Ben visits Queen's University

A few weeks ago Ben had made a random comment - he asked, 'Jude, is there a School or University I can go to which just plays Sports?  So Jude replied ..... 'Ben I know the very place, I'll take you there next Saturday'.






The following Saturday morning they headed into Belfast ........ first stop was the small matter of an under 8 hurling match to be played against St Pauls at Shaws Road. 

That's Ben laying in the front row, right side of pic.





And here he is in action.

Today St Pauls came out on top by a score of 5 goals to 4.

















So Ben's original question was if there was a School or University he could go to which just plays Sports?  So Jude took Ben to the University where his Mum & Dad both graduated from .... Queens University Belfast.  Now Jude was stretching things a little here because this is not a University solely for Sports ....... but they do play lots of sports.  Would Ben be excited?





Well he sprinted in anyway ......











....... and Jude gave him a little tour of the place ....... explained this and that ......










...... and planted the seed that this is a place he should aim to attend when he is older.










Next stop was The Ulster Museum.

Ben had been here before with Marguerite but he enjoyed it so much we wanted to go back.

Here he is running in there too.

Little did we know that just 2 short months after trying on this mask would a pandemic sweep through the world, during which millions of people wore masks, not quite this big but masks all the same. 

This mask was used during the second world war.
















Ben wanted to see the Mummy.  This is something special.

Her name was Takabuti.  She was an Egytian from the city of Thebes and lived over 2600 years ago ........ wow!  Just the same week of Jude and Ben's visit it was in the news that evidence now proved that she had been murdered!!  She had been stabbed in the back.




After the Museum there was just about enough time to grab an ice cream ........



















...... before heading over to the Queens University Sports Centre at the Dub.  Today Queen's University's football team played Glentoran (losing 3-2) in an Irish Cup match, but Ben and Jude missed that.  However they did catch a Ladies Hockey match which was great to see.





Was he inspired today?  Was a seed sown?  It's hard to tell.

Maybe.