Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Rome the Colosseum and London Big Ben. But what does Dublin have to rival those big cities? Not the spire, not the GPO. My choice of landmark would be Saint Stephen's Green. An area of city park, perhaps the finest in Europe if not the world. There you can stroll around, ly with your girlfriend/boyfriend in a relaxed position. Or, if you're elderly, simply sit in one of the many benches provided. I have very fond memories from my childhood of being brought to 'the Green' and of the climbing frames - a source of endless joy to any child. Yet all that idyllic fun that Dubliners have enjoyed is set to change utterly (to misquote WB Yeats).
For in this week's edition of SOUTHSIDE PEOPLE there is a shocking story that has shaken me out of my comfort zone: "Planners intend to dig up the entire northwest corner of Saint Stephen's Green (SSG) in order to build a proposed underground train interconnector. Consequently, most of the lake will be destroyed and over 40 mature trees in the park uprooted to make room for construction" the article, written by MICHAEL MOLONEY, says. The pleasant strolls will become unpleasant tramping about, avoiding plenty of muck and dust no doubt and I haven't even mentioned the noise - the opposite of what should be a peaceful relaxing environment to all.
"It would have an irreversible effect on SSG. You cannot simply dig up a whole quarter of the park, then rebuild it", says NOEL ROCK, organiser of the SAVING OUR GREEN campaign group. Would the Egyptian authorities treat the Pyramids this way? JIM QUINLAN, Chief Architect, RPA (Railway Procurement Agency) even says: SSG can't go back to exactly how it was" It is man-made destruction we're talking about here. If the drilling and digging goes ahead tourists, never mind the locals, will be turned off going to what is surely one of the most tranquil public amenities we have to offer in the city. It would be a tragedy for everyone.
Not only will the park be effected but also the wonderfully imposing 'Fusilier's Arch' will have to go. Built as a tribute to dead servicemen who went into battle, I feel it's demise, however temporary, would be disrespecting Dubliners both living and dead. All in the name of better public transport. Money. Mr Rock is quoted in the article as saying: "There is so much potential for something to go wrong. Monuments like these cannot be rebuilt and SSG is a timeless monument in itself."
Hopefully the developers will see the folly of their ideas by not going ahead with this destruction of our heritage. NOEL PURCELL (famous Dubliner, actor and singer) would turn in his grave if he heard of the rape of the well loved city park. It would be a disgrace if it went the same way as Eyre Square in Galway which is now a shadow of what it once was due to developers literally mucking about and ripping the heart out of the City of the Tribes.
Mr Rock finally states at the end of the article: "Locating the (Metro) station underneath SSG is simply the easy answer for developers". I know what I'd like to put underneath those 'developers' and it wouldn't be painless. Everyone must be mobilised to stop this madness. I know how I feel. How about you?
26 August 2008
24 August 2008
Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures - Day 3
Welcome to the third day's coverage (don't worry its not Cricket). The sun is out and we are being treated to a taste of summer which we were starved of up until now. Traffic, as you can imagine, has presented people with problems. For once its great to be a Pedestrian. My journey (seemed more like a transatlantic one) was being delayed considerably and the familiar sight of buses with "Out of Service" was repeatedly seen. Was I ever going to get to DL?
When I finally got there I walked through the centre of the town and eventually I settled in Harry's Café where I sat and enjoyed my Cappuccino whilst two attractive German ladies, beside me, were nattering away in their native tongue. I had a few ideas where to put my tongue but then this is a family blog. Just for the record they're staring at me like I'm COLIN FARRELL. Such is the sex appeal I exude!
This part of the country has now got a rather high proportion of Latin souls around the place and the Spanish accents are now as common as the Dublin whine. DAVID TRIMBLE once stated, in a speech, that the Republic of Ireland was monocultural and backward. We may be a little slow to change in the world of enterprise but to call us 'monocultural' is, quite frankly, a wee bit of a joke. Come to DL, David, and maybe we can remove your head from the sand of ignorance where it has been stuck for far too long. Apart from European accents INDIAN, CHINESE and AFRICAN voices are all to be regularly heard here and it is something to be cherished. I feel the festival, here in DL, has boosted the place culturally as well as economically. Anyway I'm now off to see what Sunday's events have in store......
I'm sitting near to the waterfront adjacent to the main stage (Newtownsmith) and there is quite a Smorgasbord of activity in the area. From Pupetteering and Face painting to Henna Tattoos, where people can be the victims of body art. Everyone is strolling around or lying, listening to the music being performed. All are in good humour. The Garda are not to active. Falun Gong followers are giving out newsletters speaking up for their sect, denunciating the Chinese leadership. Reading through some of the literature, I was handed, it is clear that today in DL we are blissfully unaware of the Human Rights horrors that are happening as I write. We are so lucky.
Seems every second woman who passes me looks like she has been plucked from the cover of Vanity Fair or Heat Magazine. They're gorgeous! For a single guy like me my neck has been strained from the twisting and turning of looking at the beauties near me. I was thinking about Newtownsmith last evening: Would it be like Glastonbury, lots of muck? Thankfully this wasn't the case. The ground was dry enough but one woman, I spied, got up from the grass and had two damp patches on her bottom. I, wisely, restrained myself from asking her could I photograph her.
If, as in 'The Committments' film, the Irish are the blacks of Europe surely DL people are the hippies of Ireland. Every sort of beatnik has come along: Dreadlocks, Tattoos, Piercings are prominently in view and I would say that the music being heard compliments the styles here. The din is getting a little dull so I'm moving on...
I've made it to 'Walters', an old haunt of mine. But not before jiving to the sounds of Nigerian band, MOTENA at the Peoples park. This is probably my favorite musical event of the weekend. The shimmering guitar tones make it a very exciting 10 minutes. Unfortunately they were playing their last few tunes when I got there. But it was wonderful to witness them. The energy was palpable.
As I thought, Sunday's programme was the pinacle to the festival. We were also blessed with fine weather on the last day, which gave the proceedings a continental atmosphere. With each passing year the event becomes steadily more diverse. Can JODY ACKLAND bring us any better? It will, I'm sure, be a permanent fixture on the local calendar for years to come. Our very own Notting Hill.
Special mention must go to a lovely Spanish lady I met whilst leaving the festival this evening. Elena, it was a real pleasure to be in your company. I hope that we meet again and that whatever you do in your life - you are happy and well. Cheers!
When I finally got there I walked through the centre of the town and eventually I settled in Harry's Café where I sat and enjoyed my Cappuccino whilst two attractive German ladies, beside me, were nattering away in their native tongue. I had a few ideas where to put my tongue but then this is a family blog. Just for the record they're staring at me like I'm COLIN FARRELL. Such is the sex appeal I exude!
This part of the country has now got a rather high proportion of Latin souls around the place and the Spanish accents are now as common as the Dublin whine. DAVID TRIMBLE once stated, in a speech, that the Republic of Ireland was monocultural and backward. We may be a little slow to change in the world of enterprise but to call us 'monocultural' is, quite frankly, a wee bit of a joke. Come to DL, David, and maybe we can remove your head from the sand of ignorance where it has been stuck for far too long. Apart from European accents INDIAN, CHINESE and AFRICAN voices are all to be regularly heard here and it is something to be cherished. I feel the festival, here in DL, has boosted the place culturally as well as economically. Anyway I'm now off to see what Sunday's events have in store......
I'm sitting near to the waterfront adjacent to the main stage (Newtownsmith) and there is quite a Smorgasbord of activity in the area. From Pupetteering and Face painting to Henna Tattoos, where people can be the victims of body art. Everyone is strolling around or lying, listening to the music being performed. All are in good humour. The Garda are not to active. Falun Gong followers are giving out newsletters speaking up for their sect, denunciating the Chinese leadership. Reading through some of the literature, I was handed, it is clear that today in DL we are blissfully unaware of the Human Rights horrors that are happening as I write. We are so lucky.
Seems every second woman who passes me looks like she has been plucked from the cover of Vanity Fair or Heat Magazine. They're gorgeous! For a single guy like me my neck has been strained from the twisting and turning of looking at the beauties near me. I was thinking about Newtownsmith last evening: Would it be like Glastonbury, lots of muck? Thankfully this wasn't the case. The ground was dry enough but one woman, I spied, got up from the grass and had two damp patches on her bottom. I, wisely, restrained myself from asking her could I photograph her.
If, as in 'The Committments' film, the Irish are the blacks of Europe surely DL people are the hippies of Ireland. Every sort of beatnik has come along: Dreadlocks, Tattoos, Piercings are prominently in view and I would say that the music being heard compliments the styles here. The din is getting a little dull so I'm moving on...
I've made it to 'Walters', an old haunt of mine. But not before jiving to the sounds of Nigerian band, MOTENA at the Peoples park. This is probably my favorite musical event of the weekend. The shimmering guitar tones make it a very exciting 10 minutes. Unfortunately they were playing their last few tunes when I got there. But it was wonderful to witness them. The energy was palpable.
As I thought, Sunday's programme was the pinacle to the festival. We were also blessed with fine weather on the last day, which gave the proceedings a continental atmosphere. With each passing year the event becomes steadily more diverse. Can JODY ACKLAND bring us any better? It will, I'm sure, be a permanent fixture on the local calendar for years to come. Our very own Notting Hill.
Special mention must go to a lovely Spanish lady I met whilst leaving the festival this evening. Elena, it was a real pleasure to be in your company. I hope that we meet again and that whatever you do in your life - you are happy and well. Cheers!
23 August 2008
Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures - Day 2
Arriving in DL to see the second day of the great annual day, out for the citizens of the famous seaside town, we were greeted with rain and my corduroy jacket and trousers were very quickly as wet as a ducks bottom. You could well imagine, in such circumstances, a degree of disappointment however no one I saw exhibited such emotions and peoples spirits remained undiminished. County Hall was my destination where I had volunteered to help out at the Amnesty stand. My presence was welcomed by my colleagues but, as there were enough members there, I didn't need to stay for long.
Before I left the hall, though, I had a look around the place and there were plenty of different stands each representing their own organisation. As well as Amnesty there were: Trocaire, Vegetarian and a number of environmental groups in the concourse. Paul Cunningham of RTE gave a talk to those gathered to hear what he had to say on how we can save the planet. A tall order but definitely worth a try. It is heartening that such people care about this pressing issue which will inevitably affect us all.Traffic was heavy, unsurprisingly, and parking your car would require a detailed plan of action. After the County Hall I went over to the Pavillion for a look.
There was a group of Indian men wearing what looked like traditional costume and were most cooperative when I asked to take a photo of them on the Digital. Around the vicinity of the Pavillion there were people serving up food. Not your usual burnt chips or undercooked burgers here. Everything made for tasting including Vegetarian pies and spring rolls. The mouth would water in anticipation. The stereotypical image of Indian food is spicy mouth burning fare, but there was a number of delicacies for people to try as well.
Tonight's headlining musicians are BANAYA (west African Griots) and they are due to appear in the Pavillion theatre at 9pm. All World Music enthusiasts will be excited. The blurb states: "Orchestral Malian compositions and Senagalese Mbalax unite with powerful Gospel voices." The second day of the festival may have been conducted under wet conditions but we can, at least, be dreaming of a west African climate whilst listening to the wonderful music.
More tomorrow......
Before I left the hall, though, I had a look around the place and there were plenty of different stands each representing their own organisation. As well as Amnesty there were: Trocaire, Vegetarian and a number of environmental groups in the concourse. Paul Cunningham of RTE gave a talk to those gathered to hear what he had to say on how we can save the planet. A tall order but definitely worth a try. It is heartening that such people care about this pressing issue which will inevitably affect us all.Traffic was heavy, unsurprisingly, and parking your car would require a detailed plan of action. After the County Hall I went over to the Pavillion for a look.
There was a group of Indian men wearing what looked like traditional costume and were most cooperative when I asked to take a photo of them on the Digital. Around the vicinity of the Pavillion there were people serving up food. Not your usual burnt chips or undercooked burgers here. Everything made for tasting including Vegetarian pies and spring rolls. The mouth would water in anticipation. The stereotypical image of Indian food is spicy mouth burning fare, but there was a number of delicacies for people to try as well.
Tonight's headlining musicians are BANAYA (west African Griots) and they are due to appear in the Pavillion theatre at 9pm. All World Music enthusiasts will be excited. The blurb states: "Orchestral Malian compositions and Senagalese Mbalax unite with powerful Gospel voices." The second day of the festival may have been conducted under wet conditions but we can, at least, be dreaming of a west African climate whilst listening to the wonderful music.
More tomorrow......
22 August 2008
Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures - Day 1
Dogs evacuating their bowels on the pavement, youths drinking cans of 'Royal Dutch' in the local park, gypsies flogging tatty jewellery near the church area and heroin addicts staggering around, having just got their daily supply of Methadone in Patrick Street. A typical afternoon in DL. Along with the sad loss of RONNIE DREW at the weekend, not to mention the wet weather, DL needs something exciting and vibrant to lift itself out of the gloom.
Each year DL hosts the Festival of World Cultures and it is an event like no other in the Borough. The area has suffered commercially in recent years and the influx of thousands of people this weekend should do much to redress the balance. For a weekend at least.
So here we are on Friday @ 13:51 and I'm ensconced in Costa Cafe. A 'Skanger free-zone' I always think. It's quite unlikely that many of it's patrons will ever see the inside of the nearby Social Welfare office. However I'm probably the exception to that rule. Writing this, I have just been out and around the centre of DL and not much seems to be happening at the moment with regard to upcoming festival. However most of the action will start in earnest tonight.
ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE BARBES at the Purty Kitchen and ETHIOPIQUES will be performing in DL's prestigious Pavillion Theatre. Just two of the highlights from the Friday night schedule.
Quite a lot will be going on here and even though its quiet now, you can expect the whole place to be heaving over the next couple of days. Top of the list of things to avoid however, will be the Jewellery vendors around for the festival - extremely rude people who deserve no business and with any luck they'll get none.
I'll be reporting here further from the festival tomorrow when I hope to be sampling some of the nightlife on offer among other delights just waiting to be sampled. Well the excitement is starting to build. Either that or my Cappuccino has lifted my spirits. Oh and Ireland have won medal at the Olympics.
More tomorrow......
Each year DL hosts the Festival of World Cultures and it is an event like no other in the Borough. The area has suffered commercially in recent years and the influx of thousands of people this weekend should do much to redress the balance. For a weekend at least.
So here we are on Friday @ 13:51 and I'm ensconced in Costa Cafe. A 'Skanger free-zone' I always think. It's quite unlikely that many of it's patrons will ever see the inside of the nearby Social Welfare office. However I'm probably the exception to that rule. Writing this, I have just been out and around the centre of DL and not much seems to be happening at the moment with regard to upcoming festival. However most of the action will start in earnest tonight.
ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE BARBES at the Purty Kitchen and ETHIOPIQUES will be performing in DL's prestigious Pavillion Theatre. Just two of the highlights from the Friday night schedule.
Quite a lot will be going on here and even though its quiet now, you can expect the whole place to be heaving over the next couple of days. Top of the list of things to avoid however, will be the Jewellery vendors around for the festival - extremely rude people who deserve no business and with any luck they'll get none.
I'll be reporting here further from the festival tomorrow when I hope to be sampling some of the nightlife on offer among other delights just waiting to be sampled. Well the excitement is starting to build. Either that or my Cappuccino has lifted my spirits. Oh and Ireland have won medal at the Olympics.
More tomorrow......
20 August 2008
Ramones
Ramones. God I could listen to them forever. Joey's (RIP) vocals are fantastic and he was, I would say, probably unrivalled in that role. Like all the others in the band he hailed from Queens, NYC, USA and he was, apart from being as tall as a tree, a sensitive soul. I can say this because I have read books on the band and proudly possess four DVD's featuring them. Apparently Joey had certain mental health difficulties which I can identify with. He was a charmer and I would say he was well loved by many associated with the New York four piece. In this blog I'm not going to mention individual songs that Ramones recorded because I cannot find fault with any of them. They were all ace tunes and I can't say that about any other band.
They had a number of drummers and they all contributed to the overall sound - a bloody loud sound at that! I spoke to someone who saw them in Dublin (they played here several times through their career) and he explained in graphic detail about the devastating din the four brudda's made. I like to listen to them on my stereo but would hate to endure the live band - Tinnitus time, not a nice prospect.
Even though he was a big drug user (and mates with Johnny Thunders) Dee Dee wrote, or co-wrote, a lot of the band's material and was the bass player. He was with them since the inception (1974) and he left the band in 1989 to pursue a doomed solo career. It was quite amusing to see him at the Ramones Hall of Fame induction where he, famously, congratulated himself rather that the others when he took the mic to address the guests present. He died about a year after Joey c.2002.
Johnny was the cranky member of the band and, though not technically brilliant on the guitar, he was able to riff really well. He kept the band's intensity and made energy integral to the Ramone's appeal. As opposed to Joey's Left wing emotions, Johnny was Right wing in his views and, shortly before his death in 2004, he vowed his support for George W Bush. Not a particularly friendly bloke, the Ramones couldn't have functioned without the disciplined riffing on his 'Mosrite' guitar. I cannot stop marvelling at the sound that he, along with the others, were able to generate. To be able to play at the speed they did for 30 tracks non-stop live is quite a feat even if the typical Ramones live set only lasted 25 minutes.
There have been many albums released by, and on behalf of Ramones but my favorite would have to be the 2 CD 'Anthology' released in 1999 it features over 50 tunes and it is the best collection of the band's recordings. Dave Fanning once put it that Ramones tracks were like peanuts - once you had one you immediately wanted another and another and an..... In 1996, after 22 years in active service, the band finally retired and no new tunes were to be heard. Many cite the debut LP in 1976 to be the landmark and I couldn't argue. However a lot of people moved on to other sounds. No other band, past or present, can ever ellicit the excitement of hearing a typical one and a half minute track from them started by the rally cry: "Won, Chew, Twee, Faw...". An unstoppable train of sonic trash which will never stop rumbling. Unless you're deaf of course.
They had a number of drummers and they all contributed to the overall sound - a bloody loud sound at that! I spoke to someone who saw them in Dublin (they played here several times through their career) and he explained in graphic detail about the devastating din the four brudda's made. I like to listen to them on my stereo but would hate to endure the live band - Tinnitus time, not a nice prospect.
Even though he was a big drug user (and mates with Johnny Thunders) Dee Dee wrote, or co-wrote, a lot of the band's material and was the bass player. He was with them since the inception (1974) and he left the band in 1989 to pursue a doomed solo career. It was quite amusing to see him at the Ramones Hall of Fame induction where he, famously, congratulated himself rather that the others when he took the mic to address the guests present. He died about a year after Joey c.2002.
Johnny was the cranky member of the band and, though not technically brilliant on the guitar, he was able to riff really well. He kept the band's intensity and made energy integral to the Ramone's appeal. As opposed to Joey's Left wing emotions, Johnny was Right wing in his views and, shortly before his death in 2004, he vowed his support for George W Bush. Not a particularly friendly bloke, the Ramones couldn't have functioned without the disciplined riffing on his 'Mosrite' guitar. I cannot stop marvelling at the sound that he, along with the others, were able to generate. To be able to play at the speed they did for 30 tracks non-stop live is quite a feat even if the typical Ramones live set only lasted 25 minutes.
There have been many albums released by, and on behalf of Ramones but my favorite would have to be the 2 CD 'Anthology' released in 1999 it features over 50 tunes and it is the best collection of the band's recordings. Dave Fanning once put it that Ramones tracks were like peanuts - once you had one you immediately wanted another and another and an..... In 1996, after 22 years in active service, the band finally retired and no new tunes were to be heard. Many cite the debut LP in 1976 to be the landmark and I couldn't argue. However a lot of people moved on to other sounds. No other band, past or present, can ever ellicit the excitement of hearing a typical one and a half minute track from them started by the rally cry: "Won, Chew, Twee, Faw...". An unstoppable train of sonic trash which will never stop rumbling. Unless you're deaf of course.
19 August 2008
Menswear
When I was younger than I am today my mother would buy all my clothes including: sandals, shorts in the summer and Duffle coats and black shoes in the winter. Always cheap and always purchased in Dunnes Stores. I, understandably, had no choice in the matter. Even when I grew older I continued the tradition and got all my gear (not a drug reference!) in the famous Irish chain. Through my teens I would get myself, chiefly, check flannel shirts, jeans and any other item I could afford and liked. Parental control had, by that stage, been relinquished and I can tell you I was only too delighted to ditch the Duffle coats - so uncool.
Underwear is something I take serious: from briefs to thongs and then boxers. I've tried the lot. Nowadays I only wear boxers, the only difficulty (all men will understand) is that they don't carry much support and that can be slightly problematic on occasion. "Too much information" I hear you cry and I won't go into things in more detail except to say that, for men at the moment there is now an enormous range in choice for undergarments that previously didn't exist. Some of course prefer nothing underneath but that's another story.......
The change happened about two years ago. In came Parka jackets and Hoodies and out went my pullovers and any crappy old coats lying around. When most people grow older they become more conservative in what they wear. Not me. What other 36-year-old can boast of having 13 (count 'em!) Hoodies and 4 Parka jackets? In a previous entry, in the 'Chronical' I have mentioned T-shirts and their importance in my wardrobe. A terrible addiction, one that requires ongoing treatment. I'm bracing myself for possible surgery in the future and can't bring myself to throw any of them out.
The proprietors of 'Gentlemen Please' (Mens shop, Blackrock) will not have to worry about me entering their establishment largely due to the fact that suits and other formal wear is mainly what they have on sale there. Apart from the exorbitant price of the clothes, I find suits and formal wear repulsive. I'd nearly have a sex change operation than wear such garb. Not for me. Having said all that, I for one still believe that suits can be of enormous benefit in the right circumstances. Most obviously weddings and funerals.
But also politicians simply must don those serious threads. I am a member of the Zimbabwe group of the Irish section/Amnesty International and I was making the point to a colleague, recently, that Morgan Tsvangirai (Zimbabwean opposition leader) looked particularly powerful and dapper when he wore a suit. The awful tyrannical dictator in the aforementioned country, Mugabe, is quite dapper himself, but Tsvangirai puts him in the shade in that regard.
As I've said I would never wear suits but Morgan should always wear one - makes him look far more presidential than if he wore traditional dress, which he does from time to time, and it creates an image of weakness. These days I prefer to wear clothes with a more stylish look. My purchasing power is still not great though I usually shop in places such as: JACK+JONES, PRIMARK, MOTION PICTURE, M+S and on occasion TOPMAN. It is the casual look I go for and I guess it always will be. I'd fight a war to stay that way!
Underwear is something I take serious: from briefs to thongs and then boxers. I've tried the lot. Nowadays I only wear boxers, the only difficulty (all men will understand) is that they don't carry much support and that can be slightly problematic on occasion. "Too much information" I hear you cry and I won't go into things in more detail except to say that, for men at the moment there is now an enormous range in choice for undergarments that previously didn't exist. Some of course prefer nothing underneath but that's another story.......
The change happened about two years ago. In came Parka jackets and Hoodies and out went my pullovers and any crappy old coats lying around. When most people grow older they become more conservative in what they wear. Not me. What other 36-year-old can boast of having 13 (count 'em!) Hoodies and 4 Parka jackets? In a previous entry, in the 'Chronical' I have mentioned T-shirts and their importance in my wardrobe. A terrible addiction, one that requires ongoing treatment. I'm bracing myself for possible surgery in the future and can't bring myself to throw any of them out.
The proprietors of 'Gentlemen Please' (Mens shop, Blackrock) will not have to worry about me entering their establishment largely due to the fact that suits and other formal wear is mainly what they have on sale there. Apart from the exorbitant price of the clothes, I find suits and formal wear repulsive. I'd nearly have a sex change operation than wear such garb. Not for me. Having said all that, I for one still believe that suits can be of enormous benefit in the right circumstances. Most obviously weddings and funerals.
But also politicians simply must don those serious threads. I am a member of the Zimbabwe group of the Irish section/Amnesty International and I was making the point to a colleague, recently, that Morgan Tsvangirai (Zimbabwean opposition leader) looked particularly powerful and dapper when he wore a suit. The awful tyrannical dictator in the aforementioned country, Mugabe, is quite dapper himself, but Tsvangirai puts him in the shade in that regard.
As I've said I would never wear suits but Morgan should always wear one - makes him look far more presidential than if he wore traditional dress, which he does from time to time, and it creates an image of weakness. These days I prefer to wear clothes with a more stylish look. My purchasing power is still not great though I usually shop in places such as: JACK+JONES, PRIMARK, MOTION PICTURE, M+S and on occasion TOPMAN. It is the casual look I go for and I guess it always will be. I'd fight a war to stay that way!
12 August 2008
Civil Liberties 2008
I can see the glances and the CCTV overhead. The security men are looking mean and moody. It's HMV Grafton Street. Yet it could quite easily be Dunnes, Next, M+S or any retail, financial, health centre in fact. We have a culture of spying by way of CCTV but also heavy security men prowl the amenities of every city like lions in a jungle. It is, I'm told, much worse in the UK. Unsettling. I have no objection to the need for security in a store, when I worked for a brief time, mercifully, in Tower Records all the staff had to have their own bags searched upon leaving the store each evening when the place shut.
When I go out to the centre of the city and the weather is fine it puts me in a good mood. However it soon makes me nervous when I walk into a store eg. River Island. Why can't I remain in that good mood? Security! It has made me uncomfortable about browsing. 'I'll try on a sweater, it might not be the right size' I think but, as usual, I get the eye from Mr Security in his brilliant white shirt and his jet black tie with stripes on his shoulders. I bet he never concerns himself about being intimidated. Although he has no qualms about unnerving me.
On holidays a few years ago, in the UK, I happened to be staying with my Uncle and his charming wife. It was lovely weather so I decided, unannounced, to go for a walk and after about an hour returned back to my relative's dwelling. "Oh there you are Ian" was my Uncle's concerned welcome. "One of the neighbours rang and said there was a young (You've got to allow me some licence, I was 30 at the time) man that fits your description walking around."On the one hand I was happy with the concern shown but, alongside that, got the impression that I was regarded as a snooper. Back in Ireland we are more relaxed about people wandering about. We as a nation are more at ease with liberties than the British and so I am proud to say life is freer in the Emerald Isle. But for how much longer will that last?
On the television over the weekend I was watching Sky News when a report was shown on a protest near a coal plant in rural England. Most of the activists were young and wanted to show their disquiet about the existence of the coal plant which, they say, will damage the environment. As the protest gathered pace (1,500 were present) police used horses, dogs and even helicopters to break up a relatively small section (70) of militant protesters. In the UK police are much tougher than their counterparts in Ireland and public order is top priority for the various forces across Britain. However, to allow some balance, people need to be permitted to protest peacefully. It should not become unlawful to stage a non-violent demonstration. Most of those at the demo were peaceful.
I think that if someone who looks slightly odd enters an establishment, these days, they are subject to considerable scrutiny. The store detective's antennae will be alerted and for many, who are being watched, this presents no problem. I find, though, people who go into a shop (even to browse) are distrusted first and trusted second. In many newsagents it is not permitted to physically look at the magazines on display. You can expect a tap on the shoulder if as much as a page is turned.
Another annoyance to many Dubliners is the severe lack of public toilets in the city, due to criminal behaviour. Many eateries will now no longer allow passers by to use their sanitary facilities unless they purchase something in the premises. Just because of a minority of miscreants the majority lose out. That is where we are in 2008 and who knows how far people's liberties will be eroded in the future. Life may not be as free in our society as it once was but at least they aren't as bad as Zimbabwe or Burma. Thank God for that!
When I go out to the centre of the city and the weather is fine it puts me in a good mood. However it soon makes me nervous when I walk into a store eg. River Island. Why can't I remain in that good mood? Security! It has made me uncomfortable about browsing. 'I'll try on a sweater, it might not be the right size' I think but, as usual, I get the eye from Mr Security in his brilliant white shirt and his jet black tie with stripes on his shoulders. I bet he never concerns himself about being intimidated. Although he has no qualms about unnerving me.
On holidays a few years ago, in the UK, I happened to be staying with my Uncle and his charming wife. It was lovely weather so I decided, unannounced, to go for a walk and after about an hour returned back to my relative's dwelling. "Oh there you are Ian" was my Uncle's concerned welcome. "One of the neighbours rang and said there was a young (You've got to allow me some licence, I was 30 at the time) man that fits your description walking around."On the one hand I was happy with the concern shown but, alongside that, got the impression that I was regarded as a snooper. Back in Ireland we are more relaxed about people wandering about. We as a nation are more at ease with liberties than the British and so I am proud to say life is freer in the Emerald Isle. But for how much longer will that last?
On the television over the weekend I was watching Sky News when a report was shown on a protest near a coal plant in rural England. Most of the activists were young and wanted to show their disquiet about the existence of the coal plant which, they say, will damage the environment. As the protest gathered pace (1,500 were present) police used horses, dogs and even helicopters to break up a relatively small section (70) of militant protesters. In the UK police are much tougher than their counterparts in Ireland and public order is top priority for the various forces across Britain. However, to allow some balance, people need to be permitted to protest peacefully. It should not become unlawful to stage a non-violent demonstration. Most of those at the demo were peaceful.
I think that if someone who looks slightly odd enters an establishment, these days, they are subject to considerable scrutiny. The store detective's antennae will be alerted and for many, who are being watched, this presents no problem. I find, though, people who go into a shop (even to browse) are distrusted first and trusted second. In many newsagents it is not permitted to physically look at the magazines on display. You can expect a tap on the shoulder if as much as a page is turned.
Another annoyance to many Dubliners is the severe lack of public toilets in the city, due to criminal behaviour. Many eateries will now no longer allow passers by to use their sanitary facilities unless they purchase something in the premises. Just because of a minority of miscreants the majority lose out. That is where we are in 2008 and who knows how far people's liberties will be eroded in the future. Life may not be as free in our society as it once was but at least they aren't as bad as Zimbabwe or Burma. Thank God for that!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
