Gary Stannage

Some people call me the space cowboy. Some call me the gangster of love. I'm a picker, I'm a grinner
I'm a lover. And I'm a sinner
I play my music in the sun🏄

[Gary Stannage @Bigstan10]

Not all heroes wear capes. I wear a hi vis vest.😁🤓 #allinadayswork #extramile #aboveandbeyond https://t.co/t0VNTfstGC

[Gary Stannage @Bigstan10]

@landofthe80s 20th

[Keira Connolly @keira_con]

Wise words

“My name’s Frank. I’m 64, a retired electrician.
Forty-two years I spent running wires through houses, fixing breakers, making sure people had light in their kitchens and heat in their winters. Never once did anyone ask me where I went to college. Mostly, they just wanted to know if I could get the power back on before their ice cream melted.

Last May, I was at my granddaughter Emily’s school career day. You know the drill — doctors, lawyers, a software guy in a slick suit talking about “scaling startups.” I was the only one there with a tool belt and work boots.

When it was my turn, I told the kids, “I don’t have a degree. I’ve never sat in a lecture hall. But I’ve wired schools, hospitals, and your principal’s house. And when the hospital generator failed during a snowstorm in ’98, I was the one in the basement with a flashlight, keeping the lights on for newborn babies upstairs.”

The kids leaned forward. They had questions — real ones. “How do you fix stuff in the dark?” “Do you make a lot of money?” “Do you ever get zapped?” (Yes, once, and it’ll curl your hair.)

When the bell rang, one boy hung back. Small kid, freckles, hoodie too big for him. He mumbled, “My uncle’s a plumber. People laugh at him ’cause he didn’t finish high school. But… he’s the only one in the family who can fix anything.”

I looked that boy in the eye and said, “Kid, your uncle’s a hero. When your toilet overflows at midnight, Harvard ain’t sending anyone. A plumber is.”

Here’s the thing nobody told me when I was young — the world doesn’t run without tradespeople. You can have all the engineers you want, but if nobody builds the house, wires the power, or lays the pipes, those blueprints just sit in a drawer.

We’ve made it sound like trades are what you do if you can’t go to college, instead of a path you choose because you like working with your hands, solving problems, and seeing your work stand solid for decades.

Four years after high school, some kids walk away with diplomas. Others walk away with zero debt, a union card, and a skill they can take anywhere in the world. And guess what? When your furnace dies in January, it’s not the diploma that saves you.

A few weeks ago, that same freckled kid’s mom stopped me at the grocery store. She said, “You probably don’t remember, but you told my son trades are important. He’s shadowing his uncle this summer. First time I’ve seen him excited about anything in years.”

That’s the part we forget — for some kids, knowing their path is respected changes everything. It’s not about “just” fixing wires or pipes. It’s about pride. Purpose. The kind that sticks with you long after the job’s done.

So next time you meet a teenager, don’t just ask, “Where are you going to college?” Ask, “What’s your plan?” And if they say, “I’m learning to weld,” or “I’m starting an apprenticeship,” smile big and say, “That’s fantastic. We’re going to need you.”

Because we will. More than ever. And when the lights go out, you’ll be glad they showed up.”

[𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺U𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 @TeamUnion_UK]

On the 29th of November at 12.15pm, there is a notified parade leaving Sandy Row Orange Hall for a Rally @ Belfast City Hall.

This Rally has been planned & notified before this City Hall (Palestine flag) farce was mentioned.

The main reason for the notified “Loyalist” parade is to support the Union Flag protesters, who have maintained their weekly Saturday protest, since the removing of the Union Flag, the flag of our Country 13yrs ago.

There will also be addresses on other issues and impositions affecting NI unionists, and the ongoing persecution of Op Banner Veterans.

I would urge every loyalist / unionist who can, to come out and support the Annual Rally.

We have sat back for too long, we have lacked the resolve to challenge the relentless Republican and their proxies, including Alliance attacks on our culture, identity, indeed our very existence for decades.

(Copied from elsewhere, was asked to share)

[Bronagh Gallagher @bronaghgall]

My humble offering to the dance floor… 🪩☮️🪩 
My new single ‘Turn the Temperature Down’ drops today with new video: https://t.co/CQFBgJV4Ku

[Quincey Dougan @_quincey]

#OnThisDay 21 Sep 1795, Battle of the Diamond. During an increasingly violent series of faction fights based on religion, politics and economics; a small band repels a much larger force in a North Armagh hamlet near Loughgall. The outcome- the formation of the Orange Institution

[Bite-Sized Nostalgia @landofthe80s]

On this date in 1988 "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N’ Roses was the #1 song on the Billboard charts. It was the first of two straight weeks on top. #80s

[Gary Stannage @Bigstan10]

Promised so much delivered very little. #biggamenight

[Orange Order @OrangeOrder]

1/2
Monday, 1st September 1975 is a date that will never be forgotten by the Orangemen of Tullyvallen Guiding Star Temperance LOL 630, and indeed the entire Orange family. 
Today, 50 years later, we remember our Brethren who were murdered as they attended their Lodge meeting.

[Orange Order @OrangeOrder]

Bro, James McKee JP, Worshipful Master (Aged 73)
Bro. Ronnie McKee (Aged 40)
Bro. John Johnston, Chaplain (Aged 80)
Bro. Nevin McConnell, Secretary (Aged 48)
Bro. William Herron (Aged 68)

“Vengeance is Mine. I will repay saith the Lord.”  Romans 12:19

[Gary Stannage @Bigstan10]

@thebowlerhatman There have been a few men in bowler hats walking around that city over the last few days. Enjoy... #apprenticeboys

[Mr Benn @thebowlerhatman]

Some extremely sad news.
Ray has gone to the fancy dress shop in the sky...
RIP Sir. Thank you for the magic.
https://t.co/FZWmOeGT0g

[Mr Benn @thebowlerhatman]

Hulk Hogan brought fabulous fancy dress to wrestling & was always entertaining.
Very sad to hear he's passed away.

[NI Football League @OfficialNIFL]

History is made.

🌍 @DgnSwifts

The Swifts secure their first ever away win in Europe 🔥

[Gary Stannage @Bigstan10]

What a win for Dungannon. And a big boost for the Irish League. All to play for in the Second leg. #uefaconferenceleague

[David Archer @davidarcherNI]

STATEMENT - The Orange Institution & the Media @OrangeOrder #OrangeOrder
https://t.co/112z7duB1L #BBCGAA #BBCBias #BBCNorthernIreland #BBC #BelfastTelegraph #IrishNews #journalism #EqualityforAll #persecution #MediaBias #NorthernIreland

[Gary Stannage @Bigstan10]

@thebowlerhatman Keep up the fine work.

[Orange Order @OrangeOrder]

All your favourite Orange Order links — now in one place!

🛒 Our Shop
🌐 Official Website
🏛️ Museum Page
🎟️ Tickets to Shows & Events
📰 Sign-up for the Orange Standard
📱 Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

Check it out here 👉 https://t.co/4SBKQISew2

[Bite-Sized Nostalgia @landofthe80s]

On this date in 1983 Nintendo released the original Mario Bros. arcade game. The game featured Mario and his brother Luigi attempting to exterminate creatures emerging from pipes by jumping on their heads and kicking them. #80s

[Classic Rock In Pics @crockpics]

Nirvana on the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" music video set, 1991.

[Brad Chuck @BradChuck]

#RIP #GeorgeWendt

Sorry.

RIP #Norm