The Weather
Eamonn Mallie
I am a regular contributor to discussion programmes on TV and radio both at home and abroad. An experienced political editor and author specialising in Politics, Security and 20th Century Art.
I am a regular contributor to discussion programmes on TV and radio both at home and abroad. An experienced political editor and author specialising in Politics, Security and 20th Century Art.
3 Comments
As Twain once proclaimed: Everyone, talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it.
Think the resolution to help the City began with Operation Sit-In, and BCC now providing £400k for the BackIn Belfast campaign will no doubt help attract the punters. Unfortunately as we look at a triple-dip recession here the reality is that supporting local business is the only means of survival.
Possibly the weather has intervened and cooled down the flag protests on the streets. Throughout history the weather has been a factor. D-Day went ahead through a weather window? What if it had blown up badly? It could have been another Spanish Armada and sent the history of Europe in a different direction. Reason may now prevail indoors. We hope.
I spoke last night in North London with a minister who was once the pastor of a church in Belfast, he asked me if the situation with the flags has calmed down. My response was ‘Of course, that bitter cold snap kept them all inside’. He smiled.
Perhaps the weather intervention in the flag situation has helped things? let’s hope there’s not a thawing out of the flags issue making it more active again!
I think of Disraeli then Chamberlain’s words and hope for ‘Peace for our Time’.