No matter what you choose to call the seaside resort of Portrush, on the north Antrim coast – Portrush is home to me.
Always has been, always will be.
In a series of features, our journalists are examining the things they love most about the places they live (and one thing they hate – but we will come to that later).
So, here’s what I love about THE Port (other nearby seaside resorts may try to claim this title but we all know Portrush is THE Port!)...
9. ANTRIM GARDENS TOTEM POLE
Antrim Gardens, right in the centre of town, is a fascinating area - not just for the fabulous view but because of what lies under your feet... Archive documents from 1306 list a church at “Portrossce”. During an excavation at the Antrim Gardens site, archaeologists made some intriguing discoveries including a series of possible stone ovens. It has been suggested that this is evidence of a large kitchen which may have served a church community. Thousands of shards of pottery were also collected, helping to date the busiest period of habitation on the site to between the 13th and 15th centuries. Other finds at the Antrim Gardens site include flint implements dating to the Mesolithic Period of 8000BC to 4000BC. Photo: NI WORLD
10. THE PLAYHOUSE CINEMA
A little bit of art deco in the middle of Portrush's busy main street, The Playhouse cinema has been a central part of Portrush for many years. I remember being taken to see Disney films here as a small child, before growing more daring and braving the menace that was Jaws in the mid 1970s (none of us went near the West Strand for a dip for some time after that!). Nowadays, the complex is home to bars and a restaurant as well as a wonderfully renovated, comfortable cinema which regularly hosts full houses for comedy nights, pub poetry, themed film events and screenings by Portrush Film Theatre. Photo: NI WORLD
11. ...AND THE THING I REALLY HATE - LITTER
...and finally, the thing I really hate - LITTER! Sadly, Portrush can be a victim of its own success and popularity at times. This was taken on a March Monday morning at 7am just before the Causeway Coast & Glens Council cleaners moved in, not at the height of the tourist season so you can imagine just how bad it gets in the summer. There are plenty of bins around the town, please use them. If the bins are full to overflowing, it's simple - show some personal responsibility and take it home! Photo: NI WORLD