I have checked in for my Gatwick flight with Flybe already. This can be done 36 hours before the flight. The seat seems to be at the back of the plane: 28a. 1a would have been more suitable; however, it shall suffice.I'll be unable to check in online going home, unless I can find a public computer with a printer.My flight arrives at 08:20, I think. I have my rail ticket for London Victoria, so I ought to be at my destination well before, say, 09:30; that's long before the accommodation check-in time of 2pm. In which case I shall leave my luggage with them and venture out elsewhere!If I am near a computer in London, I'll continue to post some...

I was in Boots the Chemists today, having a look at travel-size cans of shaving foam. The only one they sell is the Gillette Fusion gel stuff, so I had to get that. Flybe hand luggage restrictions dictate that you must not have any liquid or fluid in your hand luggage exceeding 100 ml; so the standard size cans can only be carried in hold luggage, as far as Flybe are concerned.While I was there, I checked the over-the-counter sleeping pills: Boots sell their own label ones, called Sleepeaze; and the 50mg ones are, according to Boots, just the same as Nytol One-a-night; except that you get 20 and they are cheaper too! I'll try...

On an earlier posting in November, 2008, I mentioned over-the-counter sleeping pills called Nytol, which a friend had recommended to me. I can be a light sleeper, so I thought I'd give them a try. I've tried a lot of the herbal remedies and tablets already, so I was sceptical.Well, I have been using Nytol One-A-Night tablets the odd time since November and, I can tell you, they certainly do the trick for me. They haven't let me down once. I took one last night at about 11.30 and slept right through till 7.30, when the radio alarm woke me for the BBC Today Programme.Apparently the one-a-night pills are equivalent to two standard ones; must check the price to see which is the better value.Highly...

I've drawn up a short-list of restaurants I'd like to visit when I'm in the metropolis soon: The Eagle Bar Diner; Sotheby's Café; J Sheekey's; and the Ivy. I simply cannot be bothered reserving a table for any of them. I'll most likely go at lunch-time and take my chances.I see that Turandot is playing at the Royal Opera House on Thursday. I may endeavour to buy a day ticket for that; the box office opens at 10am. I shall see what I feel...

I've just paid a fleeting visit to Tesco Knocknagoney - why do I dislike that place so much? - and, on the chilled fish shelf, a pack of "River Cobbler" Vietnamese fish caught the lordly eye (pictured on the right).I took it over to the fish counter and asked the assistant about it. He told me that he had eaten it; and that it was a mild fish, like whiting. I was interested. I dislike strong-tasting fish. If you have tasted this fish, please let me know! I have put it in the freezer for future consumption.Two fillets, lightly dusted with a coating of something or other, skinless and boneless, cost £2 I think. Sounded fair value.So I bagged them, along with the raspberry pannacotta deserts, gin, sherry, corn flakes and more; and made my...

I always include post-nominal letters to a person's name, whether I be referring to them in correspondence or on LBNI. It accords to them the honour they deserve. I am curious to know how often recipients get the opportunity to actually wear their awards; excluding those who have the privilege of serving in the Armed Forces or have the honour of wearing Her Majesty's uniform. Navy, Army and Air Force personnel wear their medals quite often, at parades, functions, mess occasions etc. I honestly have no idea whether serving Northern Ireland Police are permitted ever to wear their medals in public, or not, under the new dispensation - courtesy of the Lord Patten.Miniature medals are worn on a dinner jacket, mess dress or full evening dress. Full-size ones are worn on all other forms of...

We've been lighting occasional fires in the living-room over Christmas. It is most comforting, and also boosts the temperature up to 22-23c. The central heating is on, as usual. It is ironic that a fire is now regarded, by me, as a luxury. Most folks undoubtedly cannot be bothered nowadays, what with the time and trouble it expends. Many have had their fireplaces totally removed altogether; or converted to gas.I think it's the time it takes, and the organization: the supply of fuel - coal, logs, paper, kindling - and the routine of clearing the previous day's ashes in to the ash-bucket below. I have a method which works well for me, and involves rolling sheets of newspaper up tightly; placing them on the grate; placing kindling on top; lighting it with one match, hopefully; and, when it's...

I send all readers, followers and fellow-bloggers best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.According to the experts at the Meteorological Office and others, 2009 is expected to be one of the warmest on record. We'll...

Our Orders of Knighthood, awards and medals have changed little in time. They all remain largely the same. There have been a few omissions and amendments; like the Order of St Patrick, the Order of the Star of India and the Order of the Indian Empire. They are now virtually extinct and there have been no conferments since about 1947.Here is my Top Twenty-two:- VC GCKG KT GCB OM GCMG GCVOGBE CH KCB/DCBKCMG/DCMG KCVO/DCVO KBE/DBE CB CMG...

I've been scanning the New Year Honours List for Northern Ireland and there are four CBEs, fifteen OBEs, thirty-two MBEs, three QPMs and one QFSM; approximately, at any rate. Do not count on my elementary mathematical prowess. Nobody in the Province is sufficiently deserving enough for so much as even a Knight Bachelorhood. Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) ranks at about Number Twenty in the Honours scale, the Knighthood of the Garter being Number One - apart from the VC and GC.Of more interest to me is the considerably higher honour awarded to the outgoing Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, KCB, CBE, MC.Sir Richard, having been a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (military division), now becomes a Knight Grand...

If a person's name has the prefix Right Honourable (Rt Hon) this tells us that they belong to the Privy Council. Cabinet Ministers, for instance, automatically become Privy Councillors when appointed to Office; as do our most senior politicians, front-benchers in Parliament, the archbishops of Canterbury and York; the Bishop of London; our most senior judges; and many other distinguished figures.The term, Right Honourable, is also used, as of right, by peers and peeresses below the rank of duke and marquess. That is to say, earls and countesses; viscounts and viscountesses; barons and baronesses. Courtesy lords are excluded.Should a peer also be a Privy Councillor, the letters "PC" come after their name to indicate this.The lord mayors of several cities have also been accorded this...

This petty piece of pedantry interests me, since I am a bit of an "anorak", as they say, when it comes to protocol and our hereditary peerage.I am referring to the Right Honourable Sir John MacDermott, a former Lord Justice of Appeal. Sir John's father, Lord MacDermott, was the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland; and went on to become a Law Lord and life peer, as is customary.For some reason, perhaps because his late father was called Lord MacDermott, Sir John is often referred to as "Lord MacDermott" by many individuals and organizations locally.I have checked with the House of Lords on their website and they have nobody by the name of MacDermott.Sir John is doubtless resigned to this titular elevation and accepts it without any fuss. He is a Knight Bachelor; not a life peer. I...

I parked at College Green today, adjacent to College Green House. The Union Theological College, established in 1853, takes up the other side of this street; and it may well be surpassed by the giant Queen's Library block nearing completion.I ambled along Rugby Road, admiring the largely unspoiled terraces and a number of detached houses too. The ones beside Botanic Gardens enjoy long gardens to the rear, as can be seen from the park.Botanic Gardens was quiet today, unsurprisingly. I left the park at the Stranmillis Road exit and strolled up the road. Café Conor, directly opposite the Ulster Museum, had a few customers. The museum, enveloped in high hoarding, showed no indication of re-opening any time soon.Eventually I came to one of my favourite Belfast addresses, Mount Pleasant. St...

This morning I've been reading a few menus from some London restaurants, one of them being the Wolseley Restaurant in Piccadilly. If you scroll right down to the bottom of the menu, you shall notice the legend: A 12½ % discretionary service charge will be added to your bill. This practice is commonplace in established London restaurants nowadays. I find it brazen and distasteful. I habitually tip waiting staff anyway, unless there is a reason not to.It will be noted that this charge is discretionary; in other words, they'll not compel you to pay it. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to know how many diners deduct it; or strike it off their bill and give a smaller - or, indeed, greater - gratuity.Restaurateurs know that, unless a meal is really dreadful or a member of staff is...

It is curious that BBC Northern Ireland has disregarded Woolworths' store at Connswater shopping centre in Belfast. The BBC reports that the "five stores" ceases today.Perhaps there is a technical reason for excluding the east Belfast store; the fact that is is in a shopping centre, for instance. I wonder how many branches of Woolies operate in shopping...

Since Christmas Day was spent lounging at home - eating, drinking and watching television - I decided to drive into Belfast. Not to do any shopping, I hasten to add. The purpose of this outing was for some stimulation, fresh air and exercise.I parked close to the Ulster Hall on Bedford Street. It looks as if there is some work still to be done at the Ulster Hall, on the exterior at least, before it re-opens in March, 2009. I crossed the street and walked up Clarence Street West, a small street which now boasts a large, new hotel called the Park Inn. The hotel itself looked empty of residents; not surprising, since it has only just opened its doors.Ambling back to Bedford Street, I turned right towards Dublin Road. I see that the Burger King restaurant at the cinema is now closed down....

I'd like to wish all my friends, readers and followers of LBNI a merry, peaceful and festive Christmas. As the old cliché goes: Eat, Drink and Be...

Two of my current favourite programmes are on this evening: the BBC's excellent Wild About Your Garden; and Channel Four's equally splendid Country House Rescue. I wish the BBC would pay me a visit to landscape our garden. They never mention the cost of these make-overs: I presume the license-fee payer stumps up.I am a devoted admirer of Ruth Watson, the erstwhile Hotel Inspector for Channel four; and now presenter of Country House Rescue. I wish she'd come back to take charge as the Hotel Inspector...

I dare say that some folks thrive on busy and crowded supermarkets, what with large trolleys causing obstructions; and shoppers chatting to acquaintances in the middle of the aisles. Not his lordship. I positively wilt when it is like this.I wished to buy a few loose Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes today, in order to roast them; and ended up going on a wild goose chase around east Belfast! In the end, I called into Marks and Spencer's food store at Ballyhackamore and they sold loose Maris Pipers. A bag of them would simply have been too much.I am eagerly looking forward to eating out at Molly's Yard, a restaurant in Botanic Avenue, Belfast, next year; perhaps sooner than that. Chekov and John of Food & Drink both speak highly of it. Molly's Yard, sadly, does not have a website or...

When I was at the dinner last Friday, I mentioned our old television set to Craig. He was most interested indeed since, it transpired, their old telly isn't doing the job properly.There is absolutely nothing wrong with our old telly. It works perfectly well. It weighs a ton too! 36kg, at least.I have, therefore, decided to donate it to the National Trust. They'll contact me in the new year to arrange...

All the usual, boring detritus is beginning to come through the letter-box already: insurance reminders, building society AGMs, a few more Christmas cards; even a computer-generated birthday card from the motor insurance company. I cannot tear up most of it quickly enough.One positive letter was from the BBC Ticket Unit, enclosing an Invitation Concert ticket in the new year.We have a taxi booked for this evening. We're having a celebration dinner at Beatrice Kennedy's restaurant in University Road,...

I read this interesting article - online - in the Daily Mail this morning about the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Shaun Woodward, MP. It would appear that Mr Woodward lives in some style, not to say grandeur. You'd be forgiven for mistaking him as a Conservative politician if you had read about Mr Woodward's wealth and property. His official residence in Ulster is Hillsborough Castle, a rambling Georgian mansion in County Down.Don't be deceived. The Secretary of State was formerly a loyal member of the Conservatives until 2001. Indeed, Mr Woodward won Douglas - now Lord - Hurd's parliamentary seat around that time.Can he really be a socialist? Expediency apparently knows no...

Whilst seated on the armchair this morning after breakfast, my thoughts turned to the Christmas Dinner. It's virtually all ready. The turkey joint is already stuffed, though we'd prefer some home-made stuffing as well. Chestnut stuffing is in the freezer. I've tried it and, despite its rich flavour, it is still somewhat heavy.Cognizant of this, I have decided to make some traditional sage and onion stuffing. It's mainly from an old cookery book we've had for ages. We usually fry the onion; however, the method in this recipe boils them. I was slightly sceptical about the flavour, texture and result of this; nevertheless, I decided to fire ahead. I halved the recipe too; we don't require a great amount:1 onion, skinned & chopped1 clove of garlic1 oz butter2 oz fresh breadcrumbs - use 2...

The latest addition to a seemingly endless line of new hotels in Belfast has just opened: the Rezidor Park Inn. It is located just off Bedford Street, in Clarence Street I think. Frankly, I this is the first time I've heard of the Rezidor Group at all; however, it is part of a chain.That's another 145 bedrooms for...

I'm off to Newcastle, County Down, this afternoon for an annual NT staff Christmas dinner. I cannot recall the last time I have eaten out in Newcastle; it certainly would have been a long time ago.I thought I'd have to drive there, despite having been kindly offered a bed for the night at Castle Ward estate. However, another NT volunteer and colleague, Richard unexpectedly phoned yesterday evening and offered to give me a lift. Greatly appreciated indeed.The Christmas bash kicks off at 5.30, and it's in Villa Vinci's...

God knows how long it is since we last used the old chip pan. It has been a demi-permanent fixture in the pot drawer for many months. I simply cannot be bothered making home-made chips or onion-rings nowadays, despite the fact that mine are invariably superior to shop-bought ones. I may give it an airing on Christmas Day in order to deep-fry the spuds (I cheat on making roasties).For home-made chips, I use Heston Blementhal's ultimate chip method. This makes sublime chips, but it has no short-cuts and, if you are lazy, it is a non-starter. No. We now buy oven chips instead.Consequently, and cognizant of this, the old chip pan lies forgotten and tucked away. The Authorities' latest advice, should you suffer a chip-pan fire, is not to cover the pan with a damp tea-towel: Get out; stay out;...

I was browsing through the December issue of the consumer magazine, Which, the other day and one thing caught my eye: online made-to-measure shirts by Marks and Spencer. This could, potentially, be a most useful service for me. Without delving into my vital statistics on LBNI, a hand-made shirt at a reasonable price seems attractive; particularly the various options available. They claim to beat Savile Row for relative quality and value. I'll wait until the New Year to order one.I have booked my return rail ticket today, from Gatwick Airport to London's Victoria Railway Station. Their online booking service has advantages such as being able to walk straight to the train from the airport with one's ticket, without the rigmarole of queueing for a ticket, finding the ticket-desk etc. A...

Whilst at Minnowburn on Saturday, I was invited to fill a large sack with logs from the old barn beside the Office. A perk of the job! We'll be able to have several log fires this Christmas, the first fires since about...

While we were at Minnowburn yesterday, one of the gang made a rather disparaging reference to the Great Lady. Whilst I may well remain in the Minority with my stance - and I know that Lady Thatcher is adored and loathed in equal measure - I decided to keep my trap firmly shut, rather than start an argument with possibly some subsequent ill-feeling which may have ensued. I suppose I could have responded with sarcasm or irony: that's not, really, in my nature.The Right Honourable the Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC - Margaret Thatcher - comes closely behind Sir Winston Churchill in my ratings. I shan't wait until her birthday, which is a mere eleven days after the Dowager's; I pay homage to the Great Lady here and...

Whilst delivering pizzas recently in Miramar, Florida, Eric the Pizza-man was accosted by armed robbers. Brandishing the only weapon at his immediate disposal, Eric flung an extra hot pepperoni directly at the scoundrel and sprinted away.Good man, Eric! It's amazing what can be done with the humble...