I am just back from Dublin having been at the ‘Zeminar’ youth conference at the National Sports Institute. I was there to meet the youth organisations who have been awarded grants from this years Coca Cola ‘Thank you fund’. I have been an ambassador for the fund over the past few years and have seen the great work that can be achieved with the funds help. Organisations come up with projects that will help young people grow. The aim is to inspire, empower and help develop our leaders of tomorrow. It is so good to see projects get off the ground that ordinarily would not see the light of day without the funds help. It could be your organisation being awarded funds next year so if you work with young people check out coca-cola.ie/thankyou
I really do think I have an obsession with Applegreen service stations by the way. I stopped twice on the way to Dublin and once on the way home. It’s sad, I know.
I went to see Keane on Monday night at the Waterfront in Belfast. Before the gig it was Nandos for dinner. I haven’t visited the Portuguese chicken house in years and although it wouldn’t beat ‘Marufo’ the chicken shack outside Vilamoura that I mentioned on my blog back in July it was damn good. They need to get tomato salad on the menu. Did I miss something though; have they scrapped chicken in pitta with pineapple? If so, what’s the craic with that?
Keane were amazing by the way. Having been away for 7 years you could tell they loved being back on tour and Tom’s vocals were superb. To be fair they were better than I remember them being, having seen them at the SSE in Belfast and at the Oxegen festival back in the day. Their new music is good; the classics are timeless. Tom reminisced on stage about the bands first ever gig in Belfast, which was at the Ulster Hall in 2004. ‘There was a fight that broke out, look how you’ve grown you’re so civilized now’. He was funny.
Is Coleen Rooney the new Inspector Poirot? Having gone ‘undercover’ to work out who was selling the made up stories she featured on her instagram to the Sun newspaper. I reckon a hit TV series could be made simply called ‘Rooney’. It has the same ring to it as ‘Taggart’, ‘Bergerac’ and ‘Columbo’. In fact, she could be a modern day Miss Marple. I didn’t think the story would make the national six o’clock news which it did alongside Brexit and world affairs in Syria.
Finally this week, ‘Fundraver’ is back. Inspired by clubbercise classes running at leisure centres and church halls. We on the Cool FM breakfast show figured if you’re going to hold a fitness class based on club culture, bring the class to a proper club. Last years event was such a hit we decided to do it all again, this time at ‘Coach’ nightclub in Banbridge. One of Ireland’s best clubs, it has amazing sound and production. Check out the video below to give you an idea of what it’s all about and book your tickets now.
All proceeds go to Cash for kids, which help disadvantaged children in Northern Ireland. Click here for ticket info https://planetradio.co.uk/cool-fm/charity/events/fundraver-supporting-cash-for-kids/
