Virtual Methodist

For those who haven't heard already via social media the prodigal cat has returned... at 3.30am on Thursday morning. Never has meowing outside our bedroom window at such an ungodly hour been greeted with such joy... The fatted calf wasn't killed, but the feline equivalent was served up as Claudia ate her bodyweight in Whiskas and Iams (other catfood products are available), suggesting that she had been stuck somewhere without food for 3 days... Anyway, my worst fears expressed on Wednesday evening had not come to pass... The question is whether my worst fears of Thursday evening will do so?  On Thursday afternoon the Democratic and Ulster Unionist parties involved in Haass-lite talks at Stormont pulled out because it had just been announced that the Ligoniel Oranges lodges have been refused permission to return from the field on the 12th via the Ardoyne shops by the Parades Commission determination... I have already expressed on facebook that, from my outside perspecti...

I live in a leafy suburb of East Belfast (although I largely work in a slightly less leafy loyalist housing estate further east) and it is a rare day that the sound of Orange parades is to be heard here, in contrast to my last manse, which was practically on the route of the largest Twelfth Parade in Ireland. However, today, I have no doubt that I will hear more than a few flute bands as what is predicted to be the biggest parade of loyal orders (and others) for many years arrives at its destination in the Stormont Estate, just across the road. They are coming there to share in a family fun day celebrating the Centenary of the Signing of the Ulster Covenant. Due to its scale there are multiple "feeder parades" which will merge at Belfast City Hall where there will be a number of re-enactments of the initial signing of the Covenant, before the long haul out to Stormont and back again. The choice of Stormont as the ultimate destination is an interesting one, given that whilst...