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October 8th and 9th. Zippers, welcome to this episode
of the Tea with Me podcast with me, she and Todd.
Before we get stuck into this episode, let me plug Patreon,
more specifically the Tea With Me Patreon page.
You get bonus content, you get the live stream episode.
You know what it is. What we need to know is once we
hit 2000 zippers, what are we going to do for 1000?
We said we'd get tattoos that may or may not already have
happened by the time this episode goes out, but there's
about 12 people getting tattoos. Little tea cup from our boy
Willie G. So we need to know what to do to
2000. We're kicking it up a notch.
Is it face tattoos? Is it doing an episode in a
bizarre or different location? Is it someone we try and get?
Let us know in the comments and we'll do something wild to
celebrate. 2000 Patron. It's crazy that we're even
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You know why? Because it was coming into the
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Joe, what I mean, do you ever just tidy your room a wee bit
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This episode of the Tea with Me podcast before I tell you who
it's with. Halfway through it, I realised
that I had put regular milk in my tea.
There is a look of sheer horror and panic on my face as I'm
engaged in the discussion with my guest Connor and Dave, and I
realised that I'm about to die. We recorded this intro after the
episode. I still feel like I'm going to
be sick, so I'm doing this intro as soon as possible.
I don't know what's, I don't know what end.
It's coming out, but it's coming out a bit like this episode.
It's going to be released. My guest is Connor from Document
Belfast. I've seen this guy in tech talk
walking around and bringing people facts about Belfast that
they might not have known. You know, you walk through a
city and we've got our heads down.
We don't look up, we don't look around us anymore.
Connor is talking us through here.
You pass this every day. Here's a bit of a fact about it.
It's great stuff. I love it.
Belfast is a cultural city. I don't know.
There's loads of history in it that I know not point not 1% of.
And Connor's telling me and Dave Elliott a little bit about that.
Dave's a silly boy, I'm a silly boy.
Connor's telling us things. It's not just history.
We're having a bit of a laugh as well.
I'm the rat man of what is it, the Fawcett River?
Find out the origins of that. A real fun episode.
Connor is a very, very, very nice guy and you can see why his
page is becoming really popular. He's starting a YouTube channel.
It's stuff that's literally in front of you but you don't know
anything about. So I had a real good time
chatting to him. Please enjoy this episode as I
have tea with Connor and Dave. No, whenever I start an episode
I always ask guests do they drink tea?
I know about this guy. I know you're a team.
I don't know if he hit me off. He surprised me it.
Was like a camp gang sign what it was, but I like that.
So Connor, I've look, we've literally just met like 10
minutes ago and we got off on such a bad food because I fucked
up the tea order so bad and I I shouldn't be making tea for
everyone, but I am. Amateur are here like today.
I, I, God knows what you expect that arriving, you probably
thought it's a Deal with me podcast.
There'll be staff. It's very confusing though, like
because there's a lot of milk down there, like a lot of
different types. There's almond, yes.
No soy, no soy, no soy, because nobody likes soy.
Are you a tea man? Yes.
And what are we chatting? Like a week.
You might be a bit annoyed to me here like, but I would only take
it in the evening, you know? Why just?
Get wired before bed because it's.
Not like a breakfast, like breakfast tea like you.
Know it's literally called breakfast.
Coffee in the morning. Though, OK, OK.
And then wake you up and then like we tea, calm me down in the
evening. Right, right.
Calm me down. Yeah.
Have you been? Is this your?
Is this your podcast debut on any podcast?
I think so, yes. I was on BBC Radio Ulster, but
that's not really a podcast, it was just a.
Show no, no, no prerecord. You've made it now.
It was very. Good though, it was very nice.
Who you on with Amory Walsh? Oh yeah, normally, yeah, we
normally we love Amory. So she yeah, let's talk.
I I've talked about it in the intro, but your pH document
Belfast always comes up my feet because I like it.
So it's on the algorithm algorithm.
I like it. Because oh, they're just social
media. Explain what?
Oh. 234 year olds explain social media.
So what happens? I liked it and it appears on my
feet. You need this run algorithm.
They're listening. To me they're.
Listening. To me, I sometimes, what is it
when you say I like a Domino's 10 and I make a pizza, all of a
sudden the odds are. I'm a geez, I've noticed this
recently, though, like when my message was getting like, Man
United updates on her phone. And I was like, what's going on
here? And then I was looking up like,
we're going to New York and Boston later on the year.
And we're looking up like on the, I think you might know,
Boston Red Sox. Yeah.
We were both getting like scores straight for Red Sox.
Yeah. And I was like, what's going on
here? And I was looking up.
Apparently like phones start talking to each other if you're
like living with each other and they share information and your
notifications will sync at some. Point No, let's not do this
because that's like the time someone started telling us about
the metaverse and it ruined their lives.
We, just like our heads, got carried away with.
It because I can get notifications for adverts for
men with large cocks. I've not been looking that up.
So you live with my wife? No.
I think it's companies offering you that option.
I I I like the page because I love Here's what I love.
Hidden stuff. Yeah, love hidden stuff.
And I think the first video I saw of yours was about the
river. Yeah.
Going just off Royal Ave. Yeah.
And here's what I would like to do.
Go in the tunnels. You can go on it like there's no
like, like there's no public access to it.
To that river. But people have been under in
it. Yeah, because it's still free
flowing underneath, huh? Yeah.
Don't go on me, we'll go. Yeah.
And then we'll go check out. So hold on, I am not.
I don't know what's going on here.
Pretend we don't know where me and Dave are like IQ challenged
is that. So IQ challenged stupid.
In my head, I'm thinking of, you know, Ghostbusters, the way
there's like to be referenders. Oh, wow.
Oozie sort of stuff. Yeah, yeah, no, it's not like
that, unfortunately. The ghosts and all.
No, but there's a there's a river that used to flow openly.
I think it went up from like Colin Glens or direction or
somewhere maybe in North Belfast, I don't know, wherever
sort of the highest point is. And it used to flow down
nowhere. High Street is yes, pretty mass
castle, like down stores and all that, you know, So it used to
flow openly there. And there's old pictures of like
ships and different vessels, like parked up, just murdered up
on where High Street is now, just like I'd say Dons, that's
like a big ship. I like that that's do you're
like saying with the streets and then the only way we'll in the
workplaces is if you're like Duns and Primark.
Oh yes, yes, yes, yes. Like we don't know streets.
No, that's exactly how when I was younger, going out to clubs
and stuff, I that's how I got lifted from my dad.
He's like, where where is it you're going?
I know it's near. It's like the back of Ivory's
How? Are your arms, they think?
Yeah, maybe. Awesome.
Every time, yeah. Are you from Belfast?
Yeah, yeah. And when do you start taking an
interest in like the history of it, like instant?
I did like history in schools, that GCSE and A level and all
that and then I got into like politics and different things of
that and whatever and then. What's what's your favourite
side? Who do you support?
Me. I.
Was on union strike today, so you can probably see.
Getting DUP updates. No comment, but basically a
couple of years ago, I was obviously new, newish on
Instagram and stuff. And then I always took an
interest walking about and looking at different buildings
and like old dilapidated buildings and going.
I wonder what that used to be, you know, because like you look
at them, they're like you never really sort of analyse it and
stuff. And I started like researching
maybe what it used to be like an old warehouse or wherever else.
And there was some interest in history to it.
So what I did was startup and page and I started like sharing
photos that local photographers would take, ask some information
of course, and then put like a blurb like the history
underneath it. And then it sort of went off on
that. So it was about 2016 I think I
started SO. That's it.
And when you started doing this or people getting in touch with
you being like you need to check this out.
Like when I've the very start, yeah.
Even though I like are people like telling you like you've got
to check this out. Send me like articles and videos
and different like random facts and stuff because there's a lot
of people out there like especially like retired people
that will be like amateur historian stuff and all sent me
stuff. So yeah, it can be interesting.
You get some interesting messages as you.
Probably, but I I like tunnels. I like the idea of like.
Here we rat, that's why. I like to be amongst my people.
Splinter. But I shut up.
I like, I like the idea. I like the idea that then, you
know, there could be a secret tunnel going from this place to
that. Or like back in the day, they
had to smuggle this through that and you could still actually go
down it, you may know. Can I tell you a little story?
That that's all I want. OK, little stories, I.
Did one man. I'll show them up on the
algorithm for you. Like, you know, but you.
Move your your mic Hello. No, you can move your mic
YouTube. Oh there you go.
I. Thought it was like out of like
audio range or something. No so down.
Do you know where I'm straight know where the merchant does?
What shops are they? Yes, darling, Darling, we know
the merchant. Down near the Cathedral Quarter
and all, right, So if you go down there towards like the
northern wig, so back in northern wig, there's like an
entry there called Sugarhouse entry.
Oh, why? Oh why?
OK, it's. Not what do you think it
actually did? There were sugar warehouses, but
there used to be a taverner called Peggy Barclays Tavern.
Peggy Barclays. Peggy Barclays Tavern.
Oh, Peggy sounds like a character. 1700s, like late
1700s, early 1800s, OK. And it used to be a meeting
point, a secret meeting point for the United Irish Men, you
know, the the rebels. I couldn't.
I thought it was like a magnet. Supporters, the original magnet
supporters comes 1798. So they used to meet there and
they they got a bit of sort of press, not press, but you know,
like when the police and all started catching on to where
they were meeting. So she opened the upstairs of it
and they had their secret meetings in there and they had
it as a front called the Mother. Yeah.
Let me just say to the police, right, Yeah, they caught Dawn.
They were going to the sugar house and she was like, I know
what the. Upstairs was.
Taking stuff. Hitting them plain sight though
we're we're not going to look. It's a Peggy.
Are they upstairs? No.
Are you sure? I can.
I can see a load of fellas up there in the sound, like the
United Irishman. They're singing a song.
Rank eggs I need to go. I'm just saying that, says
United Irishman upstairs. United Irishman art here.
So had that. Anyway, it was probably easier
to trick people. Back in those days.
Secret secret club and it was called the Mothers Club.
Really. So because that's what the
restaurant does not. Across the street from it.
That's why they call that the Motors Club, because that was
what it was called, a pretty good name for a secret.
Yeah, yeah, you know, but did they, did they have a tunnel or
anything? No, we'll go with that.
They had a secret tunnel, but probably, yeah, they'll
probably. Have like, have you discovered
any, like what's blown your mind the most since you started doing
this and looking at things a little bit more?
I'm trying to think of like specific things that stand out.
Just about how many little secret like all the alleyways
around Belfast. There was something rebellious
and dodgy that sort of. Went wrong.
Oh, they're. All alleyways.
Alleyway. Dodgiest thing on.
Earth like all the entries? No, like Joy's entry.
That's why it's Joy's Andrew Henry Joy McCracken.
Well, it's actually his dad. It was named after Francis and
he he founded the Belfast Telegraph.
So he founded it down one of those entries, right?
And it was quite rebellious newspapers and all these things
like he, like Henry Joy McCracken, one of my favourite
stories that he was marched down Joy's entry.
He was gaol there, the jailhouse.
And then he was marched down up past and he was hung outside or
hanged outside Don's and grammar placing him hanged outside
Don's, but it wasn't there. Don's was not there, no.
Because that would be a sad way to go.
You went to Tesco. Just in front of a load of
discount jumpers. It's already depressing enough.
But I like because I like you like history too, like yes, like
we are actually guys that do like you, like we like info,
yes, but I don't know a lot about Belfast, the history of
Belfast. When did when did Belfast
actually become a city or like a place where people settled got?
Well, the city status was 1890. But that's not that long. 1888 I
think. That's not that long or no, but.
1888 sorry. 1888 apologies to the road. 1888 choose city
status. But settlement wise, I mean
there's been people around here since the Bronze Age.
Like there's John's ring up. Oh, I know that.
What do you know? What do you know for a?
Lot of friends up there. They all, they all parked up at
night. Day box is invisible dog, Yeah.
Like they were settled at John's rings from the Olympic.
It is older than the pyramids. Like the Egyptian pyramids?
Right. See.
See when you're going to drop stuff like that, Don't.
Glee is past it like it's nothing.
It's nothing. The giant ring is older than the
pyramids. Yeah, the Egyptian pyramids.
It's older than the oldest Pyramid Lewis.
That's wild. I don't know.
How far does your knowledge of like Belfast and all that go
back? Like who were the first people
that came here? I mean, there was the Vikings
were probably the Normans and the Vikings and all obviously
would have settled over here so. What they have voted to appear
Sinn Fein. The Vikings Probably Sinn Fein.
It's OK. Yeah, it's fair.
Because I have. No basis for that.
I, I love your page because it's things that you would walk past
because you're like, well, walk down the street in city centre
1,000,000 times, you're not looking.
I think we're part of a generation like especially we're
clued to our phones, so we're not looking for new stuff.
And I, I, I, I another one of yours was the we post outside
White's Tavern. I've been, I love White's Angus
class bar and I've probably seen that never thought about it.
And it was, yeah, for for horse, horse and carts and stuff.
Used to be a Tavern, so they used to whites used to have like
lodgings, you know, secret lodgings above them and then no
one knew about. Yeah, but there.
Was probably more than about but there was also those ones about.
They used to like recycle like old cannons and you see ballards
about and it might look like the ship of a cannon.
So that could have been because I looked at it, I was like it
kind of looked like a cannon. So I have no basis of if it is
or not, but it did look like it. So they did that the recycle to
cut the cannons and use them as like ballards and posts and
stuff. And are they get rid?
Are they getting rid of a lot of stuff?
I think so, and the troubles obviously didn't help.
No, no. Because blew up.
About these tunnels, like is there any cool tunnels that you
know of? Like I would love us to for
Patreon, like be able to go down to the tunnel.
That's what I'm saying. I think you can probably ask the
council can you get into the faucet?
So like you could try. What would it?
So it's a river. On I got an Albert clock.
In it. Yeah, did a video one on my
YouTube channel Bell Facts. But is there?
But you're saying there's a river and you can get into it?
I there's people. What would you see?
Water rats. And rats you just before you'd
be like the Pied Piper. What?
You'd be down there and he's always be rats and be following
you and you'd be like, why are they following me?
Because you're not the pipe, Abraham, and you're a pipe or
Kremlin. That's you.
Call me the rat man. Yeah, the rat man.
Yeah. The faucet.
The rat man with the faucet. Faucet, Faucet the rat.
Faucet. You can probably do with the
faucet then. But what I'm saying is, first of
all, where do you get into it? Are you allowed to say?
I don't think I don't think you should tell him because he's got
her. I don't know what he wants to do
down there or why he's so dead. You know, it's it's like, you
know, a book of secrets film. He's like, he just needs one
last piece to just bring it all together.
He's like, where do you get in this river so I can put all my
artefacts together? The Rat King of the force that
can finally take over the world. The.
Rat King. Is taking over Belfast.
Unimaginable too, you're. You're doing a tech talk about
it. What's up guys, I'm with the Rat
King. You're the only, you're the only
one who can defeat me. That's where the fuck you get a
cause. Of the rat catcher now.
Where? Where is that?
Just don't be slack. I don't know if I want to tell
no you. Scare me?
Just probably like loads. There's drainage entries like
the house, just the greatest in the road.
Nothing joking. Like they actually do just climb
that you can climb down. What about?
But the exits know where the big fish is?
Yeah, the exits are like that. You can see the pipe.
But would it, would you, would you, would you like go down?
Like would you say, say there say you went in there, right?
Would you be walking? Is it like I'm not joking?
Why is he scared as much? Because I really like tunnels
and stuff like that. Would there be like in my head
you go down and there's like 2 paths either side and a river
flowing through the middle is something like that?
Probably not like they're probably like, you know,
condensed to then with like concrete and stuff because I
have to like have steady base for the.
Cars and do you? Think end of The Shawshank
Redemption. Yeah, that's what it'll probably
be like. And you'll be under in this wee
muddy river, Really. Careful going out into the
lagging. People who listen to the pod
zippers driving right to Royal Ave and just see me in a mammal.
Know what I'll do? I'll take this away with me,
Yeah. And I'll try and find out if
there's any way you can get. Access, honestly, because
Crumlin Rd Gaol Brilliant tunnel, yeah.
Yeah, that was fun. Good Dodge.
That's all that. See, I love it when there's
something happening above ground.
There's life and then you're like, there could be something
below. You should look up like the
breakout stories about like what do you mean and stuff.
There was one that like, well, during the troubles, like two
people just were brought over like the court.
Yeah, would you? And that's what they used as an
awful tunnel. And attacked the guards and
escaped through the tunnel. And then there was like there
was a story about like four or five men that got escaped.
I think it was like maybe the 1910s or 1920s or something like
that. But like they literally
fashioned their own key to get out.
Like they took like sort of imprints of the guards key and
stuff like this crazy story about like when the guard came
in, they took imprints of the key and then made their own key
to the same specs as that key and it escaped.
Oh shit, they're on. They're on for like months.
Like up. Upstairs and Peggy Bartley.
The place you're downstairs like these guys.
Yeah, so we ball chain at the door.
It was that was. 2 purchase straight pyjamas folded up.
What that what what recently? Like what recently is something
you've And by the way, are you stumbling across this stuff or
is it mainly from, like you say, articles and things like that?
When I'm walking around, I'll sort of look at different signs
and different things and I'll do better research and.
Have you ever been hushed? What you mean like?
You ever had someone go? Over it.
Don't be talking. About this talking.
About that yet? No.
That will help. Hopefully I'll be good luck.
Yeah, once he puts up the entrance.
This. Buddy, I know mothers club as
well. Do you have any Belfast?
History. Me.
Yeah. When?
What? Like personally?
Or do I just know anything about it?
No, just like, do you know anything about?
It, I know some stuff about good times at the Crominro Gaol, like
back in the day, apparently when it was first built, its location
was, you know, up the Crumlin Rd a bit, which was further away
from where the actual centre of the town was.
So in the day, it was like fields up until that.
And that's what they, well, some people state this is where the
phrase hangover originates. Like older gaols would have been
a bit of a distance away from the city centre.
So on the days of the hanging, that was like a big gig, a big
show. People for the day were like,
let's all go to the hangings. So they bring their family, they
bring all up their BB stalls and all up at the hangings.
So there'd be people selling beers and Meads and whatever
else that goes back in the day. Yeah, like full Christmas.
So then they'd go up, basically make a full day of it, hang 3 or
4 bucks, and then just get absolutely plastered.
And then the next day they're like, oh fuck.
What era are you from? They'd hang 3 or 4 bucks.
Yeah. So that's.
The undertaker four or five. Those guys.
And that's the phrase hangover, because after the hanging,
people get a hangover. What's done?
I saw a video where you were saying ginger ale was invented
in both lists. Yeah.
Give us a few like that. Like anything.
Anything. Counter on Cochrane, you know
CNC. Yeah.
I know you're good catch. So I can't remember first name.
I see something Cantrell, Chris. Chris Cantrell.
Blue Blue Cantrell. Jesus Christ.
So he invented Ginger Alder. It was like medicinal purpose,
like Coca-Cola wasn't all. Yeah, it was made a lot of
cocaine with gear. Yeah, gear.
And would you like to like, would you like to do like a TV
thing or anything like that? Because I think our generation
and younger don't know anything about like the history of
Belfast, the idea of the city centre and the idea of like
exploring stuff. And I don't mean to go back to
tunnels, but like going down to some tunnels, you know, actually
walking through and find out the history.
I don't know, I just, I'd prefer to see it like the way you're
doing than reading it in a book or anything like that.
It's new media like, you know, like tech talks away forward for
doing stuff like that. Like I'm trying to put forward
something that's a bit more educational because you know
what tech talks like it's a bit of a cesspit sometimes.
So it's good to sort of have some sort of education.
The people I follow are well, mainly like funny stuff for
educational stuff, you know. So I kind of want to see that
being improved upon like, and more people get onto the
platform like that because see half my mates like, you know, I
think we're all probably around same age, like mid, mid 30s
like. I'm 34.
Yeah, so my, but all maybe it's regular tech talks, just kids
dance and stuff. And for a lot of it, it is.
But yeah, I'm like filth, Yeah. And then?
You know, see, Dave's algorithm just got the says bit worse in
the River Falls and. They just like history stuff and
things, so you know, it's good to get that out in the platform
thinking but. Did you ever hear about Buck
Alec? Yes, we love Buck Alec.
Yeah, the big lamb. Yeah, so Buck, correct me wrong,
Buck. Alec was a guy who lived in
Sailor Town. Yes.
He did and class around what I want to talk to you about that,
but Buck Alec first. So he was a, he was like a
fighter, Street Fighter, brawler and had a reputation as being
like a brawler. As you said, a baller.
Oh, he was. Balling out to yeah fucking
line, I think. He was in the UVF for a while
too. There you go, you.
Know how to go like. Don't say, I said.
He's a baller for that. He wasn't.
He wasn't an IRA. He was in the old IRA.
Yeah, yeah, yeah it. Makes it better when you say.
Old, but he was. He was like this guy who's
obviously a white, a criminal like and he had a pet lion.
They took the declawed. I just took it when he walks.
You used to walk it? What?
What year? What year is this?
50s I. Think he probably died around
like so. It was probably the 20s.
What did he die of? Eaten by a lion?
Yeah, no taste. Problem.
He had a pet lion. Buck.
Alec. Because I'd heard that phrase
for years. I never knew what it was there.
Was like a weird history behind it.
He was in the UVA, but I think he just wanted to be a nerd,
just to be violent, right? I think he married a Catholic
woman. Right.
And that was like a bit of a scandal time, but because he had
a pet lion, yeah. Yeah, I mean, you can do sort of
free reign when you've got a pet.
Lion seeing the boys are all standing there and get their
backlabs on their bats and all going who's going to buck?
I like store 1st. He's got a fucking massive dog
anyway. And he's barking at me.
What do you think not like? What do you?
Ever think the phrase buck Alec, though?
That's that's someone like being a wee bit of a white boy, but of
a buck. Alec was just.
A But there was and he had rivals, those people who were
like all vying to be like the best fighter.
In. Belfast.
Who was the guy that lived in the market?
It wasn't like White Claw or something like that, but like.
Fuck. Hello.
I'm not sure, Silver. Fox or something, I don't know.
He was. White Claws, that thing, isn't
it? The drink, Yeah.
It wasn't either, though. You're just naming people that
are racing to find the entrance that tunnel before you.
The rat king of the faucet needs to get there.
White Claws as a fox. Jesus.
Christ, tell me a bit more about Sailor time because I'm
intrigued genuinely by that area because obviously a lot of
people used to live there and now I had to go to pay a parking
ticket down there because the the parking office something is
based there. And I remember parking up,
looking around it and being like, there's these like modern
flats here. And then there's still some of
this quite old housing and there's a couple of bars.
It just seems like an odd area. It's, it is quite an old area
like, and the reason why there's nobody living there anymore is
because they built the motorway register it, they kicked
everybody else. So like there used to be
hundreds of. Tigers Bay have like continued
down into that or something. Probably would have met at some
point. There were still like the main
road I think in between them and stuff, but yeah.
Yeah, I know. Was Tigers Bay called Tigers Bay
because the buck Alec lived there Tiger King?
He allowed would be Lions Bay. Yeah, but his lamb was called
Helen. Yeah, so that.
Was inside, had a tiger. Right.
OK, his rival. I'll be that.
Fuck the guns, you know, decommission them, get Wildcats
and. Animals, Yeah.
Can we, can we, can we do that? Can we reach out?
Can we reach out to these bloody paramilitaries and can we say,
knock guns in the head and just get big cats, small exotic cats?
A Komodo dragon just let it out. There's the the UDA Panther,
yeah. That sounds like a character in
the state as well, though with the Kimono Dragon, he's the very
saucy guy you visit for certain certain things that you should
keep under. Your head.
So yeah. So tell tell me about sale
retention. So the motorway just wiped out.
The community ended it. Yeah, so there's that.
There's a Chapel down there. Saint Joseph's.
It's done. No, no American bars and.
Stuff, Yeah, yeah, right there because there's a comedy gig
happens there and I always think like who would go to because who
lives there or like where's that?
So it's owned by Sunflower. So, yeah, that sort of crowd
will go like back and forth between the bars and stuff.
But there's also a bar around the corner.
I have actually Mckenna's that would be more of a local bar.
So the last sort of remaining locals would go to that bar.
But it's cheap like as well. This is good.
But sailor town. Yeah, very, very populous area
back in the day and then just got wiped out.
But it used to be a place because beside the docks and
all, like a lot of the sailors would come there.
And that's why it's called Sailor town, American Bar.
Now that's a very old bar. Some people say that it's
because there were American soldiers used to drink there
during World War 2. When they came off, the boats
used to go in there. And then some other people said
it was just like different immigrants and different
American shipmen. Stuff would just pop in there.
But there used to be tonnes of bars around.
There used to be a Rotterdam bar.
Yeah, again, heard of these places, but it was always one of
those like, who's drinking there?
You know what? I mean, Pat's bar, the Rotterdam
bar was loads of them. I think that somebody needs to
come in and. Revamp the revamp.
But a bit, you know, have more housing.
It will probably happen at some point.
The one it's like each week, like the cathedral quarters hot
right now, you know what I mean? Whereas it might kind of it all
sort of changes from like Shaftesbury Square, like that's
something that like it's but it looks.
Theatre quarter hat crap. Now, like it's not like it was
the Golden Mile. It was everywhere.
And now it's like all derelict. It's actually a shame to see the
state of it. Like even since like after COVID
and all, you come back and it's like state of it.
Like it's sad. And I don't know if you've
noticed. I I was reading this thread on
Twitter the other day and it made me like I got, you know,
you'd sucked into it and you're just reading, reading, reading.
It was about how things now it's all about practicality.
Everything's practical and you're losing the ornateness of
beauty of architecture or jet, like even bollards, you know,
back in the day, it was like they used to be quite ornate in
a bit of design on it. And it's just posting it.
Yeah. And do you think like, what's
worth, like, how do you then keep some of the, Because if you
look at some of the older buildings in Belfast, the tops
especially, they're beautiful, you know, and they wouldn't be
designed like that anymore. Everything's getting very
generic and very easy to throw up.
So, you know, you think there'll be anything like a push towards
maybe trying to bring back some of that history or do you think
it's all just going to be obvious?
Because you put videos up talk about how do suggestions as
someone who knows Belfast and and looks around it of how do
you improve the city centre so. Yeah, so like anybody who
follows me as well, I like that question.
But I just got hundreds of replies to that too, about how
they can prove it. And there's running themes for
it, you know, more sort of greenways and stuff, you know,
take, take over the old dilapidated buildings and do
them up again like the likes of No Art Deco Bank, Bank of
Ireland, Battle Roy Ave. There's not right near cast.
Court. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Near cast. So they're they're doing that
up. It's like 100,000,000 LB
development now, but because it's a a grade one or grade A
building, they'll have to keep it to that aesthetic too, which
is good. But you're right know that
there's no pride anymore in what they're doing.
They're just throwing up office blocks and different things of
that and not really caring about there's no soul in it anymore.
Whereas I mean, if a Torian's a lot wrong with them, obviously
the Georgians all, but they they were very blingy, very show.
So you see all these buildings and they're, they're massive,
beautiful, ornate buildings. Like I, I was on holidays last
week over in, in Buckinghamshire in England.
And like a lot of their wee villages have that sort of old,
you know, the quaint sort of the Georgian buildings.
It sort of has that history. And I thought, you know, when we
came back here, you missed some of that because Belfast history
is, is brilliant. And like some of the older
history before all the troubles and everything, you know, it
was, it was brilliant. So it'd be nice to see some of
that kind of kept for like even in Bangor there they've restored
the courthouse. It was an old built and it's
they're doing it and it looks great.
You know, it's really cool to see you just.
Need to protect the buildings a lot.
That's what they need to do. Like, you know, and make sure
that nobody can redevelop them or knock them down like the
likes of North St Like there used to be beautiful buildings
down there. It's just a mess now.
It's even we're speaking about the Crumlin Rd the courthouse
now it's do you know if it's still There's talk of it being
turn in the hotel. Is that going to do you know if
anything like that's happening or?
The planning was pulled so the the problem is and I don't want
to necessarily go until 10 months obviously and stuff.
I'm happy to do that to worry the.
Planning department's apparently very, very strict in terms of
what you can, you can plan on that.
So the ones that I think it's Signature Living Group, they do
like a lot of hotels in Liverpool and stuff.
They were wanting to buy the Commonwealth Courthouse, the
George Best hotel. They were opening up.
As always, planning was just taking so long and just so many
hoops to jump through and things like that, that they just gave
up and just left and that they were about to pump 10s of
millions in the city. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Is that George Best hotel sat there?
Yeah, boarded up. The half completed like you
know, we're on the way to opening.
What is it they've? Pulled the plug on it.
Haven't they? I think they.
Pulled the plug. Yeah, this week I think, or last
week they just said that, said they're.
Doing Have you seen a guy on Tech Talk who go from here who
goes into like old buildings and stuff like that?
Is he a madman? Yeah, yeah.
Have you seen? Him see the guy who went on the
bus? I don't know the glider guy.
We went on top of the glider. He's like a young guy and he
goes into like, well, what you would call haunted or.
Buildings. You went into the hospital and
all, like the old hospital on the swimming pool and stuff.
Did he? Yes, on the cinema.
The old cinema, Yeah, Yeah. What do you mean he went on top
of the glider? He was, I think he was the same
boy I don't want to like, land on.
There no, no. But like, I think it was well
known that he was the boy who, like, he would have, like,
climbed on the glider and rode through video.
Would you use it? Yeah.
But he, he goes into like, yeah, old hotels and stuff that are
abandoned, like the idea of abandoned stuff.
I would never go in anywhere like that, but I'd love to see
the footage of it. I.
Would like to eat Ghost Hunt. Do you ever watch those guys
BuzzFeed Supernatural? There's the guy called Shane and
I forgot the other guy's name, but they, they do like a thing
where they do like ghosts on, but one of them is a real
sceptic and one of them believes in ghosts.
So they're they're sort of, it's kind of commonly routine like
that. But but where would you like to
explore? I would love to go on the Crum
the Crum Rd courthouse. So what I've asked to go on hard
and go back to me like 4 times where where on top of the crown.
Oh yeah, but it it's just like control.
Centre isn't it? But I wanted to see like the
view and stuff and I'd say I'm on top of the crown.
There's an old hospital, I can't remember exactly where it is,
but they kept it open or any like infectious diseases or
whatever there was. And apparently because of that,
it was just, I was in the, in the hospital.
I can, I can, I'll look it up in a minute.
But there they got security on site and they said that the
security had found a few weird wee shrines about the the
hospital and then a couple of animal corpses by a river.
So they're like, there's something going on there.
It's a bit sort of spooky. I.
Don't want to go on these buildings anywhere.
But like I, I, I've done a few gigs in the Strand Cinema and
like see with it when you go behind or like backstage, so to
speak, there's like old rooms where like some old, old bits of
cinema history are there. And you're like, this is just a
class old building. And they're talking about like
redeveloping it a bit at the minute if they can get the, the
funds for it. But there's charity, some of the
history of its class. And actually the, it's, it's a
strong place. It's really, really, really
cool. And there's so many places like
that that that's, you know, you just would love to see a bit of
something happened. Opera House for me, yeah, I just
did it recently. Yeah, Inside it, it's just
unbelievable. It must be secret things in
there. Has to be.
You know. But like.
Secret tunnels? I'm sure there's tunnels.
Is there tunnels now? I've got to flag this halfway
through our discussion, You know, there was confusion with
the tease. Yeah, You know, I have a dairy
allergic. I've drank 3/4 of this cup and
there's normal milk in it. So that's just going to add a
little, a little bit of tension to the episode.
So if I run out, just keep her going.
We'll keep her going. Leather chair the the.
Find the moment where I realise it's not and let's get a clip
where we just slowly zoom into my face because I'm like that
gift of the guy just sweating Jesus yeah I mean, I I have a
weird relationship Belfast in the I think it took it for
granted as a city for a long time and then more recently I've
really had an appreciation for it Yeah like I love it and I
don't know if you're. Beaver Park Hospital that's.
He went on that one. That was the guy.
That was. The hospital thank you because
there were still people working in there.
Right, right. Do you know Windsor House used
to be office building? No, it's I don't.
I don't know what the term is now.
Back in the day, before your political correctness, you'd
call it a nuthouse, but it was maybe nowadays it was mental.
Yes, a mental asylum, mental institution.
I went there one time just before I closed.
And as an impatient. I spent the whole, yeah, I was
in your house. I was actually meeting somebody
for coffee and it's just it's on the grounds of City Hospital.
Right. But I went in there not long
before it closed down because I think they deemed it no longer
fit for purpose in the and like, if you imagine your head from
what you see in a horror film or a movie of what an asylum looks
like, it was that and it was so eerie to go.
There's still places here that exist like like this, you know,
And we were in having and they had like old portraits in the
wall. There was actually a girl
walking about in a wee white, you know, not nighty but like a
wee thing, like just wandering about and started.
Open. Yeah, it was open and I was
going fuck all those open shit like Sixth Sense.
She. She.
Died 10 years. Ago, but it was, you know, when
you're there going, but as a building it was like that.
This is a nice building. I think it's just raised the
ground now, but it was like spooky like.
This don't care anymore like yeah you were saying about
earlier about like looking up at the nice sort of stuff with the
top buildings. We're going to go in city centre
and you're like walk down so like next and all this and all
the buttons at the bottom are just generic how you want.
The new look up was like holy shit, yeah, but that's because
partly goes to troubles because they're all bombed out.
So the bomb the bottom floor, obviously the bottom, the top
bits and you can see like half buildings and all here and
there. Like there's one where that
Carol shop is. Yes, I think so.
If you look up on that, it looks like there's like half a
building. I think the other side was
probably destroyed. So they've got like this big 70s
stinking looking building there. But yeah, it's.
And see also if you look up sometimes on the right night,
depending sort of close that you might just see a wee united
Irishman looking like the window going.
No wiser load. There's loads of gargoyle type
stuff. It was just like the fend off
spirits and things buildings. Yeah, because ones on like the
Scottish Provident building, I think.
City Halls is smashing. So that's.
Class. Is that the idea then of what a
gargoyle is? I think it was the.
Scare off. See, I think you think nowadays
the fact that we suppose people think they know sceptic up to
like demons and things like that back then we need gargoyles just
in case cargoes on the plan. Yeah, that's.
Architect and all. Imagine you're.
An architect nowadays listen. I'm going to build this
building, it's going to be multi useful in a wee gym area and
we're going to have flats. It's going to have a wee
shopping area. So the only thing is need to
have 7 gargoyles just in case spreads get in.
You know somebody like we can't get this entire planet
permission. Not all.
Remember that show, Gargoyles? Yes.
Yeah. That was great A.
Bit scary, but it was good. And then Hunchback and Notre
Dame maybe Gargles and that. Too.
What's your? What's your?
Favourite part of Belfast? Like area of Belfast?
Somewhere you'd go. You know, welcome back to me on
that. Because I want to give a.
Correct answer. I don't have a good think about
that. You know what, John?
Bet I like and it's only last. Couple of years I'm like, that's
a that's a cool part of Belfast because it that near it.
You know where Muriel's. Bar is yes, down near the side
of the in shops. I like around there.
It's nice so we better some there's always a better life
about there number in shops and the other in shops and Murray is
my favourite barn Belfast. You don't know my wife really
likes and. She's like, it's quite sweet,
but it's also a pet. Other than Irish as well.
Pardon, but she. She will.
Like she likes, loves, loves history and will be and the her
should be like, oh, if you're in place, you can be like, I can
imagine, you know, all the years back, people just coming off the
boats and doing this and doing that.
And she loves. And I think that part of Belfast
is you can still sort of imagine the cobbled streets and all.
Yeah. You could see what would have
been like, like back in the day, like even the the pothouse
whenever, which is, I don't even know what it is.
Anyone social. Yeah, but there was they kept.
The some of the original. Like wasn't it?
It just used to be a pottery, wasn't it?
And they had some of that and then strip said it no.
Thing Hill St cobbles. I used to work in Hill St for
many many moons. Like the half pop was called Do
what? Spot Housing Executive.
Oh yeah, officers. Great.
Yeah, it was good. Good, good spot.
Like and then you go to. The Duke of York.
What a play like that. We Lane.
Well, it's the most iconic. Yeah, I like John.
Here, John. Here, Bartik.
Yeah. So it was like, but people like,
would you? Ever do.
I mean, I know you just, you know, you work full time and on
the side you're bringing people this kind of content and stuff
like that, but would you like to do like Turd or anything like
that or show people around? I think so.
I'm not really business. Minded.
So I don't really know where to sort of start with that, but
tunnels. Tunnels.
Tunnel Todds.
Tunnel tours, Yeah. Speaking of of tunnels, there is
a. Project I don't know where it's
at in the markets and where the the old tunnels there.
Do you know the old tunnels beside the, the train station
and the markets there? They're going to make those
tunnels into like shops and things.
I think they'll be talking about that.
Oh, under the under the arches. Yeah, under the arches, Yeah.
Oh yeah, that'll be cool. So I think.
That's what they're again. That's be something that's been.
Pushed for a while now, but I think that'll be pretty cool.
And then they're going to open, I think access between the
tunnels there that'll lead underneath the the road and like
sort of from the market direction over like the BT and
Hilton and all that and the waterfront side open everything
up. Open everything, open every
tunnel, pedestrianise everywhere.
No, but tunnels. And all like, yeah.
Now, do you like the pedestrianisation?
Yeah, yeah. Because unless people are 11 in
the city. All right, I know, but what
about like need? Somewhere to park train station
down. There a train station.
Get the train up. I like the idea.
I like the idea of. It I love the idea of a boat.
Yep, you should do that. Taxi, boat, taxis.
But they are doing that, aren't they doing a?
Bangor to Belfast, They're talking about that ferry.
Yeah, that'd be. Class.
That'll be good. I'll be good.
But all I'm. Saying is since I've moved to
Bangor, they're talking. About that and they've made it
to city you're talking about making a bridge over.
From Sailor Town to the Odyssey, which would be pretty cool
because I'll get like a footfall the whole way around it.
You really have to go out all your way to get the Sailor town,
but that's actually yeah, so it'll be good.
But they're yeah. And that would definitely open
the sailor town. A bit then.
The people, yeah, as well, All terrace and all and all that.
What do you what about the docks?
You. Like the docks area?
I I mean like what? There's not really that much
now, is there? Like, you know, around there
just all industrial sort of places.
I I think the dry dock is unreal.
Oh, and you can actually go down into it I around Titanic and
all. Just gives you the idea of the
scale. Of it that's class like.
The Queen. Queen.
'S dock or something, Queen's key or something.
Right where Titanic was yeah. You know what?
That's a fun area too, but yeah. I mean, I can't see past the.
I can't see. It's a fun area, you know you're
like, what's your favourite part of?
Belfast, yeah, I. Lived in South Belfast for a
long time or off Lisburn Rd. I liked it, but then when I go
back there I'm like, oh, I'm too old.
I can't, you know, it's not for me.
But I loved it at the time. I lived in East Belfast for a
while, loved that. But I think yeah, like for
actually going out in and around those bars are definitely the in
the cathedral almost good. I.
Used to go. School around there obviously
with. Karen, Karen Bartlett, that's
right, you revealed this for. The pod I know you invited.
Me on the pod before him. Yeah, yeah, Call him out.
I can't. Call him out, Patty.
McDonald's. Yeah, that's just yeah, Kevin,
but yeah. And the bell Monroe's another
nice week. We spot as well.
Yes, that's great graveyard at Strong Mills.
Oh, I'm glad you talked about, because I was.
Talking about that, did you? Actually?
We didn't arrange that beforehand.
I shot a movie, a short film. Sorry, what was that?
Bad boys too. No, it was, it was just a wee
thing. No, no virus.
How did it make it looks? Like LA.
Like LA, it was written. By Colin Bateman.
OK, and it was a short film production.
Bangaman. Yep.
That's what it was. Called it was a new Marvel
franchise but yeah we we filmed in there and that place I didn't
really have a lot of time to like walk away and explore it
but unreal. It's closed to the public, isn't
it? Or they, yeah, you can get to
there's like tours night again, You can.
I did just like he just reached out to the council.
Sometimes they'll let you in. There's a guy who's wee old man
who used to live there and he's like caretaker.
I bet you he's some seen, some probably.
Shit, there's some really fucked up stories.
There's a lot of thought about it being a haunted, isn't there?
Yeah. Well, it's called Friar.
'S Bush because purportedly there was a Friar like a monk
that was murdered and like hung hanged on a a thorn.
I like K Bush, the hell tree. K Bush, Yeah.
That's how that sounds about. To get him down, yeah.
And there's a big mound you can go like when you go.
And you go to the left, there's a big, huge, like, mound of like
grass. It's just like, oh, it's just
like a little hill. That's where they dumped loaded
plague victim bodies. It's like a burial pit.
Yeah. Yeah.
So also, do you know why it's called a graveyard?
So difference between cemetery and graveyard?
Does anybody notice? No, But I'm I'm here for this
because this is. Something I've thought about a
lot. Cemetery didn't have a church on
it. So if you look at like city
cemetery and stuff Roselawn some, there's no church or
nothing on site, but a graveyard has a church.
It's the yard of it. Now you're.
Looking at Friars Bush goers, nothing there.
But there was one that was actually there previously.
So that was the the graveyard to it.
But all the famous people, Barney Hughes is buried there.
Who's that? Balthasbap created.
Invented it. Really.
Yeah. I swear to God.
Barney's baps. Oh well.
So he was actually a good man. Though like he was N Belfast man
the. Credit for like the purge and
like the famine, I think and stuff, right.
So he used to have like leftovers or bread and stuff and
he used to make the baps of those and stuff.
That's why also, oh, look at this lean on to everybody else
here. So we've gone from that.
So you know the Cathedral Quarter, the old name of it's
called the Half Bap, right? So right, there's.
Going to be a lot of people. That might comment and go, oh,
that's not why it's called that. But there used to be like a
little roundabout. No, like the old roundabouts or
like a wee Dome. Yeah, yeah.
So his first bakery was. Apparently.
Down near where the Kremlin is and stuff.
And it's like the end of the cathedral quarter.
And there used to be a, a roundabout sort of thing and
they used to say it looked like 1/2 a bop.
And that's why they call it the area of the half bop.
Oh, OK, there you go. Give us, Give us your.
Favourite Belfast fact like something people might not know
or something that's named whatever you choose I kind of
like the one about. The waterfront, So the roof of
the waterfront, Yeah. Do you know?
Like it's like I know they had the.
Repair of that after my. Show.
You raised the roof. It's that way.
No, there was some. Damage swatters.
They had the tiles that were separate to my show.
What did you do? I just.
No, I just blew the roof. No comment off a bit.
So is it the waterfront? Hall of the area.
Yeah, the hall. Itself, so the the roof of it.
Was actually designed purposely in like that sort of coppery
sort of colour and they did that because you know like you see
like the roof of City Hall and stuff that used to be brownie
sort of coppery. They did that deliberately so
they would turn green eventually over oxidisation.
You know, why not just just go straight there?
Just. Paint the cream.
I don't know. Don't.
Want that kind of like natural muddled effect, probably.
I love it. I don't photograph them right.
Yeah, I have a day they did it because of that.
So it would like go over time. It would be be like greeny sort
of coloured to match them with the static of the city, right.
So there you go, that's one fact.
Same of those wee arches down you know when.
You look down at City Hall again on the street.
If you're looking from City Hall down towards Dunn's, Yeah,
those. Wee arches, you know, they're
all brown. They're not turned green.
They change. Same with the Chapel at
Hollywood. On the way in the Chapel.
At the top that you would have driven past.
No, no, no. It's well, they built like a
newer part of it and it's starting to like go, go that
green. Yeah.
So they must have that. So what?
I think that's a nice touch. So like.
Keep the architecture. Where's Belfast going then?
What do you think is? Next like what are they going to
do? I want to know your
redevelopment plans because I've got a lot of shit now.
What for I I had a plan for an activity for me and my wife to
do right? And she went, this is you're the
biggest loser I've ever seen in my life.
Jesus. And I don't think you've said
this out loud. So not only that, my wife's
called me the biggest loser she's ever seen her life.
And my mum yesterday called me the fattest person she's ever
seen in real life. And I know for a fact, hold on,
she's seen fatter people because I've been with her and seen
fatter people than me. But she's said no, no.
And she argued and said no, you are.
But that's another story from your mum said.
Said this sentence. Yeah, I know.
You be your mum and I'll be you, OK?
So I'm just you, I said to her. Basically like I'm starting to
die because I want to. Get a bit of weight off.
I want to look after myself a bit better.
And she was well, good. Because I'm worried about you.
And I went, OK, why are you worried about it?
And she goes because you're the fattest person I've ever seen in
real life. Oh my God.
I went, OK, Now what I've just said to you before that was that
I, I feel sad about it. And I know that.
And my sister before that was like, yeah, I'm worried about
you. And I'm like, yeah, you don't
need to lecture me because I'm aware.
And I was like, Mum, I don't want my feelings hurt.
And she went, took that to go, OK, I don't want to hurt your
feelings, but before I don't hurt your feelings.
I just need to get this off my test.
And then told me that, right. So that's the fattest person
she's ever. Ever.
Ever seen in real life? No, not.
Even met seen we we've been to Florida on holidays like, you
know, we've been like I've seen people.
I've been to Florida, like, yeah, like I've seen people.
Like on like you. Know a four person mobility
scooter and for it's for one you know what I mean but no, I'm
father. So anyway, to be the biggest
loser of all time? Yeah, I said the cap when they
were walking down. There's a few empty shops and
there's empty and empty. Not Castle, Castle Court, can't
remember. Flagship.
Yeah, it's empty. And and I just thought I was
thinking. So we went home and I got a
notepad out. I said I have an idea.
I said what we should do if an evening get the kids looked
after. We'll walk down through Bangor,
we'll make a note of all the empty places and we'll like play
a wee game, see what we would put in there to try and
rejuvenate the area. And she loves that.
And she went to you. And me can do it.
She went to me. Fuck off.
I'd rather watch the Real Housewives of Atlanta.
It's the shittest game I've ever heard.
In my life. But hey, it's interesting to go.
What would you have there but to go through the admin of having
the kids minded and then and walking around with a notepad?
If you have a notepad and if that's not your job to have a
notepad, you're a loser. Yeah, well you have like the wee
do the wee cap. Deer stalker.
I'm I'm all for that. Listen.
I think because. My idea is, is I think the the
councils are greedy at the minute.
And I think what councils need to do for a wee while have some
sort of incentive whereby if you're bringing local shops back
in, lower the rent for a bit. Or else even have a deal where
look you don't have any rent to rates for the first year and
then after bringing it in you'd see things especially post COVID
like they should have had some sort of.
Rate relief for businesses and things like the bars and all
like how to put under pricer for ages and then it's putting off
people coming into Belfast. Well, locals on a way like you
know, but it's good for terrorism.
The amount, the booze as well people.
Have been sitting at home being like porn gens like what's
history Do you know a lot about the history of booze in.
Belfast The history of booze in Belfast I think there was.
Like a time where there was like a temperance movement where they
were trying to ban booze like in the early 1900s and stuff like
that. Booze movement, like it's always
been a boozy city. Like every single sort of secret
meeting and yeah was done over booze and.
Kelly Sellers and all like. What was going on there?
Same. Any sort of rebellious groups?
Rebellious histories, Matt and Kelly Sellers like right?
And they've you can feel like, yeah.
Why is it so low? Why is the PSNI not just?
Hanging out around Kelly Sellers like where's the spot to meet
spot to see French terrorists now like in.
A home. It's it's cracking.
Like, yeah. And you can, there's some places
that try and give off this impression of like we're
historic and we've got all this and that.
You can tell they don't. It's quite fabricated places
like there and whites and a few others.
You can just feel it. Like I understand the ones on
whites like Clover Group. Ones they they only jailhouse
and Henry's not. I like what they're doing
because they're sort of keeping some of this aesthetic of the
older places like whites not and they're telling the history of
the place to and keeping it alive, which is always good to
see with business. I think more owners need to do
it, you know? Yeah, they're good.
Like what about hotels? Hotels.
Well, I love the merchant. Nice hotel.
Nice look at class. Isn't it like inside it?
Is there anything that sort of merges?
History and booze, like, you know, like obviously you do pub
crawls where people just want to go and get steaming, but is
there something like, I'll say, I think there's a whiskey tour
maybe, yeah, where people do. But is there something that
you'd maybe go to several, like historic bars and just have wee
paint? But it would be a good idea I
think. That'll be cracking.
Maybe I should do that. Do you just want to have?
Paint. Yeah, I.
Mean, but I mean within reason. Because obviously I've been a
few pub crawls in the time and I went to one in France and it was
just everywhere. He went to Dead Shots and got
Larry and it was wild. He ended up in the fountain at
the end of it. Great fun.
Whereas I think no item a bit older, wouldn't mind just going
around maybe having me half pint of something and just being
like, this is where the United Irishman head upstairs.
Which, yeah, something like that.
I think that'd be interesting. What about like any characters?
That you really like from back in the day that you find out a
little bit about like Nancy fucking here.
We just said Peggy Bartley. Peggy Bartley.
Nancy Mulligan. I like Mary Ann McCracken so
that boy I was talking about who got hanged to Henry Joy
McCracken, which I think was his sister.
And she sort of she was a badass in her own right.
Like she used to like hide them and all like she used to have
like there you go. Wee secret hiding places in her
house, like wee secret doors and stuff.
And she used to hide them and like under the floorboards and
different places like that. She used to hide them.
But after he got caught and executed, she carried on in
secret like you know as well. And she was also one of the
first big anti slavery protesters.
OK, so she was apparently because obviously America still
had slavery on, but like past the Civil War and stuff, when
she was in her 80s, she could still be seen like at the docks
like 88 years old handing out like leaflets, anti slavery
leaflets, people going to America on the boat.
And fun fact about that is that they, the United Irishman,
different rebels at the time who were very cross community, by
the way, the United Irishman leaders were Presbyterian, there
were they Catholics and the Presbyterians all sort of teamed
up together, you know, because they were Avengers, sort of a
practical Avengers. Yeah, across coming The
Avengers, so they would protest against like sugar as well
because sugar came from America, came from sorry places.
I just need to point out. There's a bad man, bad man in
Top Boy OK called Sugar and me and David really upset us with a
character that works for Sugar. So when you said?
They're fighting against. Sugar, we thought he was again
top boy, but I apologise. It all sort of comes around,
doesn't it? Until like, you know.
The evil villains and yeah, but yeah, rat.
Boy. The.
Rat Boy versus Sugar. But yeah, I know.
So they would have. What they would.
Have like stomped out things that they didn't agree with,
like sugar. They don't need sugar.
But the main and here. If my mom would contest, you
would say straight up. She'd attest to it and say
Sugar's to blame for a lot. Yeah.
You know what's the worst drug of all?
Sugar. You're the fattest man she's
ever. Met.
Yeah. Ever seen with her eyes?
Ever seen? Yeah, like I've got.
My only addiction. Sugar, I think you look good.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Because I brought biscuits. Down.
Today, Yeah. I can't believe nobody else has
brought me. Is that right?
Nobody's brought biscuits down before.
Well, no one's really brought biscuit because.
Karen Bartlett does the podcast here.
And that's like his thing. That's his thing.
Sorry, you've got to. Let him have it.
He's the biscuit man of. Blacks Road and the Enemy of the
Enemy of the Ratman of the Faucet.
You know the biscuit Man. From black the.
Biscuit man of Black Rd and do you have people like suggesting
places? For you to go on that kind of
thing or I'll cover this. Tell me more about that.
I think most of the places people suggest I've now.
Done, you know, so I'm I'm always open.
You know, if anybody's listening to this and wants this yes
places, then I'm happy to try and go to them.
Have you ever done one? And then the comments people?
Are like, that's a lie. And then you're like, Oh no,
there's a couple of things like I did.
That when I was talking about the Joys entry and stuff, people
are really touchy, you know, like people are like, I was like
always named that for Henry. Joy was like no, it's just da
right, like Francis right? And it's weird people like on
TikTok would. Be that age where they would
correct. People on Tech talk are wild.
You get any abuse? Yeah.
Like what? I'll put up like.
An old video. Of maybe something in the
troubles you're like, why didn't you mention there are like when
you mentioned all the murders are committed and it's just it.
Just look at my comments underneath some of the trials I
just divulged. Isn't that I had to put up a
video, tell people please stop it.
Right, right. Like because you just want to
give people historic. Fact I know, commenting on it
because. I'll have my own personal views,
everybody does, but for this is for historical benefits.
I'm not trying to take sides. Nothing else.
Everybody during the troubles, nobody was clean.
OK, Yeah. Like everybody had their their
demons and things like that. So The thing is a few gargoyles.
So what them? What's the one thing?
You chew people. Final question, what's the one
thing you chew people or place you would bring people in
Belfast if they were coming over here for the for the first time,
I mean. Apart from the touristy sort of
spots, yeah, you can do a free tour.
City Hall, No. Yeah, there's free tours for
people. In City Hall, so I.
Think that would be a good starting point.
So outside the box, yeah, like an outside the box.
For people that aren't going to do the the generic, yeah,
general tour, graveyard tours, yeah.
So murals, yeah. Where would your murals
probably? Graveyards, tours.
And so you think about like some tours are a bit, they go a bit
over the top, you know, like some tours will for the
tourists. They'll play it up for the
tourists. Yeah, yeah.
I would prefer more grounded tour where they tell people this
happened in the past but now it's actually one of the safest
cities in Europe. When you walk around Belfast
City centre you might get D bagged.
You might get D. Bagged.
Yeah, it's a war that's not. I think nowadays it's going to
be a bit downhill from I think the last few years.
Like I, I live obviously in the Kingdom N Ireland sometimes come
up with the gigs and all and I and I would like the City
Council listen, I'm looking down the barrel here.
City Council, pull the finger out and clean up the city.
Look after people who need it, the homeless people, people,
mental health problems. Get it all sorted, not just
counsel everyone. They emailed me back today, by
the way. I emailed them.
Saying something along those lines.
Pretty much so. Basically I put out like
question. Box I was sent earlier and
people gave me all these suggestions so I emailed it on
to invest council sort of section and the Department for
infrastructure Department for infrastructure gave me a lot of
waffle and then council said they're looking into it with
their officers so see what happens class what was the one
thing in it where you were like that's.
Bingo. Like, that's great in nighttime
travel. Like buses and night buses and
night trains and things like that.
Because every other big city has something on Friday and
Saturday. Yeah, you can't get home because
there's 50% of the taxi drivers left.
Yeah, There's no taxis, Yeah, so.
It's so difficult to get one. So we need some sort of late
night transportation. What here's where's one?
I can't get a coffee past 7:00 PM Yeah, in a in a in a capital
city, except for like a couple of Starbucks.
Closed. Yeah, closed, Nero.
Closed. Costa closed if I'm going in the
only option I really have is like go to your spar and use the
machine and it's nice like but or like hotels are open 420 for
an Americano and my whole guy. I want to hang out and have a
coffee this but is that a more recent?
Thing because like certainly here in Hollywood, you can't get
you can't get anything other than a beer after a certain
time. So what I am I wrong?
Say when I was younger, like there would be, you know, the
cool kids would be maybe going for a coffee or milkshake or
something Botanic like I used to go coffee like Clements.
And all like at 9:00, see, so I think they might have.
They might have gone seasonal with opening hours because I
passed there and it was open but I couldn't get a space so it
said it was last night. Coming to do pokes for you, Ask
Kieran Barton. We went out one night.
To meet for coffee in Botanic and I think we went to four
different coffee shops. When I parked up, he went to
walk. He was walking towards Starbucks
and he texted me, said I'm going to Starbucks.
I watched them walk the road to Starbucks.
He got the door, pulled it and I've never seen anyones heart
just sing more pull door and he just went.
He didn't know what he was watching, he just went post
himself. I text, so I saw that and he
goes and then we end up going to some hotel somewhere.
Yeah. You'd keep together.
Mental big. Thing at the moment is Guinness
so around? Like, that's a big, like, new
trend, isn't it? Like, you know, people getting
Guinness and like, what's the best Guinness in the city?
And yeah, yeah, yeah. And stuff like you got an
opinion. On that, maybe go on, let's say.
Where's the best Guinness in the elf US?
In your opinion, two of my favourite places in the city.
Centre OK because we won't go out people have their locals and
get in a bit of a slang and much if you say oh don't worry
Bettles and Maddens yeah a lot of shout for Bettles like.
A lot of people that was class like, yeah, you know, but.
It's a nice bar too. It's interesting.
Apparently Lovely's Guinness for you.
I haven't had one. Lovely.
I'd be more of a Guinness. Like.
I'm never drinking city centre really, because it's more likely
to like we country pulp or something yeah or somewhere
where we're staying if we're going to be like staycation,
staycation, staycation. But like, yeah, people are
obsessed with the best Guinness. And I mean, there's some fact
like it is a. Very like volatile drink to like
take care of and stuff like in Belfast International Airport.
Oh Jesus, best. Guinness 650.
Like. I know it's the best I.
Would go like I'll. Book a flight like Leeds.
Bradford or something sitting the departure lounge.
Neck Guinness and. Then go home.
It's the best word is really good.
They're the SSE arena. The plastic has to be in the
plastic though. But there's something about that
that really blends. Well, trying to think where else
you'd. Get a brilliant.
Your kit? Yeah, Frankie and.
Benny's. Frankie and Benny's and.
Central Station. The long life ball.
There you go. There we go, it's the best place
to Belfast. Frankie and Benny.
'S for a Guinness I go I'd. The stout Nandos is hard to
beat. Frankie and Benny, we did see
somebody in the comments taking us seriously.
It's a Hut I've got no those ones stank here.
Thanks so much for coming on. You're very.
Old page will put it in the description document.
Belfast, thank you. It's great.
And as I say, it's on the algorithm.
Can you tell people to help me get my YouTube channel?
Going too for yes plug it hard belfax it's BELFACTS because I'm
distinguishing it from just Belfast right we travel things
you know okay well thank you so much I appreciate it David
Elliott thank you for. Coming on, yes, Listen, it's a
pleasure, as always, to chat. With you, you, you actually look
great. Thank you.
You're not the fattest man. I've seen in person.
Thank you. I appreciate that.
I appreciate. That for now, for I'm going for
it. I'm coming for.
It. Fuck you mom, I'm going
overboard. What a way to end.
Thank you very much everybody for watching for.
Listening Have a have a great week, go to Belfast, visit
Belfast, Belfast City, Baran McMillan.
Good song. Anthem.
It's nice. It's an anthem.
Thanks guys.