DeLorean Anniversary - From Dusseldorf With Love

I snapped this German couple from near Dusseldorf at the Diamond, Bushmills, yesterday. They were here for the DeLorean 30th Anniversary celebrations and were due to leave from their Belfast hotel early this morning on their way back home.

This is another of the three DeLoreans that pulled up at the Bushmills Flash in the Pan for a meal stop!!

NI celebrates DeLorean anniversary - UTV

DeLorean celebrates 30th anniversary - Inside Ireland 3pts

DeLorean 30th anniversary festival in Northern Ireland - BBC

Robert Lamrock, a director of the DeLorean Owners' Association, gives the car pride of place in the pantheon of Northern Irish industrial products.

"It's every bit as important as the Titanic to the history of Northern Ireland," he said.

"There hasn't been a car like it. It was way ahead of its time."

Police Service of Northern Ireland - Manpower Statistics - April 2011

Police Service of Northern Ireland manpower continues to decline well below the Patten established figures, particularly with regard to constables and reservists. ... NALIL, 5 March 2011

There appears to have been a miraculous recovery. It seems that the steady decline has not only been arrested but an additional 534 police constables have joined the ranks during the course of one month. The restoration funnily enough brings the number of full time officers back to the Patten recommended established figures. Perhaps the Patten figures can now be restored to the monthly statistics - and the belated May figures can be posted online.

Police Service of Northern Ireland - Manpower Statistics, April 2011

It seems the miraculous recovery was only a glitch. The student figures have just about vanished and the significant constable deficit is still there.

Dunluce - Icon of the Causeway Coast - Exhibition

EXHIBITION

Coleraine Town Hall

12th May - 29th June

Monday - Friday

12:30 pm - 5:30 pm

[click images to enlarge]

Angela Lansbury and the Belfast McIldowie Connection

Nelson McCausland's mention of Angela Lansbury and her Belfast roots set me off on a little tour of the internet and other resources this afternoon.  Angela's mother was Charlotte Lillian McIldowie (1895-1975), better known by her acting name Moyna Macgill.

Charlotte, aged 5, appears in the 1901 Irish Census in Cranmore Park, Belfast, along with her solicitor father William (aged 37, Presbyterian, born Co Down), mother Elizabeth Jane (aged 33, nee Mageean, born Co Antrim) and siblings James Mageean (aged 8) and Margory Graham (aged 4 months). Elizabeth Jane was born on 17 May 1867, the daughter of James Mageean and Margaret Graham; her parents were married in Drumbo, Co Down, on 21 September 1860.

Charlotte, by then aged 15, doesn't appear in the 1911 Irish census, nor does her mother and brother James, but by this time other members of the family are now living in Deramore Avenue: William (47, born in Belfast, married 19 years, four children born and still alive), Marjory Graham (10, born in Bangor, Co Down) and Dennis William (7, born in Belfast).

PRONI Will Calendars provides the following abstract for William: McIldowie William of Sandymount Deramore Drive Belfast solicitor died 30 September 1929 at Westgate-on-Sea [Kent] Probate Belfast 23 June to William Hunter solicitor's assistant. Effects £16903 7s.

The Lennon Wylie website sheds additional light on the whereabouts of this McIldowie family with the aid of Belfast street directories:

1880 - McIldowie, George, Hopeview Cottage, Strandtown, Co Down

1907 - McIldowie, G., & Sons, Solicitors, 26 Corn Market; res., G. McIldowie, 31 Kirkliston Drive; George McIldowie, jun., Elphinstone, Craigavad; and William McIldowie, Sandymount, 23 Deramore Drive

1910 - McIldowie, G., & Sons, Solicitors, 26 Corn Market; res., George McIldowie, jun., Elphinstone, Craigavad; and William McIldowie, Sandymount, 17 Deramore Drive

PRONI street directories yield:

1890 - McIldowie, George & Sons, 26 Corn Market - George, George jnr and William, Kin-Edar, Strandtown.

1895 - McIldowie, Wm of Geo McIldowie & Sons, 3 Tudor Gardens, Eglantine Avenue.

"Scots Kith and Kin" refers to the McIldowies as septs of the MacLeans of Duart, Cameron, Lamont and MacGregor.

Scotland's People: "The gaelic Mac Ghille dhuibh, or “son of the black lad”, seen in the surnames Macilduy, Macildue and Macildowie, translates to Black".

Charlotte's grandfather, George McIldowie, is recorded in the 1901 census. This George (aged 64, solicitor, living in Sydenham Avenue) was born in Paisley, Scotland; his wife Charlotte Mantell (aged 60) was born in Irvine, Scotland; their son Louis Mantell McIldowie [born 08 March 1877 - familysearch.org] was one of the inventors of a new apparatus for cleaning windows whilst living in London. Belfast Cemetery records - City Cemetery: Charlotte, Belgravia, Kirkliston Drive, Bloomfield, died 21 September 1908, aged 68; George, Fountainvale Avenue, died 29 November 1910, aged 74.

Portrush and the 2012 Olympics - Sunday 3 June - Carrying the Torch for the Olympics

Torch Relay

The London Olympics torch relay begins on 19 May 2012 at Land's End and ends 70 days later at the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium. It will stop overnight on Day 16 in Portrush on Sunday 3 June en route between the Isle of Man and Londonderry.

Rathlin Ferry Saga and the Northern Ireland Audit Office 2

Earlier this year I asked the Northern Ireland Audit Office for a copy of an item of correspondence between it and Paul Priestly, the then Permanent Secretary of the Department for Regional Development; I requested the redaction of any personal data. The correspondence duly arrived but the whole of the second paragraph and its title were completely redacted. Why was I not sent the above snippet as the unredacted material above contains no personal data? When will the NIAO release the material without any redactions? I'm told that those who might possibly be referred to have already given their consent.

Census 2011 - Northern Ireland - Could Do Better?

I completed my census return on April 24, popped it into the envelope provided and dropped the envelope into the town post-box later that evening. I presumed that would be the end of the matter.

A few days later an enumerator called for the return and I told her that it had been posted on census day. Much to my surprise I then found the above rather menacing card in my letter-box about May 4. My house number is beside the box so the card would not have been left at the wrong house by mistake. There was also no replacement questionnaire, despite the statement on the card.

What was I to do to avoid the risk of such a punitive penalty? I rang the census helpline number on the card; it was an automated response but didn't appear to deal with my problem; you sort of lose the will to live after you've been through three stages with three or so choices in each. After some rummaging around in the phone-book I eventually found a number that had a human being at the other end. What a relief. It was even more of a relief to be told that, yes, my completed form had not only arrived but that its arrival had been listed on the NISRA database. Apparently a second numerator must have called, discovered that I was out and left the card, but not the questionnaire, in my letter-box.

Should the Registrar General read this, I may receive an apology and an explanation as to why such threatening missives are despatched. There is no admission on the card that the problem could be caused by an error in their own system and no phone number on the card that would allow the public to easily effect a remedy.

Rathlin Ferry Saga and the Northern Ireland Audit Office 2

Earlier this year I asked the Northern Ireland Audit Office for a copy of an item of correspondence between it and Paul Priestly, the then Permanent Secretary of the Department for Regional Development; I requested the redaction of any personal data. The correspondence duly arrived but the whole of the second paragraph and its title were completely redacted. Why was I not sent the above snippet as the unredacted material above contains no personal data? When will the NIAO release the material without any redactions? I'm told that those who might possibly be referred to have already given their consent.

Rathlin Ferry Saga and the Northern Ireland Audit Office 2

Earlier this year I asked the Northern Ireland Audit Office for a copy of an item of correspondence between it and Paul Priestly, the then Permanent Secretary of the Department for Regional Development; I requested the redaction of any personal data. The correspondence duly arrived but the whole of the second paragraph in this segment and its title were completely redacted. A follow-up request from an associate led to a change of heart by the NIAO. Why was I not sent the above snippet as the unredacted material above contains no personal data? When will the NIAO release this material without any redactions? I'm told that those who might possibly be referred to have already given their consent.

Moyle District Council - Local Election 2011

Click Images to Enlarge

Ballycastle

Giants Causeway

The Glens

Moyle District Council Elections 1993-2005

Moyle District Council - Ballintoy Harbour to Whitepark Bay Public Right of Way Evidence Form

"Moyle District Council is currently investigating whether or not the section of the Causeway Coast Way from Ballintoy Harbour leading to Whitepark Bay is a Public Right of Way for the purposes of the Access to the Countryside (NI) Order 1983."

Completed forms should reach the Countryside Recreation Officer no later than 31 May 2011.

New York New Belfast Conferences - Apolitical Funding?

New York New Belfast :: June 8 - 9, 2011

Back in September 2010 I posed the following question:

Belfast Harbour Commissioners are appointed by Conor Murphy, the SF Minister for Regional Development, so why is Belfast Harbour sponsoring a project which has such close links to Sinn Fein?

BH realised there was a party political dimension to the New York New Belfast 2010 conference and so couldn't write a £20,000 sponsorship cheque to Máirtín Ó Muilleoir's Belfast Media Group; it made the cheque out to an alternative account. Ó Muilleoir was appointed as an additional Non-Executive Director to the interim board of Northern Ireland Water but stepped down from the role shortly after taking up the post. His name didn't appear in the initial list of NEDs published in an email about two weeks before the official announcement on 30 June 2010 and the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland asserted:

"The Consumer Council found out about the appointment of the additional NED to the board of NI Water on 30 June 2010."

Is Belfast Harbour sponsoring this years event? The listed sponsors are KPMG, Invest Northern Ireland, NIBureau, United Airlines, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Fordham University, Titanic Quarter, ClubstoHire.com, Irish Network - New York City, The Irish Business Organisation of New York, Odyssey Trust and Irish Business Association.

There's no mention of BH - until you look at the Titanic Quarter website

The Titanic Quarter development is co-promoted by Belfast Harbour and Titanic Quarter Limited.

I wonder if any of the other sponsors, which are in receipt of public funds in whatever manner or are affiliated to government, have an apolitical sponsorship requirement.

HM Coastguard Control Centres - News From Wales, May 2

"The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking to save £210m over 25 years by cutting the number of UK coastguard stations from 18 to eight. Stations in Milford Haven and Holyhead would close and the base in Swansea downgraded to daytime cover only.

Now the parliamentary Transport Select Committee, which is conducting a full inquiry into those proposals, has written to Save Milford Haven Coastguard Campaign Group inviting two members to travel to Westminster on May 24 to give oral evidence to the committee of cross party MPs."

More

Lifeboats to the rescue off Co Down coast this past week-end. The co-ordination of this rescue would have been carried out by HM CCC in Bangor, Co Down.

"Although the generic title is Belfast Coastguard, the MRCC is situated at Bangor Harbour. It has 24 staff divided into four watches A, B, C & D. Each Watch has one Watch Manager in charge of Search And Rescue (SAR) operations, two Watch Officers, and two or three Coastguard Watch Assistants. The Operations Room is manned 24/7/365, and deals with SAR incidents in the District by means of the VHF radio and telephone line"