2021 IN PICTURES – DECEMBER (SO FAR ….)

December began with a trip to Coleraine, to see Linfield get a vital win.

That was followed by a trip to Windsor Park to see Linfield draw with Warrenpoint Town.

Time for one last concert in 2021, to see Ash at The Limelight.

The following night, I headed to Inver Park to see Linfield take on Larne.

Another match in a football dominated month, this time back to Windsor Park to see Linfield beat Ballymena United.

Of course, this entry is titled “December (So Far) as there is another week of the month left to go.

I was hoping to use my time off for hillwalks and obviously getting some photos but the weather hasn’t been kind. Hopefully, i’ll be able to get out before I return to work.

Let’s not forget, off to Windsor Park on Monday for Linfield v Glentoran. Undecided as yet about the Steel and Sons Cup Final.

Hope you enjoyed my photographic look through 2021.

Let’s hope I have something to photograph in 2022. Let’s not be stupid and get everything close again.

Coleraine v Linfield

Linfield v Warrenpoint Town

Ash live at The Limelight

Ash live at The Limelight Photo Album

Larne v Linfield

Linfield v Ballymena United

2021 IN PICTURES – NOVEMBER

November began with a day trip to Dublin. Naturally, while I was there, I took the opportunity to check out Street Art. Might as well, seeing as it was my first time there in two years.

Later that week, I did something else I hadn’t done for a long time. Not as long, just over eighteen months. I am of course referring to going to a concert, in this case, Lightning Seeds at The Limelight.

That was then followed by two road trips for Linfield away games, to Portadown and Crusaders.

Sandwiched inbetween that was another road trip, this time to Ards to get some Street Art photos, with a recent event having taken place.

It was a month of doing things I hadn’t done for a while. This time, going on a flight.

The destination was Gatwick, but not to go to London, but Brighton instead.

So many photo adventures, where to start?

Street Art in Brighton, of course. Also, a walk along Beachy Head, OMD in concert, and some sunsets while I was in Brighton.

Back home, a return to Windsor Park to see Linfield beat Cliftonville.

Two days later, I headed to The Limelight to see The Charlatans in concert.

The month ended with Linfield matches against Glenavon and Carrick Rangers.

Dublin Street Art

Dublin Street Art Photo Album

Lightning Seeds live at The Limelight

Lightning Seeds live at The Limelight Photo Album

Portadown v Linfield

Ards Street Art

Ards Street Art Photo Album

Crusaders v Linfield

Brighton Street Art

Brighton Street Art Photo Album

Beachy Head

Beachy Head Photo Album

OMD live at Brighton Centre

OMD live at Brighton Centre Photo Album

Brighton Sunset

Brighton Sunset Photo Album

Linfield v Cliftonville

The Charlatans live at The Limelight

The Charlatans live at The Limelight Photo Album

Glenavon v Linfield

Linfield v Carrick Rangers

2021 IN PICTURES – OCTOBER

October began with a football match on the first day of the month, to Windsor Park to see Linfield take on Cliftonville.

It was back to Windsor Park the following Saturday to see Linfield take on Carrick Rangers and then on the road for the match against Warrenpoint.

The following Saturday was football free, so I took the opportunity to walk up Cavehill.

Linfield’s trip to Larne being moved to a Monday night was the reason for that. Naturally, I was at Inver Park to get some photos.

Using up Annual Leave, I headed to Derry for a day trip, snapping some Street Art that I spotted when I was there.

The month ended with a trip to Windsor Park to see Linfield take on Dungannon Swifts.

Linfield v Cliftonville

Linfield v Carrick Rangers

Warrenpoint Town v Linfield

Cavehill

Cavehill Photo Album

Larne v Linfield

Derry Street Art

Derry Street Art Photo Album

Linfield v Dungannon Swifts

2021 IN PICTURES – SEPTEMBER

September began with a stroll towards Royal Avenue, or rather streets around Royal Avenue, to take in the aftermath of Hit The North, taking place in around The Sunflower. I wasn’t able to attend on the actual day of the event.

The rest of the month was football matches, Linfield’s games against Portadown, Coleraine, Glenavon and Glentoran.

Hit The North

Hit The North Photo Album

Portadown v Linfield

Linfield v Coleraine

Glenavon v Linfield

Glentoran v Linfield

2021 IN PICTURES – AUGUST

August is usually a busy month. It didn’t have a trip to Edinburgh as usual, but it did have a trip to Manchester to see United take on Leeds, and of course, get some Street Art pictures.

The week before that, I headed to Windsor Park to see Linfield take on Fola Esch in the Euro Conference League. The less said about that the better.

Towards the end of the month, I took in another trip, this time to County Wicklow, getting pictures of the Bray To Greystones Walk, Bray Head, Bray Harbour and of Street Art in Dun Laoghaire.

On the final Saturday of the month, I was back in Irish League watching mode, seeing Linfield take on Crusaders at Windsor Park on the opening day of the season.

Linfield v Fola Esch

Manchester Street Art

Manchester Street Art Photo Album

Manchester United v Leeds United

Manchester United v Leeds United Photo Album

Bray To Greystones Walk

Bray To Greystones Walk Photo Album

Bray Head

Bray Head

Bray Head Photo Album

Bray Harbour

Bray Harbour Photo Album

Dun Laoghaire Street Art

Dun Laoghaire Street Art Photo Album

Linfield v Crusaders

2021 IN PICTURES – JULY

July’s first Photo Adventure began with a trip to Cavehill over the July Holidays. I should have been in London, but with it still being a free for all regarding Covid. I decided to put that back to later in the year, so I had to make do with exploring what Northern Ireland had to offer.

I then went to a football match. By this point, going to a football match was still a novelty. It was one of two matches I took in this month, Linfield’s European matches against Zalgiris Vilnius and Borac Banja Luka.

Sandwiched inbetween those two football matches was a walk up Cregagh Glen and Lisnabreeny Hill.

Still using up Annual Leave, I then headed back to Blackhead Path at the end of the month, having visited there in late June.

The month ended with a trip to Bangor to check out some newly painted Street Art in the town.

Cavehill

Cavehill Photo Album

Linfield v Zalgiris Vilnius

Cregagh Glen/Lisnabreeny Hill

Cregagh Glen/Lisnabreeny Hill Photo Album

Linfield v Borac Banja Luka

Blackhead Path

Blackhead Path Photo Album

Bangor Street Art

Bangor Street Art Photo Album

2021 IN PICTURES – JUNE

June 2021 took a while to get going in terms of photo adventures, it wasn’t until the last three days of the month that I had one.

I was using up Annual Leave, so I took the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off at the end of the month. Well, those dates were booked off well in advance for a scheduled trip to Bray which eventually happened in August.

On the Monday morning, I headed to the North Down Coastal Path, cheating a bit by starting at Cultra, before taking the usual approach of walking for an hour and see where I end up.

If you care, it was Crawfordsburn according to the person I asked.

It was a beautiful sunny day on a route that is photo friendly, I was really happy with the results.

Just as I was the next day when I headed to Blackhead Path in Whitehead.

I’d read about it and put it on my To Do List, so I did it.

Again, a beautiful sunny day and picturesque settings made it a worthwhile visit and end to the month.

I should have going to Lansdowne Road that afternoon to try and blag a ticket for England v Germany, but a stroll in the sunshine in East Antrim was nice.

North Down Coastal Path

North Down Coastal Path Photo Album

Blackhead Path

Blackhead Path Photo Album

2021 IN PICTURES – MAY

May took a while to get going. Three weeks it was until the first photo adventure.

That was three weeks into the month for a football match. An actual football match, my first of the year.

It wasn’t just any football match, it was the Irish Cup Final, where Linfield beat Larne 2-1.

The following day, I then headed to Cregagh Glen and Lisnabreeny Hill.

On the Bank Holiday Monday at the end of the month, I headed to Belvoir Park Forest that morning for a photo adventure, and to make the most of the sunshine.

Irish Cup Final

Irish Cup Final Photo Album

Cregagh Glen/Lisnabreeny Hill

Cregagh Glen/Lisnabreeny Hill Photo Album

Belvoir Park Forest

Belvoir Park Forest Photo Album

2021 IN PICTURES – APRIL

April began with a four day weekend due to the Easter Holidays. Naturally, I was out with my camera.

On the Saturday, I headed to Belvoir Park Forest. Before Lockdown, I hadn’t been to Belvoir Park Forest in ages, so I rediscovered it, if you will.

I’d been a couple of times before, but the weather was usually too wet or too dull, so the photos weren’t great.

This time around, I had some early morning sunshine that I took advantage of.

I had planned to use my time off over Easter to do my monthly visit to Cavehill.

The plan was to go on Easter Tuesday as I assumed that Saturday, Sunday and Monday would be rammed, Tuesday would be a bit quieter. You know, the whole Trying Not To Get Covid Thing.

It turned out to be an inspired decision. Not only was there not a lot of people about, but it snowed. Yes, snow in April.

Cavehill in snow was photos I always wanted, and I was not disappointed by my trip to McArt’s Fort.

On my way up, I did ask myself what I was doing, but it was all worth it when I got to the top.

However, next time it snows like that, i’ll head to Lisnabreeny Hill, in the interest of balance.

Cregagh Glen and Lisnabreeny Hill was where I headed next the following weekend, not in snow but in sunshine.

April saw me get my first Street Art photos of the year, a trip up to Shankill Road to see some new pieces painted outside Spectrum Centre and a piece by Dan Kitchener at the top, near Woodvale Park.

Belvoir Park Forest

Belvoir Park Forest Photo Album

Cavehill

Cavehill Photo Album

Cregagh Glen/Lisnabreeny Hill

Cregagh Glen/Lisnabreeny Hill Photo Album

Shankill Street Art

Shankill Street Art Photo Album

2021 IN PICTURES – MARCH

If January and February was a non event, March wasn’t much better.

In the middle of the month, I headed to Cavehill for my monthly visit there as there was nothing else to do.

I managed to explore more of it than I usually do, getting photos of the pathway that leads to Hightown Road, having not visited there before.

Two weeks later, at the end of the month, I headed to Giant’s Ring to wander around the triangle of that, Minnowburn and Terrace Hill Gardens, getting photos along the way, making the most of it being a nice morning.

Cavehill

Cavehill Photo Album

Giant’s Ring/MinnowBurn/Terrace Hill Garden

Giant’s Ring/Minnowburn/Terrace Hill Garden Photo Album