[jet]

Originally Posted by Cherie

also coming back to the point about "it being about nothing" every July, many families come south to avoid the Orange Men marching season, as the atmosphere is so intimidating, so even though there are "no troubles" as such, though to listen to someone from NI on the radio this morning there is still a lot going on that doesn't get reported in the rest of the UK ,there are still things going on that affect families and life in NI

What rubbish. I've never been intimidated. I let them get on with it, as do most of us. If you want trouble you'll get it no matter where you are. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you and vice versa. I remember the days when my parents took us to watch the 12th of July parade. There were plenty of Catholics who enjoyed the day out.
Nowadays, a minority of Catholics on the outskirts of Belfast city (where the main parades occur) live in certain 'flashpoints' and don't want them walking the traditional routes near their areas and there can be skirmishes. A 'Parades Commision' has been set up to try to settle the differences. But most of the parade occurs in the city centre and families and tourists come out in force and there is never any trouble there. Parades in other parts of N Ireland pass off peaceably too.
IMO let them have their culture, and let us have ours. There is far more to worry about in the world today than Protestants getting all patriotic about King Billy and marching about with their flutes and accordion bands.
This 'intimidating atmosphere' is just more hyperbole, it really is overly exaggerated and I'm sick of hearing it from people who don't even live here.