It’s been a busy week, which included a trip to London for the Prince’s Trust awards at the Palladium. I have been involved with ‘the Trust’ for over 10 years now and each and every event I attend I am blown away by the work they do, the lives they save and the confidence they give young people all over the country. The Awards recognised ‘Team 34’ from Belfast. The group of young people who had all been affected by suicide recognised, that most suicide prevention community programmes were designed for Adults. They decided to create their own programme for young people; ‘Hope’ (Hold On, Pain Ends) It aims to build young peoples resilience and their ability to support each other. They won the ‘Community Impact Award’. An incredible programme created by an inspiring bunch of people with great vision. Many Congratulations.
Whilst in London, I ate in a couple of places I can highly recommend. Firstly for dinner I went to Rosa’s Thai Café on Carnaby Street. It’s small and quaint with a superb atmosphere and amazing food, plus it doesn’t break the bank. I had a peppered steak dish which was awesome, I only wish I hadn’t had so much for lunch as I couldn’t finish it. I left booking my hotel until I got into town. This is the latest I have ever left booking a room. I did however get a four star hotel on a secret deal online with 73% off. I was well happy with my £68 bill. It is worth checking out lastminute.com
I also checked out the ‘Riding House Café’, which was a 5-minute walk from the London Palladium. It was superb for brunch and people watching. The hustle and bustle went on all morning for the couple of hours I was there catching up on emails and meeting a friend for coffee.
Talking of eating and drinking. I stopped by the Malmaison in Belfast this week. I have stayed here a few times over the years including my wedding night and I’ve always loved the bar. I have been known to pop in occasionally to meet friends before a DJ gig in Belfast over the years. It has just been given a makeover and it looks first class. Lunch was great and I believe they are giving their rooms a facelift too. I was well impressed. It’s worth stopping by for a look.
It’s been a massive sporting week. Many congratulations to Rory McIlroy who bagged the unofficial 5thMajor championship on Sunday. ‘The Players’ at Sawgrass is one of the toughest courses with the toughest field of competitors. Rory has been playing amazing golf since the start of the season. I can’t wait now to see how he fairs at the ‘Masters’ in a few weeks time.
The Northern Ireland football team are back in town for two matches against Estonia and Belarus. The European Qualifiers kick off on Thursday evening as we dare to dream again of qualifying for the championships in 2020. I caught up with some of the team at their hotel and the mood in the camp is full of positivity despite a tough group and a few injuries. Stuart Dallas, Jordan Jones and new goalkeeping coach Steve Harper joined us for our weekly online football show. You can watch it on Cool FM’s Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/304330961065/posts/10156799507321066?sfns=mo
You may also have caught the new advertising campaign ‘The Green and White’. The images capture the passion and emotion of the ‘Green and White Army’. I think they look great.
Finally on the sporting front I hosted a Q&A with the Ulster Rugby CEO Jonny Petrie and Head Coach Dan McFarland this week. 250 Ulster season ticket holders were in attendance and the chat and questions lasted around an hour and a half. Ulster are in the Champions Cup quarter final stage for the first time in 5 Years and with some great results recently in the league, I think its fair to say things are looking really positive at the club. I admire the approach and transparency from both Jonny and Dan. It seems they are on the same wavelength regarding long-term goals for the club with a clear plan for growth and success. It’s exciting times.
Finally this week I want to leave you with something that I spotted on ‘Example’s’ instagram. He is an artist I have admired over the years and have had the pleasure of interviewing and seeing him perform live. In my own job I always try to remember a couple of things when it comes to the radio show and events I am involved in. Firstly ‘keep it simple’ and secondly ‘don’t try TOO hard’. I got a lot out of Example’s post.
#PS017
