Fiacre Banks

@xFiacre (13208)

Ireland

Joined myLot 10 years ago

An Irishman who has called many places home, enjoys whiskey in moderation and reads Dostoyevsky frequently.

Fiacre Banks's Discussions

Singled out for honour.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 18h

Surely you must have paused to wonder why the English speaking world goes out of its way to refer to the country Côte d’Ivoire by the name by which it knows itself, while it anglicises so many others. We have dropped the...

6 responses •

7 people

How to survive New Year.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 1 Jan

Big red wine, blue cheese, Brie, goat’s cheese. Not a soft, mild goat’s cheese but a very ripe one that sends clouds of farmyard vapour swirling around the kitchen when you bite into it. Pâté, chutney, piccalilli, garlic bread....

5 responses •

6 people

Remembering Yvette. Coincidence or what?

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 31 Dec

Sometimes it’s a coincidence, sometimes there’s more to it and it’s hard to know if today’s little surprise was a coincidence or a merry happenstance. At each year’s end I’m given to a bout of melancholic nostalgia, and I turn...

3 responses •

4 people

At last, a wonderful meal. Am I too fussy?

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 29 Dec

It was to a Japanese restaurant that we repaired for luncheon today. I had chicken katsu ramen which was so deeply comforting. The broth was excellently prepared and spicy, just the ticket for a nippy day like today. The waiters...

9 responses •

9 people

Bare-faced lies. And what is your take on female pilots?

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 26 Dec

I was interested to hear why the plane I flew on was delayed tonight. The airline’s website attributed it to air traffic control issues, while the pilot gave the reason as fog when she gave her little announcement welcoming us on...

5 responses •

8 people

Greedy boy will pay the price.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 26 Dec

I’m glad to see the back of Christmas for many reasons, but maybe especially that I can put over-indulgence behind me and return to appropriate and healthy eating once more. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy spending time treating...

6 responses •

8 people

Late as usual.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 26 Dec

Plane’s delayed. It ought to be in Manchester to carry my sweet self to Belfast but it’s in Paris where I’d prefer to be but I’m not. It’s only half an hour, but still, a delay’s a delay and it’ll work out more than a mere half...

5 responses •

9 people

Borborygmic tunes.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 25 Dec

Christmas Day usually culminates in a borborygmic symphony in most households - even in mine. The excess of food and drink combined with a lack of exercise is responsible for much tribulation of the digestive tract, and its...

3 responses •

3 people

Christmas is almost over.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 25 Dec

This old codger has, with effort, contrived to suppress his more atrabilious tendencies while a house guess of his daughter and her family - a true Christmas miracle. I’m dizzy from seeing so much movement of the TV that’s the...

4 responses •

5 people

Rude street.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 24 Dec

Two street names in Manchester have leaped up to tickle my fancy today, but no way would I want to live in those streets. One is Brazennose Street - sounds dreadful. The other is hilarious - Peover Avenue! Locals pronounce it...

7 responses •

7 people

Weird.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 24 Dec

Here I sit, plonked down in the midst of the Christmas insanity at the home of my daughter and her family where it’s all Christmas a-go-go at 90 miles an hour. I betook myself to the bathroom for a while to compose myself and...

5 responses •

6 people

Flying by train.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 23 Dec

So we’re in Manchester, or at least the outer reaches thereof. I caused great confusion among the ranks by taking the train from Scotland to Manchester airport since it’s easier to get to my daughter’s house from there. All...

3 responses •

5 people

I love trains.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 23 Dec

We treated ourselves to first class tickets on the train from Edinburgh to Manchester today - it’s Christmas and the trains will be crowded, especially given the number of cancellations due to wind this past few days. Three hours...

5 responses •

7 people

Standards have slipped.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 23 Dec

I’ve grown accustomed to the uncouth attitude of folk these days but I’m still astounded when I come across it. The place we’ve been staying in these past few days in Edinburgh is quite salubrious, apartments with a breakfast bar...

3 responses •

4 people

Knickers to you too.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 22 Dec

Each time we go on a trip my wife packs our daughter’s clothes, given her limitations. Much preparation goes into the operation but there is always one inexplicable error made every time - no underwear for our daughter. When we...

5 responses •

5 people

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 21 Dec

Walking along Princes Street this afternoon I felt intimidated by the crowds of shivering shoppers bearing down on me, and it seemed that everyone was going in the opposite direction to me, that I was invisible and was going to be...

5 responses •

5 people

Night out.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 21 Dec

Another splendiferous repast this evening, courtesy of our Scottish daughter who booked it and paid for half of it as a Christmas gift. She also looked after her sister to let us enjoy some ‘us’ time, something we rarely get but...

6 responses •

7 people

Mezze etc.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 21 Dec

Luncheon was an excellent affair today in a Middle Eastern place off Princes street. We ordered an array of small dishes all tasting well and smelling better. Perfect. And the people-watching was great too. The was a woman on...

3 responses •

4 people

Up Gentleman’s Entry.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 20 Dec

Edinburgh is such a grim and gothic looking place to wander around, especially on a cold, winter night. Mist is swirling, and the restaurant we were meeting our daughter at was a league or two out of the centre. It was a Punjabi...

5 responses •

6 people

Airport.

Fiacre Banks @xFiacre (13208) • Ireland 20 Dec

The airport has policemen patrolling today, not anti-terror police, but run of the mill officers looking friendly and ready to deal with lost children and other distressing personal issues. But why are they never here when I...

7 responses •

9 people