If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
For me, it would have to be Northern Ireland, close to family and friends, surrounded by stunning scenery, and just a hop away from Europe. More specifically I would say a little town called Hillsborough. We absolutely loved living here in 2023 for almost a year. It has the most beautiful forest park, cosy pubs and close to the capital city of Belfast, however, it is super unaffordable to buy property here, for me at least.
That being said, to live in Northern Ireland, a few things would need to change…higher wages, a lower cost of living, and maybe a little more sunshine wouldn’t go astray!
The most magical place, Hillsborough Forest Park. Also posted as part of Becky’s November Shadows Challenge! Look at those autumnal colours!!!
I have covered this word before on my Wayne’s Word series but it is an ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE in Northern Ireland and one that is extremely overused. Have you heard people using this word?
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. I thought this week I would go back to basics and show case a few doors from Northern Ireland / Ireland that are still yet to be featured, as it has been a while. Let me know if you have a favourite this week.
Ok, so for this week I will be picking number one as my favourite. It is highly unusual to spot a purple door and I love the design of the door as well as the surrounding archway. What about you?
Have a great day everyone and I look forward to seeing all your door entries over on Dan’s page.
Another year comes to end, hard to believe right?! I love looking back through the months and picking a highlight, sometimes there’s more than one and sometimes it’s just the little things in life that stood out that month.
This was a quieter year for us with no holidays as such as we had just moved back to Australia from Ireland. We had to start from scratch, finding a place to live, buying furniture again and purchasing a car. This year was about fitting back into Aussie life and trying to save some money, whilst working hard and enjoying life at the same time. Luckily, we were fortunate to be able to fly home to Ireland for a month which was really lovely as I always miss the kids in our family.
That being said, I was happy to look back through the months of this year and see that we actually have done more than I first thought and it makes me appreciate that 2024 was a pretty good year.
JANUARY – Back in Sydney at the height of summer. I have seen this view hundreds of times but it never gets old. It was good to be back in Oz, we just had to find somewhere to live, which wasn’t the easiest thing to do as there is a severe housing shortage in Sydney.FEBRUARY – we decided to move out of Sydney and look for a place in the Sutherland Shire, about 45 minutes south of Sydney. Luckily we found a place near the Royal National Park and a beautiful coastline. Cronulla beach is a 10 minute drive from us and perfect for beach walks and ocean swims. MARCH – We visited our good friends in the Southern Highlands, an area that I have mentioned many times. We love this place for weekend getaways, lots of wineries, bush walks and cosy pubs. APRIL – We tried our first ever puppy yoga! I wanted to do something different for Brian’s birthday and he loves dogs so this was the perfect fit. You practise yoga for 30 minutes and then the instructors release the puppies to run amongst you all. Needless to say, not much yoga happens thereafter. It’s also a great initiative for you to adopt a puppy as these are all rescue dogs looking a new home. MAY – Good friends of ours from the Shire here just happen to own a barge and love to take trips along the Port Hacking River. We were delighted to be asked to come along, not once but twice on this idyllic river cruise. We dock at a local cafe for breakfast and then sail along the river, meandering through the different suburbs of the Shire. Very tranquil and great for wildlife watching. JUNE – One of my favourite ever sunsets in Bundeena, a quick ferry ride over from Cronulla. I was excited to show friends this area and we were treated to this absolute spectacle. We used to come here for weekend breaks, now we live close by and can call over any time. JULY – Home! It was great to be able to come home again for a few weeks. Belfast, when it gets the sun, is one of my favourite places to be. AUGUST – This is the Grand Opera House Belfast. I worked here for a few years as a student and it was like my second home. I met Brian here also, so it holds many positive memories for me. For my birthday, I really wanted to see a show here and luckily for me, there was a Simon & Garfunkel story being told with all their music being performed. Right up my street! The Opera House had a major refurbishment lately so it was really enjoyable to see for myself, 20 years after I first started working there. I was always really impressed by the amazing architecture of this building, designed by Frank Matcham. SEPTEMBER – Back in the Sutherland Shire and exploring the area even further. There are so many great suburbs here. This one is Oatley and the home to Oatley Castle. Not as grand as the castles we have in the UK and Ireland but still worth a visit. OCTOBER – Our friends finished building their new home in the Southern Highlands. We were thrilled to be invited down to stay for the weekend. Just look at the view they have from their balcony with unbelievable sunsets. NOVEMBER – We were fortunate to be invited to the hospital ball where I work. I had never been to a Christmas ball before so this was a big deal. All expenses paid and really fun to get dressed up for once. Best of all, the venue was 10 minutes from my home. Usually for us living in the Shire, everything is miles away, especially as many things tend to happen in the city. DECEMBER – Attending the Christmas markets in Sydney at central station. This was a lovely day with friends where we had lunch, wine at a little wine bar on the side of the street, followed by the Christmas markets. They had stalls, food, drinks, Christmas music and snow!!!! This truly felt Christmassy and magical. I don’t often feel like it’s Christmas here in Australia as it’s so warm, so this was lovely to feel the joy of Christmas, at least for a few hours.
Thank you all for reading this post and all your support again through 2024. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy the time with those nearest and dearest and I will see you in 2025 where I’m sure I will be partaking in Bloganuary once again.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another magnificent week of doors. Today is my 100th edition of doors of WordPress and I wanted to create something a little different to mark the milestone.
I couldn’t think of how to choose my most favourite doors and it was very hard to narrow down my collection, so I thought a video might be a quick way to show some of my favourites. I managed to narrow it down to my top 250 doors!!!
I am so grateful that I have found a community that love doors as much as I do and a big thank you to Dan for creating this great space on our blogging platform. I have met lots of blogging friends through the Thursday Doors club and I love how we support each other by checking in and interacting through our appreciation for a good door.
I created a video to a song that I love by the Cranberries and shared to my Instagram account. It’s called Dreams and I’m sure many of you will know it. Sadly I cannot download my video with the song, I’m guessing due to copyright reasons so I have posted the video below mine in case you want to listen to it.
My top 250 doors to celebrate my 100th doors post. I hope you all enjoy!
Thank you all for your interest and continued support of my doors and everyone else’s too. Long may the love of doors continue.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another fantastic week of stunning doors. This week I am showing a few doors from Northern Ireland. I seem to have a never ending supply from when I visited home two months ago. As always, please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
1 – Portrush2 – South Belfast3 – Belfast City Centre4 – Belfast Cathedral Quarter5 – Armagh
I love all these doors for various reasons. The first door was taken in a thrift shop with lots of antiques and bric-a-brac. I spotted this door at the back and was very interested to see what was behind it but I didn’t have the courage to look as I think it was meant for staff. I love door number three simply for the absolutely stunning building that it is part of. It used to be a department store but has now been transformed into a fine dining restaurant from the Ivy group (best known for its sister restaurant in London). However, I LOVE door number five in Armagh for its really unique design and fantastic colour. It looks like something you would see belonging to Scrooge McDuck, with lots of gold coins being kept behind this door. If you’re an eighties child, you will know what I mean.
Have a great week everyone and I look forward to creating my next doors of WordPress post as it will be my 100th edition!!
Hi everyone and a very happy Thursday to you all. This week’s doors are from Hillsborough, a little village in Northern Ireland. Some of you may remember that we lived here for nearly a year when we temporarily moved back to Northern Ireland last year. During our trip home last month we just had to return and spend a couple of days here as we had loved living there so much.
Please let me know if you have a favourite door this week.
12 – this little house was on the main street and we actually stayed here for 3 days. If I could buy this place, I absolutely would!!. It was so big inside which is quite misleading from the front. 3 – one of my favourite pubs in the village, The Plough. There are 3 pubs in this village, all very good actually. 45
Ok so number 5 technically has a few doors here but I’m thinking more of the black door behind the mini. To be honest this has to be my favourite, not only for the fantastic door, surrounding arch and transom window but I also love the brickwork of the building. It’s also one of my favourite images and really gives you a feel for the village of Hillsborough. The flowers, the bunting and even the mini parked outside all add to the visual.
Anyway, thanks for taking a look at my doors this week and have a fantastic weekend everyone.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of spectacular doors. This week I am showcasing just one door that I found within the grounds Antrim Castle, located in the Platinum Clockwork Garden. I have wanted to visit this garden since it opened in 2022 and it did not disappoint. The door itself is quite simple, a beautiful green door set within a stunning tower made of bricks.
The Platinum Jubilee Clockwork Garden at Antrim Castle is a unique and enchanting installation that captures the spirit of both history and creativity. It was designed to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, however, it is not just a tribute to her 70 years of service but also a testament to the power of innovation in art and horticulture.
Interestingly, there isn’t an actual clock in the Platinum Jubilee Clockwork Garden. The “clockwork” theme refers more to the garden’s artistic design rather than to the presence of a functioning clock. The installation uses mechanical elements and sculptures that create the idea of clockwork, symbolizing the passage of time and celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign.
The Platinum Jubilee Clockwork Garden
If you ever find yourself in Northern Ireland, a visit to the Platinum Jubilee Clockwork Garden at Antrim Castle would be recommended. It’s a place where history, nature, and art come together to create a truly magical experience.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. As you may be aware, I’m currently visiting home in Northern Ireland and have just over a week left of my trip. Fortunately, I have seen an abundance of fantastic doors, something that has been lacking for me in Australia of late.
We visited a place called Armagh last week, the county where I am from. We simply took a stroll around the city and breathed in all the amazing history and architecture which I will have to show you all later at some point. In addition, I also stumbled upon some amazing and very colourful doors. I thought, seeing as it’s Pride month here in Northern Ireland, where people come together to stand for LGBTQA+ rights, it would be a fitting time to show case these colourful doors. Apparently the pride flag colours represent the diversity of the LGBTQA+ community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender. Personally, I just love the colours and they make me feel happy when I see them.
As always please let me know if you have a favourite this week and I hope you’re all keeping well in the blogosphere.
Thank you for the reminder WordPress that I have been blogging for the past seven years. I actually always remember this myself anyway, as I started this blog when I emigrated to Australia seven years ago.
I find it insane that I have actually lasted this long as I never imagined it to be a long term project. My aim was to show case places that I was visiting in Australia and maybe inspire others to visit them. This has continued but I would say that my journey has changed throughout the past few years, meandering my way throughout the blogging world, always on the hunt for tips and advice, learning new things and meeting new people along the way. It’s a journey that I thoroughly enjoy, however, my only wish would be to have more time to invest in blogging. Also more time to travel would be lovely but alas, one still has to work and bills to pay 😜.
When Covid hit, I thought I had nothing left to blog about as we could no longer travel. However, I soon learned that you don’t have to stick to what you normally blog about. The blogging community taught me that it’s my blog and I can write about whatever suits ME and whenever suits me. I participated in many writing challenges throughout the covid lockdowns and beyond, with some of them now firmly in my psyche, for example, being a member of the Thursday Doors club hosted by the amazing Dan!
I have found the blogging community to be strong, supportive and for the most part, inclusive. Thank you all for having me in your blogging space and I really hope to still be around for the next seven years. I will continue my doors posts and hopefully share some new travel experiences now that I have moved back to Australia. Next week I am heading home to Northern Ireland to visit my family which I am extremely excited for. It’s only been seven months since I have last seen them but I really do miss my family, especially as I have a new niece to meet!! I will keep you all posted on what we get up to.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. As I am running low on new doors I thought I would show a few of my favourite cars (I figured they have doors too right?!). These are classic cars that were pictured in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, just before we left for Australia.
There are a lot of wealthy people living in Hillsborough, therefore, classic cars is a big thing there. They are a real pride and joy for some folk and they really love to show them off in the village.
Let me know if you have a favourite this week. I apologise that I know nothing about cars and can’t even tell you what type of cars they are. However, I absolutely love seeing these classic cars and can really appreciate the time and effort it takes to keep these on the roads.
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I love all of these cars but I especially love number two. It’s the unusual and cheerful colour that really appeals to me and there’s something very “James Bond” like about its appearance. I could imagine driving this in the English countryside or the other extreme, driving along Route 66!
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors.
I’m not sure if any one will know this but today is in fact National Irish Coffee Day…and I love Irish coffees!!! When I am home in Northern Ireland, I will always try and have at least one. In 2019 I asked my Dad to show me how to make them. I think he was proud to teach me and they tasted delicious.
I swear I’m happier than I look 😅
In honour of it being this day, I thought I would showcase some of my recent and favourite public house doors from Northern Ireland. As always, let me know if you have a favourite.
The Waterfall Bar, CarnloughThe Plough, HillsboroughThe Parson’s Nose, Hillsborough (we lived on the same street!)The Stillhouse, Moira
Have you ever tried an Irish coffee??? I could have one right now, however, it’s only 7am here!
I love showcasing just one photo per month to look back on the year we just had. It’s good to reflect, see how far we have come and look back with fondness on the memories we have made.
JANUARY – this was one of the many reasons I wanted to be home in Northern Ireland, to celebrate with my Dad on his 60th birthday ☺️ FEBRUARY – this was the first time I became covid positive. Not bad considering covid had been around for nearly 3 years by then. Luckily I only had a sniffle for a day. MARCH – we moved to our favourite little village, Hillsborough. An amazing place to live and we must have visited the forest park here at least once a day. Very therapeutic.APRIL – a beautiful wedding of my friend right in the centre of Ireland. We stayed in Athlone, a beautiful Irish town with lots of charm. MAY – we had a visit from our friend all the way from Texas. We were delighted to show him around Hillsborough and glad to say he really enjoyed seeing the sights (including the local pub). JUNE – we took a visit to Cambridgeshire to visit my sister and her kids. She booked an experience for us to try punting on the river which we absolutely loved. JULY – we tried to do lots of day trips while being home. Here we were at Mussenden Temple, one of our favourite spots to visit along the north coast of Ireland. AUGUST – we headed to Dijon, France to celebrate my 40th birthday and had a truly magical time. A beautiful place to visit with fantastic food and wines. SEPTEMBER – as always in this country, we received a couple of days of summer in September as the kids go back to school. We had to get out and about to make use of the limited sunshine, as it never lasts too long in Northern Ireland. OCTOBER – Another trip over to England to visit my sister. This was the best thing about being home, that you can spend a lot of time with your family and loved ones. This photo was from a stately home in Buckden that we visited. November – Our final visit to England to spend time with my niece and nephew. We took the kids to Wimpole Estate for the annual Christmas lights event. Lots of memories made ☺️DECEMBER – After a lot of thought, we made the hard decision to return to Australia. We had a bumpy ride at home so we thought we would return to Oz for a while and see where the wind takes us. I hope to share more from our lives here in Sydney and hopefully we will have the opportunity to travel more around the country.
I would just like to say thank you for all your encouragement throughout the year and I am very grateful for the connections we have all built in the blogging world. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate and a Happy New Year.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. I have only three doors to show case today but I feel they are very much worth showing. These colourful doors were spotted in Glenarm, a little coastal village on the Causeway Coastal route that takes you from Belfast to the North of the country.
As always, please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
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My favourite this week is number 3 and that’s simply because I love the colour of the door against the grey backdrop. I can’t decide if the colour of the door reminds me of red wine or a beetroot! What do you think?
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of fantastic doors. This week, as the rain returns to Northern Ireland and the summer draws to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to show case some of my most recent green coloured doors. As much as I dislike the rain, I do appreciate that it is a necessity and the reason why Ireland is so green. As always, please let me know if you have a favourite door this week.
I have to admit, I absolutely love number four from Dijon, however, talking about Ireland, I feel that I should pick an Irish door! Number three from Portrush is my choice this week. I love it’s rustic and rundown appearance, the stained glass transom, the arch around the door and even the fancy door hinge at the top of the door. The door has real Robin Hood vibes for me, something you would see in Sherwood Forest 😜. Can you see what I mean?
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?
For the past couple of years I have been eating oats for breakfast, normally up to five days per week. I love how they taste, they’re super healthy, easy to make and relatively cheap. I feel that they will improve my quality of life due to the many health benefits that they have been linked to, for example, lowering blood glucose levels, they’re rich in antioxidants and can lower cholesterol levels.
I often refer to Healthline to research anything to do with health. According to this website, oats have nine health benefits, feel free to check them out here. I always love to know the good things that food can do for our bodies
I have recently become obsessed with a brand called White’s and was delighted to discover that they are made in my hometown of Tandragee. I always knew we made oats where I am from but never thought I would end up eating them, never mind loving them!
Do you like oats? Do you prefer quick or overnight oats?
Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. When I woke up and saw this morning’s daily prompt, I just had to answer as I love where I currently live. Most of you know I am living in Hillsborough, a small village in Northern Ireland, close to Belfast, the capital of the country. I have only been living here for about six months and although I had heard of this village and visited once or twice before, I have a whole new love and appreciation for this place now. I have ten bullet points below to show you all why I love where I live.
1 – Its location and proximity to Belfast / other towns of interest for shopping, travelling etc. Yet Hillsborough is a small village and pretty quiet, almost like its own bubble, it is located right beside the motorway, making it easily accessible to travel around Northern Ireland.
2 – The quaintness. This village has a real old school charm with some great stone architecture, lots of flowers, quirky shops and a homely feel.
3 – The doors. There are some really amazing and colourful doors here which is a great for me with my passion for doors.
4 – The bars and restaurants. Not only does Hillsborough have one fantastic bar but it has three! This is amazing for a village to have three excellent bars / restaurants, all within walking distance. A fourth one has also opened this month and we will be trying there today for lunch.
5 – Coffee shops. We have soooooo many coffee shops in this village and we have still to try some. If you love the coffee culture, then this village is the place to be. No Starbucks or chain coffee places but lots of local independent cafes with fantastic coffee.
6 – The forest park. We have our own forest park to walk around and get lost in nature. We walk this park pretty much every day and I feel super lucky to have this on our doorstep.
7 – Hillsborough Castle. This village has its own castle, steeped in history and used as the Royal residence for when when the royal family come to stay in Northern Ireland. You can have a tour or walk around its beautiful gardens.
8 – The cars. You will see some really fantastic old classic cars or some newer and expensive models driving through the village or parked on the streets. This may not impress many but I am always in awe when I see a cool car (I am not car savvy by any means).
9 – There is an abundance of wildlife with ducks, geese and swans. These can be seen in the forest park or the castle gardens. I am used to being wakened in the mornings by birds, especially when I lived in Sydney but it’s so refreshing to be wakened by the sound of ducks quacking in the morning.
10 – The people. They are extremely friendly here, much like most people in Northern Ireland to be honest.
Hillsborough
I may be biased but I love this place and am very happy and thankful to live here at present. It’s definitely a place you would want to visit.
Happy Friday everyone! It’s been a while since I have showcased a flower of the day but today is particularly gloomy in Northern Ireland, so I thought this might brighten up the day!
What an absolutely stunning flower! These are often found in forests and mountain grasslands, however, I was fortunate to spot this one in my sister’s garden. I love the tubular, purple flowers and so must many other people as these are often used as ornamental features.
I hope you’re all having a lovely start to the weekend. I’m just back from work and heading to work again tomorrow but hey ho, bills to pay 😝.
Strangford is a small village in Northern Ireland just at the mouth of Strangford Lough. We managed to take a day trip here a few weeks ago on a rare sunny day and I really wanted to show you some photos to help show case this amazing place.
On the outskirts are some fantastic places of interest such as Scrabo Tower (that I have highlighted before) and Castle Ward (home of Winterfell, Game of Thrones), however, today I simply want to show you the village itself.
I have been here before on a normal cloudy day but I had never visited when the weather was actually good. Being in Strangford when the sun is beaming is just magical and you no longer feel that you are in Northern Ireland but transported to somewhere in the Mediterranean. As it’s a seaside town, you really do have those holiday feelings of pure joy and excitement. There is beautiful architecture, mixed with some old stone buildings, showing you how historical this village is, dating back to the 15th century. The area is also known for its conservation work and environmental significance, being the home to numerous bird and fish species, as well as seals and dolphins.
Across the Lough is another pretty village called Portaferry and you can take a boat across from Strangford for a small fee. The journey is short taking about fifteen to twenty minutes and you can even take your car on board. Many locals use this service to get to and from work. In our case, we headed over to have an ice cream by the harbour and were lucky to spot a couple of the local dolphins swimming past.
We finished our day trip with a stop at the Portaferry Windmill, built in 1771. I love old historical buildings and it fascinates me that they are still standing after all this time. If only we could see them in their heyday.
Thanks for checking out Strangford and our trip over to Portaferry. It really is a beautiful place to visit and I cannot wait to return one day. It would be lovely to spend a weekend here and see what else there is to see and do. I believe Strangford is a great place to wine and dine as the seafood is famous here for being outstandingly delicious.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of spectacular doors. This week features doors from my local neighbourhood in Hillsborough and although this village has been featured many, many times, Hillsborough still manages to provide more doors that have not yet been displayed. I feel very fortunate to have so many amazing doors to see on my doorstep.
As always, please let me know if you have a favourite of the week.
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This is a really tough one for me this week but I am going to be brutal and choose number four. Although not the clearest of photos, in reality this door is absolutely stunning. I love the colour, the transom window, the sidelights and the stone archway. The architecture of the whole building is just fabulous and I couldn’t help but dream of living in a place like this (except that it would be far too big for me!).
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors or in my case today, simply one door. I had visited Mussenden Temple last weekend (for the second time) when staying at the north coast of Northern Ireland and wanted to share this amazing building and it’s fantastic door with you all.
This temple is one of the most photographed buildings in Ireland and sits perched on a cliff’s edge, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was built around 1783 for the Earl Bishop and was originally used as a library. For more information you can check out the link here. It certainly has an interesting history but I really love this building for its architecture and it’s intricate detail. The location is just stunning, situated between the home of the Earl Bishop and the coastline. I’m pretty certain the door would not be an original but nonetheless, it still appears to be pretty grand and sturdy.
The doors were locked on our last visit but luckily for us, we were able to enter the temple on our previous trip here in 2017.Even more beautiful with blue skies. From inside you can see the Downhill Demense, previously the home to the Earl Bishop and the walkway to reach the temple. Imagine having to walk down this long walkway at night, simply to read in your library!
Thanks for taking a look at this amazing temple. Please let me know if you have ever visited here or if you have ever seen a temple like this one on your travels.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of amazing doors from Northern Ireland. This week we had the most fantastic weather, enabling us to carry out some local travelling. On Monday we visited the picturesque seaside town of Strangford. I am looking forward to showing you this town very soon but for now, you can check out some really cool doors that I was able to spot there. As always, please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
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My favourite this week is number five, the red door. I love the bright colour, it really pops out and I love how regal the door looks. Also you can’t help but love the frame and brick work, absolutely stunning!
Enjoy the rest of your week everyone and take care.
A local radio presenter had recently highlighted a hidden village as a place of interest to visit in Northern Ireland amongst other locations. This was a hidden village dating back to the mid 20th century. I am from Northern Ireland and have seen many of the tourist attractions here, however, I had never even heard of this place. This was extremely exciting to hear of a new place to visit, more so, as not many people have visited here as it’s off the beaten track. Today was the day to visit this fantastic location!
Known as Galboly, this little village along the Antrim coast was inhabited from the 1800s to the 1960s by people who made a living from the land and the sea. It was once home to about 60 people but by 1950 only a few people remained. By 2013 only one man still remained in the village, a monk who lived there until his death. I found the information from this site here very helpful.
Reading this piece made me want to visit the village even more! Thankfully this article provides very good directions and with the help of google maps and a couple of locals at the coffee shop, we found our way there.
After parking the car on the side of the road, we walked through the gate and ascended the steep track up into the mountains. This is what you imagine rural Ireland to be all about. It has a very ‘Star Wars meets Game of Thrones’ feel, which coincidentally, was a filming location for some Game of Thrones scenes.
Take a look at my photos below and please let me know your thoughts? Have you ever visited a hidden village before? This was definitely a first for me and it was absolutely magical!!!
We bumped into a local farmer on our descent who still owns the land. I asked him if it bothered him that tourists were now visiting frequently. For him, it was a mix of emotions. On the one hand, he and his family were glad to see people, as they had never really had much interaction with others before and on the other hand, they do not want too much activity on their land. I can completely understand this and I really hope that people do not tarnish the area or its wildlife. It is SUCH a special place that deserves to be respected.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. It’s been a warm week here in Northern Ireland and I am certainly not complaining. We love to see the sunshine here as it doesn’t happen too often.
I took a walk along the Lisburn Road, Belfast a few days ago to get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. This road is famous for being a student area and having lots of rented accommodation for those studying nearby, myself included. As you head up the Lisburn Road, it becomes a more affluent area with trendy cafes, bars and boutique stores. I lived on this road for over a decade before moving to Australia, so it was a real delight to be walking along here again. On my stroll I came across a row of stunning terrace houses with fantastic doors and I wanted to share them with you. There was a few but I only managed to take pictures of my favourite three. Please let me know your thoughts on them.
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I LOVE the brick work of the houses, the bright colours of the doors, the arch frame and just their general quaintness. Absolutely stunning doors!
Happy Friday everyone and welcome to the weekend. Today’s flower was discovered at the Balmoral Show that I attended last weekend. With their vibrant, eye-popping colours, I was instantly drawn to take a picture of these stunning flowers. This was my first time hearing of these, has anyone heard of these before? Apparently they’re hard maintenance and grow best in high humidity countries, not sure why they’re in Northern Ireland, too funny!
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of fantastic doors. This week I took a look in my archive from doors taken in Northern Ireland a few years ago, just before I left for Australia. It’s funny to look back at my old photos and realise I have loved doors for many years now without even realising it. Please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
My favourite this week is number four. It’s extremely quaint and I do appreciate a red door! Can you believe next week will be my 50th post showcasing my favourite weekly doors? I need to create something special for next week 😅, so stay tuned!
The Balmoral Show is a four day extravaganza that happens every year in Northern Ireland (with a break during covid times). It is the official agricultural event in the country and also the oldest, with the first show having been held in 1872. It offers the chance for people all over the country to come together and be involved in farming exhibitions, competitions, championships , sample local cuisine and check out the farming fashion.
As a child and teenager, I had been to this show many times. As part of the school curriculum, our classes of pupils were taken here yearly for a day out. We all loved it, the chance to roam free (from teachers) through all the stalls on offer, see the variety of animals on show, marvel at the sheer amount of tractors, see what it is like to a part of the farming world, try the different food stalls and collect as many freebies as we could, mostly pens!! (we would see who could obtain the most).
I had always wanted to return as an adult and see if the magic was still alive and to my delight, it really was! The event was previously held in the King’s Hall but is now held outside Lisburn at the Eikon Exhibition Centre at Balmoral Park. Luckily for us we could walk to the venue and I was super grateful as the traffic was pretty busy and you had to pay for parking (crazy considering the ticket prices were £25 each). On display were numerous stalls with local food, gifts, clothing etc. We were able to watch some sheep competitions, dressage, horse jumping and quad bike jumping. There was so much more on offer and with your map (given on entry), you can plan your day with what you want to see and do.
Have a look at my highlights below from spending the day at the Balmoral Show and please let me know if you have anything like this where you are from or would something like this be of interest to you. I would love to know!
I can’t say I know much about tractors but I do find them very impressive to look at. In this country, farmers take real pride in their tractors, it’s their way of life, not just a machine to complete their work. This young handler of sheep competition was fantastic and probably the number one highlight of the day for me. The young handlers were competing with each other to be the best handler of their sheep. I have a few videos on my Instagram stories (N.Ireland) if you’re keen to see it in action. I loved seeing the different varieties of sheep, some of which appeared like mini cows!Using my map to navigate this giant space, looking for what to do next. Thousands of people attend every year but it’s very well laid out and there’s lots of space to manoeuvre. It was great just to be able to walk around and soak up the atmosphere, it certainly helped that the sun was out in force. A great family fun atmosphere. Our walk home through the countryside was beautiful, even with tired feet!
Thank you all for taking the time to read my post, I was delighted to be able to attend the show this year and thrilled to share a little of my day with you all. Have a great week everyone.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of local doors. My entries for this week are from a town called Newry in Co.Down, Northern Ireland, close to the border with Ireland. I have been here a lot over the past few weeks and have enjoyed coming across some new and beautiful doors. I hope you like them as much as I do and let me know if you have a favourite this week.
1234 56
For me this week, I kept the best for last. I love number 6 for its colour and regal appearance. The archway, pillars on either side and transom window really make the door pop! What do you think?
Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed the coronation if you watched it. Tonight’s sunset was taken a few evenings ago at Hillsborough Lake. I am obsessed with this place and walk around this lake almost every day. The sunsets here are just fantastic.
As most you already know, on my days off work, I like to get out and about to see some scenery, explore new places and appreciate the nature around us. I have actually been to this reserve before and really loved it, however, it was a cloudy day (surprise surprise) so I really wanted to return one day when the weather was better. Fortunately, we had a couple of days last month where the sun was splitting the trees and we took the opportunity to return to the Murlough National Nature Reserve. This place is really something else and I cannot wait to share it with you all.
Murlough National Nature Reserve is a delicate and impressive 6000 year old sand dune structure owned by the National Trust and has been cared for as Ireland’s first Nature Reserve since 1967. It is an outstanding area for walking, bird watching and taking in the sights due to its sensational location at the edge of Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains (Tourism Northern Ireland, 2023). This is an extremely special location where you can enjoy breathtaking ocean views, with beaches, sand dunes and mountains all in one place.
Before we headed out for a walk, we had to eat. I was pretty hungry as we arrived around lunch time. We parked the car and headed towards Murlough House, just situated five minutes away. Thanks to Google, I discovered there was a cafe there and even better, they had outside dining. Luckily for us, the weather was beautiful so it was the perfect spot to sit out and enjoy the sunshine.
We had the most amazing savoury scones here and these were new to me as I’ve only ever had sweet scones. They consisted of ham, cheese and scallions. Truly delicious and the staff here could not have been any friendlier if they tried. Loved this place for a quick bite to eat. After some food, we took the path from the garden leading down to Murlough Beach. This beach is very quiet and feels extremely secluded. You can often find a herd of seals here basking in the sunshine and it consists of many beautiful stones and sea shells. We walked along here for about half an hour where we then turned right into the sand dunes. You can, however, continue along the beach until you reach Newcastle Beach (very popular with tourists). The views of the mountains are something extraordinary to see along with the sand, stones, water and dunes. We took a walk through the dunes that is very easy to do due to the board walks that are in place. We passed a lovely building that houses a coffee shop and toilets. Sadly not open on this day but I was glad of the toilet stop and there are picnic benches if you happen to bring food with you. There are a few different routes you can take on the board walk and I wasn’t entirely sure which way to go but with the help of google maps, we headed back towards Murlough House. Luckily for us it took us on a stunning journey back via part of Saint Patrick’s Way : The Pilgrims Walk. The views here of Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains are simply out of this world!
From here we ended up back to the carpark just before Murlough House. All in all, this was a three hour round trip journey with a half hour pit stop for lunch. I highly recommend you check this place out if in Northern Ireland and have some time to see some stunning scenery.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of local doors from my neighbourhood. We have settled well into village life at Hillsborough and have found some more fantastic doors. I’m sure I must have seen nearly them all by now but I will keep my eyes peeled for more. We’re really spoiled for choice here in this village for beautiful doors.
This weekend is the Coronation of King Charles and here in Hillsborough, the village is coming to life with festivities for the future king’s celebration. Is anyone excited to watch the coronation or would you rather wash your hair haha. Please do let me know and pick a favourite door if you can.
Doors 1 and 2 Door 3 Doors 5 and 6Door 7Door 8
I think my favourite is the last door but it could be for the amazing wreath that’s featured. I’m a sucker for an interesting wreath!
Hello everyone and welcome to another week of doors! Today is Friday here in Northern Ireland, so I am a day late with my doors, however, the weather yesterday was unbelievably good and I didn’t want to waste a second of it. When the sun shines, there’s no rain and the skies are blue, you have to make the most of it in Ireland.
I thought this week I would share some of my favourite church doors. I have so many photos of churches as I love the architecture and history of these buildings and thankfully they quite often have beautiful doors. Let me know if you have a favourite this week.
1 – Glaslough, NI2 – Mudgee, Australia 3 – Queenstown, NZ4 – Carlingford, Ireland 5 – Sydney, Australia
Happy Friday everyone and it’s Good Friday today for those celebrating Easter this weekend. Today we took a walk around Hillsborough Castle as they currently have their Spring Spectacular event on display. Here they show case many new spring flowers in bloom, with particular emphasis on rare Northern Ireland daffodils.
Therefore, my flower of the day has to be the daffodil today. I never tire of seeing these brightly coloured flowers as they are a reminder that winter is over and spring is finally here. I always associate daffodils with Easter too, as I’m sure many people do.
I hope they manage to brighten your day as they did mine today. Happy Easter to you all and I hope you enjoy some time to unwind and spend time with those nearest and dearest. Best wishes.
This park was a real gem of a find. I had never been to Rostrevor but I knew it was on the coast of Carlingford Lough, near Newry, Co. Down and thought it might be worth a visit as it is close by. We followed google maps to Rostrevor, parked the car beside the park and wandered in for a look around. Just to the left of the park is Fairy Glen, where it is believed that fairies have or had once lived, according to Irish folklore.
It is well known here that the famous writer C.S. Lewis from Northern Ireland, spent a lot of his time in the Mourne area and in particular, Carlingford and Rostrevor. He was inspired here and once said that Rostrevor was his inspiration for Narnia. In this park there is a dedicated family trail to C.S. Lewis where you can see memorabilia from The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe stories. There is also a play area for the kids and an outdoor gym.
You can walk through the woodland areas, as well as around the park area (where you will also find a cafe) and along the river. It’s a truly magical place that leads back to the small, yet enchanting village. Entering and leaving the park you will see the most beautiful and quaint houses with some impressive murals on the walls leading through the village.
I cannot recommend this place highly enough and I look forward to returning here soon in the not so distant future. If you’re ever in Northern Ireland, be sure to check out this park and village.
The north coast of Northern Ireland / Ireland is undeniably beautiful and severely underrated. If you are from Northern Ireland, you will have travelled here many, many times as a child for your holidays. When people couldn’t afford foreign holidays, families would travel here to the coast, no matter if there was rain, hail or shine. Sadly, as many of you will know, our weather is notoriously wet and cold, however, when you do have good weather, the north coast is absolutely breathtaking and has a lot to offer.
You can travel along the north coast, also known as the Causeway Coast and there are numerous locations along the coastal route that are very much worth seeing. I have been to the north coast a lot but I haven’t often travelled along the Causeway Coastal route. It is well sign posted along the whole route and I will highlight the top sites to stop and see, at least those that we were able to tick off our bucket list.
We stayed in one of the popular towns in the north of the country, Portrush. I know this town pretty well as my parents lived here for a few years. It’s a really stunning coastal town and an extremely popular holiday destination. There are gorgeous walks along it’s two beaches, the West and East Strand. Portrush is well known for its theme park for the kids, surfing and paddle boarding and of course its abundance of fantastic restaurants and bars along the coast, in the town itself and by the harbour. For us, this is where we started our journey along the Causeway Coastal Route.
West Strand, Portrush Arcadia Portrush, once served as a dance hall and cafeEvery Sunday you can find people having a very quick and cold swim here, before warming up with a coffee. Not something I could do 😅1 – Magheracross Viewing Point – Our first stop has been on my bucket list since it opened a couple of years ago. The views of the Causeway Coast from here are something else.2 – Dunluce Castle – One of the most stunning castle remains in Ireland. This magnificent castle dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries. You can pay a small fee to visit the information centre and walk around the castle or like us, you can simply view from afar. 3 – Portballintrae Causeway Loop – this walk is absolutely stunning and only takes about 45 minutes one way. If you want to see the Giant’s Causeway without having to pay the hefty fee, park your car for free at Portballintrae Beach and enjoy the walk to the Causeway along the old train line.4 – Bushmills – This is a really quaint little town near Portballintrae that is really worth checking out when you’re in the vicinity. We stopped for tea at the famous Bushmills Inn.5 – Dunseverick Castle – I couldn’t wait to see this castle so when I found it along the Causeway coastal route, I actually laughed out loud. I couldn’t believe it was simply a couple of pillars left. However, this was once a majestic castle with an impressive history dating back to as far as 5AD. It’s said that St Patrick also visited here to baptise a local man who would later become the Bishop of Ireland (National Trust, 2023). 6 – Pans Rock Pier – This was our last stop along the Causeway Coastal route. I had wanted to see this pier since seeing it on Instagram a few months ago (the power of social media). It’s a beautiful pier situated at the far end of Ballycastle Beach. Ballycastle is a fantastic seaside town to check out along the Causeway Coastal route and I have been here a few times before but somehow had never seen this pier. Also this beach is pretty extraordinary as it is compiled of many different pebbles of all shapes and sizes that comprises of quartz, sandstone and granite.
I hope you have enjoyed the journey along Northern Ireland’s spectacular coastline and hopefully one day you may be able to see it for yourself, if you haven’t done so already. I know I am biased but it is honestly extremely beautiful!
WrookieSchU 