Yes, Belfast is on the move. As evidenced by the photos in this post there's a lot of destruction / tearing down here in this town - making way for The New. Or, if not The New, then New Bad Architecture to replace the Old Bad Architecture.
Anyway, I took these photos the other day and that's great and all - Belfast on the Move and all that. And it got me to thinking about how many of the locations I shot last year making this film:
have disappeared. I was ruminating on this last night during one of my regular evening sojourns around town.
Just thinking to myself about this place, how I found myself exiled here, wondering how long I will stay - things like that.
Shortly after 11pm I came across a late-night market on Botanic Avenue. It's one of those places that stays open 24 hours and you can place your order through a hole in the wall.
There were two young men, maybe about fifteen years of age, queueing in front of me to purchase something from the market. They looked to be what Wayne described in Chapter 41 of the Podcast as 'Chavs'.
Anyhew, from down the slope of the street a ways a group of about a dozen boys, looking around nine or ten years old approached. They were carrying planks of wood as clubs.
One of the youngest of these club carriers came within ten feet of the older boys queueing in front of me. His accent was thick and not being from around here I couldn't make out what he was saying to the older boys.
The older boy's accents were not as thick and I did make out their response: "We're not Catholics."
There was some more talking back and forth.
What impressed me the most at this point was was how the gang of younger boys with clubs, and their leader, were so focused in their obvious rage and hate towards the older boys that there was absolutely no notice taken of other people, us bystanders, in the area.
Being a human I looked around to see what the others who were queueing were doing. They were watching the verbal to-ing and fro-ing as I was - no one was moving.
Stones started to rain down on us. A bottle crashed down near my feet, shards of broken glass hitting me in the face.
Yet, no-one moved. It felt to me like we were watching some sort of historical re-enactment, a wee little slice of the unpleasantness from days gone by.
I heard one of the older boys say "Who you callin' a Fenian Bastard?"
At that the gang of boys rushed the older ones - clubs out to swing. The older boys ran away - down the street, obviously fearing for their lives. The gang of young boys followed.
Though the queue was now shorter I decided not to wait in line any longer and walked home.
Is this the first time you've come across this sort of thing?
I've only visited N.Ireland a few times, but have encountered similar "uncomfortable" situations before. To me there's an atmosphere in the air the whole time, but it may be imagined.
Glasgow suffers similarly (but to a lesser extent) - due to the Celtic v Rangers factor - and I've grown up avoiding it and steering clear of trouble.
Enjoyed chapter 41 by the way :)
Posted by: Rob L, Glasgow | June 29, 2006 at 08:35 AM
All things old are new again.
I still say they are just building a huge city based on rubble.
Posted by: Phil | June 29, 2006 at 09:26 AM
Jet I enjoy listening to your show every week but I would really enjoy if somtime soon you would play the segment "what does A muslim think?" I know you said that you would play that soon sometime in april could you just email me the segment if you arn't going to put it on the show?
Posted by: matt(in colorado on frapper) | June 29, 2006 at 01:18 PM
Take a look out on the old dock yards behind the Odyssey... I had some small involvement in what's going on there right now, which is not necessarily a good thing to say... also the odd fenian bastards roaming around as well...
*j*
Posted by: James | June 29, 2006 at 04:26 PM
Look around the back of the Odyssey and you'll proably find a Tall Ship!
Posted by: Alan in Belfast | June 29, 2006 at 05:19 PM
Dude, Jett . . . V-Ger?! Nice Star Trek splice!
th
Posted by: Thom Brown, III | June 29, 2006 at 05:23 PM
Rob, I was in Belfast for four days, walked everywhere, and I never felt any animosity towards me. Of course, I didn't walk through the neighborhoods, for I'm not that brave or stupid. :-)
Sorry to hear ya got caught up in a scuffle Jett. I probably wouldn't of been able to keep my cool. Bottle throwing doesn't fly with me. Keep cool man...
Posted by: Jefferson Davis | June 29, 2006 at 06:03 PM
the thing about these kids is that they are untouchable, and they know it. A gang of these street rats where vandalising my car recently in front of my house. I told them to shift, to which they said , why what the fuck are you going to do about it, eight year olds, and they were right, there wasnt a thing i could do.
Posted by: mrx | June 30, 2006 at 04:01 AM
You need a good whacking-stick of your own, Mr. X.
I would not hesitate to smack one who vandalized my car (assuming "telling their parents" is not a viable option).
Posted by: Phil | June 30, 2006 at 12:38 PM
phil, seriously the parents would invite the local heavies to beat you up, then they would burn your house then they would get legal aid to sue your ass, believe me they are untouchable
Posted by: mrx | June 30, 2006 at 05:20 PM
This story along with the photos paints an interesting picture. I know next to nothing about Belfast's history but it seems to me that the focus is misguided. Perhaps first there should be a re-conditioning of attitude, as clearly hate is still being taught. Perhaps also, or at least to me it seems symbolic of a break down of basic humanity when small children feel such intense acrimony toward another human. Again, I am naive and cannot speak from experience but I found this post very sad.
Posted by: Jama | June 30, 2006 at 05:53 PM
mrx - yeah...but at least you'd have the satisfaction of having really whacked one of those buggers.
Posted by: Phil | June 30, 2006 at 07:16 PM
Matt in Colorado - stay tuned for Chapter 44 - Yes But What Does a Muslim Think?
Posted by: Jett Loe | July 01, 2006 at 03:50 PM
Thom - not sure what you mean re: V-Ger splice.
Posted by: Jett Loe | July 01, 2006 at 03:51 PM
Phil = No satisfaction to be felt when YOU'RE DEAD.
Posted by: Jett Loe | July 01, 2006 at 03:52 PM
Alan = Yep, it'll be the Tall Ships tomorrow.
Posted by: Jett Loe | July 01, 2006 at 03:53 PM
We had a clamber over the Zebu (parked right behind the Odyssey) this morning. Lots of fun. You'll have a whale of a time.
Posted by: Alan in Belfast | July 01, 2006 at 04:58 PM
Maybe it was the commenters on Slugger on a day out ;-)
Posted by: Cybez | July 04, 2006 at 06:19 PM
Jett, You know what. If you don't like it fuck off back to America ! This is our country and wankers like you coming over here to make fun of us doesn't bloody help.
Posted by: Davey Monroe | August 17, 2006 at 06:16 PM