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)
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Maser’s It’s All Good piece on Cupar Way gets the TMN treatment with writing by RASER (with Maser’s fellow Dubliner VOMS on top), NOTA, ANCO, and RECK.
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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.
Other posts from the 2019 election: Spud U Dislike | Dumbest Ulster Prods | Ireland’s Brexit Solution | Still Support Brexit | Sinn Fein IRA’s Golden Boy | Steeped In Blood | No Fouling | No Shame | What Does Brexit Mean | The Anti-Brexit Candidate
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“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 Sınn Féın’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).
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“Happy Christmas, Belfast.” A time of mythical creatures and twelve days of gifts. On the seventh anniversary of the flag protests (in response to a vote by the Council to fly the Union Flag from city hall only 18 days a year as in the rest of the UK) my true love gave to me a dozen or so Union Flags (and a few Ulster Banners) attached to the railings. Santa was nowhere to be seen but, as is fitting for a zombie, Eddie The Trooper continued to stalk the land. For Eddie’s previous appearances, see his Visual History page.
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“Pride of the Shore flute band [Fb]. In memory of past members. SRT [Shore Road Tartan].” Part of the Joint Forces memorial on York Road.
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“Ballyclare supports Soldier ‘F’. Our soldiers are heroes, not criminals.” “Soldier F” is the pseudonym of a British Army paratrooper who faces charges of murdering two civilians, William McKinney and Jim Wray, in Derry on Bloody Sunday (January 30th, 1972), as well as five counts of attempted murder. Proceedings began in September (BelTel), a witness list was presented in December (BBC-NI), and the case will resume on January 17th.
Main Street, Ballyclare.
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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
Ballyclare Comrades football club – motto is ‘Nihil nisi optimi’ [nothing but the best] – was founded in 1919 by members of the local Great War ‘comrades’ association. That heritage is used here for the Ballyclare Protestant Boys flute band. In the centre, between images from WWI, the flowers of the four ‘home nations’ are joined by orange lilies, and in the shield are the lion and the unicorn from the coat of arms of the UK.
“To Flanders fields some men in our town were sent and along their way many would repent their priority goal to keep Ulster free that we may have freedom both you and me as part of Great Britain they fought and died and their names we will remember and remember with pride. Lest we forget. Comrades from Ballyclare. Nihil nisi optimi. The Comrades.” “Ballyclare Protestant Boys Est. 2004”
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“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.
Below: One of the posters still rolling in 2022.
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Extramural Activity 