Projecting Cinema Geekery

So having got my memory card reader into gear again, I've found a whole lotta photos from recent times. Including which are some from the Ulster Folk Museum. The best part of this entire place in my biased opinion is The Picture House- the turn-of-the-century style cinema consisting of benches, a wall for a screen, a piano for soundtracking and this old beauty of a projector:

Unfortunately it is not in use, probably because of the HUGE fire hazard, expense and the fact that it'd need to manned all day everyday. But it's lovely to see, and reminiscent of Cinema Paradiso :)
These days it's all digital which is a bit of a tragedy in my mind with regards to skills not being needed so much anymore. I'm glad I learned how to do it before the chance was lost completely.
The only cinema I know that has nt gone digital at all is the last independently run cinema in all of Belfast, The Strand on the Holywood Road. This was my local back in the day, the place I had my first ever cinema experience- in the form of Aladdin! It uses the old reel-to-reel method on its behemoth machines. The seats are hard and void of legroom, the stairs sport the same old weathered carpet that they did fifteen years ago. But it has heart- it has never sold out, it has been threatened by loss of profits time after time but always stood strong. The tickets are still bus-esque little stubs, the popcorn is sweet and crunchy from the old popcorn maker. And to top it off, they have an original standee from the Wizard of Oz in the main corridor. You need that kind of genuineness once in a while, if only to be reminded of the humble and magical beginnings of the moving pictures.

Return of the WiFi

I have at last restored the internet. And many tales I have to tell.

Firstly. Alice Kona Band EP is complete, sporting my photography on the cover and a fantastic logo designed by the talented Danni Gowdy. You can see it and buy it ;) here- http://alicekonaband.bandcamp.com/album/iv-death-by-water
I am rather chuffed!

I am still doodling like a crazed monkey with a pen on the second issue of Don't Panic, featuring a poor little fuzzy character who is just a little bit confused....more on that later ;) Ink supplies will be replenished to the point of a giant TANK just to make sure we get this out there into people's hands at fecking last. Hell, into our own hands for that matter.
The third Film Devour short-film festival was held to great success by the legendary Brian Mulholland, with twenty?..I think.. movies therein. They ranged from cocaine-sniffing puppets to vampire housemates to chilling tales of murder and conflicted loyalty. It was fantastic to see how much passion there is around here. There's nothing better than getting a few mates together and just making something, purely because you love doing it. Hooray for Brian, GO GO GADGET............BLACK BOX!
 
And speaking of film/acty type things, I'm going to be auditioning for a part in The Water Clock come April, a lovely dark little story featuring many female, deranged characters...so maybe I'll stand a chance :P
I've entered some more poetry contests too but they apparently don't get judged until June, soooo....

The new job training is going well I think..there's such a buzz about the theatre, everyone's so happy and excited to be there. It's really quite excellent :)

AND! I went to Durham, and York, to visit two of my sisters. We roamed many quaint shops and cobbled streets, and sampled some bizarre ales and markets. There were so many hats....SO MANY HATS and I was so very poor. The heartache. And holy great jabberwocky, we found this place called The Fudge Kitchen...which is exactly what it sounds like. We indulged in a big ol'slab and quote Diana, "It's like the McCormack version of passing 'round a joint". Aheheh! Also, an establishment worth mentioning was The Guy Fawkes Inn- where he was allegedly born. It was a lovely wooden ornate pub serving up all kinds of beer and ale. I tried the 'Dark Treason' stout :D Yes, mostly for the name- it wasn't so good apart from that...

And finally, I'm going to Prague in May with my dad. I'm insanely excited. It's going to be quite the geek fest- we plan on having an opera night, both all dressed up and disguising our riff-raffness. Plus, I hear they have good beer.

But, currently, I'm quite content right now- I have cookies, tea and my Frasier boxset. Yesterday was payday, which means there's oil in the tank. We won't be cold tonight, kids!! ...It's the simple things :)

Let's Go Outside

Book Fair at Mount Stewart- dusty volumes and bent spines stuffed into boxes to rummage through, in one of the most beautiful National Trust properties in our wee country. Lovely. I picked up four poetry books- including “Curious and Comic Verse”, which held this little piece of gold:

“There are several reasons for drinking,

And one has just entered my head;

If a man cannot drink when he’s living

How the Hell can he drink when he’s dead?”