Flower Festival Fund-raiser

The Sacred Heart Church in Monkstown, built in the 1820´s, is greatly in need of refurbishment. A flower festival was held over the weekend to raise funds. The displays were stunning.

This is the Baptismal Font where my father and aunts and uncles and me and my brothers were baptised.

The base of this display is a piece of twisted bogwood.

This is the stained glass window over the choir gallery at the back of the Church.

Willie and Atchara ...

and a stoney cold friend!

Magz goes to London

Watch out London! Magz is coming! She left Cork airport at 7.30 am on Sunday to start a new job and a new life. Best of luck, Magz!

CIT Golf Society

CIT golf society had its first outing in Bandon on Saturday. It was a lovely day, bright and sunny and warm.

The magnificent Castle Bernard, now in ruins, sits atop a hill overlooking the Bandon river valley on part of the course.

Orla Flynn and Geoff Steiner-Scott meet the goat of times past!

Cork is growing up

Our new skyscraper is brginning to fill out!

Opening of the new Cork School of Music

Francis, the Head Caretaker.
The new CSM opened in great splendour on the Friday of the first week of its new term. Its been a hectic start of year!

The CSM Big Jazz Band entertains the visitors in the foyer.

The Minister for Education, Mary Harney, addressing the gathering of invited guests in the new Curtis Auditorium. She performed the official opening.

The Carducci Quartet take their bows.

The assembled crowds in the Curtis Auditorium. Note the organ on stage in the background.

Geoff Spratt, the Director of CSM, Brendan Murphy President CIT and the Minister for Education Mary Harney unveil the new building's plaque.

Eileen Healy from Denver, Colorado who travelled home specially for the big event with self and Rosaleen (O'Regan)Murphy.

Mags with Fiona Shaw (Mrs Dursley to Harry Potter fans). Fiona read the Ogden Nash verses to the Carnival of the Animals by Saent-Saens

Mags and self with Frances Horgan, Mags's violin teacher.

On the streets of Beijing ...

Random large buildings ...

This is a shoping centre I think.

This is a group of workers outsied their office. They were playing skipping the rope!. Probably on their afternoon break - staff fitness! Imagine ... GKS swinging the rope as the string dept staff happily skipped in the afternoon sun on Union Quay!

Waiting for the bus in Beijing - check the number on the bus!

The Beijing book shop. What a pity we cant read Chinese!

The Chinese National Theatre ..

is being built just off Tianamen Square. We strolled past it as we walked back to our hotel This is the entrance garden area.

The Theatre is a curved building ...

which is surrounded by a moat so it appears to float on the water.

The bicycle lanes were built at a time when there were 9 million bicycles in the city. Now, there are 19 million cars ... at least!

Foreigners at large in Beijing.

Randomly, curious natives would seek to be photoed with us! I guess it would be a source of amusement when they went home. Imagine, going on the family outing to Beijing and actually meeting funny foreigners!