Grannymar

WILL KNOTT WILL NOT SAY NO TO YOUR MONEY.

No, not for himself but for a very good cause. Are you aware of the Pink for October internet phenomenon? This is a breast cancer awareness programme, where websites and blogs go pink for the month, and photobloggers show pink photos that change daily or weekly throughout the month.

Will has the idea to raise cash for the Irish Cancer Society! I am currently trying to make contact with Action Cancer a Charity based here in Northern Ireland. So while thinking Pink and displaying pictures on our blogs, Will suggests we donate the photos to the charity not just for display, but to be sold and raise money for the charity.

Now this is not confined to Ireland. We are in a global world and anyone is free to take part. Go to your nearest Cancer Charity shop and ask the manager of that shop if he or she would be willing to accept the donation of photographs as part of the “Pink for October Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign“, display and sell them.

Now Mr Knott the clever fellow that he is, covers all angles.

• He wants to raise money – Good for our egos and the Charity.
• He wants us to take photos – Thus increasing our skills and take exercise.
• He would like us to perform a selective colourisation on the photograph so that it becomes a black and white photo with only the pink area coloured – A learning process (for some of us) (major for me).
• Then he wants us to print up our pictures in A4 size and present the collection of A4 printouts to the charity shop in the middle of September for display and sale during October – Printing costs will be our contribution to the cause.

We might need to bring some model release forms before approaching people wearing pink. See Will’s blog for details.

Cancer is a disease that we are all touched by at some time in our lives. If not we ourselves then our loved ones, wider family members or friends have become patients needing surgery, chemotherapy or radio-therapy. Action Cancer now provides a breast screening programme from the age of 40 but is it enough? Is the screening sufficient to cover all types of cancer?

At this stage we are all aware of checking for lumps, but do we? How often? It should be as natural as drying yourself after a shower or bath. We are told to get to know our breasts – Men have them too and they can become victims just as much as women. So make a habit of checking once a month and pick the same time each month to do it. The breasts do change with the hormones so get used to the feel of you own breasts; you will quickly come to know what is right for you.

While I am at it Gentlemen, are you listening? Move downstairs and have a little touchy feel around. Behave! No giggling at the back there, this is serious stuff. Get to know how your equipment should feel, any unusual or strange lumps or bumps should be reported to your Doctor quick fast!

In this country breast screening consists of Mammography and physical examination. Is that sufficient, will it show up all types of cancer in the breast? I thought so; until I read this: Inflamatory Breast Cancer, the silent killer over at Alice’s My Wintersong

I beg and plead with you to watch this You Tube video it might save a life!

On Saturday I did something new. A FIRST for me. I wormed my way into a Photo walk. I was aware of several going on in Dublin over the past few months, but unfortunately I was never able to attend. Then I heard of one in Belfast….

Following my attempts at photo walking on my own I was given plenty of encouragement to join the boys! So for the second day in a row I was to be found here

I was looking for Toyboys sporting cameras. I wore out the grass walking around the statue of Queen Victoria. Plenty of guys, all with bags but not a camera in sight. Not to be outdone I walked up to a group and said “Are you here for the photo walk”? They smiled politely and said yes. I told them who I was and the smiles grew and I was made very welcome. The group grew and I nearly lost count, now let me see… there was Adam, Andy, Phil, Scott and Stepbar. Oops! That makes five.. Grannymar is losing her touch because there were eight Toyboys. My apologies to those whose names I have missed.

The Continental Fair was in progress again on Saturday so we started there. When we satisfied ourselves with pictures and food the idea was to move on to the Botanic/Queen’s University area, alas the walk that far was outside my energy span so I said my farewells and headed home satisfied with my first effort to be a Flickerer!

If you are interested in seeing some more of my shots they are to be found at belfast flickr meetup

Yesterday I went to town. No, not my town but all the way to Belfast. It was a nice day and there were plenty of people about.

It started off like this:

Then this:

But I got restless and went in search of

Then I found a nice one and hi-jacked him into buying me a coffee. After some sweet talking I I took him for a ride drive. We nearly got lost because I took the wrong way went the picturesque route and we ended up here

But I couldn’t resist so I made him

After that there was only one thing for it…

But we got

Jefferson Davis it was an honour to meet you and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with you. Enjoy the remainder of your holiday and safe journey home to South Carolina.

With thanks to the man from Peru who offered to take this picture.

I do my best to keep promises and this is a trial to see if I can embed photos that everyone can enlarge by clicking on them.

Sinéad wants a Hat so fingers crossed XXXXXXX

We also had

Dulse and Yellow Man

Dulse is dried seaweed…. I think! Yellow man in Honeycomb.

Now I have news for you…. but I am very busy today and recovering from chasing a Toyboy yesterday, so it will have to keep until later

A little more colour from yesterday.

My FinePix A330 worked hard yesterday so I must recharge my batteries and those of the camera.

On the 16th December 1756 George II granted to the Earl of Donegal the right to hold: ‘Two fairs yearly at the Town and Lands of Ballyclare’.

At first the fairs were markets for buying and selling animals and goods but soon they grew to four in a year. The May and November fairs became the most important as it was there that the farmers hired their labouring men and servant girls for the next six months. The May Fair was traditionally held on a Tuesday in late May but in the nineteenth century such was the demand for horses that the Monday was given over to the trade.

Local farmers needed horses to plough and transport their produce, while Belfast traders sought carriage horses and sturdy animals to pull carts. Any of the bakeries alone would need a hundred animals. The great days of the horse fair ended with the First World War and growing mechanisation.

Old photo thanks to Ballyclare Historical Society.

This photograph was taken in 1907 the Thatch pub on the left was replaced by an Ulster Bank branch. The small cottage on the extreme right is the oldest dwelling in Ballyclare where the Presbyterian minister hid some United Irishmen after the Battle of Antrim in 1798

In the nineteenth century the working day was from dawn to dusk the May Fair day was the only break in the year when young farm hands could be free to enjoy some simple fun.

This year’s Fair began yesterday with the Main Street again echoing to the sound of horses being exercised and dealers shouting, while the area around the Town Hall saw the return of Cullen’s amusements, a Continental market and live music performances. The local football ground at Dixon Park played host to a Shetland pony show, a Teddy Bear’s Picnic and a display by the Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI) Dog Team.

The Fair will reach its climax on Saturday 24^th May with the Mayor’s Parade and a host of activities in the Sixmile Park, including a rodeo show by visitors from the borough’s sister city of Gilbert, Arizona, helicopter rides, Trialstars Motorbike Team, World of Owls, a climbing wall, laser clay pigeon shooting and a military vehicle show. The festivities conclude with a fireworks display at 10pm in the grounds of the Leisure Centre.