Belfast is almost unrecognisable from the town I came to live in back in 1984.. Don’t get me wrong, we had the best of craic amongst our friends, but if you were looking for nightlife, or a range of places to eat, you were in the wrong town. The city centre was deserted by 7pm every evening; there were security checkpoints at every entrance to the shopping areas, and a further check as you entered each shop. It was a dark time for Northern Ireland, and a whole world away from today’s proud, vibrant city that I’m so happy to call home. First the barriers came down, then the revitalisation of Belfast began..
The opening of Victoria Square; the launch of the now world-famous Titanic museum (and yes, it is one of my favourite buildings!); Culture night, held every September when thousands of people wander the streets enjoying the wonderful atmosphere, and culture of every type; the Giro d’Italia, which brought the entire town to a standstill; I’ve been there for them all, and so much more.
The ‘iconic’ cranes of Harland and Wolff dominate the city skyline, while Game of Thrones has taught us much about the beauties of our own country – and virtually everyone has been in a restaurant in town when some of the GoT crew breezed in!
I hope you enjoy these pictures.. 
Titanic Museum from the Lagan path..
Everyone has to get their picture taken at the TITANIC sign!
Replica of the stair way on RMS Titanic
Original, restored stairwell at the Titanic Hotel, the former Drawing offices
Titanic Museum, with the tender Nomadic in the foreground – it was the last remaining tender and was bought by public subscription
The ‘iconic’ H+W cranes – they move you know!
birds-eye view of the Titanic sign..
HMS Caroline – the last remaining ship from the Battle of Jutland – now fully refurbished and ready for visitors.
Evening at Titanic – I love being there at sunset..
Me and him – loving Belfast!
Titanic Studios – home of Game of Thrones
The lake at Mount Stewart, a National Trust property about 20 miles from Belfast
Original cobbles in the Titanic quarter
Royal Avenue, Belfast, with the City Hall at the top..
Stairway, Titanic Hotel
the cranes, from far away!
St George’s Market – open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday..
The much-loved Continental Christmas Market at the City Hall
Newcastle, a traditional seaside town about 45 minutes from Belfast
Daffodils, flowering in April – one for each person who perished on Titanic
Belfast icons!
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx