Stuart Bailie

An influential journalist and broadcaster, Stuart is based in Belfast, where his BBC Radio Ulster show has welcomed guests such as Radiohead, REM, Snow Patrol and Brian Wilson. A musician himself, Stuart played in several bands in Belfast. Moving to London he worked as a journalist on the New Musical Express, becoming Assistant Editor between 1993 and 1996.

He works as a freelance journalist, contributing to Mojo, Q and Hot Press among others, and wrote the authorised biography of Thin Lizzy, ‘The Ballad Of The Thin Man’, in 1997. He currently provides the editorial content for BBC Radio Ulster’s ‘Across The Line’ website.

"Cyprus Avenue is the place in Belfast that I value most. It’s close to the old industrial heart of the east, but the style is completely different. Sometime in the 19th century, an unknown developer planted scores of trees, planning a wide boulevard even before the big houses were built. He imagined a future when the trees would be fully grown, when the view would be spectacular. And he was right. It’s especially stunning in the autumn, but every season reveals something here. It’s a short walk from Van Morrison’s birthplace at Hyndford Street, and he loved the space and the stillness enough to write the song ‘Cyprus Avenue’. But even without this reference, it would be a majestic sight. In my mind, there’s some kind of ley line that connects CS Lewis, Narnia and Cyprus Avenue. There’s magic running through it all."