I actually do LOVE LARNE!

Today I was teaching a Spanish class the verb gustar, indicating something you like. We moved on to other verbs like encantar, something you love.

A coincidence, then, thay the 'I love Larne' programme was aired tonight? No, more of an utter disappointment!

Let me start by saying I LOVE LARNE. But in the sincere way, not the ludicrous tripe portrayed in the programme. Let me also distance myself entirely from the programme and its agenda.

A number of years ago a man with family connections to Larne asked to be allowed to film certain Council events as part of his programme on Larne and how its people are resilient i  the face of adversity. Great! some overdue positive recognition for the people of Larne.

Forgive me then for thinking that the programme aired tonight had a totally different remit! The title of the show was a farce, as it showed very little of those who love Larne (and there are many of us!)

Let me extol some of the numerous virtues of Larne which should have appeared (and made for a much better programme).

First, you will find it difficult to encounter a warmer welcome than that which you will receive in Larne. And a Larne person will go out of his or her way to help you.

If you need confirmation of what a great place Larne is,  I suggest you visit Memories of Larne or Larne Through A Lens on Facebook.

This programme originally grew out of the FG Wilson job loss announcement. Since then there have been new jobs announced. Larne's businesses do great work and are consistently winning awards. We have some of the most advanced technology companies in the country. We export around the globe. Council-funded LEDCOM supports new, existing and growing businesses. Howard Hastings of Hastings Hotels recently reaffirmed his belief in the economy of the Larne area.

Where did all this positivity feature on the programme??

Carnfunnock Country Park is amongst the best 5 family parks in NI. The forthcoming Gobbins project will attract tourists and future investment into the area. We are located on the beautiful Antrim Coast.  Larne's importance as a port town has been reaffirmed by both the A8 and A2 road improvement schemes. Compared to other towns, Larne is performing very well and, with new businesses poised to open on the Main St,  the improvements are set to continue.

I could continue...

Please allow me to finish with a few points. The BBC made this programme (believe me, I would have strongly opposed this airing if I could have done so). I understand the anger shown tonight, I share it entirely. I will be requesting answers as to why such rubbish was allowed to be aired...why no locals were allowed to contribute and why elected representatives were sidelined in favour of (a) council officer(s)!

Watch this space for answers...and keep loving Larne!

The noise of empty vessels...

So the Queen's University batallion of Sinn Fein have mustered up a few hundred signatures in an attempt to trigger a vote aimed at bringing about "the end of partition in Ireland".

What has that got to do with Queen's? Good question!

I fully support the Chair of The Queen's University Young Unionists, Sky Aughey, in her comments about this ludicrous all-Ireland poll proposed for Queen's University Students' Union at the Queen's University Belfast. University should be a place of learning and challenging of ideas and concepts. It is, of course, a place for debate and reasoning. However, the Students Union should be a body which fights for all the students of QUB - be they Protestant, Catholic, Unionist, Nationalist, Irish, British, English, Scottish, Welsh, Spanish...etc., etc....

What we actually see in the SU is a Republican mob who have no idea what the REAL needs of students are so, instead, they spend their time wistfully churning our propaganda and divisive bile which has absolutely NO bearing on any student's university experience whatsoever.

At QUB freshers 2014 with Cllr Chris Smyth, Sky Aughey, Chair QUB YU, and her team.

I am a postgraduate student of QUB and proud member of the Ulster Unionist Party. I am also privileged to teach a number of students within the institution, and their concerns seem to have been forgotten by certain elements of the Student's Union. Let me outline a few...

•  A quality education; making sure students receive value for money, a solid preparation for the future, up-to-date lessons in rooms fit for purpose and with equipment which is top-of-the-range;
• Career prospects; giving QUB students the best platform from which to jump onto the career ladder, opening doors, seeking out local, national, and internationsl prospects for our students;
• Managing their finaces; the university experience is expensive, but it is an investment. That said, many students struggle to fund their course and pay the bills, and our SU should be fighting to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access a university education without the worry of debt;
• A wholesome extra-curricular experience; like school, going to university isn't about attending the classes on the timetable. It is about the extra seminars and talks which add value to each course, or the range of clubs and societies available, the important social and networking aspect, and the opportunity to play a much more active role at Queen's;
• Community engagement and the wider impact of research; making a difference to the community locally and nationally - and QUB has a track record of groundbreaking engagement and contribution, from the after-school homework clubs to internationally recognised cancer treatment research. This all requires funding from various sources, something which the SU should be standing up for and promoting;
• And, ultimately, playing a role in the building a better society; a degree is nothing if it is only a piece of paper. An expensive piece of paper, costing 3/4 or 5 years and several thousand pounds to acquire. A degree should change the person, it should inspire them to move to the next stage in their career, as an active citizen, playing an important role in society at whatever level. Our students aren't the leaders of tomorrow, many are actually leading the way today.

The above areas are but a few of the concerns which the student body at large have to deal with on a daily basis. Our Students Union seems to have forgotten about its aims and objectives, about inclusivity, about standing up for the students who pay for the place with their fees!

Along with Party colleagues, I have written to University officials to express my concern. Not at the content of the vote- the motion would probably pass but the fantasy aspiration of a United Ireland is no more realistic than live on Jupiter. However, I am worried about the divisive nature of the debate and the negative impact which it would have on campus life in the months and years ahead.

Thankfully most are sensible, well-reasoned people (albeit with differing views and opinions, as is to be expected), yet they all see the truth in the old adage: empty vessels make the most noise.