Tag Archives: Northern Ireland

Belfast City Guide

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If you have never been to Belfast before and are planning to go then you will be in for a treat…


Belfast Facts

A thriving city which always has something going on: Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland.

Belfast may be a small city but it is big on excitement.

There is a population of only 286,000 in the city of Belfast but what it lacks in size and population it more than makes up for in history, events and fun things to do.

First Thoughts on Belfast

Your first impressions of the city is just how beautiful it is. The accent of the resident will also leave an impression. The Irish accent is know to be beautiful and lyrical, as is the friendliness of the Irish people.

Then there will be so much stuff to do that you won’t know where to start.

If you are a Game of Thrones fan then you are certainly in for a treat as the hit fantasy TV show is filmed in Belfast and the rest of Ireland.

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You can take a tour of Titanic Studios in Belfast where it is filmed. You can also take a Game of Thrones location tour and get a picture of yourself sitting on the throne.

For something else that will also inspire a high amount of awe you might want to go for some real-life history and see the Titanic Belfast. Titanic Belfast is the largest Titanic visitor experience in the world. It is situated right beside the real historical site where the world’s most famous doomed ship was constructed. The 6-floor building will also have all of the information you could ever need to know about the Titanic, from her construction to the very tragic end.

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Because there is so much to do in Belfast and you will be surprised at just how amazing the city is, the best thing to do is to sort out your accommodation first. Find a good hotel from Hotel Direct before you leave so you can just relax and enjoy the rest of your visit. After you have dropped your stuff off the first thing you should do is grab a guinness. A trip to Ireland is not fully complete until you have tried this famous beverage.

Whats happening in Belfast?

There are also a number of festivals that happen in Belfast throughout the year.

Check ahead before you leave and you won’t miss out.

Festivals range from Red Bull Music Weekend, Sound of Belfast and the Belfast Restaurant Week.

You can take your pick depending on when you visit but there is usually at least a few great festivals or events running in the city. Catch some live music and you might hear the next big thing. A lot of famous artist have come our of Northern Ireland like Snow Patrol, Ash, Van Morrison, Therapy?, The Divine Comedy and The Undertones.

What about food?

You will also have a good choice when it comes to eating out.

There is a substantial amount of good restaurants in Belfast. Try and have a traditional dish like Irish Stew, Colcannon (a traditional Irish dish which generally consists of mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage) or soda bread.

Family fun

Belfast Zoo Credit: flikr

There is also plenty of things to do for families. The Belfast Zoo is a good place to start and the W5 interactive science museum will have hours of educational fun to entertain you and your children. For the more sporty and energetic there is the T13 Urban Sports Academy.

Here there is a good range of exciting and sporty things to do: BMX, skateboarding, kick scooter, break dancing, urban art and DJing. Rather handy, the T13 Urban Sports Academy is opposite the Titanic Belfast. So you can catch both star attractions on the same day if you have time.

All in all, Belfast is a wonderful place to visit, not only will it make a good first impression on you, but it will also leave a good lasting one, with wonderful memories and an urge to go back again and again. What are you waiting for?

 

 

Exam Results Helpline tells students not to panic

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Exam Results Helpline advisers urge students to ‘stay calm’, as they prepare for thousands of calls from students (and parents) who are keen to talk over their options after receiving unexpected exam results this year.

The Exam Results Helpline telephone 0808 100 8000 is a free telephone helpline staffed by independent careers advisers. Students across the UK who receive unexpected exam results (A levels, GCSEs and equivalent qualifications) can call in for advice about their learning and career options.

The Helpline is open throughout the exam results period, this year running between Thursday 15 and Saturday 24 August for students receiving exam results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Helpline opens for students in Scotland between Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 14 August*.

The busiest time is always A-level results day, which is Thursday 15 August this year.  Last year, the helpline received almost 3,000 calls on A level results day and almost 9,000 across the whole exam results period.

Supporting schools and colleges, helpline advisers offer information and advice on a range of topics including further and higher education options, vocational learning, re-sits, re-marks, careers, employment and gap years.

The only careers helpline with access to UCAS’ applicant information and higher education qualifications, its experienced careers professionals also offer up-to-date advice about Confirmation, Clearing and Adjustment. Advice is timely and accurate.

 

Exam Results Helpline adviser Nick Hynes, who has 25 years’ experience as a professional careers adviser, said: 

“After all the planning and revising students do, results day is the moment of truth.   If they haven’t achieved the grades they were hoping for, if they’ve done better than expected or if they just want to consider their options before making any major decisions about their futures, our experienced careers advisers are here to help.

“We offer professional and impartial advice on what the best choice might be taking into account individual circumstances and goals. We are happy to speak to family members and friends also.

 

Student, David Murdoch, called the Exam Results Helpline last year. He said:

“It was really nice to have someone properly explain my options – what I could do, the alternatives I hadn’t thought about, and the processes I needed to go through.

“It was good to get objective advice.”

If a student is reconsidering their options based on results they have or have not achieved, they should contact the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000.

If a student has a specific query about their university application, they should contact the UCAS customer service line on 0871 468 0468.

For further information, visit www.ucas.com/examresultshelpline

For students in Scotland receiving exam results
Tuesday 6 August Scottish exam results day    0800 : 2000
Wednesday 7 August                                        0800 : 2000
Thursday  8 – Friday 9 August                           0900 : 1900
Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 August                       1000 : 1800
Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 August                 0900 : 1700

For students in the rest of the UK receiving exam results
Thursday 15 August A-level exam results day 0800 : 2000
Friday 16 August                                               0800 : 1900
Saturday 17 August                                           0900 : 1700
Sunday 18 August                                             1000 : 1600
Monday 19 – Wednesday 21 August                0900 : 1700
Thursday 22 August GCSE exam results day    0800 : 1900
Friday 23 August                                               0900 : 1700
Saturday 24 August                                           0900 : 12noon

Pay Less For Your Prescriptions.

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Check if you qualify for free prescriptions

People in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland all have free prescriptions. People who live in England are not so lucky. However, if you are on some benefits, are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months then you will be entitled to free prescriptions. Check with your pharmacist.

Use An Alternative

Check that the medicine you have the prescription for is not available over the counter. It could be cheaper to buy it without the prescription. A lot of commonly prescribed medicine is available over the counter.

Prepay.

You can get something called a prescriptions prepayment certificate. It covers all of your NHS prescriptions for a certain period.

For example, if you need four prescriptions in a three month period, you would be better off buying a three-month certificate which costs £29.10. You can get these from the NHS Prescription Pricing Authority website nhsbsa.nhs.uk/1127.aspx or call 0845 850 0030

Ask Your Doctor To Buy in Bulk

You can ask your doctor for a single prescription to cover a certain amount of time. It is not well known but this means that a 1-3 month prescription would only cost £7.65. Instead of buying four different prescriptions over that time, which would cost £30.60. Talk to your doctor about prescription charges and how you can save money.

Other ways to save on medical bills it to take out temporary medical insurance. Your health is the most important thing in life so invest in it as much as you can.

Campaign for Abolishment of Prescription Charges in England.

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Frost is campaigning to abolish prescription charges in England, the last place in the ‘United’ Kingdom to have to pay. Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland all pay nothing. Scotland was the last country to do so this year.

When I went to visit my parents in Scotland I had a prescription I forgot to get, despite the fact they didn’t know how to put it through the till, I had to pay £7.40 as I live in London. It is unfair and undemocratic for England to have to pay. Please join our campaign to make the United Kingdom more united.

You can add your signature and support here

Thank you

Catherine Balavage [Editor]

Alex Knott on Home Nations

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Last month, former Northern Ireland and Fulham manager, Lawrie Sanchez took to the airwaves to launch a blistering attack on Liverpool stating: “They are no longer a big club. The Premier League has been going for 18 years and they have not won it. They won the Champions League [in 2005] by default. It was one of those days where everything went right, having gone wrong. I mean, they lost 17 games that season.” He went on to tell BBC Radio Five Live: “I remember when they used to win the title, then go on to win the European Cup in the same season. That’s when they were a big club.” One of the unwritten rules of football is that Liverpool are a BIG club, no matter what state they currently lie in.

It is with this sort of straight talking that, in December 2006, Sanchez, then manager of the Northern Ireland national team, bandied around the idea of resurrecting the defunct British Home Championship. Sanchez was fed up with the games he was playing and stated that reviving the competition would be much more beneficial than playing non-interesting friendlies. He did immediately concede that there was ‘not a lot in it for England’ and went on to cite both a fear-factor from England regarding losing the games and also a lack of commercial attractiveness for them. Walter Smith, manager of Scotland at the time and now boss at Rangers, agreed saying: “Sometimes the friendly matches that we have at international level are not worthwhile having.”

A few months later, Sanchez left the Northern Ireland job to take over at Premier League Fulham, but the seed had been planted and the ball begun to roll. In September 2008, presumably after a few behind-the-scenes conversations between the respective FA’s, it was announced that from 2011 the Nations Cup would take place in Dublin featuring Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. England declined to take part in the tournament.

Fast forward two and a half years and England find themselves playing a somewhat meaningless friendly in Denmark while the rest of the home nations battle for regional pride in Éire. All because England felt themselves above things – both from a commercial and a competitive angle.

According to the FIFA rankings, that is true regards the competitiveness, but any ranking system that puts England sixth and Wales 116th is as flawed as the day is long. England’s current ranking puts them above Portugal and Uruguay, which cannot be right, and Wales’ current position puts them behind Malawi, Qatar and Niger.

A meaningless friendly is something that England players frequently experience. But the feel of a tournament, albeit a slightly meaningless one, can only be a good thing – especially the England players who complained of being bored while in South Africa. Indications are that England will compete in 2013, at least as a one-off, to mark the 150th anniversary of the Football Association. The FA will no doubt wait until the tournament is successfully established and then ask to join. Most likely to be told to push off. England arrogant? Never!