November 2025
Put your smiley face on
Happy Christmas!
In this season of good cheer, the blog team has voted to write stories designed to bring a smile to your face.
Santa’s arrival is just days away and let me kick off this edition by wishing each and every one of you a memorable and relaxing holiday with loved ones. There’s a wee bit of stress involved on the Big Day itself, but it evaporates when you see the delighted grins on the true believers.
In a time of doom and gloom – and shorter daylight hours – it would be easy to comment upon the abundance of global and local events that do nothing to elevate our festive mood.
So, sit back, put on your smiley face, and enjoy this offering of good news stories. We can, and should, celebrate the kinder and gentler side of life.
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Charity Lunch
To kick off, it’s worth acknowledging the sterling work being done to deliver this year’s Christmas Charity Lunch in Belfast’s Europa Hotel.
This annual sell-out bash not only gives chartered accountants and their guests the chance to let their hair down, but it also provides a welcome financial boost for the nominated charity.
On top of that, there were the hundreds of new toys collected at the front door for the Christmas Family Appeal. They were whisked away to Santa’s warehouse for his eagerly awaited Christmas morning dash to every home in the land.
Last year, the event raised £16,895 for Action Cancer. On 5th December, the charity is NI Children’s Hospice.
Not that you need reminding, but please dig deep to support the amazing work that is done for the Hospice. And enjoy the day!
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‘Traitor’ to hero
Alan Carr played a blinder in the must-watch Celebrity Traitors. We were on the edge of our seats as he out-foxed, out-witted and bamboozled the ‘Faithfuls’ to scoop the prize pot of £87,500.
Carr’s chosen charity was Neuroblastoma UK and his performance has lifted it out from a small and relatively unknown organisation to one that is now firmly centre-stage. Neuroblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer that affects children under the age of five.
The £87,500 provides a welcome boost to the coffers. In the day after winning the absorbing competition, Neuroblastoma UK received £2,500 in donations.
Alan was overwrought by his success – at least initially – but he soon re-gathered to celebrate his phenomenal success in style. Alan also managed to recruit a new legion of followers for his cheeky brinkmanship.
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World beaters at 63
They are world-class and senior badminton world champions. Pam Peard from Bangor and Sian Williams from Dublin are sixty-three years old and recently retained their senior world title against French opponents at the World Senior Championship 2025 in Thailand.
Pam and Sian are no strangers to global domination. They won their previous golds in South Korea in 2023 with their first world success in 2013 in Turkey.
The dynamic partnership now have their sights set on a busy schedule in 2026. Up first is the Scottish Open followed by the English Masters in April.
Safe to say more success on the court seems a safe bet.
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Ballymena fish and chips
We don’t know if Pam and Sian like a fish supper or prefer to stay on the dietary straight and narrow.
If they do like a fish supper, then they’d be well advised to head to Ballymena. The Merchant Fish and Chip Shop reached the top 40 in the national Federation of Fish Friers Awards for takeaway of the year.
More than 10,000 fish and chip shops are in the UK and to be named one of the select few is some achievement.
Joel and Jordan Scullion run the business which was founded by their grandfather. I hope they get a well-earned break from the shop and enjoy turkey with all the trimmings on the Big Day.
Well done, folks.
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No fish supper where she’s going
Where she’s going, fish and chips won’t be on the menu. Why? Well, because Belfast-born Dr Rosemary Coogan will have other things on her mind when she takes part in her first mission to the International Space Station before 2030.
The astrophysicist has been training for this trip since being selected by the European Space Agency for their class of 2022. She was one of just five selected from more than 22,000 applicants.
The training sounds gruelling, but maybe when she completes her odyssey, that trip to Ballymena may be a long overdue reward.
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Tea for two!
Tea cosies with a presidential theme are flying off the shelves. Susan Banks from Tallaght has made about 2,800 ‘Michael Tea Higgins’ tea cosies since 2017 and now has her sights fixed on achieving the same level of success with her ‘Catherine Connoll-Tea’ tea cosy.
Susan told RTE that she had the new tea cosy made before Catherine was elected President. Online orders are encouraging.
Hats off to Dublin’s crochet supremo, and here’s wishing her continued success.
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Raining cash
Gardai in Mullingar couldn’t believe their eyes when a man walked into the station and handed over a significant sum of money he found ‘blowing in the wind’ when he was out for a drive.
We don’t know how much it was, but the man gathered up as much of the euro notes that he could put into his vehicle. Then, off he went to hand in the lot to the Gardai.
No one stepped forward to claim the cash and a year later, the finder was told the dosh was his.
The man duly arrived at the station and said he was donating the money he found to the Guide Dogs for the Blind and Special Assistance Dogs.
This honest and kind-hearted man is making Christmas very special for the charities that are set benefit. Kris Kringle would be proud of this generous man.
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Fly-tippers are a scourge
They dump their cargos in out-of-the-way places, usually in the dead of night, and cost Councils a small fortune when it comes to clean-ups.
People are rightly angry and indignant. But then along comes three enforcement officers and slap a £150 fine on a women pouring coffee dregs down a drain from her reusable cup.
The woman didn’t realise that what she did was illegal under the environmental Protection Act 1990. Bet no one else did either. Anyway, following an outcry, and Richmond Council cancelled the fine.
The council said it is reviewing its public guidance on liquid disposal.
A happy outcome!
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In the right direction
We’re finally catching up with what happens in Courts in England, Wales and Scotland.
Under proposed changes, TV cameras will be allowed into Courts to hear and see judges delivering sentences.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said the move was not about turning courts into livestream entertainment. Victims, witnesses and jurors will not be filmed or recorded.
Under a pilot scheme last year, broadcasters were allowed to film Court of Appeal judgements. It went well. That said, it may take some time to expand coverage, but at least we’re heading in the right direction.
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And finally…..
If you push a buggy or are limited physical mobility or a visual impairment, there’s some good news on the way.
New legislation will be introduced to ban cars parking on pavements. Parking across dropped kerbs for pedestrian access and double parking will also become a no-no.
It’s a pity it has to rely on legislation to stop the selfish actions of some motorists, but they’ve been put on notice that if they continue to show scant regard for others, they’ll pay the price.
A final bit of good news as we prepare to say goodbye to 2025 and usher in a New Year.
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