Bloom Magazine (March 15 Online)

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EAST BELFAST ISSUE 37 MARCH 2015

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Welcome Welcome to the March issue of Bloom, where we are stepping into Spring.

Spring is a time of growth, renewal and of new beginnings. All around us we can see this as flowers burst into colour and new life is emerging. The amazing and comical, late Robin Williams was once quoted saying Spring is natures way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’ and I think he got it spot on!

Mid month we welcome Mothers Day and at the tail end we can officially start our Easter celebrations, another two reasons to celebrate Spring time.

This months Bloom is as usual filled with what is going on in the East.

There’s loads to catch up on over the next few pages and a few dates to put in the diary.

As Spring blows in we get an insight to the latest trends and what's going to be hitting the catwalks as the excitement builds for the always glamourous West Coast Cooler, Belfast FASHIONWEEK. Get all the dates and style info here in Bloom.

We have yet another local expert / blogger joining our rapidly growing team this month. Jennie Hammond is East Belfast's equivalent to Martin Lewis the 'Money Saving Expert'. Jennie is going to keep us on the straight and narrow money wise over the next few months and starts off this month with some basic tips to make the pennies go further.

Contents 04

LATEST NEWS

16

ASK THE EXPERT

18

HEALTH & BEAUTY

20

THE GOOD LIFE

26

COOKBOOK

28

LOCAL EXPERT

Last month I introduced you to Dawn, our resident movie blogger. This month Dawn went off to see the eagerly awaited 'Fifty shades of Grey'. Find out wether it was worth the wait!

30

All this and so much more inside! Sit down, put your feet up and catch up on all the amazing things going on on your doorstep.

36

Angela ^

40 42

Designed by:

Stephen Sharpe - SHARPEART.COM Barry McGovern - KUBRIX.COM

SECRET DAY SPA

STEPHEN MOORE

MARK STONE @ FOODIE FOLK

ERIC MERCER

PROPERTY BLOOM JOHN MINNIS

WHAT’S ON IN EAST BELFAST

THE BIG PICTURE FILM NEWS

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR

44

WEST COAST COOLER

46

EMBARRASSING BUDGETS

Contact: Angela Campbell | angela@bloommagazine.co.uk | 07719 104862

DUNDELA PHARMACY

LINES & CURRENT

Find us: City East Business Centre 68-72 Newtownards Road Belfast BT4 1GW www.bloommagazine.co.uk

FROM YOUR LOCAL AREA

FASHIONWEEK

JENNIE HAMMOND

Printed by: Nicholson Bass Distributed by: Speedpost NI

Any views expressed within are not necessarily endorsed by Bloom Magazine or Newborn Media.

Reference to any specific product or service does not constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by Bloom Magazine. Links and contacts are provided for user convenience and do not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation by Bloom Magazine. Any reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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News ANY NEWS? GET IN TOUCH!

MARCH 2015

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Bloom Magazine Belfast

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TENNIS CLUB HOLDS SPECIAL OPEN DAY FOR NEW MEMBERS! A hidden gem in the heart of Ballyhackamore, Gilnahirk Tennis Club (the club moved to Ballyhackamore some years ago) is holding an open day for new members on 21st March from 2 - 4pm.

The small, friendly club plays all year round in the grounds of Bloomfield Collegiate School just off the Newtownards Road - entrance via Knockhill Park - on 3 floodlit astroturf courts.

So if you fancy brushing up your tennis skills, come and join us for a fun afternoon of tennis, see round the club and meet the members. We’re even providing a free coaching session with Adrian, our resident coach, as well as refreshments.

And we have a tempting offer for new members - a month’s free trial with no obligation to join. If you decide to join after a month (and we hope you will) it will cost you just £90 for the year.

So you can’t lose!

For more information, telephone Ronnie on 07412528127 www.gilnahirktennis.org.uk

‘SPRING’ INTO ST GEORGE’S There’ll be a host of family-orientated activities at St George’s Market this spring with something to suit everyone.

March and April are set to be two very busy months and there’ll be a ‘spring’ in everyone’s step as Mothering Sunday, St Patrick’s Day, Easter and the St George’s Market Spring Fair fast approach – making the market a ‘must visit’ location in everyone’s spring calendar.

There’s plenty of free live entertainment in the pipeline too and the market has now extended their live music offering to include a Friday and music is now being played for longer on both Saturdays and Sundays too – allowing you more time to soak up the atmosphere at gorgeous St George’s.

So why not keep up-to-date with all that’s happening at the market by visiting www.belfastcity.gov.uk/markets or email development@belfastcity.gov.uk including your full name and email address to be added to our mailing list to receive the monthly St George’s Market e-zine.

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THE PETER MAUD 10K WALK

WITH LOVE FROM GEORGE BEST BELFAST CITY AIRPORT

A true gathering of hairdressers and dogs.

What a great time to do something for us to help other people than to do a sponsored walk to help Action Cancer and also Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke.

George Best Belfast City Airport has teamed up with East Belfast charity, Dee Street Loop Group, to help fund a number of fun, interactive social events for senior citizens to enjoy throughout the year. Working in collaboration with Belfast City Council’s Engage with Age programme, Dee Street Community Group aims to reduce isolation by building cross community social connections with the elderly through a wide variety of creative workshops, outdoor activities and events, part funded by the Belfast City Airport Community Fund. Pictured enjoying the festivities at the charity’s Valentine’s Tea Dance is husband and wife duo, Godfrey and Ria Brock-Gadd.

Ten hairdressers and six dogs walking the river Lagan at Shaw's Bridge on a glorious Sunday afternoon. The clients, friends and family gave us the help in raising £900 in sponsorship money and helping us to get outside on a cold Sunday morning, to clear our heads and not a blow dryer in sight.

Thank you to all with kindness.

For more information on how your school, group or project can apply to the Belfast City Airport Community Fund, please contact: communityfund@belfastcityairport.com

MAGIC IN THE PARK: AN ENCHANTED AFTERNOON Date: Time: Venue:

28 Mar 2015 12noon - 3.30pm Belmont Park

Belmont Park will come alive with the faeries of Oberon and Titania to celebrate the arrival of spring!

Join the magical residents and stumble upon the bewitched inhabitants as magic and mischief, music and mayhem take hold. You'll experience the magic of nature and Shakespeare’s universe with dance, drama, crafts, music and fun. The event will take place at the Campbell College side of Belmont Park. Please email buildingbardsni@gmail.com to book your place.

SPRING FAIR 2015 Date: Time: Venue:

18 Apr 2015 - 19 Apr 2015 1.30pm - 5.30pm Barnett Demesne

Come along for a weekend of family fun, including:

• • • • •

floral art demonstrations spring flower show exhibitions live music entertainment and dancing children's activities.

There is no parking at Barnett Demesne. Free park and ride shuttle buses will run from the Mary Peters Track to the event. Please consider using alternative methods of transport to the fair to help care for the environment. No dogs (except assistance dogs) are allowed in event area.

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HEARTSINE TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORTING THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION’S WEAR RED DAY

Joining the fight for every heartbeat, employees from Belfast based HeartSine Technologies, the only manufacturer of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the UK and Ireland, have taken part in the British Heart Foundation’s Wear Red Day which took place on Friday 6th February in order to fund lifesaving heart research.

With defibrillators increasing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survival rates to over 75% when used in conjunction with proper cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), compared to less than 5% with just CPR, HeartSine is in full support of the British Heart Foundation’s pioneering research which is central to the discovery and treatment of heart and circulatory conditions such as arrhythmias, which in many cases are undetected and can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

With 84 percent of SCA events occurring away from a healthcare setting, it is HeartSine’s aim to equip as many schools, offices and public buildings with AEDs in order to increase the survival rates of as many SCA victims as possible. For more information about how you can protect your premises or workplace with a defibrillator, please visit www.heartsine.com.

WIN A BOUQUET FOR MOTHER’S DAY Mrs Bouquet Florist on Grand Parade are giving one lucky child the opportunity to win their mummy a free Mother’s Day Bouquet.

To enter, simply post or drop your child’s entry into the shop before 5pm Thursday 12th March. Winner will be drawn and notified on Friday 13th March. Bring Mum in on Mother’s Day (Saturday 14th March) to choose Mum’s bouquet to the value of £30.

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DAVID MEADE WILL BE GETTING LOCAL RESIDENTS IN EAST BELFAST RECYCLING! Local environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful in partnership with Bryson Charitable Group are currently running a project in East Belfast which aims to encourage people to recycle more of their household waste.

As an exciting initiative to the project David Meade, BBC Mentalist, will be delivering some FREE events in the local area where he will be doing what he does best – reading minds, interacting with the audience and having fun! The events will provide a fun and interactive environment for people to get involved and be entertained by a local celebrity!

There will also be other activities, community events and workshops taking place around the local area to engage with as many households as possible to help instil the recycling message for the long-term.

Carmel Fyfe, Eco-Schools Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “If we can get householders to make one small change to their household recycling habits it could make a big difference. For example, it can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic bottle to decompose in a landfill so something as simple as putting plastic milk cartons in your recycling bin will help the environment. It is also expensive to send waste to landfill so significantly improving recycling rates will leave more money for our parks and community centres.”

This project is part of an Eco-Home Rethink Waste project. The Eco-Home programme aims to help householders save money and reduce household bills by making small, simple changes to their household habits. More details of the Eco-Home programme can be found at www.eco-homeni.org. Everyone who registers with Eco-Home between now and before the 25th March will be entered into a prize draw with the chance to win supermarket vouchers and cinema tickets.

GET IN TOUCH If you would like to book your free tickets for the David Meade event or would like to learn more about the project please contact Emma Hudson on Tel: 028 9073 6920 or email: Emma.Hudson@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

ECO-HOME

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As seen on the

COMING TO YOUR AREA

BELFAST Tuesday 24th March at 7pm Exchange Church Belfast 179/187 Albertbridge Road

FREE Interactive event EVERYONE WELCOME Refreshments will be provided David will be reading minds, having fun and teaching you how to SAVE MONEY on household bills To book your FREE place at this event please contact Emma Hudson

Emma.Hudson@ keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org As part of the Eco-Home Rethink Waste Project

028 9073 6920

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ANTHONY TONER APPOINTED MANAGER FOR EASTSIDE ARTS. East Belfast Partnership is delighted to announce the appointment of Anthony Toner as our first EastSide Arts Manager. This is a crucial step forward as we seek to deliver and support arts development across the east of the city, with support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council.

Anthony has over ten years’ experience of arts management, based at Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart, where his responsibilities included programming of the annual arts festival, organising the centre’s year-round concert programme, re-development of the schedule of creative classes, management of the centre’s marketing activities and technical responsibility for events.

In addition, he has almost twenty years’ experience in journalism, working as a reporter for a number of local weekly titles in Northern Ireland, including a number of years as editor of The Chronicle newspaper in Coleraine.

Anthony is also active as a singer songwriter, having released six critically-acclaimed albums of original material. His song ‘Sailortown’ remains one of Northern Ireland radio’s most requested songs and he has toured extensively, performing on a number of occasions in Nashville, New York and at Austin’s South by South West festival, as well as making concert appearances in Canada. His album Sing Under the Bridges was shortlisted for the inaugural Northern Ireland Music Prize in 2013.

In addition, he has published a number of pieces of short fiction and has written scripts and music for several theatre productions.

Anthony and his wife, writer and theatre director Andrea Montgomery, who is Artistic Director of Terra Nova Productions, live in East Belfast. They are both passionate about the ongoing development of the area and the key role of arts in its regeneration.

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CHARITY CAR WASH AT KNOCK FIRE STATION Local charity FASA, in partnership with Knock Fire Station, will be hosting a Charity Car Wash on Saturday 28 March 2015 at Knock Fire Station from 10am 4pm.

This is in a bid to raise vital funds for a new Crisis Centre they have opened just opposite the Fire Station on the Upper Newtownards Road – The Nightingale. This is a first for Northern Ireland as the Nightingale will be a 24/7 Crisis Support Centre. It will provide a resource for people at risk of suicide and self-harm with a place to go and receive help and support in their crucial hour of need. The tranquil venue will offer access to a quiet, comfortable space, hosting the person in distress to rest while also accommodating supportive family or friends.

We would like to invite the public to come along, get your car washed and support FASA at the same time. Fireman Sam will be lending a hand on day courtesy of Funky Fun. So come along and join the fun.

For more information contact Lorna on 028 9080 3040 or email lorna@fasaonline.org

CO. DOWN DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Congratulations to Grosvenor Grammar School pupil Lois Hagen, Lower 6th, who was victorious in the Senior Girls’ category at the County Down District Cross Country Championships, held at Delamont Country Park on the afternoon of Wednesday 4th February.

In addition to Lois’ superb performance the Senior Girls team also secured an overall finish of second place, helped by the impressive performances of additional members Sophie Rea (9th place) and Katie Allen, who finished in 13th position.

In the boys races standout Grosvenor performances came from the Minor Boys’ team which finished second overall, with Andrew Hagen placing 5th, Steven Wright finishing 6th, Gareth Campbell coming home in 8th and Ethan Crawford securing a laudable 15th place finish.

In addition form five pupil Aaron Harrison also performed superbly to finish 5th in the Inter category while Paul Pruzina, Upper 6th, recovered well from an early fall to place 7th in the Senior age-group.

Well done to all of the above, as well as their coaches Mrs Karen Kirk, Mrs Linda McIlvenny and Mr Andrew Gibson, without whose efforts the competitors would not have fared so well; we now wish them the best of luck at the Ulster Championships which will be held at Mallusk Playing Fields on Tuesday 24th February.

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NI STREET LEAGUE RE-LAUNCHES AS STREET SOCCER NI At a re-launch event in Skainos Newtownards Road Belfast on Wednesday 28th January, NI Ireland Street League changed its name to Street Soccer NI. Street Soccer NI uses football to create change in some of the most marginalised communities, including the homeless. The Lord Mayor of Belfast Nichola Mallon attended the event and took time out to chat to the players about the project and their experiences. Nichola has been a consistent supporter of the project and it meant a lot to the team that she attended and spoke so passionately about homelessness.

Street Soccer NI runs football leagues, coaching sessions, education and training programmes, and provides volunteer opportunities. Participants include people who are homeless or have been homeless, people with mental health issues, addiction issues, refugees and asylum seekers, and other disadvantaged groups. The charity uses football as a hook to support positive change in players’ lives, develop role models and leaders, and create better communities. Each year Street Soccer NI selects the NI team for the Homeless World Cup, puts them through a training programme, and brings the team to compete in the event. The Homeless World Cup gives opportunities to people who have experienced homelessness a chance to use the power of football to re-energise their lives. Teams from over 65 countries compete in the international football event, which has been running now for the last 11 years.

In October 2014 Team NI competed in the Homeless World Cup in Santiago Chile. The players trained hard for the event and it paid off when they won the Accion Totale Cup in an exciting final against Denmark! All players from the team are now living in their own homes and several have completed their coaching badges with the IFA and are now role models for others. Padraig McKissock was Northern Ireland’s top scorer and he has now been signed by Bangor FC! This year the competition takes place in Amsterdam. With the help of supporters, volunteers, staff and players another team will travel to compete in the competition.

Last year’s team Captain Brendan Kingsmore said: “Football brings me a different level of happiness. I care more about my life thanks to football. I literally owe my life to football”.

Irish FA Director of Football Development, Michael Boyd, who is a Coach Mentor for Street League said: “The Homeless World Cup is a celebration of all our hard work with partners such as the East Belfast Mission over the last four years providing football, health and education opportunities for some of the most marginalised men in Northern Ireland. NI Street League is making history, with the participants acting as strong ambassadors for smashing the stigma of homelessness.”

Gavin Adams, Director of Business Development, Extern: “Extern is delighted to be supporting the ‘Homeless World Cup’. We believe that everyone has the ability to make a positive contribution to society and are delighted that two of our clients will represent their country in this prestigious event”

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LOCAL

EXPERT

DUNDELA PHARMACY

Pharmacist Lesa McLoughlin from Dundela Pharmacy on the Belmont Road continues her regular healthcare feature with some advice about stopping smoking:

If you smoke, giving up is probably the single most important step you can take to improve your health. The problem is it’s not that easy! This month it’s National No Smoking day on the 11th March so if you have been thinking about giving up now is a good time to do something about it.

Giving up smoking increases your chance of living a longer, healthier life, even if you have smoked for 40 years. One month after quitting your skin will become clearer, brighter and more hydrated.

After three to nine months your breathing will have improved and you will no longer have a cough or wheeze. One year after quitting your risk of heart attack and heart disease will have fallen to about half that of a smoker.

Stopping smoking or even going for a few hours without a cigarette leads to withdrawal. This in turn leads to bad moods, feeling irritable, difficulty concentrating and a craving for cigarettes. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) works by releasing nicotine steadily into your bloodstream at much lower levels than in a cigarette, without the tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous chemicals present in tobacco smoke. This helps to control your cravings and improve your mood. Visit your doctor or pharmacist to discuss which of the NRT products available are best for you.

Patches – best for those who smoke constantly: we can discuss how many you smoke a day, how soon on waking you have your first cigarette and if you wake during the night, this will determine whether or not you use a 16 hour or 24 hour patch and the starting strength,

Inhalator – perfect for those who miss having the cigarette in their hands and quickly delivers nicotine when you need it. Electronic or vapor cigarettes may prove to be useful but as yet they are unregulated.

Nasal or mouth spray – most closely mimics the rapid increase in nicotine levels that you get from smoking but can cause a bad taste or irritate the nose,

Gum, lozenges, and tiny tablets – provide a quick release of nicotine useful for occasional smokers or those who smoke more at certain times of the day or in certain stressful situations,

Only you can decide to quit. There is lots of help available but you need to be ready to give up for good.

Decide on a quit date and stick to it. Speak to your Doctor or Pharmacist before this date so that you have whichever nicotine replacement therapy you have chosen in place and ready to go. Some people find that cutting down slowly helps in which case you can use the quick release NRT products alongside, increasing the gaps between cigarettes so that by 6 weeks you should be smoking half of your usual amount.

Identify when you crave cigarettes and think of strategies to cope with these times. For example changing what you drink when out can affect your need for a cigarette. And think about this: the combination of smoking and drinking raises your risk of mouth cancer by 38 times. Make a list of reasons to quit and read it when you need support. A lot of people find it helpful to put aside the money that they would have spent on cigarettes each week and save for something, for example that dream holiday you have always talked about.

Take one day at a time and remember to visit your local pharmacy anytime for help and advice.

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SECRET DAY SPA

Spring clean your beauty bag Treating your make-up bag to a thorough spring clean may not sound like the most exciting activity in the world but at least it frees up some extra space for some new beauty purchases!

With the season's new fresh spring colours just starting to arrive in store, now's the time to get ruthless with your beauty bag.

Get rid of last season's old eye shadows and lip colours that you're never going to wear and make way for a few essentials. And dispose of any items you suspect might be past their sell-by date too.

Make-up can 'go off' in the same way that a fragrance does when it's been sitting around in your bathroom cabinet for too long.

Mascara, for example, shouldn't be kept longer than about four months.

Foundation usually lasts about two years - any longer than that and you'll find it starts to smell odd and change colour - so you may want to keep your winter base tucked away until next year, while you invest in a lighter, more sheer foundation for spring.

Lipstick is the one make-up bag essential that lasts, year after year and that could be why so many of us end up with far too many of them crammed inside our make-up bags!

Be brutal. Throw away the colours you never wear and replace those dark winter shades with a few lighter, more natural-looking lipsticks and gloss.

Once you've de-cluttered, it's time to give your make-up brushes an overhaul.

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THE GOOD LIFE SECOND OF A FOUR PART SERIES ON HOME PRODUCE BROUGHT TO YOU BY LOCAL BOY STEPHEN MOORE

PART 2:

BEE KEEPING For the suburban homesteader space is a very valuable commodity, and yet every farm needs livestock! This is where the noble honey bee comes in. You might not own 8000+ acres but if you place a hive, which can be kept on a few square feet, in your garden the bees will feed themselves on the flowers and trees for miles around!

The joy of bee keeping might seem to most the deliciously sweet liquid gold that the bees work so hard to make from all their foraging trips, and it is true that no better produce can you get from your garden than honey. However, the bees themselves captivate and enchant with their strange ways that keeping bees quickly becomes more than just honey. Did you know that all the honeybees that leave the hive to collect nectar from flowers are female? Yes the workers are the ladies and all that the male bees (aka drones) do all day is eat and hang around in the wing waiting for a queen to mate with, which when it happens he promptly dies. (All the women have just cheered inside at the doom of the lazy male!) And then we have the queen, who can lay 2000 eggs a day, prancing about inside the hive never leaving unless to mate in the first weeks of her life or in later years to swarm.

A swarm may seem like a scary thing, but contrary to popular belief this is actually a time when the bees are least likely to attack. It is how they multiply, the queen leaves the hive with half of the bees to find a new home, leaving the old portion in the charge of her soon-to-hatch daughter. Someone might see a swarm on a branch of a tree, a mass of bees around the size and shape of a rugby ball, this is them in waiting while a small number of them scout out a suitable new nesting site. If you see a swarm then please get in touch with a local beekeeper via the website below.

Not everyone is cut out for bee keeping, and yet you can help bees out by planting nectar and pollen sources in your garden. Check out Belfast City Bee on Facebook for more information on what species are good for bees. If you do wish to learn more about beekeeping then connect with the Belfast & District Beekeepers' Association at www.belfastbees.org.uk.

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cookbook ABOUT MARK Mark is Proprietor of Foodie Folk, based in Gilnahirk.

Mark believes good, simple ingredients are the key to proper fast food. Speaking of ingredients, while your in Foodie Folk grabbing a coffee, you can pick up the best locally sourced ingredients.

Hot Italian Sausage Ragu Ingredients (Serves 4)

Method

-

Remove skin from sausages and chop into roughly 1 inch pieces.

400g pasta (penne or fusilli) 400g Hot Italian sausages 1 jar tomato passata (700g) 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 teaspoon sugar Salt & peppe Parmesan to garnish (grated)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan. Add sausages to pan until browned. In a large saucepan add the other tablespoon of olive oil.

Add garlic and heat very gently for a few minutes. Do not allow garlic to go brown (this will make it bitter).

Add passata, sugar, salt & pepper and the sausages to the pot and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for approximately 30 minutes. In a separate pot cook pasta of your choice according to instructions on packet.

Time to plate up. Set some pasta on each plate, spoon on the sauce and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

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Simple & beautiful. The sausages are pretty hot so no need to add any more chilli. There’s a lovely little hint of fennel seeds too!

Beef Stroganoff Ingredients (Serves 4)

Method

- 300g Basmati Rice - 680g beef fillet tails* (sliced to - approximately 1cm thick) - 60g butter - 1 large onion - 1.5 tbsp paprika - 350g button mushrooms (thinly sliced) - 3 tbsp sunflower oil - 300ml soured cream - 2 tsp lemon juice - Small handful parsley (finely chopped) - Salt & pepper

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the paprika and onions and gently cook until onions are soft and sweet. Do not allow onions to go brown.

*fillet tails are the end piece of full beef fillet. They are not the perfect shape for steaks so are a lot cheaper. The meat is still the same quality.

Add the onion mix into the pan with the steak and add soured cream & lemon juice. Gently heat to a simmer. Once bubbles appear it’s ready to serve.

Add mushrooms and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Empty contents into a dish and set aside.

Cook rice according to instructions on packet.

Wipe the frying pan clean and set back on hob. Leave pan on dry heat until smoking (no oil). Mix the sliced fillet tails with the salt & pepper and olive oil. When pan is smoking add the fillet tails. Fry for approximately 30 seconds each side.

Add parsley to garnish

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LOCAL

EXPERT

ERIC MERCER OPTICIANS

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

ASK THE OPTICIAN

Local optometrist Eric Mercer answers your questions and gives advice on common eye problems.

While the number of smokers has halved over the last 30 years, there are still over 10 million people in the UK who continue to smoke. “No Smoking Day” on Wednesday 11th March aims to further reduce these numbers and improve their health outlook. It’s well known that smoking causes major health problems, like lung cancer and heart disease, but did you know it can also seriously damage your eyesight? Recent research shows that being a smoker can double or triple your chances of sight loss. For example, conditions like macular degeneration, cataracts and vascular disease are all adversely affected by smoking.

Macular degeneration Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults over 65 and smoking is the single greatest avoidable risk factor.

Macular degeneration is caused by a breakdown in the delicate cells of the macula - the most central part of the retina at the back of your eye. When the macula is damaged, your central vision is impaired, making it difficult to see fine detail, such as small print or features on people’s faces. It is estimated that being a smoker increases your risk of developing macular degeneration by as much as three times. Also, you are more likely to progress to more severe, disabling forms of the disease.

Cataracts

Vascular Disease

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens inside your eye. They cause blurred, misty vision and are part of the normal ageing process.

However, being a smoker greatly increases your chances of developing cataracts – by as much as three times. The odds shorten the longer you’ve been a smoker and the heavier you smoke.

Furthermore, smokers are more likely to develop cataracts at a younger age and to progress to denser, more advanced forms that often require surgery.

Smokers are more prone to developing hardened arteries and blocked blood vessels throughout the body.

If the blood supply to one of your eyes is affected, the result can be the sudden loss of part or all of the vision in that eye. Unfortunately, this damage is often permanent and irreversible. If you have pre-existing vascular conditions like diabetes and blood pressure you are at particular risk.

Stopping Smoking The good news is that the risk of smoking-related eye problems reduces as soon as you stop. Furthermore, the dangers decline steadily the longer you remain a non-smoker. If you would like to stop smoking, help and advice is available through your GP or pharmacist. Also, the “No Smoking Day” website can offer help and support. (www.nosmokingday.org.uk). So, don’t delay - “be proud to be a quitter” and join the thousands of smokers pledging to make 11th March “the day you start to stop”. As well as enjoying better general health, you’ll help preserve your eyesight too.

Eric can be contacted at his practice at 448 Woodstock Road, Belfast, BT6 9DR. Tel: 028 9058 3030 For more information check out the practice website at: www.ericmerceropticians.com

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28

THE PROPERTY BLOOM JOHN MINNIS Director

THIS MONTH, BLOOM CATCHES UP WITH ONE OF NORTHERN IRELAND’S LEADING ESTATE AGENTS, JOHN MINNIS. They have said 2015 will be a good year to invest in property.

A confident marketplace combined with greater affordability and low interest rates has prompted the owner of the 10 year-old, multi-award winning agency with three offices, to make the announcement.

John Minnis, director of John Minnis estate agents said: “Northern Ireland has seen the highest number of house sales in seven years, and market forecasts and indeed our own, show that this trend is set to continue.

According to official figures from the residential property price index, 2014 saw 20,200 transactions, with 5,300 homes sold during the final three months.

Prices rose 8% across the year, but are still 1% below what they were at the beginning of 2005.

All indications are showing that prices will continue to rise, further stimulating the market, which means, provided the purchaser is in a sound financial situation, this will make property a healthy long-term investment.

Prices are low and lenders, whilst their criteria is stricter than it once was, are lending, and their interest rates are also low.”

John concluded: “What we are saying to our clients is, if you are thinking of purchasing a property for long-term investment, and you have the means to do so, 2015 will be a great year to doit!”

If you are interested in buying, renting or selling with John Minnis Estate Agents, visit www.johnminnis.co.uk or call 028 9042 8888.

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Mondays Mondays Calvary Mums & Toddlers.

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10.30-12.00am. family.

10.30-12.00am. £1 £1 perper family.

9073 2331 100100 DeeDee St, St, BT4BT4 028028 9073 2331 Little Stars Little Stars Salvation Army Cregagh Road TheThe Salvation Army 110110 Cregagh Road Toys/snacks/craft/music. £1.50 Toys/snacks/craft/music. £1.50 perper family.

10am-12 term time family.

10am-12 term time for for 0-40-4 years.

9045 4466. years.

028028 9045 4466.

Sydenham Parent & Toddler Sydenham Parent & Toddler 10-11.30 family MonMon 10-11.30 £1 £1 perper family Inverary 9047 1456 Inverary CCCC BT4BT4 1RN1RN 028028 9047 1456 St Finnians St Finnians 10-11.30 Cregagh Park, 9079 2793.

10-11.30 Cregagh Park, 9079 2793.

Wandsworth Mums & Chums Wandsworth Mums & Chums 10-11.45am.

Wandsworth 10-11.45am.

Wandsworth CC.CC. £1 £1 Belmont Church 07903 674698 26a26a Belmont Church Rd.Rd. 07903 674698

Tuesdays Tuesdays

Albertbridge Congregational Albertbridge Congregational 10.30-12.15 10.30-12.15 Woodstock Link.

Donation Woodstock Link.

Donation £1 £1 Mops & Tots CFCCFC Mops & Tots 9.30-11am (term time - alternate 9.30-11am (term time - alternate Tuesdays) child, £1.50 total Tuesdays) £1 £1 for for oneone child, £1.50 total more.

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Mops CFCCFC Mops 9.30-11am (term time - alternate 9.30-11am (term time - alternate Tuesdays) £3.50 mum.

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Belmont andand creche provided.

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10-11.45am term time.

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Mersey St Presbyterian 657025 Mersey St Presbyterian 028028 90 90 657025 St Donards Church St Donards Church 9065 2321 Tel:Tel: 028028 9065 2321 adults.

Tea/coffee/juice £1 £1 for for adults.

Tea/coffee/juice Strandtown Baptist Strandtown Baptist TotsTots 10.0011.30am (term time) 10.0011.30am (term time) Strandtown Baptist Church, Strandtown Baptist Church, 1 Clonallon Court 1 Clonallon Court BT4BT4 2AB2AB 9080 8380 adult Tel:Tel: 028028 9080 8380 £1 £1 perper adult & Co TotsTots & Co

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36

email your event details to: angela@bloommagazine.co.uk

10.15Tel: 07791 776307/07980 984506 10.15-11.45am 11.45am(term (termtime) time) Tel: 07791 776307/07980 984506 Cregagh St Columba’s MumsMums & Tots& Tots CregaghMethodist MethodistChurch Church St Columba’s £1.50 9.45-11.45 (term(term time).time).

29 Kings RoadRoad £1.50per perfamily family(incl (incljuice/snack juice/snack& & 9.45-11.45 29 Kings tea. tea.28-30 28-30Cregagh CregaghRd. Rd.028 0289045 90457564 7564

Wednesdays Wednesdays

EVENTS Etc EVENTS Etc

Mondays Mondays

Busy BusyBees Bees 1010-11:30am -11:30amKnock KnockMethodist MethodistChurch, Church, Knock Ballyhackamore Library KnockRoad.

Road.Tel: Tel:028 0289065 90653413 3413 Ballyhackamore Library 1-3 Eastleigh DriveDrive 028 9050 92049204 1-3 Eastleigh 028 9050 BooksBooks R Us R9-11 yr oldsyr reading groupgroup 10.30-12 Us 9-11 olds reading 10.30-123737North NorthRoad, Road,BT5 BT55NE 5NE (third(third Mon of month) 3.30-4.30 Mon of month) 3.30-4.30 Knit &Knit Natter 2-4pm & Natter 2-4pm Bedtime Stories 7pm.7pm.

Me Time (Last(Last Community, Bedtime Stories Me Time Community,464 464Castlereagh CastlereaghRoad Road Mon of theofmonth) For busy women 7-8. 7-8.

Mon the month) For busy women BeanBean Blessed StStColmcille’s Blessed Colmcille’sParent Parent& &Toddler Toddler 10am 10amterm termtime timeStStColmcille’s Colmcille’s Parish Tea/ coffee, scones, pastries.

10.30-12 ParishHall Hall(opposite (oppositeTesco’s) Tesco’s)inin Tea/ coffee, scones, pastries.

10.30-12 Ballyhackamore.

Harding Memorial Ballyhackamore.Men Menlooking lookingafter after Harding Memorial young girls 4-7yrs Monday 6pm 6pm youngchildren childrenwelcome. welcome.191a 191aUpper Upper Rainbows Rainbows girls 4-7yrs Monday Newtownards Brownies girls 7-10yrs Monday 7pm 7pm NewtownardsRdRd Brownies girls 7-10yrs Monday Guides 10-14yrs Mondays 7pm.7pm.

Guides 10-14yrs Mondays 10-12pm ClareClare 0790507905 556825.

10-12pmW’stock W’stockRd, Rd,028 0289045 90457654 7654 Contact Contact 556825.

LadiesLadies CoffeeCoffee Morning 1st Mon month Morning 1st of Mon of month 10.30am 37 North Rd 028 7876 7876 10.30am 37 North Rd9065 028 9065 Skainos Building skainos.org Skainos Building skainos.org Badminton 2-3pm.

Crosslinks - Cross Badminton 2-3pm.

Crosslinks - Cross Community Arts 7-9pm 14-2114-21 yr olds.

10-11.30am Community Arts 7-9pm yr olds.

10-11.30am£1£1per perfamily family Contact Andy Andy Hill. Hill.

Grand Contact GrandParade Parade028 0289065 90658946.

8946.

Strand Cinema & NI Stars Cregagh Strand Cinema & NI Stars CregaghMums Mums& &Tots Tots Road,Road, BT4 .nistars.com 10-12pm Holywood BT4 .nistars.com 10-12pmCregagh CregaghCC. CC.Mount MountMerrion Merrion Holywood Singing & dancing 7-8pm Avenue.

Singing & dancing 7-8pm Avenue.Tel: Tel:028 0289040 90401444 1444 Wandsworth Community Gilnahirk Wandsworth Community GilnahirkPresbyterian Presbyterian 1668.1668.

Children’s Drama Thursdays 028 9065 Children’s Drama Thursdays10-11.30am.

10-11.30am.£1£1per perfamily. family. 028 9065 5-6pm.

Children & Teens 161 Academy 5-6pm.

Children & Teens 161Gilnahirk GilnahirkRd. Rd.Laura Laura07708 07708000025 000025 Academy carnival drumming 6.30pm-7.30pm.

Kirkpatrick carnival drumming 6.30pm-7.30pm.

KirkpatrickMemorial MemorialPresb Presb Aerobics 7-8pm.

Combat 8.15-9.30pm Parents Aerobics 7-8pm.

Combat 8.15-9.30pm Parents& &Toddlers.

Toddlers.10-11.30am 10-11.30am Upper UpperNewtownards NewtownardsRdRd£1£1donation donation Knock KnockParent Parent& &Toddler Toddler 10-11.45am 10-11.45amKnock KnockPresbyterian Presbyterian TowerTower 5353Kings Belmont KingsRoad, Road,Gillian Gillian07803 07803117619.

117619. Belmont www.belmont-tower.co.uk www.belmont-tower.co.uk Childrens dancedance classes 4-7pm Childrens classes 4-7pm Pregnancy Yoga Yoga 7.30-8.30pm Pregnancy 7.30-8.30pm East Belfast Wine Wine Makers Tots East Belfast Makers Tots‘R’‘R’UsUs Skainos Building skainos.org 10.30am Skainos Building skainos.org 10.30amHouse HouseofofWorship Worship Compass Womens GroupGroup 7-9pm 127a Compass Womens 7-9pm 127aOrby OrbyDrive Drive

Thursdays Thursdays

Tuesdays Tuesdays

Fridays Fridays

what’s on

email your event details to: angela@bloommagazine.co.uk

10.15- 11.45am (term time) Tel: 07791 776307/07980 Zumba 12.30-1.30pm Skainos Building skainos.org984506 TODDLER GROUPS Cregagh Methodist Church St Columba’s Mums & Tots Wandsworth Community Fusion - Weekly programme of games, £1.50 per family (incl juice/snack & crafts 9.45-11.45 time).

29 Kings£1Road Playclub 3-4 yr olds 10am-12. & fun for(term p1-p7’s.

6.30-8pm tea. 28-30 Cregagh Ballyhackamore LibraryRd. 028 9045 7564per person. Contact Tanita Robinson.

Painting for Pleasure 11am-1pm 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204 Kids Irish dancing 5-6.30pm, The Academy EVENTS Etc Calvary MumsAppreciation & Toddlers. of Art Rhythm & Rhyme (1st & 3rd Thurs of Aerobics 7-8pm.

Lego Club 3.30-4.30pm. Ages 3-6 10.30-12.00am. £1 group per family.

7-9pm.

Wasps seniors last Tues the month) 11.15am. Book Pack (1st years. £5 p/wk. 77 Holywood Rd. Busy Bees 100 Dee St, BT4 028 9073 2331 Thur) Adult reading group. Scrabble of month 2-3.30pm 028 9508 8818 10 (adults) -11:30am Knock Methodist Church, Wandsworth Community Little Stars Night 6-8pm.

Knock Tower Road. Tel: 028 9065 3413 Ballyhackamore The Salvation Army 110 Cregagh Road Belmont Painting for PleasureLibrary 11am-1pm 1-3 Eastleigh 028 9050 9204 Toys/snacks/craft/music. £1.50 per www.belmont-tower.co.uk Childrens Ju JitsuDrive 6-8pm Books& RBoxing Us 9-11 yr olds reading group 37 North Road, 5NE 10am-12 Art 10.30-12 classes 10am-1pm.

BabyBT5 Sensory 29thfamily.

NI Girls Brigadeterm time for 0-4 Fitness Class 8.30-9.30pm (third Mon of month) 3.30-4.30 years.Congregational.

028 9045 4466.Explorers (3- Classes 7-13 mths Thurs 10-11am Cregagh Shiloh Hall Knit299206, & Natter76 2-4pm Sydenham Parent & Toddler 7) 6:45-8:15pm.

Company Section (8- 0-7 mths Thurs 11.30-12.30 07712 The Mount, ND Bedtime Stories 7pm. Me Time (Last Community, 464 Castlereagh Road Coffee 10-11.30Helen £1 per family with Sharon 6-8pm 18)Mon 6:45-10pm.

07938 521823. Yoga Morning 10:30-12.

Mon of the month) For busy women 7-8.

Inverary CC BT4 1RN 028 9047 1456 Mindfulness Courses 6.30-8.30pm Belmont Tower Bean Blessed St Colmcille’s Parent &Club Toddler St Finnians Senior Citizens Luncheon www.belmont-tower.co.uk 10am@term time StCentre.

Colmcille’s 10-11.30 Cregagh Park, Yoga 9079 with 2793. Midday Ballymac Hot lunch Baby massage 10am-1pm.

Parishtime.

Hall alison@ballymac.org (opposite Tesco’s) in Tea/ coffee, scones, pastries. 10.30-12 Wandsworth MumsBody & Chums & social Eleanor 5.45-7.45pm.

Rolling Road, BT5 5NE Ballyhackamore.

Men looking after 37 North Harding Memorial 10-11.45am.

Wandsworth CC. £1 Skainos Building skainos.org 7.30-8.30pm.

39th Old Boys 7-9pm children welcome.

191a Upper Searchlight RainbowsClub girlsp1-p7.

4-7yrs10.30-12.

Monday 6pm 26a Belmont Academy - Weekly streetdance.

Over 60’s Lunch Church Club Rd. 07903 674698Vibeyoung Skainos Building Newtownards Rd P5-P7 4.30Brownies girls skainos.org 7-10yrs Monday 7pm p1-p4 3.30-4.30pm Walking Trips from 10am Guides 10-14yrs Mondays 7pm.

5.30pm 1st yr+ 6.45-8pm. £6 per 12.30pm. 3 courses for £3. Grand Cinema NI Stars 10-12pm W’stock Rd, 028 9045 7654 Strand Contact Clare&07905 556825. class.

Lisa 07736 315420.

Compass Parade. Tel: 028 9065 2314 to book.

Albertbridge Congregational Mens Group 7-9pm. 50+ Gardening & Holywood Road, BT4 Stage school Gilnahirk Men’s Group 10-1pm Ladieswww.nistars.com Coffee Morning 1st Mon of month Crafts Thurs 1-2.30pm Jack10.30-12.15 Britton Hall. Tea/coffee/chat & a The10.30am Academy37 North Rd 028 9065 7876 Woodstock Link.until Donation £1 The Academy speaker.

10.30-12 29th April.

10am Lego Club.

11am Claycrazy Club.

Skainos Building skainos.org Mops & Tots Lego Club 3.30-4.30pm. Age 7+ GirlsCFC Brigade £5 per session.2-3pm.

77 Holywood Rd. - Cross Badminton Crosslinks 9.30-11am (term time - alternate £5p/wk. 77 Holywood Rd. 028Community 9508 8818Arts 7-9pm 14-21 yr olds.

Tuesdays) £1 forP5one child, £1.50 total 02810-11.30am 9508 8818 £1 per family 3 yrs - P4 6.15pm. upwards 7.30pm Yoga BelfastAndy Hill.

Contact Grand Parade 028 9065 8946. for more.

Tea/coffee/juice/snacks.

Wandsworth Community Luncheon Club Pregnancy Yoga @ & Physioworks Strand Cinema NI Stars Mums & Tots Mops 9065 1668.

Needlework For CFC senior citizens. Cregagh Methodist. 028Cregagh 10.30-11.45am @ ComHolywood Road, BT4 .nistars.com 10-12pm Cregagh Mount Merrion Gilnahirk.

9.30-11am timemeals - alternate Spanish CC. mums & tots 12 noon. £1.50.(term Pre book at the 10am-12pm. munity drop&indancing class 10.30-11.45am @ Singing 7-8pm Avenue. Tel:Spanish 028 9040 1444 Tuesdays) £3.50 per mum. Breakfast 11am-12pm. for preschoolers Gilnahirk Primary.Community yogabelfast.com Wandsworth Gilnahirk Presbyterian and creche provided.

10 Belmont Rd. 2.15-3pm.

Spanish for children 3.15Skainos Bulding skainos.org 028 9065 Community 1668. Children’s Drama Thursdays 10-11.30am. £1 Combat per family. Wandsworth 028 9067 4pm.

Boot Camp 7-8pm. Core Compass Kidz1838 Gap www.thisiscfc.com - Parents, guard9065 1668 5-6pm. Children & Teens 161 Gilnahirk Rd. Laura 07708 000025028Academy Mersey Street Presb. ians, toddlers - crafts, games, stories 8.30-10pm.

STX/Kickboxing 10am-11.30am carnival drumming 6.30pm-7.30pm.

Kirkpatrick Memorial Presb 10-11.45am £1.

10am-12.

Goingterm Greentime.

Gardening Park Run 7-8pm. Combat 8.15-9.30pm Aerobics Mersey St 5.30-7pm Presbyterian 028 90 657025 Parents & Toddlers. 10-11.30am 2-4pm.

Yoga Upper Newtownards Rd £1 donation Every Saturday in Victoria Park St Donards Church Strand Arts Centre 9.30am - FREE Event Knock Parent & Toddler Congregational “Wacky Wednesdays” All shows, all day Albertbridge 10-11.45am Presbyterian 028 9065 2321 6 Woodstock LinkKnock 028 9045 7434 for Tel: £3. strandartscentre.com 53 Kings Road, 10.30am-12.30pm.

Gillian 07803 117619. Belmont Tower £1 for adults.

Tea/coffee/juice Friday Friendship.

Wandsworth Community www.belmont-tower.co.uk Strandtown Baptist Tots Flower Ar- Ballyhackamore Library Sewing Group 10am-12noon.

Strand Cinema & NIclasses Stars 4-7pm Childrens dance 10.0011.30am (term ranging 1.30-3.30pm.

Yogatime) 7-8.30pm 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204 Holywood Road,Yoga BT47.30-8.30pm Pregnancy Strandtown Chill Out Family Story Time. 3.30pm.

Yoga Belfast Baptist Church, Singling & dancing East Belfast Wine1.30-3.30pm Makers Tots ‘R’ Us 1 Clonallon BT4 2ABPrimary.

Belmont Tower Pregnancy YogaCourt @ Gilnahirk www.nistars.com Skainos Building skainos.org 10.30am House of Worship Tel: 028 9080 8380 £1 drop per adult 6.45-7.45pm.

Community in class www.belmont-tower.co.uk S.D.Compass Bells TeaWomens & Coffee House Group 7-9pm 127a Orby Drive TotsBowl & Co7-8pm. yogabelfast.com Belcanto School of Singing 10-1pm @ Ice Java Jive Jazz Brunch Brunch 11am-2.30pm

Thursdays

Mondays

Wednesdays

Mondays

Wednesdays

Saturdays

Tuesdays

Thursdays

Fridays

Tuesdays

Sundays

Fridays

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38

Fifty Shades of oh I'm not sure...

Back in 2012 I bowed to the hype and indeed to my own curiosity by reading the Fifty Shades trilogy 'Fifty Shades of Grey', 'Fifty Shades Darker' & 'Fifty Shades Freed'.

Cue a worldwide phenomenon and writer E L James turned into a millionaire overnight. Then begins talk of a film version and by mid 2014 a release date of February 2015. After much speculation the main protagonists are announced as Jamie Dornan to play 'Christian Grey' and Dakota Johnson to play 'Anastasia Steele'. Online trailers abound and my curiosity is piqued. I'm just not entirely sure how these books will translate to the big screen and indeed how these actors will bring the characters to life. Having only seen Dakota Johnson playing 'Kate' in the American series 'Ben & Kate', I could easily see her playing Anastasia Steele in that girl next door sort of style. In reality she played the part well and in my opinion she mirrored her character in the book. The 'Christian Grey' role was always going to be harder. I did not think Jamie Dornan was right for the role and having seen the film, I'm still of that opinion.

To be fair, I think this is because this film comes hot on the heels of watching Dornan in both series of 'The Fall', he plays the character of Paul Specter so well that while I was watching him as 'Christian Grey', I was imagining him menacing innocent, predominantly dark haired women in South Belfast or running through Victoria Park in a hoodie! He is without a doubt a good looking man who can carry a well tailored suit and certainly rock a pair of jeans and nothing else but some of the cringeworthy lines he had to deliver were just ever so slightly painful to watch. I also have no idea why he was playing the piano, it looked all wrong and to be honest it wasn't the first time it had me thinking of 'Pretty Woman'. On the plus side he really carried the American accent well throughout which helped.

The soundtrack was also an asset and fitted the scenes well with Ellie Goulding's 'Love Me Like You Do' for a date scene in a plane to the Rolling Stone's 'Beast of Burden' for the obligatory morning after 'I'll do u an egg' scene and Queen B's slowed down 'Crazy In Love' for when Miss Steele got what was coming to her all along in the Red Room of pain.

Overall, it was generally ok, the books were no literary masterpiece and the film is subsequently not oscar worthy but it will have certainly made Dornan and Johnson household names after all the hype and it will be interesting to see what they go on to do from here.

If your looking for a fabulous film, this isn't it but if you fancy seeing what all the fuss is about, give it a go! Just brace yourself!

MARCH

S i l v e r Screenings

Casablanca (1942) March 17th - Drama/Romance/War 104 mins

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40

Dawn x

The General (1926) March 3rd - Adventure/Comedy 107 mins

It Happened One Night (1934)

Son of the Sheik (1926) March 24th - Adventure/Drama 68 mins

Guys and Dolls (1955) March 31st - Comedy/Musical/Rom 150 mins

March 10th - Comedy/Rom 105 mins

East Belfast Mum Launches Clothing Label: Lines & Current As an East Belfast Mum whose 2nd second daughter recently started school, Rebekah hoped having a little bit more free time would be filled with something creative and with a purpose. “I’d watched my entrepreneurial husband dive into managing his own business as I looked after the girls during the early years, and I knew I’d get a chance to play when the timing was right.” says Rebekah. In January 2015, Rebekah launched her own clothing label ‘Lines & Current’ and online SHOP. “I wanted to supplement our income with something online and something that dipped into the world of ‘style and the arts.’

Social media and my network of friends have been very kind

to me during the business set up- My biggest seller so far has been these lovely headband/beanie/ neck coils hats. I call them HETTA which was a baby name that never came to fruition. Lots of local school mums and also some guys have purchased since I launched my facebook page a few weeks ago. She’s quite a versatile lady this HETTA! It’s been so fun watching all the HETTA selfies from all over UK and Europe rollin’ in on social media. The HETTA trend has been a surprising but very welcome way to launch the Lines & Current clothing line!” What is interesting about the HETTA is how multi-functional it is. It can be worn at least 4 ways. Follow Rebekah on her facebook page (@linesandcurrent) to see the video her husband made of her demonstrating 4 different looks and some sunnies arriving to the Lines & Current Spring collection.

For every HETTA sold 10% percent of profits goes to STARLIGHT.ORG.UK, a charity that grants once-in-a lifetime wishes to terminally or seriously ill children. “I’m quite sure the charitable or philanthropic element of Lines & Current

will run deep in our

ethos. It seems only natural to want to give something back. Life isn’t perfect but I’m so grateful for what I have and I think people are generous at heart.”

linesandcurrent@gmail.com

linesandcurrent

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Sewing ROOM

The

CROSSNACREEVY NURSERIES FULLY INSURED • QUALITY ASSURED FREE ESTIMATES • ALL WASTES REMOVED

YOUR COMPLETE SEWING SERVICE

ALL GARMENT ALTERATIONS

• Bespoke Curtains • Soft Furnishings • Roman Blinds • Bridal Alterations

Open

Mon, Wed Fri: 9-6 Tues & Thurs: 9-7 Sat: 9-5

T: 028 9044 8255/028 9751 1416 M: 07802 333256

Unit 16, Hanwood Business Park, Old Dundonald Rd

Tel: 9048 9642 or Mob 077 0615 6331

Build For A Brighter Future At Belfast East we o er professional tutoring programmes for primary through to high school students. We help build the foundations for academic success.

We focus on :

        

Commercial & Domestic Garden Maintenance Power Washing, Patios, Drives, Etc Coloured Pebbles supplied & laid Decorative Flagging, Paving & Walls Hedge Cutting & Tree Pruning/Felling Lawns scarified & Resowed/Feeding New Lawns Laid/Sowed/Turfed All Types of Fencing Erected Fields/Paddocks/Large Grass Areas Grass Topped/Cut Mini Digger Work Undertaken General Tidy Ups - Grass Cutting

BOOK NOW &

PREPARE YOUR CH Reading & Spelling FOR ANY EDUCATIONILD AL Comprehension STAGE FROM P2 TO Literacy & Dyslexia Support UPPER SIXTH Ages 6-18 English & Maths Key Stage 3, GCSE & A Level Individual Programmes of Study Preparation for CEA & Multiple Choice Transfer Tests

CALL JAN ON 028 9046 9662 FOR A FREE ASSESSMENT

Kip McGrath Education Centre, 104 Loopland Drive, Belfast BT6 9DX kipmcgrath.co.uk/GB/Belfast-East

crossnacreevynurseries.uktc.com crossnacreevy_nurseries@hotmail.com

Springing into Summer: West Coast Cooler FASHIONWEEK returns for a colourful season With the launch of its nineteenth season, West Coast Cooler FASHIONWEEK is now firmly established as a key date in every stylista’s schedule. This season’s launch at the BFW HQ in Belfast brought a splash of colour to a cold and wet January, and with it, the announcement of the popular FASHIONWEEK programme. Returning from 19-22 March, with nightly catwalk shows plus the return of Sushi Saturday and Style Sunday, Ireland’s leading fashion event continues to lead in the style stakes.

FASHIONWEEK Director Cathy Martin said: “Following on from a fantastic and remarkable milestone with our ten year celebrations last season, I am excited about showcasing the very best of our local designers and independent boutiques as well as international high street names once again this March.”

“And, as well as the catwalk shows, our new HQ in Bruce Street will also host a pop-up sushi and cocktail bar, courtesy of Belfast’s favourite Japanese and Asian venue Zen. This stylish, pre-show eaterie is the perfect complement to our “shop the show” boutique alley, where show-goers can browse the latest catwalk collections as well as purchase fashionable gifts.

“In terms of trends for this season, we welcome back some of our all-time favourite trends to the catwalk for Spring. Fashion fans should prepare for an array of zingy colour with a palette of citrus bursts – especially bright yellows and lime greens - jumping to the fore. An eclectic mix of vintage prints and fabrics inspired by fashions of the 1970s will also abound, with full flared trouser silhouettes and belted in waists everywhere. For evening, feminine ballerina shapes and fabrics give a delicate alternative to the bolder stripes, prints and colours for day wear.

The full show schedule is available online at www.belfastfashionweek.com along with details of this season’s trends plus links to all participant retailers and sponsors.

Catwalk tickets, which cost £20 (or £25 for a limited number of exclusive front row seats), are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609 or via the website. Ticket price includes a fabulous goodie bag and a refreshing West Coast Cooler.

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Catering for all your sewing needs such as:

TROUSERS OR SKIRTS SHORTENED • SLEEVES SHORTENED • TAKE INS OR LET OUTS • FORMALWEAR HOME DECOR LIKE CURTAINS, CUSHIONS ETC We also have a range of handmade gifts and memory bears

60a Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast BT5 5AD Telephone: 07925 973713

Embarassing Budgets Hello! I’m Jennie Hammond, winner of Savoo’s Smartest Shopper 2014 award and blogger at www.embarrassingbudgets.co.uk.

Born and bred in East Belfast, in my day job I work as a welfare rights adviser, giving advice and helping people with problems and queries in relation to tax credits and other issues.

After years of struggling as a single parent myself, things came to a head in October 2013 when a bank letter dropped through my letterbox, demanding repayment of my fairly hefty four-figure overdraft. Until then, I’d been living hand to mouth, my monthly salary going out as soon as it came in. I had no long-term savings plan and nothing set aside for a rainy day. I was up the proverbial creek without a paddle and I had to learn to swim, fast.

Over the following year I went on to clear my debt and save some money, too. In October 2014 I entered a competition and out of hundreds of entries was crowned the UK’s Smartest Shopper by discount voucher site Savoo. The amazing prize was £10,000!

Top tips: 1.

Never, ever buy on impulse. If you’re not sure, don’t buy. Save yourself the money, the hassle and the will-I-won’t-I-keep-it debate when you get home.

3.

Get online. There are great savings to be made on the internet. If you’re buying online and there’s a box for a discount code, search for one and try it out!

2.

Plan ahead. You can usually buy out-of-season items much cheaper, so look out for camping essentials in autumn and Christmas essentials in spring!

4.

Keep smiling! Find ways to have fun for less. One of my favourites is using Tesco Clubcard vouchers for treats and rewards… The fun doesn’t have to end when the money runs out!

5.

Read product reviews. Buying cheap is no good if the items aren’t fit for purpose.

I’m delighted to have been asked to contribute regularly to Bloom magazine so you’ll be hearing a lot more from me in the coming months. In the meantime, you’ll find me blogging over at www.embarrassingbudgets.co.uk and on facebook (www.facebook.com/embarrassingbudgets) and twitter (@jenniesbudgets) too.

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FREE valuation. FREE EPC. NO up-front fees.

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£250 CASHBACK on ALL completed property sales

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Call today for a free valuation of your property! 028 9073 8888 t: 028 9073 8888 e: hi@cairnsni.com

cairnsni.com 32 Cregagh Road, Belfast, BT6 9EQ *T&C’s apply – please contact us for full details.

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