Northern Ireland 2015

Ann & Stuart had never been to Northern Ireland, and we hadn't been there for a few years, so off we set on a Burleigh Boot Camp (BBC) tour, Itinerary to hand, all time well planned, with background briefings etc, just as it should be!

We took the car ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast and set out to give them a good taster.  The weather was very kind.

Stopping first in Belfast, we took in the outstanding Titanic Museum and the Titanic Tender, SS Nomadic, dry docked nearby.  Next, it was a bus tour of the City, which included both the Falls (Catholic/Republican) and Shankill (Protestant/Unionist) areas, still separated by Peace Walls, the gates of which still get closed at night.  I did feel somewhat disappointed that the need for this remains so many years after peace and disarmament were agreed. Memories remain as long and held onto as ever.

It was not the same everywhere, but there were pockets of lamp-post flags and kerbside painting, usually Unionist, that punctuate the divide as we toured around. Can the past ever be put behind and the whole Province move on, I wonder?

The day was topped off with dinner and a lovely evening at Andrew & sister Jennifer's, with a quick look into Bangor, their hometown.

Next day, we drove up the Antrim Causeway Coast road, where the Mull of Kintyre should have been visible only 14 miles away, but misty weather obscured it once again, stopping at Carnlough, Ballycastle and the very pretty Ballintoy before the Giants Causeway.

Ballycastle and the sun shone

Picturesque Ballintoy Harbour

Giant's Causeway

At Portrush, we stayed at a guest house on Kerr St, just up the road from where I grew up, with a great view of the West Strand and Harbour.  An added bonus was the owner is a professional photographer and the house is abound with outstanding pictures, some of which are local to Portrush and surrounding area.

West Strand Portrush through the bedroom window

Portrush Harbour

Harbour from the South Pier

Portrush Lifeboat, 52 Kerr St to the right behind

I felt that Portrush had been improved since my last visit, looked smarter, some of the tackier elements having been removed or replaced, and some regeneration of buildings that had become derelict during the business downturn during the Troubles.

Compulsory of course, is the BBC Walking Tour of Portrush, starting at the harbour on the west, round the cliffs and headland of Ramore Head, Lansdown to the east, then on to the Arcadia with its small beach to the 2.5 mile East Strand, with Royal Portrush Golf Club's links courses behind.

Ramore Head

Skerries (islands) beyond Lansdown

Arcadia

East Strand

We enjoyed outstanding food, and a couple of pints of Guinness in the Harbour Bar and Bistro one night, then equally outstanding food in another harbour restaurant, all part of the Ramore Restaurant chain.  These restaurants are always full, people travelling from far away to enjoy the fayre, a bit of an anomaly in a relatively small seaside town, but due to their reputation.

After lunching in Portstewart, Stuart and I headed for a tour of the Bushmills Distillery and a brief stop at Royal Portrush GC, while Ann & Jean took a coastal path walk back to Portrush, which they enjoyed immensely.

Next, we headed for Magilligan Point via Downhill, looking back up briefy at the clifftop-edge Mussenden Temple, rumoured to have been about to fall for many years but still standing.  Catching an earlier ferry across to Greencastle, short cutting Lough Foyle by 40 miles, gave us time to drive up to Malin Head in Donegal, to enjoy fabulous views in the sunshine, even if it was a bit breezy!

Magilligan-Greencastle ferry, hardly busy!

Malin Head, Ireland's northwestern-most point

Gives a sense of Donegal - miles of not very much

other than beautiful scenery

We then meandered round the headland, through Buncrana, and back into NI to Londonderry/Derry (the former name still being rather contentious locally). We were in time to enjoy a tour of the City Walls, learn about the history of the siege and relief of Derry in 1689, one of the notable historic events that remains a major milestone in Ireland's history, another being the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

Flag flying over a Protestant enclave in Derry

Free Derry, the Bogside, as it was known

during the Troubles

Bogside from the Walls

Apprentice Boys Hall on the City Walls

Derry Peace Bridge

13 Apprentice Boys shut the gates of Derry when it was besieged by King James' Catholic forces, to the declaration of 'No Surrender'.  10,000 or so people died within the Walls until King William's (of Orange) forces relieved the siege and then went south to defeat James at the Battle of the Boyne.  Their Hall is still a contentious place, being the subject of paint bombings from the Bogside even today, despite an extra-high fence near it, but it has just been cleaned up in advance of another milestone celebration.

Derry was the seat of much of the protest that led to the Troubles in 1969, when its predominantly Catholic population sought equal rights in housing, voting and other matters.

Leaving Derry, we returned to Donegal via Letterkenny to follow the Wild Atlantic Way, a raw but scenic drive around the coast, starting at Fanad Head.

Portsalon beach in Donegal

Links golf course in the distance

Fanad Head

Later in the day, we encountered some rain as we headed for Donegal town, staying adjacent to the town's square, but we could still enjoy a local pub and another bar thereafter.  Stuart was really getting into Guinness that night!

Next day was also a bit gloomy, so we took a more direct route to Bangor, where we found drier weather for a walk around the Marina and a pub stop for lunch.

Oh yes, more Guinness!

Last of all, we enjoyed a fabulous family time at niece Karen & Dan's, along with Andrew & Jennifer, niece Lindsay, Chris, sons Dillon & Connor and, of course, K&D's tearaways George and James!  It was a true icing on the cake of a great trip.

Our return on an early ferry to Cairnryan gave way to some traffic on the motorway, but we were home late afternoon feeling as though the time had flown but that it had all been very enjoyable.  Ann & Stuart were quite taken with NI and want to go back, so I may have to get planning again!

Dam Busters Finale

Having ridden to the Sorpe, Mohne & Eder dams in Germany last year on the 71st Anniversary of the Dambusters, see earlier blog, we visited the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, then paid a visit to RAF Scampton, the base where the Dam Busters took off from in May 1943 and currently that for the RAF Red Arrows display team.

Sadly, Dam Buster & Kiwi, Les Munro died just a couple of days before our visit, at the age of 96 and the last surviving pilot of the raid.

Our outbound journey kept us to minor roads, including the Fosse Way, a Roman road built arrow-straight across the Cotswolds when planning permission and endless public objections weren't needed!  By contrast, on more recently built roads, we skirted farms and fields in a zig-zag.  The weather was warm and sunny so it made for pleasant riding in our group of 15 of Harley-Davidson steeds of finest Milwaukee steel, including one trike.

First, it was to Lincolnshire Centre, where we got close to one of the few surviving Avro Lancasters, NX611. Built in 1945 so not part of the raid, it has been extensively refurbished but has not yet been granted an air-worthiness certificate. Only two are airworthy in the World and one is Canadian. The British one, based in Lincolnshire at RAF Coningsby is part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, but was grounded with an engine fire in May this year, so maybe the story is right.

NX611 - 'Just Jane'

Rear gun turret of NX611

The burnt out cockpit of a Spitfire

and tribute to its pilot

Our Harleys from under NX611's wing

Dakota troop carrier

Nissan huts, including quarters and briefing room

Our motley band with NX611

Next, it was to the Petwood Hotel, a lovely wood-panelled building with lots of history inside.

At the hotel

Petwood Hotel

used as officers quarters by the Dam Busters

Next day, we set off for RAF Scampton base where, after security and registration procedures, we were escorted onto the base and parked up in front of the Museum nearby the RAF Red Arrows display team aircraft.

Jean with Red Arrows beyond

Nigger's grave

He was Squadron Leader Guy Gibson's labrador dog, who often joined him on training flights. He died the night before the raid, but was buried at midnight on the day of it, at Gibson's request. He was very popular with the crews and liked his beer, having his own bowl in the mess bar!  He was allegedly the worse for wear when we was hit by a vehicle and died.  His name was also used in the Morse Code message from Gibson to confirm the breach of the Mohne Dam during the raid.

Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs

Red Arrows' Hawk jets

Upkeep bouncing bomb

Model Avro Lancaster

Jean in a Hawk cockpit

I didn't try, for fear of getting out!

Something's good about it!

Hawker Hunter

Owned by Hawker Hunter Aviation

Sukhoi SU 22

Originally owned by the East German Air Force

Bought on eBay by the Hawker Hunter Aviation Team!

An older display aircraft

The current team, with one missing

Squadron Leader Guy Gibson VC to right

This room houses tributes to 3 VCs, including Gibson

Gibson's office

The Red Arrows were due to take off while we were there

But there was a technical problem with one aircraft (see close-up above)

Dam Busters Inn in Scampton village

where we enjoyed a fine Sunday Lunch

It was a fine conclusion to our trip of last year with much history to be digested and some fine hardware on display.  The achievement of 607 Squadron on the Dams' raid was quite remarkable of course, with only 6 weeks of training before it took place.

607 also went on to partake in the sinking of the Tirpitz, Germany's huge and much feared battleship, which Churchill called 'The Beast' and ordered it be sunk at all cost.  Another of Barnes Wallace's inventions, the Tallboy 12,000 lb bomb was used in that raid, so huge that even though 3 bombs missed it, the shockwave they created nearby was sufficient to cause further damage and help the Tirpitz to capsize even though it had sustained only two direct hits, in Nov '44.

It was a shame we didn't see the Red Arrows take off to attend the Blackpool Air Show, which they finally did later in the afternoon, but still with one plane missing according to coverage.  Otherwise' it was a perfect trip of experiences, in good company and with a lot of laughs.