A famous politician and lawyer, Lord Carson was leader of the Irish Unionist Alliance and Ulster…read moreUnionist Party from 1910-1921. This imposing bronze statue is found in front of Stormont Castle and was the work of the sculptor, Leonard Stanford Merrifield (1880-1943). Edward Carson was present at its unveiling in 1932 in front of a crowd of 40,000 people. The inscription on the base reads, By the loyalists of Ulster as an expression of their love and admiration for its subject. I took the photo of the statue on our visit to the city 18 months ago when we went to the grounds of Stormont Castle as part of a tour.

Yet another of Bangor's many, many chairty shops and a pretty standard one. Its based right on high…read morestreet which means that it is easy to get to and parking usually isn't too bad., If you can't get parked right outside you can pop to the car park behind Donegan's bar or it isn't too long a walk from the large Marina car park. The staff in this wee shop are friendly enough and its nice and big so there is plenty of stuff in here if you enjoy having a bit of a root around for clothes, books, old vinyl or general nick-nacks. Its always nice to shop here because you know the money is going to an excellent cause and its a great place to recycle old clothes and be safe in the knowledge that you are doing your bit.

Being one of the more unusual charity shops in Bangor (ie. the fact that it's a British Red Cross…read moreshop, rather than the actual shop itself), I decided to pop in and have a look. It was pretty busy on this sunny day, and despite the shop being a huge one, there wasn't a whole lot of room for a look. I nearly ended up treading on someone's toes (literally) whilst having a duke through the lady's clothes section, which proved to have nothing of interest anyway, although there was a rather good selection. As for the rest of the shop, well, it was distinctly average in charity shop terms. Not that average is bad, and I'm not too sure what a brilliant charity shop would look like, but still, there wasn't anything too exciting to be found....just the usual CDs, books, furnishings and other bits and bobs. So, my sister and I left it there (as in we decided to leave...we weren't going to be carrying a charity shop around with us anytime soon), and decided to go on our merry way. And that was that. I would definitely call back another, less busy day to check out the stock again. This Red Cross shop definitely has a whole lot of potential.

Te is a community space used for various activities…read more Set up to be the beacon of the community. Has workshops,counselling.. I was in here for a meeting. Just using their meeting room for a charity I volunteer with. The place seems quite spacious with numerous rooms. There is also an upstairs. It's located near Yorkgate shopping centre. It's is inside some terrace houses that where converted.

For years the Man Lee had been the number one Chinese takeaway in Lisburn. There is a small parking…read morearea plus a couple of lay-bys, so parking can be quite tight during busy periods. It is beside a chippy and a convenience store so you can kill two birds with one stone if you have others things to get. The premises is clean enough, though you can't actually see the preparation area from the shop front. They have a big enough menu to choose from and the staff are friendly enough, (depending on who you get). I can't fault the food as it is always lovely with generous portions.

Man Lee is a good place to grab some chinese food. The staff are ok and the food is nice, its one…read moreof the better chinese places I have eaten at. The portions are good here, however I did only get 3 prawns when I order seafood the last time. I thought that was a let down, duck is not bad, and you will most def enjoy the curry sauce (im kidding its just curry sauce). But good, slighty on the expensive side, but I'd take my chances on it if your in mind of a bit of China! Wish there was 1/2 stars really reluctant to give it 4

This charity shop brought to you by the people of Marie Curie is one of the best in town. It's…read moredecor is modern and the shop is laid out in such a fantastic way that you wouldn't believe it was a charity shop. The stock is constantly changed which encourages you to always pop in whenever your near by. The one bad thing I'd say about the shop is that there isn't much of a selection for the males of the world. Yes I know that the most regular customers to charity shops are old women or an girl studying art desperate to look unique by dredging through the past but come on!

There's a lovely little selection of vintage clothes in the window of Threads, including, when I…read morewent in, a striking coppery/brown sequinned dress and nice shoes and accessories. In addition to sewing alterations there is a curtain making service for whic I was quoted a charge of £30 per curtain width. You'll probably need two widths per curtain, though might manage to make them a width and a half for a smaller window. I received a good impression of Threads from the girl in the shop when I went in to enquire who was friendly and helpful so if I ever do manage to get some curtains made (I've been humming and ha-ing about this for about three years) I will certainly return to make a further enquiry.

Total life savers. Needed a dress for a wedding taken in and they did a fabulous job for me…read more Also just so lovely and beyond helpful. Really friendly and professional service.Will definitely use again and again.Thank you.

PIPS offers a valuable service to the people of North Belfast and beyond. This is a service that…read morefor a lot of families that they hope they never need to use, but sometimes it's necessary. They offer a range of counselling services and support to young people who might be suffering depression or going through a rough patch in life. PIPS became established due to the shocking amount of suicides that occurs in the North Belfast community and one of it's main roles is to support the families that are going through a hard time as a result of suicide. They work tirelessly and are always available for anyone who's in need. Their door is always open.

Pips is a suicide and self harm prevention agency that offer a unique walk in service where the…read morecare team see you straight away without having to wait weeks on an appointment. It can provide immediate help and support for you or a loved one who is feeling suicidal or in need of support. The services pips provide is befriending or counselling plus it has a pips family group which meets up once a week, this group is made up of people from all over who have lost loved ones through suicide. Alot of people get emotional support from pips and it has saved countless lives all over northern Ireland. Pips aim is to raise awareness of suicide, how it can be prevented, and to break down the stigma attached to it.

Have you ever rotivated a garden? If you have not heard that word before then you probably have not…read moredone it. But let me assure you it is a nightmare. The basic concept is that you need to turn over all the turf and flatten the garden. There is only one real way to do this and it is to hire a Mini Digger and get the hang of the controls pretty quickly. Balloo Hire Centre can carry out all these services and if you are not sure if they can help you can give them a call and one of their advisors will come over and explain what you need to do. They will always be honest and give you the best advice around as well as the best diggers.