A mostly pleasant weekend is forecast for Northern Ireland yet there was plenty of rain over the last week. Just as last month seemed often damp. But it wasn't. To my surprise it was less wet than usual.

Two stories dominated the last week locally: Olympic joy for athletes from NI, as celebrated here by Dame Mary Peters, and terrible violence over immigration.

We have had massive medal success, proportionate to our small population. In our Big Interview this week, Helen McGurk talks to one of gold heroes, the rower Hannah Scott from Coleraine.

The former Ireland rugby international and rugby international Trevor Ringland wants a homecoming parade for the NI medal winners, both for those who competed for Ireland or for Team GB.

The anti immigration protest in Belfast last Saturday was remarkable in that there were anti immigrant protestors waving Union flags and Irish Tricolours side by side.

The former GP and PUP leader John Kyle says both middle class liberals and racist thugs are creating scapegoats. In my column today I write that Northern Ireland essentially sent out a message that no criticism of immigration is permitted here.

Enjoy your Saturday and your reading,

Ben