To our Polish friends

Ships propellors stand ready in Dublin port, like giant butterflies

Old meters and model taxis at Robensons.

Hector Greays last shop now gone.

By the time most of you are reading this the funerals will be taking place in Poland for the victims of the air disaster.
On the BBC the other they expressed thanks to the Polish people for their help during world war 2.
Many Polish people fled to England where they worked in the Resistance and in the armed forces. The air force got some of their best pilots from Poland and in the Battle of Britain when everything that could fly was in the air, one pilot in ten was Polish.

Without them we would all be speaking German now!

I have photos on my camera, but I cannot find my card reader.

Most of them are really well qualified and very well educated, I will miss them when they all go back home .

Another Friday weekend and it is a Friday like no other I have ever heard of.
Volcanic ash has grounded all flights over Europe for the second day.
It is like the British newspaper headline from years ago

"Fog in channel, Europe isolated."

Every place on every ferry is full. The lucky ones went straight away to the ferries before the rush. The English comedian/actor John Cleese found himself in Oslo, but he HAD to be in London, so he hired a taxi from Oslo to Brussels 3,000 pounds and from there by train to England!
Now that's what I call a taxi fare, John, was there no trains from Denmark?

Peoples misfortune make our fortune.

Tonight is the Trinity college ball. scores of young things drinking on the streets, the lucky ones will go home early many more will finish up covered in sick wandering the streets.
Education is wasted on them.
All the taxis that would normally serve the airport are in the city center, so I will go to bed and try my luck at 4.am and then down to the ferry.

If you find yourself close to City West pop into the conference center there is a Titanic exhibition running there..Really quite good, there are cabins, first class and steerage, the mighty furnaces, loads of plates and personal items.
Also many stories of the people who lived and those who died.
The one thing they did not say is that the Grand staircase ,which was a big feature of Titanic is a replica of the grand staircase in Belfast City Hall.
I have a photograph of it but it is on my old computer.

Kids, when they want money they want it NOW.
But when you want to get information off an old computer its LATER, that must be 4 years waiting now.

I just completed the renewal of my taxi licence. Tax Clarence cert, then appointments with the NCT car testing, then to the SGS for a "suitability test"
Passed it all, but a small torch vanished from the car as well as all the copper coins from the door handle.
The supervisor was not too helpful, all I wanted to do was to alert him to the possibility for a petty thief working there.
Today a little torch, tomorrow a Parker Pen the next day and Ifone, who knows?
Same thing in garages when you drop a car in for service.
One guy was mad at having his toll bridge money robbed from his ash tray.
When he complained to the garage manager he was met with the Gallic shrug.
So he put up a big banner on his car and parked outside for a few hours.

The manager came to his senses soon.

So keep the faith and when I find where the dog put my card reader I will put up newer photos.