Happy Halloween

From spooky Streamvale Farm.
I took this photo from inside the mouse barn - the mouse tank was decorated for the occasion with a little haunted house and even a severed arm. Very cute. Sadly you'll have to take my word for it - it was very dark inside and I didn't want to use a flash (I didn't want to frighten the little critters to death....)
For anyone with small children to entertain, Streamvale is well worth a visit. The main farm is closed for the winter, but you can still visit lots of the smaller animals - the chickens, sheep, goats, deer and these gorgeous bunnies. (This is my first attempt at loading video onto Blogger -I hope it works.)

The wheel really cheers up the Belfast skyline - especially at night.

boxes

Not yet Halloween but all the local shops are starting to decorate their windows for christmas. These lovely little tin boxes are on sale in a local interiors store (£21 each - for empty boxes!!)

pods

All the pods are now on the big wheel. It looks great, can't wait to have a go.

Belfast Eye

The 'Belfast Eye' is going up at a cracking pace - I took the first photo this morning, the second in the afternoon. (I see Dr Adder has beaten me to this post!)

city centre

Another view of the Victoria Centre dome - I took this photo from my bedroom window this morning. Behind it you can see the new spire at St Anne's Cathedral. I've been finding it hard to get excited about the spire, but it did look good this morning - really glittering in the sunlight.

dome

The dome of the new Victoria shopping centre looms over the victorian buildings on Chichester Street.

Templemore Pool

Commemorative plaque at the entrance to Templemore Baths. The baths were built at the end of the 19th century (along with baths at Ormeau Avenue, Falls Road and Peter's Hill), when very few houses had bathrooms. (Doesn't bear thinking about.) Since then, generations in east Belfast have learnt to swim here and Templemore now has really excellent swimming tuition. (I see from the plaque that James Ellis and George Best both swam here - along with pretty much everyone else in East Belfast - which makes me wonder why no reference to Van Morrison? He grew up only about half a mile away - surely he went for a swim sometime in his childhood??!)

harvest fair

Held in our local church hall this morning. All under one roof - lots of games, a wishing well (with actual elf), a chance to have your photograph taken on a tractor (quite an attraction for us city folks) and as much tea and coffee as you can drink - not bad for £1 entrance fee!

Cinderella's lost her shoe again

Another discarded silver shoe - again in Queen Street. (Queen Street is obviously a lot more interesting out of office hours.)

And today the BBC has published my favourite local news story of the year - certainly the silliest title I've seen for a long time...