Saturday 12 July 2008

The Twelfth


Grand Viz of Crime Always Pays, Declan Burke, left me a very nice comment in my last post wishing me a happy Twelfth of July. If you don't know anything about the grand aul marching season, check this wiki.

Anyway, CSNI is a cross community website that judges NI crime fiction aficionados on their proficiency in the written word, rather than their religious background. So be thee a proud protestant, such as Bateman or McKinty, or a good-living catholic, รก la Downey or Bailie, you're all welcome here.

So, in the spirit of cross-community crime appreciation, Happy Twelfth of July, everybody!

18 comments:

Stuart Neville said...

I shall be celebrating the Glorious Twelth, and my Protestant heritage, by pulling up carpets and preparing my kitchen wall for tiling.

In all seriousness, it does my heart good that the marching season is becoming less of an excuse for a punch-up year by year, though I believe there was some bother in Portadown and Belfast last night. But the morons are becoming more isolated these days, thank God.

You know, I think I may blog about this...

Gerard Brennan said...

A post about The Twelfth, eh? Sure I'll head on over and have a shuftie, then.

You, get back to the floors and the kitchen wall. Footering about on bogs when you should be working. I don't know.

gb

adrian mckinty said...

Surely there is no more glorious sound than that of a hundred and twenty accordions tuning up. Please tell me where I can go to hear that in Australia.

I used to be a bugler in the local BB Band. I didnt mind the twelfth, it was the months of practicing before hand, marching up and down the church hall playing "Through the Hills of Georgia" over and over and over again. I think if the residents of Atlanta were offered a choice between having their city burned to the ground by General Sherman or hearing the 1st Carrick Boys Brigade Bugle Band play our version of Sherman's march they would have chosen the former.

Anonymous said...

Adrian does his band a disservice. I actually heard them once when they were in Derry - and they weren't bad at all.
(Sorry about pegging the rocks.)

adrian mckinty said...

garbhan

no thanks for those rocks, it kept us on our toes. my sister lived in Derry for a few years and her flatmate briefly went out with the great John O'Neill if you're old enough to remember who that was.

colman said...

Glorious 12th?
Certainly is because it's my wedding anniversary.......20 years on Saturday....she'd have got less for murder, bless her!

Anonymous said...

Adrian

I take it we're talking Undertone John and not the ex-Nor Nire footballer who also hails from this parish?
I was talking to musical John just last week - a wonderful man, who puts to lie the old adage about never meeting your heroes. He refused to take a free copy of my latest book, as he wanted to buy it and assure me my buck and a half.

adrian mckinty said...

garbhan

The very same. Glad to hear that he's a nice guy. I give up expecting that when Alexi Sayle called me a f**king c*nt in front of my girlfriend in Camden Town after I'd said "Hey Alexi, big fan." I met John O. too but I was only about 9, so it wasn't exactly a meeting of minds. Still I've got that signed classic vinyl, be worth a few bob when John pops off.

I take it you nipped off to Rossnowlagh with your bricks then?

Gerard Brennan said...

Adrian, Garbhan - This is great stuff. Peace and reconciliation in action. I wonder if I can get money off the EU for this sort of thing? Peace II is over, but they've a new tranche on the go now, don't they?

Colman - Congrats on reaching the twenty year mark. But don't get complacent. She's still young enough to drop you and start again. Remember Burke's The Big O? If she buys a belly button ring and takes to smoking dope, you're in trouble!

gb

ssas said...

Every wife goes through it, boys. All a husband can do is stand by and watch the other men watch her. Woe to the husband who stands in her way.

(A few trips to the gym won't hurt, though. You're not getting any younger either.)

adrian mckinty said...

sex scenes in starbucks?

If my poor mother were alive to see that...wait a minute she is alive, dont go in for that cappuccino!

Stuart Neville said...

Hey, what happened to the photo? Did he get rerouted?

Gerard Brennan said...

Stuart - I don't know where the little bugger got to! But if he's not back on his traditional route by the end of the day I'll replace him with another pic. Maybe the square-jawed, purple-booted superhero, Orangeman!

What do you think?

gb

colman said...

Complacent.......hopefully not, I think I know which side my bread's buttered.

Plus I couldn't face the grief from the kids if I don't look after her properly.

sex scenes in Starbucks? not round my way, but I'll keep my eyes open.....live in hope, die in despair

Gerard Brennan said...

Good man yourself, Colman.

gb

adrian mckinty said...

You know what's fun to do? Go down to one of these old posts, about a week after everyone else has stopping commenting and Ger has stopped noticing and then just blather on about whatever you like. Ger will never notice in a million years so you can say anything. Is it true that even numbered Star Trek films are good and odd ones are bad? It might be an urban myth, but I did see it repeated by the comic book dude from that excellent show Spaced. The guy from that, whathisface? Sean of the Dead guy? You know who I mean, is playing Scotty in the new Star Trek and its an odd numbered one. What's he thinking? Doesnt he care? Wow I could go on all night but I wont.

Gerard Brennan said...

McKinty - Quit your messing!

gb

adrian mckinty said...

rumbled!