Gibson looks Mel after Covid battle

Garage conversion the best bar none

A MAN has come up with a novel way of spending his time during lockdown – transforming his garage into a customised bar.

Feargal Nolan, from the Rosetta area of South Belfast, started the project to create The Furloughed Man after a whirlwind few days in March, when his honeymoon was cut short due to coronavirus restrictions.

It was quickly followed by him receiving news he was being furloughed from his job as a quantity surveyor.

Feargal said: “It really all started off because I suddenly had all this time to kill. I was furloughed right after the honeymoon ended.

“My wife and I were on honeymoon, which got cut short in the middle of March. Then the week we got back, I found out I was furloughed.

“So I came back to the house and obviously with everything going on, I was wondering what was going to happen. I started to think, ‘What can I do in the time that I have?’

“We’re expecting our first child in September, so there was a bit of work that was needing done to the house. So while I was doing that, I toyed with the idea of building a bar out in the garage.” He also told how he got approval from his wife before starting the project.

Feargal said: “I proceeded to hunt down some pallets – there was a few more available this year for some reason – and I started to spend days building the counter and seats and all that.

“I think during the first few weeks of lockdown we were all going stir crazy, so one of the ways I’d spent the time was putting up a projector in the garage to sit and watch movies and have a few drinks. Once I realised how good a space it was, the bar idea soon followed.”

His idea has also proved a hit with his friends.

Feargal said: “I was really pleased with how it turned out.

“I’ve had a few of the lads round for a socially distanced get-together to watch some of the Premier League matches.”

Meanwhile, people across the country splashed out again as saunas, spas and outdoor swimming pools reopened yesterday.

A number of guests soaked up a relaxing experience at the Galgorm Resort in Ballymena, Co Antrim.

MEL Gibson spent a week in a Los Angeles hospital in April after testing positive for Covid-19. The 64-year-old actor and director has completely recovered and is doing “great”, his representative said. He added Gibson has tested negative “numerous times” since then. The Austrlian star is the latest in a long line of high-profile figures to go public with coronavirus diagnoses and recoveries including Tom Hanks and singer Pink. For most people, coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and a cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some – particularly older adults and those with existing health problems – it can lead to more severe illness and even be fatal. The US has more than four million known cases of Covid-19, with more than 140,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. BRAVE HEART Mel Gibson wearing mask in LA

HIGH SPIRITS Bar at home in Belfast