I'm watching Billy Connolly on his World tour of England Ireland and Wales.

I'm watching Billy Connolly's World Tour of England Ireland and Wales.


He's in Belfast and was talking about the different districts, the murals found in each, and the conflict between the religions or factions if you prefer over hundreds of years.

It made me think of when I was working in the service station in Harthill. It was a strange place to work, as the area was also divided, but only in 'marches' season.

You see, people were good friends. They talked together, ate together, shared breaks and stories, and helped each other out. All year round people would be best of friends. but in marching season, the old animosities arose, and for those two weeks, people stopped talking, wouldn't help each other and acted like love rivals. Or worse.

Once the season was over, the ill-feeling would gradually fade away, and by the end of the summer when I was returning to university, people would be friends again.

Isn't it sad that people's beliefs can come between friends? Especially when one of the basic tenets of those beliefs is 'do unto others''.