Two weeks have flown by and now the kids are off for the summer holidays. I pen my blog whilst sitting in the caravan in Portrush. We arrived late last night and what a difference 5 weeks makes. Since the last time I was in the Port, more stands, corporate hospitality marquees and a huge tented village have been erected. The worlds eyes will be on Portrush for ‘the Open’. I have said many times before that I never expected the Open to ever come back to Northern Ireland. Now it is only a couple of wks away. I am beyond excited. I was delighted to give my thoughts on the significance of the event on our shores to Forbes. You can read it here:
Former pro and now Sky Sports Golf Anchor Nick Dougherty was in Northern Ireland this wk to film his ‘Tee Time Tips’ at Royal Portrush and prepare for his hosting role at the championship.
I hosted a Q&A with Nick at ‘Ox’ in Belfast. The venue was a fantastic intimate setting as the 80 or so invited guests heard about Nicks metioric rise to the top of the game and how in his early thirties he couldn’t keep the ball on the course and decided to quit as a pro. His journey has seen him become the main man at Sky for their golf coverage. He was a fantastic person to interview with the most amazing story. I left totally inspired. Check out his tee time tips on his Insta if you love the game and want to get better:
https://instagram.com/nickdougherty5?igshid=1w1vtu26w1irhhttp://nickdougherty5
Talking of ‘inspiration’; that was my remit as I was asked to speak at Ballyholme Primary School P7 leavers assembly this week. It’s fair to say I have spoken at many events over the years but the pressure was on. My wife works at the school and when I said I was asked to speak her response was ‘you’d better be good’. 90 kids, their parents and all the teachers from the school were in attendance. I spoke about my journey, the support of my parents and how as my friends at school aimed to be doctors, dentists and lawyers I opted for wanting to be a DJ. I couldn’t admit that to my careers teacher as I thought they would laugh just like many boys in my year had done so. Those jibes actually inspired me to push on and prove them wrong. I was that child at primary school who didn’t have much confidence and feared even reading in front of the class. Amazing that now I speak on air to thousands everyday. That was my message and I hope the kids got something out of it, I certainly did and really enjoyed the afternoon. The school had launched their new school song and video at the assembly. I think it’s brilliant and promotes really strong messages for life and inclusivity. It’s also quite emotional. Have a watch here: https://youtu.be/myAlqi3u8qg
Belsonic in Belfast finished this week. Two wks of amazing artists including The Killers, Hozier, Tiesto, Marshmello and so on. It was the biggest yet. My highlight was seeing Lewis Capaldi. If you don’t follow this guy you don’t know what you’re missing. He is funny, self deprecating and an unbelievable entertainer with an incredible voice. He had the audience laughing in between the songs and his performance was simply sensational. Go and watch his Glastonbury performance online, listen to the album and watch his videos on Insta. I have a new hero and you will have one too. He gave me a cracking interview as well. I always talk about being yourself and not trying to live someone else’s life. He is testament to that. What a guy!
Finally the weather continues to baffle me and you’ll see here:
https://www.facebook.com/208454622535347/posts/2248046798576109?sfns=mo
‘Sumter’ continues. Summer and winter together.
Thanks for reading,
Pete
#PS26
