This is a statue of Laurence Olivier outside the National Theatre London.

This is “The World Time Today” clock which is in Piccadilly Tube Station in London. It was installed sometime between 1925 and 1928 when the station was being renovated by the  architect Charles Holden and builders John Mowlem & Co. The clock features a time band which moves across its central line at the same pace as the earth rotates, and shows the rough time at any point at any time, and whether it is day or night. Few people notice the clock  in the station’s hustle and bustle as it’s one of London’s busiest.

This is a statue to the writer Oscar Wilde  by the artist Maggi Hambling. It’s called “A Conversation with Oscar Wilde” and was installed in 1998, in Adelaide Street, Charing Cross. Hambling created it from green granite and bronze and shows Wilde rising from a sarcophagus, inviting passers-by to sit down and converse with him. A committee of actors, poets, and writers (which included Seamus Heaney) picked this design after  twelve artists had been invited to submit their ideas for a statue. 

Barclays Cycle Hire (BCH) is a public bicycle sharing scheme, launched on 30 July 2010 in London. The scheme’s bicycles are popularly known as Boris Bikes, after Boris Johnson, who was the Mayor of London when the scheme began.
Credit for developing and enacting the Barclays bicycle share scheme has been a source of debate. Boris Johnson has claimed credit for the plan, although the initial concept was announced by Johnson’s predecessor Ken Livingstone, during the latter’s term in office.

The last train from Pimlico!

This is Steve and Marita Hopkinson with my wife Kierna. We spent a wonderful morning with Steve and Marita at their lovely home in Dunstable near Luton. They met us from the plane and treated us to a full Irish Breakfast (well done Steve!!) Great People.

Happy Halloween!

This is Derrylaughan Under 14 team who won both the league and championship this year. Derrylaughan Kevin Barrys is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based along the Washing Bay area east of the parish of Clonoe in County Tyrone.

Previous clubs existed in 1903 (‘Rising Sons of Goff’), 1917–19 and 1923 (Aughamullan Erin’s Hope/Pearses and Kevin Barrys). Washingbay Shamrocks flourished in period 1929-36 and 1939–48; won junior league in 1929, Dr. Collins Cup in 1932, SFC in 1934 (finalists in 1931), JFC in 1942.
The club as it is presently constituted was formed in 1945, and named after Kevin Barry.
The club saw success winning the Junior Football Championship in 1949. The club won a Tyrone Senior Football Championship title in 1967, having been finalists in 1957, 1962, 1964, 1965 and 1966. Captain on this occasion was Mena Devlin. Indeed Devlin managed the team to another SFC success in 1981, Gerry Taggart captaining the team. Incidentally both SFC wins came following victory over Carrickmore Saint Colmcille’s. Many of the 1981 team had featured on the Minor Football Championship winning team of 1977. More recently the club has endured a protracted spell in Intermediate Football, however it did win the Division 2 Football League in 2003.
The club has worked to update its facilities through the years. It opened new playing fields in 1981 and dressing-rooms in 1984. Redevelopment work in the late 1990s saw the clubhouse upgraded. A second pitch was opened in 2004. The grounds vested in GAA.
Derrylaughan regained their senior status winning the 2010 Tyrone Intermediate Championship following victory over Urney.

This is my nephew Michael O’Neill who was on the Ardboe Minor team who won the Tyrone County Championship against Trillick. I grabbed this photo just seconds before the final whistle. Michael scored a goal which was a proud moment for us all.

I was sent to photograph a book launch in Ardboe Parish centre on Saturday night. The author is a native of Ardboe called Maura Kilgore (née Campbell) and the book is called “The Way To Crook Road” which are Maura’s memories of growing up in Ardboe. She is pictured here with the chairman of Cookstown District Council Tony Quinn. When I got chatting to Maura I discovered that she taught for many years at my old school St Joseph’s in Coalisland and was there for the time that spent there during the 1970’s. Maura was a domestic science teacher and in the 1970’s boys didn’t do domestic science. We spent our time vandalising pieces of metal and wood in the woodwork and metalwork classes. As a result I was never taught by her and in fairness I didn’t recognise her. Maura’s book is a lovely production and for anyone interested in the local social history of this part of Tyrone it is highly recommended.