the Great War, is in the York Road Historical Society’s memorial garden. (See previously: Joint Forces | Pride Of The Shore)
Here is a final image from the election campaign for the December 12th Westminster elections, a plastic board on the fence around the construction site on Alliance Avenue, inviting voters to “make history” by returning a nationalist MP in Belfast North, specifically Sinn Féin’s John Finucane.
“Vote Dodds [Nigel Dodds of the DUP] – Vote Mr. Potato Head – Spud U dislike”. Poster on the Antrim Road from the recent electoral campaign. Dodds lost his Belfast North seat to Sinn Féin’s John Finucane. Jacket potato restaurant Spudulike closed all of its stores in August 2019 (Guardian) but opened again under new ownership in eight locations in October (iNews).
At the end of September, York Road Historical Society (which does not appear to have an on-line presence) launched a new garden of remembrance to British WWI service-members in the “Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force”, symbolised by the crest of Strategic Command (formerly the Joint Forces Command).
The garden is next to the Times Bar (one | two | three | four | five) and opposite Arts For All/John Luke Gallery (one | two | three).
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X06950 X06949 “”I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday 1st July as I followed their amazing attack I felt I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world” – Captain Wilfred [Wilfrid] Spender, the Somme 1916.” at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them lest we forget
“Vote Dumbest Ulster Prods – Red Sky, RHI, Brexit & IRIS.” Red Sky was a maintenance company that, due to complaints from residents about shoddy work, caused a dispute between the DUP and the NIHE (WP). The RHI [Renewable Heat Initiative] was a scheme, overseen by the DUP’s Arlene Foster, to encourage the burning of eco-friendly pellets but in fact allowed users to make a profit outright (WP). Iris Robinson, DUP member representing Strangford at both Westminster and Stormont, sat on the committee that awarded her 19 year-old lover the franchise over a Castlereagh Borough restaurant and secured a 50,000 pound loan for him of which she then received 5,000 pounds (WP). The poster above (ironically) encourages a vote for the DUP in the December 2019 Westminster election; the DUP lost seats in Belfast North and Belfast South, and failed to capture North Down upon the retirement of independent unionist Sylvia Hermon.
“Britain out of Ireland – Ireland out of the EU.” This Saoradh stencil is in Ardoyne, north Belfast. Saoradh does not stand candidates in elections; it also currently lacks a national on-line presence and is banned from Twitter and Facebook (in the wake of the death of Lyra McKee).
2019 was the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Troubles and commemoration events were held in Ardoyne, Clonard, and Divis – the sites that saw the most fierce fighting during the summer. The programme board above is at the entrance to Brompton Park entrance of Ardoyne, next to the remains of Stad An Slad.
Earl Street and Sussex Street used to be sandwiched between wings of the largest tobacco factory in the world, Gallahers, which took up seven acres between York Street and North Queen Street. The factory was partially demolished in 1990 and became Yorkgate shopping centre and the two streets are roughly now the back and front entrances to the Tesco supermarket. These two plaques (both on North Queen Street) are to former residents. William Campbell, a H&W joiner, might have witnessed the construction of Gallahers (in 1897 – Look Again) before dying on Titanic in 1914. Francis Liggett, an IRA volunteer, was shot and killed by British forces during an attempted robbery of the Royal. (He is also remembered in a mural in St James’s near the site of his death and home – see Liggett & Brady.)
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X06907 X06908 “William Campbell, an Apprentic Joiner at Harland & Wolff, lived in Earl Street, a site now occupied by the shopping centre. He was a member of the company’s Guarantee Group for RMS Titanic and lost his life on the voyage.” “Francis died on 18th January 1973 on IRA active service on the grounds of RVH hospital. Francis was shot dead dead by undercover British soldiers after an exchange of gun fire. 27th January 1948 – 18th January 1973. Francis family home was close to this spot.”
Brexit means … borders, job losses, medicine shortages, and more. It takes all of the colours of the rainbow to set what Sinn Féin believes its consequences would be. The Sinn Féin candidate in Belfast North is John Finucane, in a close contest with the DUP’s Nigel Dodds: see The Anti-Brexit Candidate.
