“Today’s plan is already yesterday’s – the streets that were there are gone”. Euphemistic nonsense on a giant hoarding on Castle Street in the city centre, fronting a building site. In keeping with the theme of easy erasure of the past, the words “love joy peace” have been removed from the original 1955 photograph (Belfast Live | X05827).
These three images are from Thompson House on the Antrim Road (at Fortwilliam shops). Thompson House “aims to provide temporary accommodation for offenders with the purpose of reducing the risk of re-offending/harm to the community and by managed resettlement to prepare for move on to permanent accommodation” (PCI-BSW). The residents include sex offenders. Locals are unhappy with the hostel and against the current extension/redevelopment (Tele). A pipe bomb was left at the site last (2011) October (BBC-NI). The pictures here (from the week ending October 20th, 2012) show graffiti at the site.
(Part of) A crusader mural from the wall of Crusaders football ground, in St Vincent Street (site of the titanic mural and blitz board from last week). Crusaders are known as ‘The Hatchet Men’ within the soccer world.
This image replaced a hooded gunman image. This space rises to a height of about 6 feet – so when you were driving out along Shore Road the gun appeared aimed at about driver head height – quite intimidating.
This board is on the end of the Hubb Community Resources Centre and Bowling Club in St. Vincent Street; across the street is Crusaders football ground.
From the Tele: “The building was once the home for local Civil Defence during World War II’s ‘Blitz’. This building is now the one of the last remaining Civil Defence structures in Northern Ireland and has also played home to the local Senior Bowls Club for many years.” The mural also shows bombed-out homes and children going off to the countryside. Here is a short documentary about the 1941 Belfast Blitz (youtube).
The wide shot immediately below explains one meaning of the word “Alternatives”. The Hubb has cross-border financial support — note the (Irish Republic) Dept. of Foreign Affairs sponsorship in the information plaque.