Northern lights

A Christmas tea ad on a bus shelter.


Howth head and the Baley lighthouse, view from Clontarf


Cups and balls in Covent Garden. (Best ever)


London skyline


You are never very far away from a vandal


Many awards for Blazing Salads


Shireff St

If you a re lucky you mightb see strange lights in the sky.
No you are not in Norway, its the Aurora Borrrralis or the Northern lights.
There are wonderful sunrises and sunsets at present. Last night the moon was the strangest colour I ever saw fir any satalite.
You know we miss the simplest pleasures.

Yesterday I picked up a young guy in James's St. He was going over to collect his unemployment benafit in Crumlin. He was telling me that he had to get a taxi because the gangs in Drimnagh would kill him if they saw him on their patch.
We had a discussion about how Dublin is fast becoming like Los Angales with gang culture ruling the ghettos. He told me in no uncertian terms that it has been like this for a long time.
Part of the problem he said is that if you come a bad area no one will give you a job.
In spite of his rough looks he was a good auld skin, I hope he gets his act together.
Everyone he knows is unemployed, so drug culture becomes the norm.

Years ago I picked up a couple, they were both washed out having spent a life addicted to heroin. She was now HIV posative and though they had seperated a good few years ago he had come back into her life to help regement her drugs.
"Son, our lives have been hell. Only now as we are nearing the end do I realize how much I love our son and each other and I hope you will cherish the ones you love, theres only one chance in this life"
So he went on to tell me about their son who lived in the UK.

Their son was working for the council when found a dead person in a house.
The body was taken away and no next of kin was found, so the council workers cleared out the place. Some good stuff was thrown out.
Their son had a bright idea and set up a company where they would clear out houses, sanatize the property all for an agereed fee.
The TVs and video players he displays in either of his 3 second hand shops.
Sometimes he even finds money !

The old guy (Still under 40) said "He grew up so well because he could see how badly we had done, we gave him ambition"

I just spotted this film traler which started that trend of thought.


They say that travel broadens the mind.
Well it certantly slims the wallet.