Watch Your Step

This is the view out of the door that leads through the shade house to our garage.  It's the main door that we use to come and go from the house.But the other day when I went to go out I got quite a surprise as I went to step out the door.  This 1.2 m Red Belly Black Snake was having a nice little sun bake right in front of the door on the door mat. He/She did not stick around and headed off into the garden.However when hubby...

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Antrim Lieutenancy

County of AntrimLORD-LIEUTENANT            CHRISTIE, Mrs Joan, OBEVICE LORD-LIEUTENANT  READE, Mr Richard George, DLDEPUTY LIEUTENANTS                                      RATHCAVAN, The Rt Hon the Lord, DLCUNNINGHAM,...

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Viscount Dungannon (2nd Creation)

This is a branch of the noble house of Downshire.ARTHUR HILL was grandson of William Hill Esq, by Mary, eldest daughter of Sir Marcus Trevor, created Viscount Dungannon in 1662.Having succeeded to the estates of his maternal great-grandfather, Sir John Trevor, of Brynakilt, Speaker of the House of Commons in England, and first lord commissioner of the Great Seal, Mr Hill assumed the name and arms of TREVOR.This Arthur Hill-Trevor was raised to the...

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Coffee Morning

I motored the six or seven miles to Holywood, County Down, this morning for coffee and a chin-wag with my aunt and Pat.I managed to get a private parking space close to the café, the Coffee Yard.It was rather busy this morning. The topics of discussion included a luncheon my aunt gave for friends yesterday; Pat's imminent trip to Bristol; my week and a tiresome character at the National Trust volunteers, who persistently airs his left-wing, nationalist views on the aristocracy ~ viz. the Londonderrys ~ and everything contrary to the Conservative...

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Grey Abbey House

The Montgomery family has been of great antiquity and historical importance in Ulster and the Ards Peninsula. I have written an article about the house of MONTGOMERY.William Montgomery is one of the foremost brokers of country estate management, sales, fine arts and property consultancy in Northern Ireland and, indeed, further afield; and he also represents Sotheby's interests in the Province from Grey Abbey House.Flora Montgomery, his daughter,...

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Blackberry Sponge

County Down blackberry sponge pudding, made this afternoon at Belmont GHQ. The flavour is sublime.The blackberries were picked in September at Portavo reservoir, near Donaghad...

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NY Daily News Reports Classic Car Market At All-Time High

by Andrea L. AlgarMotorheads PerformanceWe're asked constantly about the values of classic cars, and whether the current trend in popularity will be on-going or whether we're in for a bubble-burst. As much as I'd love to provide a definitive answer, there is really no way to accurately predict. The previous gas war we were in in the 1970's proved fatal to a thriving muscle car era.Even following the downturn following the 1970's highs, there...

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