Ulster Tatler November 2020

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102

Cosmetic Mole and Cosmetic Mole and Cosmetic Mole and SkinTag TagRemoval Removal Skin Skin Tag Removal Andrew Diver is a Consultant at Cosmetech MrMr Andrew Diver is a Consultant Plastic Plastic SurgeonSurgeon at Cosmetech and offers and offers skin tag and mole removal and other nonsurgical skin tag and mole removal and other non- surgical treatments including Mrtreatments Andrew Diver is a ConsultantThread-lifts, Plastic Surgeon at Cosmetech and offers including Dermal FillersHeand PDO Thread-lifts, Dermal PDO Fillers and Anti-wrinkle Injections. also offers skin tag and mole removal and treatments including Anti-wrinkle Injections.

He other also nonofferssurgical Cosmetic Surgery at Cosmetic Surgery at Kingsbridge Private Hospital.

PDO Thread-lifts,Private DermalHospital.

Fillers and Anti-wrinkle Injections. He also offers Kingsbridge Cosmetic Surgery at Kingsbridge Private Hospital.

M M

oles are extremely common in the general population and are found in every age –group including new born babies. Most appear in childhood and up to the age of 25. It is normal for an adult to have and 40 in moles.

The skin contains pigment called melanocytes which oles are between extremely10common the general population and are cells found in every age –group including make the pigment melanin. these cells grow in clusters forms a mole or ‘pigmented They are new born babies.When Most appear in childhood and upit to the age of 25.

It is normalnaevus’. for an adult benign buttorarely a mole can change into a type of skin cancer called a melanoma.

Warning signs would have between 10 and 40 moles. The skin contains pigment cells called melanocytes which be an increase size, darkening the colour, bleeding and aasignificant change in naevus’. shape. Any make theinpigment melanin. of When these cells grow or in ulceration clusters it forms mole or ‘pigmented They are suspicious should by your referred a specialist if necessary. benign butlesions rarely a mole be canseen change into doctor a type and of skin cancertocalled a melanoma.

Warning signs would be an Skin tags are also very common.

They are flesh coloured and usually have a narrow stalk normal skin. They increase in size, darkening of the colour, bleeding or ulceration and a significant change in to shape.

Any are often seen in the neck,bechest, armpits, under the andifon the eyelids. These are benign suspicious lesions should seen back, by your doctorgroin, and referred to abreasts specialist necessary. butSkin cantags be irritating by rubbing on They clothes by being cosmetically unacceptable to thestalk patient. are also very common. areorflesh coloured and usually have a narrow to normal skin. They are often seen in the neck, chest, back, armpits, groin, under the breasts and on the eyelids. These are benign butQ:can be are irritating by rubbing on removed? clothes or by being cosmetically unacceptable to the patient.

How skin tags and moles

Skin tags are a bit easier and can be removed How arefreezing skin tags (cryotherapy) and moles removed? byQ:cutting, or burning off (electrotherapy).

This should be done in a Skin tags are a bit easier and can be removed controlled setting to minimise risk of by cutting,sterile freezing (cryotherapy) orthe burning infection, and they do bleed so be the done clinic in needs off (electrotherapy).

This should a to be able sterile to manage Moles are controlled settingthis. to minimise theusually risk of excised scalpel.

Occasionally they needs are infection,with andathey do bleed so the clinic shaved off but to ensure completion of the to be able to manage this. Moles are usually removal,with especially if there are any suspicious excised a scalpel.

Occasionally they are features, thebut whole depthcompletion of the skin of needs shaved off to ensure the to be removed in one piece.

Moles should be sent removal, especially if there are any suspicious to the labthe forwhole pathology there are to no features, depthtoofensure the skin needs suspicious cells.

At Cosmetech we send all be removed in one piece. Moles should be sent moles for pathology. to the lab for pathology to ensure there are no suspicious cells. At Cosmetech we send all moles Q: forDoes pathology. it hurt having these removed?

If there is going to be significant discomfort the it hurtshould havingusually these removed? doctorQ: orDoes surgeon administer local anaesthetic to numb the area.

There will be mild If there is going to be significant discomfort the discomfort as the anaesthetic is being injected but doctor or surgeon should usually administer local it is usually not significant and There the anaesthetic anaesthetic to numb the area. will be mild takes effectas within a couple ofisminutes.

For verybut discomfort the anaesthetic being injected small skin tags, they can sometimes be frozen it is usually not significant and the anaesthetic off without anaesthetic. has local takes effect within a Cosmetech couple of minutes.

For very anaesthetic cream which can be applied in clinic small skin tags, they can sometimes be frozen off in advance of the procedure.

We don’t like without anaesthetic. Cosmetech has local causing paincream and make effort to minimise anaesthetic whichevery can be applied in clinicit. in advance of the procedure. We don’t like causing pain and make every effort to minimise it.

e and oval

nd offers uding so offers Q: How long does the procedure take?

between 5 to 7 days, but are left a bit longer on other body areas. Again these Most of these procedures are very quick. A should be removed by someone skilled and mole can be removed and the skin sutured Quote Ulster Tatler 347 when booking to experienced as doing it incorrectly can within 5 to 10 minutes. Administration of redeem a £50 Voucher off uding leave bits of stitch in the skin, or risk anaesthetic and skin preparation add some your consultation fee. reopening the wound.

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Again thesethe procedure take? please call 028 9042 3200 Most of these procedures are quick.

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READER OFFER

READER OFFER

READER OFFER READER OFFER READER OFFER READER READER OFFER OFFER

READER OFFER

READER OFFER

Holywood BT18 9XH www.cosmetech.co.uk www.cosmetech.co.uk T: 028 9042 3200 E: frontdesk@cosmetech.co.uk Maypole Clinic 5-7 Shore Road www.cosmetech.co.uk Holywood BT18 9XH

www.cosmetech.co.uk

Contents

November 2020

62

46

176 FEATURES

101

ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS Get into the festive spirit

UT STYLE

24

IAN SANSOM Time to say goodbye

120

UT BRIDES Local readers’ weddings

66

28

INSIDE TRACK Our top picks of the month

132

MAKE A SPLASH Top tips for your bathroom

MY STYLE Fashion inspiration for local trendsetters

72

30

ARTS DIARY The latest cultural events.

See also page 152.

150

CLARE MCNEILLY INTERVIEW Belfast Telegraph’s John Laverty

JOANNE REVIEWS The latest beauty releases

161

GREAT TASTE AWARDS Reach for the stars

77

HAIR MATTERS Style and substance

176

JONATHAN REA: SIX TIME WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPION On top of the world

78

BEAUTY MATTERS Guide to postlockdown skin

189

KNOW THE LAW Travel corridors and child contact

46

MY TOP 10 Also throughout the magazine

62

JANE HARDY INTERVIEW Good Morning Ulster’s Chris Buckler

82

STAYCATIONS Where to go this autumn

This month’s cover features a stunning look created by award-winning hairdresser salon, Andrew Mulvenna Hair.

161-163 Victoria Street, Belfast T: 028 9024 9191 E: info@andrewmulvenna.com www.andrewmulvenna.com

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Editor’s Letter

The Truth About Ian After the best part of a decade our popular columnist, Ian Sansom, is signing off in this edition.

Over the years his musings on life and everything else in-between have become an essential part of the magazine. He is a writer blessed with the enviable gift of being able to articulate, in a witty and deceptively simple way, the trials and tribulations of everyday life. I have really enjoyed his contributions and he will be sorely missed. He first began writing for the magazine in the Literary Miscellany supplement, which was then edited by local writer Glenn Patterson. After the Miscellany ran its course,

Ian stayed on and settled in as one of our key contributors. Sadly, he has now moved back to England but has promised to continue as an occasional contributor. We wish him well.

In an effort to build some anticipation I am not going to reveal the name of Ian’s successor until next month. Not many people could fill those well-worn, bespoke brogues but I am confident – and more than just a bit excited – that our new columnist will do so. All will be revealed next month but suffice to say our new contributor is every bit as fun, engaging and articulate. In the meantime, turn to page 26 to read the great man’s last hurrah.

EDITOR: Christopher Sherry ASSISTANT EDITOR: Kellie Burch EDITORIAL MANAGER: James Sherry UT WOMAN: Joanne Harkness EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Chloe Heaney SALES & MARKETING MANAGER: Lorraine Gill Gerry Waddell COPY CONTROLLER: Gemma Johnston PRODUCTION MANAGER: Richard Sherry PRODUCTION/DESIGN: Tatler Type

Chris Sherry Editor, Ulster Tatler

Only NI based social magazine audited by ABC.

QUOTE FOR THE MONTH

“They were always there for you, books, like a small pet dog that doesn’t die.”

Ian Sansom Ulster Tatler columnist, August 2011- November 2020

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O N L I N E O N LY :

COLUMN COLUMN / LIFE & TIMES

Finalist PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2018Writer Of The Year

Ian Sansom Ian Sansom writes for the Guardian. He is the author of the County Guides and the Mobile Library series of novels. His most recent books are The Sussex Murder and September 1, 1939 (both published by HarperCollins).

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

This month, after almost 10 years writing this column for the Ulster Tatler, Ian Sansom bids a fond farewell.

I am writing this on my trusty ancient laptop, sitting alone in an empty train carriage rattling through the English Midlands, tired and hungry after a long day at work. After more than 20 happy years living in Northern Ireland, raising my children and becoming a part of Ulster life, I have now returned to England for the foreseeable - and so, dear reader, this will be my last column for the Ulster Tatler.

I am very lucky to have written for many years for a wide range of newspapers and magazines - including the left-leaning Guardian and the right-leaning Spectator, which perhaps gives you some idea of my distinctly middling tendencies, politically and in every other regard but I count myself as particularly fortunate for having written for so many years on these fine glossy pages of the Ulster Tatler.

Like most jobs, the real pleasure of working for a magazine is working with the people - and there are perhaps no finer folk in Ireland, north and south, than those who produce this magazine. It takes a lot of work to put something like this together, and a lot of that work here is undertaken by the great Kellie Burch, assistant editor, arts diary columnist, blogger and goodness knows what else, who has encouraged and chivvied and soothed and saved both me and my prose from countless errors and embarrassments over the years. And as for the magazine’s long-suffering editor, Chris Sherry - well, he has stuck by me and this column through thick and thin and has always

Illustration by Jacky Sheridan

“In writing about my own entirely ordinary and unremarkable life I hope I have in some way managed to touch on those experiences important to us all” compiling a list of English folk songs. The so-called Roud Folk Song Index now comprises around a quarter of a million items, from murder ballads to sea shanties, carols and roundelays. Many of the songs imagine fantasy worlds of luxury and ease, worlds without pain and suffering - the Land of Cockaigne.

Roud Folk Song Index No. 6696 is a song called ‘Big Rock Candy Mountain’, familiar to many of us from the sanitised children’s version recorded by Burl Ives, in which all the cops have wooden legs and the bulldogs’ rubber teeth, where the farmers’ trees are full of fruit and the hens lay soft-boiled eggs. In the original version, as recorded by the singer Harry McClintock, there’s a lake of stew and of whiskey too, and the handouts grow on bushes.

As the past six months or so have proved to us all, we do not live in Cockaigne, alas, or in the Big Rock Candy Mountains. In the real world the weather is not always mild, the wine does not always flow freely, milk and honey can be in short supply, and our homes are not all made of sugar and spice. But we can always imagine other worlds. Because in imagining other worlds - past and future - we can learn to live again in the present.

It has been lovely spending time with you. Thank you having for me.

One day perhaps we’ll meet again.

allowed me to write in whatever mode and manner I chose, which is an extraordinary gift to a writer, an act, indeed one might say, of foolhardy generosity. So, thank you Chris, and thank you, Kellie.

I would also like to thank you, dear reader, if I may, whoever you are, wherever you are - in a dentist’s waiting room probably, judging by the letters, somewhere in rural NI. Young writers often set out with grand ideas about changing the world and imparting their insight and wisdom to those poor benighted souls who happen to read their work - but over the years I have learnt from you to relax, to not take things quite so seriously, and to recognise that it might be a worthwhile task simply to observe, to remark, and to try to entertain in those few short moments before the inevitable root-canal work and the fillings. In writing about my own entirely ordinary and unremarkable life I hope I have in some way managed to touch on those experiences important to us all - and perhaps to have helped a little to ease the pain.

As a final farewell, I thought I should try and exert myself and attempt some sort of profound summing up. Instead, as always, with nothing much of consequence to say, allow me to say goodbye in my usual rambling fashion.

One of my great heroes is a man named Steve Roud, a librarian in the south London borough of Croydon, who in the early 1970s began 26

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InsideTrack Ulster Tatler gives you our top picks for this month.

CHECK OUT The Beannchor Group has opened its new £4 million development at Lisburn Square, Haslem Hotel.

It is described as a casual and relaxed, no fuss hotel, features 45 stylish bedrooms, an 80-seater open plan lobby and bar area, a 68-seater restaurant, residents’ gym, and conference room.

Targeted at business travellers from the Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom, as well as Lisburn locals, Haslem’s contemporary art paired with a neutral colour scheme epitomises a modern, urban style, reflecting the needs of these visitors. The hotel’s restaurant, Haslem Kitchen, offers an allday food menu, from delicious breakfast and lunch options to sizzling steaks and flame-roasted rotisserie chicken dishes for evening dining.

OUT AND ABOUT

EAT & DRINK

With a headquarters based in Newcastle at the heart of the Mournes, Black Box Donuts have recently opened their new store on Lisburn Road, Belfast. The new branch brings you all of the best flavours in donuts, boxed to order. As each Black Box Donut is carefully crafted and freshly finished they can promise they will have your taste buds tingling. There is a vast range of flavours and toppings to choose from, including; Biscoff, Bueno, Diam bar, Milky bar, Crunchie, lemon cheesecake, raspberry ruffle, and many more! Not to forget their selection of filled cookies, muffins and brownies – it is the perfect treat for any day of the week.

Belfast’s newest neighbourhood bistro, Stove Bistro has arrived on Ormeau Road. Simon McCance, owner of awardwinning The Ginger Bistro and Simon Toye who worked with Northern Ireland’s premier chefs, notably at Michael Deane’s restaurant in Belfast, have come together to create this new and upcoming restaurant. Their mission is to offer a new addition to the Belfast restaurant scene, with an innovative culinary take on the neighbourhood bistro, with excellent local produce that is prepared and cooked with precision.

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Column /

Arts Diary Kellie Burch kellie@ulstertatler.com

THE DISAPPEARING WALL Belfast made headlines recently when it joined a select number of European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Greece to host a unique art installation: The Disappearing Wall, located at Belfast’s Titanic Slipways.

Thirty years on from when the official demolition of the Berlin Wall began, this interactive art installation celebrates Europe’s diversity of languages and ideas.

Based on an idea proposed by Maria Jablonina in a workshop carried out by the architect and engineer Werner Sobek, The Disappearing Wall is one of several projects that the Goethe-Institut is carrying out for Germany’s EU Council Presidency and as part of the Federal government’s cultural programme in Europe.

In Northern Ireland, the installation, which was officially unveiled on 21 October, is supported by Catalyst Arts, Urban Scale Interventions, and the Titanic Foundation and will be on display until 11 November. The Wall consists of a plexiglas frame which hosts 6,000 wooden blocks engraved with original and translated quotes collected by the Goethe-Institut earlier this year via local contests across Europe.

Visitors to The Wall are encouraged to take home a block which will contain one of a wide range of quotes, from the likes of Albert Einstein, Adorno, Rosa Luxemburg, Sartre and Jonas Mekas, to Beatles’ lyrics and lines from Winnie the Pooh or the film Amélie.

As more and more blocks are removed, The Wall will ‘disappear’ with only the clear Plexiglas grid that held them remaining.

During my visit, I was very impressed with how the installation has been adapted to adhere to COVID-19 health and safety. There are clearly signed sanitising units and a QR track and trace coding system at the sculpture. The concept is truly remarkable and it is impressive to see how many people have visited to date to view the installation and take home their own wooden block. Mine featured a quote from Newton: “Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.” If you haven’t been yet, I thoroughly recommend a visit, but be sure to visit before it disappears!

The Disappearing Wall was unveiled on 21 October and will be on display until 11 November.

Claire Hall and Aoife O’Reilly launch The Disappearing Wall.

Ralf Alwani, Millie Alwani, Jak Spencer and Greg Edwards from Urban Scale Interventions.

Michelle Lewis and Arthur Gorman.

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Laura O’Connor and Sighle Cashell.

Continued on page 32

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Arts Diary

Continued from page 30

Claire Hall and Jak Spencer (USI).

Stephen Farnan and Thomas Wells.

Siobhan and Natasha from the Titanic Foundation.

Alison Stewart, Maizie Thompson, Nicola Stone and Max Thompson.

Muirin O’Connor and Aoife O’Reilly.

Rachel Botha and Leah Corbett.

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THE SCENE

LISBURN BASED UNICORN GROUP WELCOMES HRH THE EARL OF WESSEX TO ITS LAMBEG FACTORY Unicorn Group, which manufactures a range of washroom products, medical bins for hospitals and floor tiles, recently welcomed HRH The Earl of Wessex to its Lambeg headquarters where it has ramped up production of its Pursan alcohol hand cleansing product in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The visit saw HRH tour the factory and learn about the manufacturing process behind the company’s flagship product as well as discovering the other elements of the market that Unicorn Group has successfully developed over its history.

Established over 20 years ago, Unicorn Group employs more than 80 staff and exports its extensive portfolio of products including hand and surface hygiene range, washroom products, medical and recycling bins, vending machines and floor tiles globally.

A surge in demand for hand cleanser during the current pandemic has seen the firm increase production of its Pursan product range, primarily its 70% alcohol hand cleanser.

HRH The Earl of Wessex navigated the manufacturing process for the hand cleanser and dispensers and learned about its quality position in the market. Roger Pannell, CEO of Unicorn Group, explained the vision for the 17.5-acre site, which boasts 250,000 sq. ft of factory and office space and is currently being redeveloped as a mixed-use manufacturing and office space with a campus feel, including its on-site gym and plans for a café.

Speaking about the visit, Roger Pannell said: “It was an honour to meet HRH The Earl of Wessex and show him round the facility. It was the perfect antidote to the pressures and uncertainty that have come hand in hand with this pandemic.

“Our staff have worked tirelessly over the past six months to ensure our increased demand is met, against a backdrop of challenges that have left no business or home untouched. Their commitment across the Group, including our teams at sister companies Unicorn Containers and PF Copeland who worked tirelessly to manufacture medical bins for hospitals across Northern Ireland, has been a huge help during this difficult time. Being able to showcase their efforts to HRH The Earl of Wessex was a moment of pride and gratitude for Unicorn Group.

Unicorn Group is made up of various separate brands that have the common goal of servicing and improving the lives of everyone in the workplace or at home. Collectively they export to 42 countries internationally.

Among the brands are Pursan, Unicorn Hygienics, Grit Bins, Flexi-Tile, Unicorn Urban, PF Copeland Ltd, PFC Rainwater Systems Ltd and Belgian firm Ecoloc, which it acquired and relocated just over three years ago.

Tom Picking, Managing Director; Roger Pannell, CEO; Jonathan Lloyd, Financial Director; HRH The Earl of Wessex; and Caireen Toal, Human Resources Manager, Unicorn Group.

HRH The Earl of Wessex and Roger Pannell, CEO, Unicorn Group.

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Roger Pannell, CEO, Unicorn Group and HRH The Earl of Wessex.

Chris Cunningham, Production Operator, with Roger Pannell, CEO, Unicorn Group and HRH The Earl of Wessex.

Roger Pannell, CEO, Unicorn Group and HRH The Earl of Wessex.

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Roger Pannell, CEO, Unicorn Group and HRH The Earl of Wessex.

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THE SCENE

Michael and Roisin Copeland and son George with ďŹ ancĂŠe Selina and parents Tony and Lynne Lunn.

George Copeland and Selina Lunn.

LUNN & COPELAND ENGAGEMENT Prior to the introduction of stricter social restrictions, Selina Lunn and George Copeland marked their engagement with an intimate gathering at the Old Billiard Room in the Ulster Reform Club. The happy couple were joined in their celebrations by family and friends.

Granny Kathleen Somerville with Colin Somerville, George and Selina and parents Lynne and Tony Lunn.

Mark Ormiston and Rebecca Copeland, Matt Webb and Mollie Copeland, George and Selina, grandmother Marianne Sadlier, Caitriona Sadlier and Roisin and Michael Copeland.

Selina and George with grandmothers Marianne Sadlier and Kathleen Somerville.

Mark Ormiston and Rebecca Copeland, George Copeland and Selina Lunn, Mollie Copeland and Matt Webb.

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THE SCENE

Renee Bennett and Betty Mackenzie.

Sue-Ann and Chris Harding.

Conor, Zoe and Sarah Teer.

COMBER FARMERS’ MARKET The sun was out recently for the Comber Farmers’ Market.

The market, which was started by Comber Regeneration Community Partnership to give local food producers an opportunity to sell their products, and attract more visitors to the town, has more than exceeded expectations with 26 artisan food stalls regularly taking part on the first Thursday of every month. Held at St Mary’s Parish Church, the Comber Farmers’ Market has introduced a number of safety measures including, visitors wearing a mask, sanitising hands, bringing their own bags and socially distancing in queues.

Birthday girl Heather and Martin Walker.

William, Robert and Nicci McGrath and Willow the Welsh Terrier.

Sandra and John Crossen.

Continued on page 40

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THE SCENE Continued from page 38

Johnny and Davide from Indie FĂźde.

Carol McAuley from Bangor and Ivan McCutcheon (Ballyhenry Baskets and Blooms).

Natalia Smyth (Mrs Smyth’s preserves) and customer Sarah Neary.

Giuliana and Heather Monteverde.

Antonela Schiano, Jim and Moira Stronge.

Gay Richardson, John Adrain, Kerry, Ben, Melanie and Emma Torrens.

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THE SCENE

Sheena Ferguson, Christie Gregg and Catherine Bradley.

Pauline Hague, Barbara Jamet, Reggie the dog and Ann O’Brien.

Norman and Sandra Lyttle with Chloe and Jodie.

CRAWFORDSBURN COUNTRY PARK With the introduction of stricter social restrictions, our photographer was out and about capturing life in the ‘new normal’ as people meet up and enjoy time together at a safe distance in outside spaces. Here we have pictures taken from Crawfordsburn Country Park in late October.

Gareth McCauley and Ashleigh Coyle with Gucci.

Julie and Jacob Edler, Auntie Leah Briggs, Sam Edler, Jack Magowan and Joel Edler with dogs Bailey and Pip.

Sandcastle builders Brigid, Carrieanne and Fionn Reynolds.

Continued on page 44

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THE SCENE Continued from page 42

Paula Harpur and Nikki Kirk.

Sheena and Peter Ferguson, Barney, Halle and Christie Gregg, Teddy McShane, Catherine Bradley and Isabella McShane.

Paul Berry, Simba and Tanya Houghton.

Una Reid.

Rose Cairns and Beryl Ritchie.

Emily Montello, Jordan McGifford and Luke Montello.

Jean and John White.

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RUTH MCGINLEY Contemporary, classical pianist

10. FAVOURITE Movie: Joker Band/Musician: Alicia Keys Book: The Alchemist Restaurant: Lucky Leek in Berlin Holiday Destination: New York Drink: Ginger Kombucha Meal: Curry 1. What do you love most about your job?

I love as a musician that I get to connect with myself and the people I work with on a deeper level. Playing music is such a special way to explore human emotion without even having to talk, and as a true introvert this suits me perfectly! I feel that the world has gone mad with information overload and many people are disconnected from their true selves, so I feel very grateful that my work allows me to stay connected. When I get to share music with an audience, it is almost a spiritual experience... intense, but beautiful. I also love that I am still learning in my work every day.

After 40 years of playing the piano, I still feel like a beginner in so many ways as I explore different ways of making music.

2. What has been your career highlight to date?

At 16 I won the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year. This was broadcast live on TV from the Barbican Centre in London.

Completely terrifying for a young girl from Derry, but an amazing experience and was certainly the platform that catapulted me into the spotlight as a young pianist. More recently in 2016, I was invited to play at the BBC Proms in the Park from the Titanic Slipways in Belfast. This was more than a career highlight for me, it was a personal highlight. I had taken a step back from solo performing for several years for personal reasons. I thought at one point I would never perform again... but as I walked out onto the Titanic Slipways stage there was a double rainbow in the sky and it felt like the universe was welcoming me back.

To say it was special is an understatement... a true highlight.

3. What are your favourite hobbies/ activities outside of work?

Taking time outside of work to unwind and rest is so important to me. I love putting on my AirPods, going out for a walk and listening to a good podcast. My favourites are Super Soul conversations with Oprah Winfrey and Happy Place with Fearne Cotton. I also love sitting in

a coffee shop watching people and the world go by. And of course you can’t beat putting on a roaring fire and snuggling up with a good book. I love the simple things in life most.

4. What is your daily routine?

I have learnt as I’ve got older that having a morning routine is vital for me to stay grounded and well in myself. On weekdays I get up at 6.30 (I relax this at weekends!)... I like to start my day slowly. I do a 20 minute meditation, read a little from my favourite philosophy/spiritual writers and do some physical exercise. Doing something for my mind, body and soul first thing sets me up for my day ahead and stabilises my mental and emotional well being. Work wise, every day is different but always involves sitting at a piano...whether that be practicing, performing, teaching students, rehearsing with other musicians or writing music. I always try to spend some quality time in the evening with my son before going to bed.

5. Do you have a fitness regime?

As an all or nothing person, I battle with my love of feeling physically strong and my love of curling up on the sofa and not moving far!

My job is very sedentary so I have to make an effort to fit some form of physical movement into my mornings, whether that be an online class, yoga session or walk. I go through periods of being super disciplined with exercise, and then I get lazy!

6. Do you have any tips for staying positive during this time?

I am cautious of the positivity culture that we seem to find ourselves in today. I think it can be harmful to always expect to be positive. I am more of a believer of acceptance of good days and not so good days, knowing that we always have a choice in how we react to the day. This is something I have learnt in my recovery from addiction which began in 2010.

My inner and outer life changed dramatically when I took a step back from the chaos I had created in my 20s/30s. I had to surrender to starting again as a human being and learn 46

that my reaction to life is everything and is totally my own choosing. I am passionate (and probably a bit obsessed!) about staying connected to my inner world and trying to be mindful. This is more important to me than positivity. Practicing gratitude is one of the best ways of letting go of a misery mind.

7. What do you think is the best thing about living in Northern Ireland?

Northern Irish people have a very unique sense of humour and warmth in their way of connecting with each other. This I love! I lived in London for over 10 years and have always loved returning to where I can totally be myself and actually be understood! Also in Northern Ireland, no matter where you are, you are only a short drive away from stunning scenery and beautiful backdrops, even on a rainy day!

8. What is your mantra or favourite quote that you live by?

A Buddhist saying that helps me when I feel anxious and worried is “If you can solve the problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve the problem, then what is the use of worrying?” Also a mantra I live by, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

I have experienced some cruel people along the way and it has made me feel truly strong about being kind.

9. Who has been your biggest influence?

My son Michael has been the biggest and most beautiful influence in my life. He has taught me the importance of slowing down, to appreciate the simple things in life and to be accountable for my choices every day. Before I became a mother, my career was at the centre of my life. I didn’t stop to smell the roses, or look at how out of balance my life was.

Michael has taught me to “get over myself” (as us Northern Irish people say!) and not to take myself too seriously. He has brought pure joy to my life and I appreciate this more than I can even express!

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THE SCENE

Linda and Jonathan Hodgins.

Gilbert and Heather Cameron.

Gordon and Jean Irwin.

DINNER AT THE CLUB In order to offer its Members and guests an evening at the Club during these strange times, the Ulster Reform Club hosted an a la carte “Dinner at the Club� event on Friday 9th October. The event strictly adhered with current Covid-19 protocols.

Nancy Amond and Gordon Nabney.

Norma and Uel Harding.

Michael and Arlene McVeigh.

Michael Harriott and Joanna.

Terry Grant with Angela and Niall Kelly.

Fred and Patricia Penhallurick.

48

Dr David and Pamela Ruddick.

ISSUE: NOVEMBER 1985

LOOKING BACK ULSTER TATLER

Mrs Taggart of Go-Gay Fashions, Broughshane, Ballymena, with models showing an exciting selection of evening wear which was showcased as part of a fashion show held in Leighinmohr House Hotel in aid of Cystic Fibrosis.

A BMW/Concord themed evening was held in The Country Garage in Ballymena in autumn 1985. Pictured were:Mr and Mrs G. A. Dinsmore and Mr and Mrs R. Mills.

Dr Ruth Elliott, Joanna Gordon and Colleen Taylor at the Coral in-house fashion show.

Arthur Robinson, Director of Robinson Interiors; Joan McIlroy of Joan McIlroy PR; and Ken James at the Robinson Interiors Autumn Showcase.

Allison Kane (right), winner of the Ulster Tatler Let’s Eat Out Competition, who chose to dine at the Four Winds Restaurant. She is pictured receiving a bouquet of flowers by the restaurant’s proprietess Mrs Higgins.

50

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NEWS

SPREADING THE NEWS We look at some of the stories making headlines this month.

LETTERS OF LOCKDOWN Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) has launched a ‘Letters of Lockdown’ project and is inviting children and young people from across the province to take part for the chance to be included in a new booklet that will record this unprecedented time for years to come.

As part of ‘Letters of Lockdown’, children and young people aged from four to 18 are being asked to write a letter or draw a picture about their experience of lockdown. There will be a host of prizes up for grabs including an Amazon Fire Tablet and book tokens with entries being selected for the booklet by the charity’s ambassadors, Q Radio’s Ibe Sesay and BBC Radio Ulster’s Kerry McLean.

To enter, email a photo of your child’s letter or drawing along with the first name and age to ellen@ci-ni.org.uk before Friday 20th November.

Q Radio presenter and Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) ambassador, Ibe Sesay with sons, Daniel (10) and Stephen (11).

STREET SPIRIT

A series of eye-catching murals have been finished recently as part of an ongoing Belfast City Council project to regenerate the city’s historic entries. The new public artworks at Joy’s Entry, Pottinger’s Entry and Winecellar Entry are part of the Council and Department for Communities funded project, which has seen seven Belfast entries given a makeover in recent months, benefitting from general repairs and repainting, as well as planned enhanced lighting using innovative technologies and sustainable materials.

Work has started on the final mural celebrating one of the first black abolitionists to visit Ireland; a portrait of Olaudah Equiano.

To read more about the Belfast Entries project, visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/regeneration and join the conversation on social media, following the hashtag #belfastentries

THE NOMINEE Splendid Isolation: Lockdown Drama a series of short five minute dramas developed by BBC Arts, the Lyric Theatre and BBC Northern Ireland, with support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland as part of BBC Arts ‘Culture in Quarantine’ back in June 2020 has been nominated for a Royal Television Society, Northern Ireland (RTS NI) award for Best Drama. The pieces featured some of Northern Ireland’s biggest names in writing and acting: including Lisa McGee (Derry Girls) and Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones).

The winners of the Royal Television Society, Northern Ireland (RTSNI) Awards will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony hosted by Patrick Kielty on Thursday 12th November at 8pm. For further details on the Lyric Theatre visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Stella McCusker in ‘A Random Act Of Kindness’, one of the dramas featured in Splendid Isolation: Lockdown Drama.

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Harvey’s Point ... Your home from home

t in e th Po ith e s w s ar ey’ ce thi h S arv ien rd s H per Ca ma t t ex Gif ris h a C

MIDWEEK ACTIVITY BREAKS Stay 2 nights bed & breakfast and we will offer you dinner on one evening with our compliments.

Packages available from €99 per person sharing, per night.

In-house activities each Tuesday and Thursday including cooking demonstration and wine tasting. *Valid November – December 2020. The Harvey’s Point Team look forward to welcoming you.

Call +353-74-9722208 or Book Online - Quote ‘UT20’ when booking

Est. 1989

Hotel & Lakeside Restaurant | Lough Eske, Donegal Town | stay@harveyspoint.com | harveyspoint.com

THE SCENE

WOMEN’S FORUM AWARD WINNERS Women’s Forum Northern Ireland is an “umbrella” body for women’s organisations in the Province. Currently, it continues to represent a broad range of constituent organisations and hence approaching 100,000 women across Northern Ireland.

They recently gave out their 2020 awards, including the Iris Colvin Lifetime Achievement Award, which was awarded to Rosemary Rainey OBE. Other winners included Eileen Kerr, Arlene Kee and Dame Mary Uprichard.

Rosemary Rainey OBE, winner of the 2020 Iris Colvin Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dame Mary Uprichard Category winner for Health.

Eileen Kerr - Category winner for Voluntary Service.

Arlene Kee - Category Winner for Community/Public Service .

EASTSIDE LIVES HERITAGE TRAIL The Lord Mayor of Belfast recently visitied the EastSide Lives Heritage Trail exhibition in EastSide Visitor Centre. The EastSide Lives Heritage Trail & Exhibition has been researched and created by local people over the course of a year and is a self-guided trail that celebrates the mill workers, shopkeepers, community workers, delivery drivers and even kindly criminal godfathers from east Belfast’s past. This is a chance to get to the heart of east Belfast, from the gates of Harland and Wolff to iconic church buildings and mills and to catch a glimpse of how people used to live. During his visit the Lord Mayor had an opportunity to meet some of the local residents who put the heritage trail together.

Eastside Partnership Chief Executive Maurice Kinkead with Belfast Lord Mayor Alderman Frank McCoubrey and Heritage Officer Lisa Currie.

Belfast Lord Mayor Alderman Frank McCoubrey (middle) with exhibition researchers Jeanette Lunn, Stephen Beggs, Gavyn Anderson and Gaynor Kane.

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THE SCENE

David and Sandra Napier.

Ronnie Greer and Anthony Toner.

Hazel and Roy Nixon.

Harry, Megan and Kim McMurtry.

Peter Burke and Jennifer Rea.

LOUGH DOWN DRIVE-IN FESTIVAL Following the release of his new album Blues Constellation, Ronnie Greer brought an afternoon of jazz and blues with his 8 piece band including Anthony Toner, John McCullough, Nick Scott, Peter McKinney, Ken Haddock, Linley Hamilton, and Dave Howell, to the Lough Down Drive-In Festival.

Taking place at Catalyst, Queen’s Island, Belfast, concert goers were able to take in the action from their cars, with a live feed of the stage being beamed to a huge screen and the audio transmitted directly to their car radio. The Lough Down Drive-In Festival featured some of the best emerging and established homegrown talent and provided an opportunity for culture fans to come together in a safe and socially distanced way to celebrate our local artists.

John Melrose, Cathy Crawford and Sarah Lyle.

Pianist Scott Flanigan and vocalist Ken Haddock.

Maureen Monteverde, Steven Bolster and Lauraine Bolster.

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THE SCENE

Susan Conn and Pat Duncan.

Diane Lowry and Catherine McCullough.

Roy Quinn and Deirdre Craig.

Norman and Marion Green.

Philip and Karen Rea.

Ronnie Greer and band.

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MY

PAMELA BALLANTINE Television Presenter

10. FAVOURITE Movie: The Quiet Man Band/Musician: Bon Jovi Book: The Art of Racing In The Rain, or any good crime thriller.

Restaurant: Depends on the occasion – The Mandarin at Ballyhackamore is my go-to restaurant, Howard Street, Ora, James Street, Hadskis, I could go on.

Holiday Destination: I loved Singapore but can be found regularly in the South of Spain.

Drink: Champagne Meal: A roast Sunday lunch or anything with good friends and family.

1. What do you love most about your job?

I love that every day is different. I am freelance so I am only in UTV once a week.

I get to meet some fascinating people. I have been lucky enough to travel with my work and I particularly love visiting lesser known parts of Northern Ireland.

2. What has been your career highlight to date?

That is so hard to tie down to one. I have had so many from filming in Jamaica and Barbados to lunching with HM The Queen.

Being asked by the US Consul in Northern Ireland to be the Master of Ceremonies for the Vital Voices Conference with the First Lady Hilary Clinton was an honour.

3. What are your favourite hobbies/ activities outside of work?

I love going horse racing. I have got involved in a couple of racehorse syndicates, which is a really affordable way to be involved in the sport, and it is a thrill to go racing when they are running. I work at both Down Royal and Downpatrick Racecourses, which for me is a joy so even though it is work for me it is also a hobby. I love going on holiday, mainly long weekend breaks and would go away at the drop of a hat. I cannot wait to head to the airport again. Going for dinner with friends.

I really enjoy walking too, even when it is bucketing out of the heavens. I am always

looking for new places to explore. But of course there are days when I feel like doing very little which is when I just lie on the settee watching TV and reading. I also love rugby – Ulster and Ireland of course, and watching motorsport, particularly rallying.

4. What is your daily routine?

I don’t really have one, however that has changed with the current situation. I am not an early riser. But when I get up I would have some fruit for breakfast and then go for a good walk, come home and shower and then decide what the rest of the day will hold. I am usually busy doing something but as my work is mainly at events etc, that has come to a halt and doing nothing does not suit me. I have got quite good at time management so rather than do all the chores, etc at one go I would spread them out over a few days to try and stave off boredom.

5. Do you have a particular fitness regime?

As well as walking nearly every day I also try to do about half an hour of pilates a day and occassionally would get the bike out and go cycling.

6. Do you have any tips for staying positive during this time?

I do always try to look on the bright side, but that is not always possible. I am someone whose glass is half full but there are days 60

when things get on top of me and I just can’t face the world. On those days I don’t force it, everyone is entitled to feel down. For me it is something that will pass, however I know that is not the same for everyone. I do find getting outside into the fresh air helps, particularly the sea air.

7. What do you think is the best thing about living in Northern Ireland?

The people, and you are never far away from the countryside or sea.

8. What is your mantra or favourite quote that you live by?

“To Thine Own Self Be True.”

9. Who has been your biggest influence?

My Dad. He started work at the age of 14 and taught my brother, my sister and myself that everyone should be treated equally and he taught me the value of a pound.

CUTE KIDS ANNOUNCED! Marie Allen Photography, based in Portadown, recently ran a Cute Kids competition in association with Ulster Tatler magazine. The competition ran over several editions and the highly anticipated winners were recently announced. The winner of the 3-23 months category was Lottie Maye, aged 8 months from Tandragee. The judge felt that Lottie’s photo was everything that a cute kid should be, it was a heart warming photo that oozed innocence. Lottie’s parents were delighted to receive a professional portfolio courtesy of Marie Allen Photography, plus £100 cash as the prize winners.

Also featured is Oisin McGoran, aged 14 months from Magherafelt, who was the runner up in this category. Keep an eye out for the December edition, which will profile the 2-4 aged category winner, plus runner up.

For more information about Marie Allen Photography visit www.marieallen.co.uk

Catherine Patton, Ulster Tatler, Mum Judy Maye plus Lottie and Marie Allen, Marie Allen Photography.

Winner of the 3-23 month category, Lottie Maye.

Runner Up of the 3-23 month category, Oisin McGoran.

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INTERVIEW

Jane Hardy is a feature writer who has interviewed a few of the big names from Arlene Foster to Mrs Thatcher.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

Chris Buckler, the engaging new co-presenter of the BBC radio institution that is Good Morning Ulster, discusses with Jane Hardy the US election, the political difference between Westminster and Washington - and Old English sheepdogs.

F

ormer BBC Washington correspondent Chris Buckler (45) is keeping a close eye on the US Presidential election.

Understandably as Buckler, who is now at the helm of Good Morning Ulster with Sarah Brett, had a ringside seat in the court of Donald Trump for two years. He says down the line: “I’ve been to quite a few Trump rallies. You don’t see him close up in the White House press events which I’ve also attended. You do at the rallies which are like music gigs really. They’re held in big arenas, there’s the American music, numbers like YMCA and Macho Man, and loads of merchandising.” The showbiz setting is, as Buckler notes, a natural backdrop for the man who came to the job via property development and TV. So who’s going to win on November 3?

Showing impeccable BBC objectivity, Chris Buckler is cautious: “I don’t call elections, that’s a madman’s job. But the people I’ve been talking to say (Joe) Biden is making ground.”

He adds that it’s down to the old Bush adage about winning elections - it’s the economy, stupid. “Up until February, they thought we’d have a Trump second term. But then the economy, which was doing well, dipped so significantly because of COVID-19.”

Asked whether British politics is now aping American style as No 10 has just appointed a prime ministerial spokeswoman, Buckler disagrees, but nicely, explaining why: “Having seen the Trump administration up close, I think there’s a huge difference between Westminster and Washington although there clearly is a change now in the way the government wants to present itself. You could make the argument the PM has seen things that work - news conferences and White House briefings. I’ve sat in on those

briefings where somebody’s a spokesman for the President or PM. But in terms of politics in the UK people still hold the government to account whereas if President Trump dislikes something, he simply calls it ‘fake news’.

Buckler says that one thing commentators get wrong is their views of the President’s physical fitness. Questions have been raised over the 74-year-old’s health. “I think he’s healthy. If you look at his work schedule, and see him in action, that’s clear.”

On the subject of Donald Trump’s permanent tan, Buckler is uber-tactful. “Well, I’ve been feet away from him and you’d have to say, it doesn’t look totally natural.”

The morning we spoke, Good Morning Ulster had led on some meaty news stories, including strong reaction to Edwin Poots’ comments about the prevalence of coronavirus in Catholic areas, also whether the Northern Irish lockdown represented the right balance for the economy and public health. And politics in the USA. The show has changed from the Noel Thompson-Karen Patterson era. It’s newsier, more Radio 4, but retains a bit of banter. Sports reporter Orla opened by saying she hoped her mike wouldn’t be muted, a reference to the new rules for the second Presidential debate.

“Depends what you say,” Chris joked.

So how have they tweaked the show, BBC Radio Ulster’s flagship programme? Buckler says: “GMU used to feature a lot of five or six minute items but we decided if an interview is worth it, we’ll run with it and take 20 minutes if we want to. If it’s rubbish, we’ll move on quickly. Health is a key story currently, of course.”

There’s no doubt co-presenters Chris and Sarah are coping pretty heroically with the 63

challenge of the COVID-19 era. “We haven’t broadcast once from the same studio. We’re a separated pretend couple,” Chris admits.

They’re both so professional, though, you wouldn’t know it. And Buckler recently had to broadcast from his Belfast home for a couple of weeks as his coronavirus app told him he’d been in contact with somebody infectious.

“Yes, it pinged and I had to self-isolate. I think the fact I had a programme to present kept me going.” A self-confessed people person, Chris Buckler says that he misses having a cup of tea with friends and the usual banter of the newsroom.

So does Chris Buckler miss his high profile job? “Sitting here, of course I do in some ways. But I’m still in touch with a lot of colleagues such as Nick Bryant, one of the friendliest correspondents, and Aleem Maqbool and Courtney Subramanian of USA Today. I definitely enjoyed producing a three minute package. You’d have a sense of pride afterwards. Maybe the story I am proudest of is reporting on the situation at the Mexican border; I talked to people on both sides.”

Getting people’s voices heard is the point of good reporting, in Chris Buckler’s view.

One harrowing experience during Buckler’s time Stateside was sitting in on the court hearing that took place just after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide. The President, damagingly, had been revealed to be a member of Epstein’s inner circle. While the President is teetotal and does not smoke, he appears to have a weakness for good-looking women.

Buckler says: “The President’s link to Epstein did emerge. I was in court when Epstein’s alleged victims were allowed to testify by the judge even though their predator had just killed himself. Buckler says: “I covered

INTERVIEW

Chris on air during BBC’s Good Morning Ulster.

Jeffrey Epstein’s death and was in court for that exceptional day the judge invited his alleged victims to come up and speak. It was remarkable to testify against a dead man, but they were given the right to speak. Even the visuals were memorable, with a long line of women coming up.”

In terms of his broadcasting heroes, Buckler name-checks two on the Today programme.

“I rate Nick Robinson and Michal Husain who both do a great job. I also like some of 5 Live and that’s where Sarah comes from.” A generous colleague, Chris pays tribute to his colleague Sarah’s on air ability. “Sarah and I are very different presenters with different styles and skills. She’s really good in terms of sympathetic interviews and better than I am at picking up on a person’s emotions. But I’m a total news geek, that’s what I bring to the table.”

Chris Buckler attended Bangor Grammar School for Boys. Although he didn’t do science, he says he can understand the coronavirus details of R infection rates and so on as he went on to study economics at Queen’s. “So numbers hold no fears for me.

In fact, this morning when we talked about complicated percentages and the expert said something about the R rate, I was able to correct him.”

At school, drama was a passion and fellow students reckon he could have trodden the boards professionally. “I was Willy Loman in Death of A Salesman, a great play. While I was in America, the last two plays I saw on Broadway were Network and To Kill a Mockingbird with Jeff Daniels.” He also loves film - “I’m a total film buff and have a wall of DVDs at home which I’ll never watch again”.

While at Queen’s, then the University of Ulster where he took a journalism course, Chris says he spent most of his time doing radio. “It was Belfast Community Radio that then became Citybeat. It was bought by the Oyston Group, you remember Owen Oyston.

They had lots of speech programmes and slots to fill and needed presenters. I expressed an interest after a guy gave us a careers speech.”

Buckler was asked to produce the show after a while at the young age of 21, and

“I covered Jeffrey Epstein’s death and was in court for that exceptional day the judge invited his alleged victims to come up and speak.”

Stephen Nolan became the presenter. “We are very different broadcasters but he’s very good at making things simple. Stephen shows how issues impact on people’s lives.” Nolan is one of the people Chris Buckler often meets on a curry evening. “We’re great mates.”

Comparing radio and TV, Buckler says that while radio is “more disposable”, it enables you to connect with people. GMU does just that, but also treads the fine line of objectivity through the Byzantine world of Northern Irish politics. “We get complaints from people on both sides, by the DUP and Sinn Fein.” Which must mean they’re getting the coverage about right. Buckler notes the landscape here has changed since he was at school. “Belfast has opened up and my friends in America say they want to visit. Northern Ireland isn’t known for the Troubles but for Game of Thrones. And that’s a good thing.”

Buckler describes social media as “fantastic” but adds that it’s really important to be hearing people. He’s a BBC man to his fingernails, yet Chris Buckler can see the problems associated with the line it treads on contentious topics such as climate change.

“There’s an argument the BBC has had on climate change. We can have a conversation on air about the effects of climate change, but we have to accept the fact that the climate is changing.”

A commited vegetarian for 30 years, Chris Buckler says it’s “for fluffy bunny reasons”.

Then adds with a laugh: “My parents said it wouldn’t last.” As a veteran veggie, he likes Indian food, favouring restaurants like Jharna on the Lisburn Road and says he loves tucking into a good paneer.

Buckler lives alone and reveals he’d like to own a dog. And it would have to be the breed he grew up with, an Old English sheepdog. “I grew up with Old English sheepdogs but feel it might not be fair. Yet now is probably the best time for me to own a dog.”

In terms of relaxation, Buckler watches TV (“I became obsessed with Succession, have you seen it? It’s a great thriller.”) and listens to music but can’t be bothered with gigs. He likes reading and has been enjoying Laurence Bloch’s old school crime fiction. “There’s the right moment to read something and oddly, although Catcher in the Rye is a classic, I read it too late when I was 18. If I’d tried it at thirteen, I would have thought it a brilliant book.”

As so often, celebrities don’t necessarily get that much respect from their families.

Chris has a five-year-old nephew, Blake, who apparently tunes out in the car en route to school when his mother tunes in to Good Morning Ulster. “When I visit, he’s keener on wrestling me to the ground. The other day, I was over and Blake asked if he could go in Christy’s car. It wasn’t to spend time with me, just so I could run him to my aunt’s house where he wanted to go. I was the taxi...”

Chris Buckler at the White House during his time as a BBC Washington correspondent.

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ULSTER TATLER

S T Y L E Linda Bryans and son Chris.

Style Watch EACH MONTH ULSTER TATLER SHOWCASES OUR FAVOURITE LOOK SNAPPED AT ONE OF NI’S HOTTEST EVENTS. Lucy, Alice and Yvonne, pictured at the screening of Another Round at Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast, showing how colourful face coverings can be used to make a bold fashion statement.

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U T

S T Y L E

MY STYLE As said by fashion guru Coco Chanel: “fashion changes, but style endures“. Each issue, we introduce you to stylish local people who enviably manage demanding work schedules while looking polished to perfection.

Suzie O’Neill

Makeup artist and founder of beauty brand AYU

Tell us a bit about AYU and how it started.

As a qualified Beauty Therapist and Make-up Artist, and after owning my own salon at one point, I began teaching at a beauty school in Kildare. At the time, it was difficult to find high quality professional and affordable make-up brushes so I took it upon myself to create a line of premium brushes that my students could use while still learning their craft. It wasn’t long before the students began to ask me if they could purchase brush sets for friends and family, which meant I saw a gap in the market and went for it! Once I had established a loyal customer base through my website, I responded by adding a range of cosmetics to the AYU collection.

Another reason is that my parents always encouraged my siblings and I to follow our dreams and to love what we did for a living, so this was something I consistently strived to achieve!

How would you describe your style?

I love to be comfortable but still look put together. I tend to spend on investment pieces such as shoes, coats and bags as I feel they can dress up any outfit whether it be casual or dressy! The best way to describe my style is understated – I aim for a balance between designer and high street brands.

What are your wardrobe staples that you can’t live without?

A great blazer, skinny jeans and nice trainers…I love the feeling of being casual with a hint of chic!

Do you have a favourite designer or high street brand?

I am a big Zara fan for everyday essentials, and for designer brands I love making a statement with my Jimmy Choo shoes because they are so well made and ooze style – I have built quite the collection over the years!

Do you have any style icons?

I am a little obsessed with Anine Bing. I just think she exudes cool and is so effortless. From her hair and make up to all of her clothes she just gets it right every time! I also love the MUA Emma Willis both for her clothes and her professional make-up style.

How has your style changed over the years?

Like so many others, I have made many fashion faux pas over the years but I think nowadays I am very comfortable in my own skin and know what works for me and tend to stick to that…with a pop of something different depending on my mood. I have fun with my outfits now whereas in the past I may have kept safe in the fear that I would stand out from the crowd!

What are your fashion pet peeves?

I am not a fan of style that is very obvious – I think it is much more stylish to wear it quietly rather than making it look as if the wearer has tried too hard!

For more information, follow Suzie on Instagram @Suzie O’ Neill or @AYUmakeupIreland

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U T

S T Y L E

MY STYLE

Doville Dee Marc

Proprietor of Perfect Nails, Bangor How would you describe your style?

My style tends to be a mixture of classy and casual. Feeling comfortable in your own clothes is important but you have to discover your own style and feel good in it. I like pairing a nice crisp tucked in shirt with a pair of fitted skinny jeans.

Statement shoes and handbag is a MUST! What are your wardrobe staples that you can’t live without?

When you’re in the beauty business, how you present yourself is very important. You can’t go wrong with having a good jacket as you can dress it up and down for everyday outfits. The ultimate comfort piece for me has to be jeans.

They’re perfect with flat shoes or high heels.

Do you have a favourite designer or high street brand?

I don’t usually buy from a particular brand, I simply just buy what catches my eye. I like browsing through boutiques for anything unique and different. But I do love a pair of good quality shoes, who doesn’t right?

Do you have any style icons?

My all time favourite style icon is Victoria Beckham. As per usual, she keeps it interesting such as adding splashes of colour in the form of a shirt or a bright handbag that adds contrast to an outfit. I just love her way of layering smartcasual pieces together. Victoria Beckham definitely knows how to make working women look sophisticated.

Do you have a different wardrobe for your work and social life?

My work wardrobe has to maintain a certain level of professionalism. I wear a beauty tunic as I teach part time in the college and run Perfect Nails salon, based at The Elysium in Bangor. My social wardrobe involves a lot of bodycon dresses and high heels, however hopefully 2021 will give us more opportunities for social life and dressing up.

How has your style changed over the years?

Yes my style has definitely changed over the years. I used to love wearing shorter dresses, skirts and very high heels but now I would pick jeans and boots combo over it any day.

Not very exciting I know. Doing shopping in high heels is not an option anymore. On my days off I’m not a stranger to sportswear because comfort is life!

Do you have any fashion pet peeves?

I do not want to sound old fashioned but I can not stand socks and sandals, if that’s even a thing anymore. Also midi skirts are not for me. And baby heels....why?!

Dovilia Dee Marc is the owner of Perfect Nails in Bangor.

She is also a nail’s educator and Perfect Nails UK and Ireland Professional Nail Supplier. Perfect Nails kits are available through Facebook and Instagram.

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FASHION

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The Word

TOP BRANDS IN MENSWEAR FOR AUTUMN/WINTER

KEEPING THE ROMANCE ALIVE It’s a year we’ll not forget, but like many we long for the magic that Christmas brings – full of love, hope and happiness. Keeping the romance alive this Christmas; Jack Murphy Jewellers will continue to offer in-store appointments*, whilst also providing virtual consultations to those unable to travel to the showroom due to local restrictions.

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Whatever your proposal plans are this season, don’t leave it too late! Allow yourself enough time to find ‘the ring’ for popping the question this Christmas. To book an appointment in-store or via video call, visit www.jackmurphyjewellers.com *In-store appointments available in-line with government guidelines. Please check our website and social media platforms for any changes in opening hours.

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#Joanne Reviews...

Ulster Tatler’s Beauty & Fashion Editor, Joanne Harkness, reviews the new IMAGE skincare facial available at Galgorm Skin Clinic.

THE IMAGE OF GOOD SKINCARE Galgorm Skin Clinic, located within the awardwinning Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, have teamed up with IMAGE Skincare to offer an extensive range of premier skincare products and a bespoke, customised facial for a glowing and radiant complexion. IMAGE Skincare is a professional, clinical brand, which prioritises science over fads and results over trends.

I had been aware of IMAGE Skincare products, having used their hydrogel sheet face mask, which I absolutely loved. I knew their range was the ‘crème de la crème’ of skincare and in my opinion Galgorm is the ‘crème de la crème’ of the spa world, so this collaboration was a match made in heaven.

In my column last month I discussed how giving home facials had become a new hobby of mine, something I had discovered over lockdown. I thought it was time to treat myself to a facial and let a professional do the work (and possibly pick up some tips and tricks). I couldn’t have picked a better option than the new bespoke IMAGE facial at the luxurious Galgorm Spa. My appointment was booked for a Friday afternoon – after a week of work, what better way to start off the weekend and relax than getting a lovely, soothing facial? Stepping into the Galgorm Spa alone is relaxing, the ambience, sounds and smells just send you into another world of tranquility. I was taken to the Galgorm Skin Clinic, which was bright, airy and spacious. I could see the IMAGE Skincare ranges displayed on the shelves and the chosen products that had been selected for my facial, which my therapist, Karen, talked me through.

She was very knowledgeable about the range and how each product works, it was evident that she really championed this brand.

The facial lasted for 60 minutes, covering eight steps, with the aim of leaving the skin looking radiant and rejuvenated.

Step one was cleanse, this involved using the Ormedic Balancing cleanser to wash away any impurities or dirt on the skin (it smells incredible). Step two was exfoliate to remove dead skin cells and resurface the skin, using the Iluma brightening powder. Step three (and probably my favourite) was massage, stimulating the blood flow, promoting a glow from within and working out the muscles to help lift and contour. Step four was mask, using the Ormedic gel mask to soothe and refresh the skin. I found this step particularly relaxing as it was cooling and tingly on the skin, I could almost feel my skin absorbing in all the powerful ingredients. Step five was serum, the Iluma Brightening Serum to be precise.

This product is packed with Vitamin C and targets the deeper layers of skin and evens out skin tone. Step six was eye cream, using Vital C Eye Gel, which helps reduce fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles. Step seven was moisturise, possibly one of the most important steps in any skincare routine. It is important to replenish any lost moisture and protect the skin from environmental factors and using the Hydrating SPF30+ moisturiser certainly had the desired effect. Finally step eight was lip balm, something I quite often forget and should pay more attention to as I tend to get dry, cracked lips.

After the 60 minutes I was so relaxed that I could have lay on the therapy table all night. My therapist, Karen, gave me a list of the products that were used and home care advice following the facial to really reap the benefits. The effects of the facial were immediately noticeable, in that my skin was dewy, glowing and plump – I hadn’t seen my skin look so good in a very long time. Sometimes the aftercare and skincare routine can become a bit of a chore, especially when you are so occupied doing other things, however I found the IMAGE skincare products were just such a joy to use and the benefits to my skin are worth the effort. My main issues would have been congestion around my chin and forehead and dryness around my nose, but this has massively improved since switching up my skin routine. I just wish I could go to Galgorm Spa for an IMAGE tailored facial every Friday afternoon!

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The Word

EXCEL CLOTHING 9 High Street, Newtownards, Co Down BT23 4JN Tel: 028 9182 0634 www.excelclothing.com customerservices@excelclothing.com 102 Main Street, Bangor, Co.Down BT20 4AE Tel: 028 9147 7664 HOME FIELD & STREAM 18-20 Church Street, Enniskillen BT74 7EJ Tel: 028 6632 2114 Email: sales@ homefieldandstream.com www.hfs-online.com JR MCMAHON 56 Church Place Lurgan BT66 6HD Tel: 028 3832 2442 53 Scotch Street, Armagh BT61 7DF Tel: 028 3752 2988 www.jrmcmahon.co.uk WATTERSONS 35-37 High Street, Omagh, Co. Tyrone BT78 1BA Tel: 028 8224 2298 Email: office@wattersons.co.uk www.wattersons.co.uk WARNOCKS 791-793 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7GX Tel: 028 9038 1828 Email: hello@warnocks.co.uk www.warnocks.co.uk

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Caldwells Est. 1895

98-100 Church Street, Ballymena, Co. Antrim BT43 6DF 02825 652810 • www.caldwellsjewellers.co.uk

FASHION

WRAPPED UP

2.

1.

2.Mulberry – Alexa bag in black. £1095

3.

3. Barbour – Elmis wax coat, £319 1 . G A A L A – t h e t i m e l e s s Pa o l a c o a t , w w w. g a a l a . c o m £ 4 0 0

4.

5.

5. Marks & Spencer– black, buckle detail boots, £69

4.COS -Cable knit midi dress, w w w. c o s s t o r e s . c o m £ 1 1 5 76

COLUMN / HAIR MATTERS

Hair Matters... with Andrew Mulvenna

Andrew Mulvenna has been hairdressing for over 30 years and his career has covered the full spectrum of hairdressing; product research and development, global campaign shoots and shows, international education, session- styling and runway collections. He also runs his own three storey salon in Belfast City centre.

FYI IT’S THE FALL …NATURALLY Nearly everyone’s hair has (growing from the root) a natural growth pattern or fall as it is called in the business. Swirling from the crown it grows in a left to right-hand side direction around our head, that’s why we mostly part our hair on the left and why the left side of a bob-cut turns in and the right side kicks out FYI. Using the ‘natural fall’ when we as hairdressers design and execute a cut means the hair will drop or fall into place with the least effort needed. In essence, lower maintenance and a very balanced cut. Well worth discussing with your stylist the next time you go for a great long lasting cut.

REMEMBER CONDITION IS KING!

MOST LIKED INSTA-STYLE CREATED FOR A CLIENT

BY AM HAIR.

SAFETY IS THE NEW LUXURY One thing I must stress since coming back after ‘lockdown’ is that in a salon environment client safety is absolutely paramount as the starting point of any hair visit. By this I mean staff are fully adhering to the Covid19 hygiene and barrier protocols when out on the salon floor and also when they are behind the scenes interacting with each other. It must be about explaining and reassuring the client during their visit and this will pave the way to a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Hairdressers currently that cannot see this run the risk of both losing their clients and their business.

AM SALON BUZZ WORDS THIS SEASON… Colour techniques: Root smudging / Framed Foliage / Facial Contouring Tone: Bronds, Toffees, Nordics, Red-skys Finish: Movement / Lived-in / Mussed / Objectives: Wash to Wear / Durable / Bespoke / Health / Luxury / Runway Structure: Precise / Balanced / Face-framing THE DREAM STYLER...

The ‘Steam Pod’ created by Rowenta and L’Oréal Professional is now in its third incarnation and is by far our biggest selling hair styler in 10 years. What it allows you to do is style your hair pretty quickly (straight or waved) but with no damage, in fact it conditions your hair every time. The ‘blow-drys’ you create look very professional when done at home and last for days. Definitely one for the Christmas list and by far the best money you will spend on a hair styler. £245 (rrp) at Andrew Mulvenna Hair (includes free hair coaching session).

RICH GLOSSY A/W 2020 INSTA-STYLE CREATED

FOR A CLIENT BY AM HAIR.

Apply conditioning creme to damp hair, blast off quickly and then steam your hair to velvety perfection. Hot plates and steady precise steam leaves the hair in perfect condition and looking like you’ve had a luxurious velvety blow-dry without a drop of damage.

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DON’T FOLLOW. IT’S TIME TO EXPRESS YOUR OWN IDENTITY WITH HELP FORM THE PRO’S. BAXTER of California for Boys … and Girls too.

Since we’ve been stocking this great range of hip Men’s Californian hair and body products, we’ve noticed a lot of women love the range too.

Silicon, sulphate and paraben free even the styling products are being scooped up by the ladies.

Take the ‘Exfoliating Body Bar’, not only does it last for 4 months (the equivalent to 10 bottles of shower gel) and leaves the skin fresh and clean but also soft and never dry. The light cedar wood fragrance works really well on women as well as men. Better for the planet too.

THE SCENE

Proprietor, Patrice Mackle.

LAUNCH OF THE BEAUTY ROOMS SALON ARMAGH The Beauty Rooms has opened in Armagh Shopping Centre and provides a range of beauty and cosmetic services.

Patrice Mackle, proprietor of The Beauty Rooms, is a specialist in HD Brows and a professional make-up artist.

Aoife Kelly ‘Idol-Eyes’, is a specialist in lash extensions and a beauty therapist.

Shannon Kelly ‘Luxe Aesthetics’, is a practitioner of anti-wrinkle injections and derma fillers.

Victoria Zalewska ‘Victoria’s Nail Lounge’ is a professional nail technician, specialising in acrylics.

Armagh Shopping Centre Thomas Street, Armagh BT61 7AE Facebook: @TheBeautyRoomsArmagh

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COLUMN

Deborah Elwiss-McNally

Jackie Donnelly

Deborah is an advanced aesthetic nurse practitioner.

Jackie Donnelly is proprietor of The Clinic on 184 Lisburn Road.

NEW NORMAL, NEW YOU!

Here at The Clinic, we are working hard to keep you safe and would like to reassure clients that we have a number of enhanced safety measures in place to protect all clients and staff, including temperature checks on arrival, hand sanitising stations, all staff wearing full PPE, clients arriving one at a time and wearing face masks on arrival.

Dermal fillers Dermal fillers are a non-invasive cosmetic treatment for smoother, more youthful skin. As we age, our skin loses its natural elasticity and the smooth complexion we took for granted as teenagers begins to fade. By injecting tiny amounts of non-animal based hyaluronic acid into the skin or lips, dermal filler treatments give you the opportunity to temporarily halt or even reverse the aging process by restoring volume and elasticity where you need it most.

As we adjust and adapt to this new kind of normal, we are seeing lots of emerging trends in the industry when it comes to our beauty upkeep.

Undoubtedly, the face mask is the hottest new fashion accessory for this year as they are fast becoming an integral part of everyday life. As a result, we are seeing a demand from clients for solutions to enhance ‘above the mask’ areas, such as the forehead and around the eyes.

With these features becoming a focal point of our face, many are taking steps to improve these areas to reduce visible signs of aging, leaving your skin looking refreshed and rejuvenated.

Another emerging trend in recent months is a result of the ‘Zoom Boom’ where many people have shifted to video conferencing instead of face-to-face meetings. As a result of this, we are confronted by looking at ourselves a little more than we’re used to, with unflattering lighting and awkward angles making things worse.

If you can relate to the above and are interested to find out more about non-surgical cosmetic injectable treatments to enhance your natural beauty, here are some of The Clinic’s most popular treatments to consider:

Cheek Fillers For many of us high cheek bones are on our wish list, particularly for those who have seen them diminish with age. Cheek fillers are here to help. Lots of people would love to look in the mirror and see clearly defined high cheekbones, as they offer definition and shape for your face. Non-permanent cheek fillers are a great way to enhance cheeks, giving a quick, safe and effective way to achieve a more youthful look or give you the face shape you desire.

Lip Fillers Beautiful lips can enhance your look like no other feature can, as the mouth is one of the first things people notice when they meet new people (especially on a Zoom call!). At The Clinic, lip fillers are used to enhance the natural look of your lips, giving them a more pleasant shape and size. Lip filler treatments are performed using hyaluronic based products which help restore the lip’s fullness and definition.

Lips will not only appear more attractive, they’ll also feel healthier, softer and more hydrated.

Anti-wrinkle Injections With real, noticeable results, no surgery and no recovery time, there are many reasons why anti-wrinkle injections have been chosen by millions to improve their appearance. Anti-wrinkle injections reduce fine lines and wrinkles caused by smiling, laughing and frowning by preventing the muscle contractions that cause furrows and lines when the face is making expressions. The treatment is safe and virtually painless, with results visible within three to seven days, lasting for four to six months and beyond.

The Clinic offers the latest non-surgical cosmetic injectable treatments using only the highest quality products, including Juvederm, Botox, Dysport & Profhilo.

For more information, contact Jackie at The Clinic for a confidential complimentary consultation on the best treatment for your skin. We look forward to safely welcoming you to The Clinic soon.

Profhilo

a complimentary consultation

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BEAUTY

PICK THE PERFECT PRESENT 2.

1.

2. Ultraceuticals – Ultra A perfecting serum, Ultra balancing skin mist and U l t r a U V p r o t e c t i v e d a i l y m o i s t u r i s e r.

1 . AY U – L i m i t e d e d i t i o n I c o n i c g i f t s e t i n c l u d i n g t h e Iconic makeup palette, double-ended brush set and cosmetic bag. €85

4.

4. Chanel – No.5 Holiday collection, including: Shower gel £42 Body Lotion £48 Body Cream £68 Deodorant £40 Hair Mist £48

3.

5.

3. CND – Cocktail Couture, the Christmas 2020 Collection.

5 . D e r m a l o g i c a – Yo u r B r i g h t e s t G l o w Ye t , V i t a m i n C k i t , £ 1 0 2 80

BELFAST SKIN CLINIC

A unique clinic offering treatments for all skin conditions in all age groups.

DERMATOLOGY PLASTIC SURGERY AESTHETICS LASER VASCULAR RHEUMATOLOGY Skin surgery including excision of skin cancer by Mohs surgery Skin Cancer screening and full body mole mapping • General Dermatology Varicose Vein Surgery • Hand Surgery • Laser Treatment • Allergy Testing Excess Sweating • Hair Loss • Rheumatology • Aesthetics • Nutrition • Skin Products For more information or to book an appointment, please call +44 (0)28 9066 7077, email: info@belfastskinclinic.com or visit www.belfastskinclinic.com

UlsterTatler FOCUS ON

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Staycations

ith the uncertainty surrounding travelling abroad looking unlikely to settle any time soon, we are increasingly looking at exploring what is on our own doorstep at home. After a summer of staycations, this autumn we are looking at why Ireland, north and south, is the perfect place for a relaxed day trip or an extended break. The biggest selling point has to be the scenery on offer. From the stunning North Coast to the rugged Wild Atlantic Way, there are a plethora of beautiful - not to mention instagrammable - spots to discover. From quirky independent B&Bs to 5* hotels, whatever your budget, an unforgettable getaway is possible. Ireland is also a cultural hotspot. From The MAC, Tower Museum, Titanic Belfast, Ulster American Folk Park and the Ulster Museum in the north, to the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin Writers Museum and the Foynes Flying Boat Museum in the south, Ireland provides a treasure trove of culture and living heritage to uncover. Food and drink make up the backbone of Ireland, and with a number of Michelin-starred restaurants scattered about the island, including Belfast’s newest addition, The Muddlers Club, this is a haven for foodies. Ireland is also not short of distilleries and breweries. From Bushmills, the oldest continually running distillery in all of Ireland to the Dingle Distillery, located along the western craggy coast of Ireland, don’t miss the opportunity to avail of the professional tours and tastings on offer to complete the experience. With so much on offer, it is no wonder so many people are opting to rediscover Ireland.

Read on to find out where some well known personalities will be exploring this autumn.

Dunluce Castle.

Photo by Brian Morrison , courtesy of Northern Ireland Tourist Board

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Rooftopand Thermal Suite

Experience

The Spa at The Johnstown Estate invites you to nourish both your body and mind. Our brand new thermal and rooftop experiences has been paired with lunch in our in-spa restaurant, an overnight stay, and full Irish breakfast the following morning. A blissful escape starting from â‚Ź249 per couple.

To find out more, visit thejohnstownestate.com

Call us today on: +353 (0)46 954 0030 | spareservations@thejohnstownestate.com

Autumn Getaways

We chat to some prominent local figures about why Ireland, north and south, is the perfect place for a weekend retreat or a day trip this autumn.

Gobbins Cliff Path © Tourism Northern Ireland

Lewis Waterworth and family during a getaway in Dingle.

Alana Hughes PR Consultant, JComms We consider ourselves lucky to have managed a few days away to Killarney to see my grandparents over the summer and can’t wait to be able to do that again. We had booked a weekend at Druid’s Glen in Wicklow with the family for my granny’s 80th this month but, unfortunately, we won’t be able to go with the world how it is.

Alana and son Oisîn.

My son Oisín is 9 months old and we try to go on a day trip every weekend. I’m useless at swimming but there’s something about being by the water that makes me content, so our favourite is to head off early for a morning walk at Ballyhornan beach and then to the Lobster Pot or Artisan Cookhouse in Strangford. A weekend introducing Oisín to Donegal is first on the list when things are safe.

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Lewis Waterworth, Owner of Pier 36, Harbour & Company and Bow Bells, Donaghadee As a family, we go to Dingle twice a year. It’s a gorgeous part of the world and it’s a great place to surf. I’ve loved surfing for years, and anywhere we go on holiday tends to be based on whether or not we can hit the waves. The whole family gets involved and it’s great fun. We were in Dingle during the summer and had hoped to get back in Autumn.

We haven’t been up to the North Coast in years so this might just be the time to plan a few beach trips with our boards and revisit. We’re lucky living in beautiful Donaghadee that we’ve the harbour on our doorstep and home really can be like a staycation if venturing further is out of the picture.

Chris & Marty Dish You Were Here

Noelle McAlinden at Enniskillen Castle.

Noelle McAlinden Artist and Creative Adviser

There’s nothing we love more than escaping to the countryside for an indulgent Autumn retreat. One of our favourite destinations is Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort, nestled alongside the idyllic River Maine in Ballymena. Earlier this Chris & Marty meeting the River year we enjoyed a luxurious staycation Room Head Chef Chris Rees. at the Resort and treated ourselves to the ultimate pampering session at The Spa, with relaxation time in the famous Thermal Village - total bliss! There’s no shortage of dining experiences at the Resort. We opted for the River Room, where Head Chef Chris Rees treated us to a delicious gourmet Tasting Menu. Chris’ menus are packed with seasonal ingredients sourced from carefully selected local suppliers and the Resort’s very own kitchen garden, all imaginatively served to complement an extensive wine list. With enhanced safety measures in place and a £2 million Spa upgrade incorporating a salt room, Palm House bar and a stunning new infinity pool perched on the banks of the river, there’s no better place to get away from it all.

Autumn and winter have always been my favourite seasons and I have always been drawn to waterways since growing up on the shores of Lough Neagh. I am originally from Maghery, Co Armagh, and have been living in Enniskillen, Ireland’s only island town, since 1983. I’m blessed to live in a beautiful part of the world where the Fermanagh Lakelands and landscape continue to nourish and inspire me physically, mentally and emotionally, as an artist too.

Enniskillen is a unique place with strong cultural connections champions, such as Adrian Dunbar, TP Flanagan, William Scott, Wilde and Beckett. It is also home of stunning National Trust Properties, a multitude of castles and ruins and a dedicated theatre by the lake as well as numerous galleries such as Hambly & Hambly and The Devenish Galleries.

The town has excellent restaurants and bars; some of my favourites include, Franco’s, and Blakes of The Hollow. If you are planning a longer stay, we have an excellent selection of hotels and accomodation for visitors.

A must-visit is The Buttermarket Craft & Design Centre, it is a great place to meet friends and fellow artists, purchase stunning ceramics, jewellery, paintings, prints from artisans and much needed art materials, not to mention scrumptious food from Rebecca’s Coffee shop.

We have many ambassadors, young and old, such as Dara McNulty, award-winning author of Diary of a Young Naturalist.

People like Dara are superb ambassadors for the beauty of nature and the lakelands and has reminded me of the benefits of spending more time in nature in a county of stunning castles, exquisite culture and history where creativity, cuisine and good friendships flourish all year round during good times as well as challenging times.

Jacqueline Rooney Artist My first holiday when I was a child was to Co. Wexford and now it’s one of our favourite family staycations. We stay in the beautiful Amber Springs hotel in Gorey and our two boys absolutely love it. I love to visit The Gaslamp Gallery and admire the stunning art when I’m there. The nearby coastal village of Courtown with its little coffee shops and harbour is also so pretty. We can’t resist stopping off at Greystones on our way home to Co. Down. A visit to The Happy Pear is a delight for the senses!

We’re counting the days to our next visit!

Jacqueline Rooney is an award-winning artist from Rostrevor. Her vibrant and emotive artwork is available online at www.jacquelinerooney.com

Hannah Crowdy Head of Curatorial National Museums NI I’m originally from the south of England, and despite living here for eleven years there are still so many treasures yet to discover!

This summer, I stayed in Fermanagh. I was delighted to find a modern version of the spacesaving ‘falling table’ in our traditional cottage, something I’ve learned about at the Ulster Folk Museum. It goes to show that good design is both ingenious and timeless.

I’d love to go back now, to enjoy the rich autumn colours and experience more of the county.

Getting out onto the water and into the otherworldly Marble Arch Caves would be top of my list.

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STAYCATIONS SPECIAL FOCUS

BE INSPIRED

BY SEAMUS HEANEY

Step into Seamus Heaney HomePlace and be inspired by a journey through the life and literature of one of Ireland’s greatest writers.

The stunning exhibition is packed with never-before-seen artefacts, which will immerse you in the world of Seamus Heaney. You will explore his roots, hear from the people who inspired him, see an interpretation of his famous study, and find out why he became the most celebrated poet of our age.

The emotional connection felt in the exhibition – whether it’s when discovering Heaney’s work for the first time, or as an avid reader of his poetry - is evidence of the truly unique, authentic and welcoming spirit of Seamus Heaney HomePlace.

The newly planted Wild Garden is in full bloom, and the Back Yard Garden promises visitors a relaxing escape into nature.

Seamus Heaney HomePlace is located in the village of Bellaghy, situated just 45 minutes from both Belfast and Derry City and 2 hours 30 minutes from Dublin.

New social distancing measures and sanitising stations are in place ensure an enjoyable and safe visit.

Prebook exhibition tickets at: seamusheaneyhome.com or phone: 028 7938 7444

AWARD-WINNING INDIAN CUISINE

Situated in the heart of Portadown, we serve authentic Indian food made from traditional recipes. Using only the finest ingredients, our chefs offer an extensive menu to cater for all tastes.

We welcome small and large groups, and cater for parties and special occasions. We are keen that you enjoy your experience at our restaurant and we are delighted to cater for any special requests.

Star of India, 19 Mandeville Street, Portadown, BT62 3PB Telephone: 028 3833 2999 www.starofindiaportadown.co.uk Open: Monday to Thursday 4.00pm-11.00pm; Friday to Saturday 4.00pm-11.30pm; Sunday 4.00pm-10.30pm 86

Step into HomePlace re

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Derry

Belfast Belfast

Dublin

Make yourself at home Make yourself at home

Dublin

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•or • 45 Main Street, Bellaghy, Co Derry BT45 8HT • 028 7938 7444Street, | www.seamusheaneyhome.com 45 Main Bellaghy, Co Derry BT45 8HT 028 7938 7444 | www.seamusheaneyhome.com

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45 mins from Belfast •45 mins 45 mins from Belfast from Derry •2 hours 45 mins from from DerryDublin 30 mins • 2 hours 30 mins from Dublin

ARMAGH SPECIAL FOCUS

The Atrium and many of the other lovely spaces at The Johnstown Estate.

The investment will support 250 jobs at The Johnstown Estate, driving both accommodation and restaurant sales.

“Our investment in The Spa at The Johnstown Estate is a clear commitment to Irish tourism and our belief that Covid-19 will pass in time. We remain stringently observant of all safety and hygiene measures under Failte Ireland’s Covid-19 charter, but would like clients to feel they can leave their stresses at the door and safely enjoy a few hours of uninterrupted blissful relaxation at The Spa at The Johnstown Estate” said Anthony Smiddy, General Manager, The Johnstown Estate.

NEW SPA OPENING THIS MONTH The Johnstown Estate has invested €3.5m in creating a new spa experience which is nearly twice the size of the existing spa and introduces a variety of new experiences to enhance every spa customer’s journey.

It has been completely remodeled and expanded, is now approximately 1,300 m2 and includes a Rooftop Experience and a Thermal Suite, 15 treatment rooms including a Rasul Mud and Mineral Treatment Bath and a Couple’s Room.

New cutting-edge technology has been installed including Gharieni Psammotherapy and Aqua-beds, plasma and light treatment technologies and sound wave therapies. There is also a 48 seat in-Spa restaurant.

The Spa at The Johnstown Estate was conceived by Millimetre Design, the leading interior design and branding studio, which created the hotel’s Fire & Salt Restaurant, The Coach House Brasserie,

SIGNATURE SPA INDULGENCE Treat yourself and someone you love to an unforgettable spa escape for two.

The Spa at The Johnstown Estate has been expanded and fully refurbished and is the Irish flagship spa for both ELEMIS and Gharieni. Escape, enjoy and energise yourself with this most tranquil of sanctuaries. Get into the mood the moment you arrive with a chilled bottle Prosecco and delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries, left for you to enjoy in your room.

Then sink into The Johnstown Estate Full Body Signature Massage which is 75 minutes of bliss amidst specially selected blends of oils to soothe the soul. Top this with two divine hours in our new indoor and rooftop thermal & relaxation area, and the relaxation is complete.

Next, enjoy a delicious four-course dinner specially curated by Head Chef Declan Cronin and his team. The package also includes an Executive bedroom and full Irish breakfast the next morning.

Your Signature Spa Indulgence (based on two people sharing) includes: • An overnight stay in an Executive Room with Full Irish Breakfast.

• Dinner – a four-course evening meal

• Bottle of Prosecco and chocolate-dipped Strawberries in your room on arrival • The Johnstown Estate Full Body Signature Massage which is a light fluid full body massage relieving tension, stress and helping release toxins in the body (75 mins ) • 2 hours in the Thermal and Relaxation suites • Access to our 20 metre swimming pool • Complimentary WiFi & parking.

From €525.00 Monday – Thursday From €585.00 Friday – Sunday 88

Thermal spa with Lunch Enjoy 4 luxurious hours in our new indoor and rooftop thermal experience. This is the perfect social space to spa and enjoy the extensive range of hydrotherapy and thermal experiences.

This experience includes a delicious lunch in our in-spa dining area. 300 mins €75.

For more information visit www.thejohnstownestate.com

Creating Space

For Business To Grow Space to Land and Expand in Belfast City

Arthur House & Arthur Place Conveniently Located on Arthur Street in Belfast City Centre New Spaces Coming Soon. Call or Email Now to Arrange a Tour

0044 28 9044 7100

glandorebelfast.co.uk | info@glandorebelfast.co.uk | @glandorenetwork

MY

TERRELL RILEY

Fitness trainer and nutritionist

10. FAVOURITE Movie: Pulp Fiction Band/Musician: G-Eazy Book: Conn Iggulden ‘Wolf of the Plains’ Restaurant: Berts Jazz Bar, The Merchant Holiday Destination: Rome Drink: Gin Meal: A good old roast dinner made by my wee mum

1. What do you love most about your job?

There are many aspects I love about my profession, so choosing the one I like most is difficult. If I have to narrow it down, the fact that I get to help people to reach their full mental and physical potential hits the No1 spot. Helping clients realise that they have so much potential, that they can be strong, body confident, and raise the bar in all aspects of their life.

2. What has been your career highlight to date?

Another tough question as there’s been many over the last 11 years in this Health & Fitness game. One particular moment does stick out for me, that time I was called to the stage by Pamela Ballantine at the Ulster Tatler Awards as Northern Ireland’s Transformation Specialist, and cover model for NI’s No1 glossy magazine…wow what a night, mixing it up with the elite, you guys know how to throw a party!

3. What are your favourite hobbies/ activities outside of work?

These days I’m pretty boring to be honest (I blame Covid it’s nothing to do with the fact that I’m a little older). Most of the time if I’m not in the gym or in a park inflicting calculated pain toward my clients. I’m either in a coffee shop somewhere doing my Online Transformations on the laptop (Go check it out at www.transformationkid.com), or going on long walks. I love to go exploring, seeing new places, and maybe I could admit I do love to shop so I suppose a lot of my walking is taken up cruising the aisles also.

4. What is your daily routine?

I’m a pretty regulated kind of guy. Each day, bar one or maybe two, I will get out of bed down a big glass of water, pop on some bangin’ beats and jump straight into a workout. After that breakfast, clients, then coffee. Whilst I enjoy my tasty caffeine filled beverage I’ll do my Online T-Kid Body Guides for that day. At night I will usually eat out somewhere, though it will be healthy, then I will finish up the night with a run most nights. Then hit the shower to wash off the sweat before bed, then repeat again the next day.

5. Do you have a particular fitness regime?

My fitness regime is all dependant on my current goals, and time of year. As mentioned in the question above that’s my current routine. If I’m to break it down it’s basically 4 weight training sessions (formatted as quick/ effective short burst workouts targeted at raising my MRT thus helping me to stay lean whilst maintaining optimal muscle mass. then on top of this I perform 5 nights a week of low intensity running where I barely even break into a sweat. For now this suits my lifestyle, and works best to keep my body condition in a good place in terms of a lower fat percentage.

6. Do you have any tips for staying positive during this time?

I am a big believer in mindset, and like your body you can train your mind to see life the way you choose to. Practice in seeing the positive aspect of any/all situations. Be more optimistic, and open your eyes to new opportunities. Practice makes perfect, it won’t happen overnight. So persevere, put in the 90

time, and one day you’ll awaken to the world with new eyes.

7. What do you think is the best thing about living in Northern Ireland?

I don’t live in Northern Ireland anymore, but that’s easy, it has to be the people. I do admit I miss everyone from back home, I’m even getting a little nostalgic and all teary eyed just thinking about it. It is their warmth, kindness, oh and the banter (or craic as we like to say).

Also I miss Belfast a lot. I’ve travelled the world, been to many cities, but you know what, between Belfast and Dublin there are no better cities on the globe. I would have spent most of my time between these two beautiful places.

8. What is your mantra or favourite quote that you live by?

I actually have it tattooed on my arm, it’s a quote from the late Bruce Lee, and it reads, “Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a constant state of learning”. I definitely live by this, and will make sure to learn from anyone, any experience, or any mistake I ever make (though I do try to keep mistakes to a minimum obviously).

9. Who has been your biggest influence?

I have a few, and it’s very befitting that their names all rhyme. Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, and big Arnie (of course that’s Arnold Schwarzenegger). Need I say more? Anyone that knows these guys, knows. And if they don’t you should check out their accomplishments, the list is endless.

C R A N M O R E T E E T H I N A D AY Y O U R D E N TA L I M P L A N T D E S T I N AT I O N

Why Choose a Cranmore Dental Implant?

What are teeth in a day?

As the name suggests this treatment involves the placement of dental implants and attachment of provisional teeth restorations within the same day. It usually requires between 4 and 6 implants depending on your individual needs. After the requisite healing time (approximately three to six months) your final restoration is fitted.

Dr Nelson has a Masters Degree in Dental Implantology and his area of practice is dedicated to implant treatment. He has been placing implants for over 15 years.

Dr Nelson regularly accepts referrals from other dentists for all aspects of dental implant treatment.

Cranmore is fully equipped with a Cone Beam CT scanner to accurately plan your treatment.

Dr Nelson uses an intra oral scanner for appropriate cases which eliminates the need for gooey impression material.

Complimentary, no obligation consultations are available with our Patient Care Coordinator.

Teeth in a day can successfully provide a solution for missing teeth in a single appointment without the waiting time associated with traditional dental implant treatment. It is often considered as a solution for a person who has no teeth and is a denture wearer.

Benefits of Teeth in a Day. - Restores the form and function of your teeth within the same day.

- Stable replacement teeth for eating, speaking and smiling with confidence.

- Eliminates the pain of ill-fitting dentures.

DAVID NELSON, BDS MSC (IMP DENT) CLINICAL LEAD

When you decide it’s time to replace a missing tooth or teeth, we are here for you.

We accept nothing less than the best for our patients.

Talk your decision through with us, book a complimentary consultation today on 028 9038 1822.

BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY IMPLANT CONSULTATION* TODAY 15 Windsor Avenue Belfast BT9 6EE T: 028 9038 1822 E: info@cranmoredental.com

www.cranmoredental.com *Non clinical consultation with Patient Care Coordinator.

Many of us are feeling worried or stressed about COVID-19 and the effect it is having on our own mental health, as well as the mental health of those we love.

It is normal to experience feelings of anxiety and worry in these uncertain times. However, with the right support, we can actively look after ourselves, and each other, during this challenging period.

The COVID Wellbeing NI website has been developed to support you in doing just that. A joint effort by mental health and wellbeing charities across Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency, the Department for Communities and the Department of Health, the website helps you process your feelings and acknowledge the ways in which you are coping. It features useful tools for taking positive actions around your mental health. This helpful hub offers you: Mental Health Information on a range of topics including stress, anxiety, rest and sleep, money worries, alcohol, gambling and drugs.

Guided Self-Help Resources to aid your mental health and wellbeing. These include booklets and programmes geared towards building strength and resilience.

A quick list of ideas and suggestions for the ‘Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing’ themes: connect, give, take notice, keep learning and be active. These will get you thinking creatively about how to build the five steps into your daily life.

Information on the Helplines and Support Services that are accessible across Northern Ireland. A range of these are ready and willing to help.

COVID Wellbeing NI has been created to connect you with the relevant advice and assistance.

We are encouraging you to reach out and seek support in maintaining good mental and emotional health.

For more information visit www.covidwellbeingni.info

The importance of Vitamin C for the immune system “The best defence is a good offence.”

The Global pandemic we are facing emphasises the need for our immune systems to be healthy. The measures we take now may leave us better equipped to tackle whatever lies around the corner.

Chances are if you are a smoker or you’re not eating enough vitamin C rich fruit and vegetables, like broccoli, spinach, avocados, cherries, kiwis, oranges and pineapple – then you may be low in Vitamin C. The UK government recommends five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to keep healthy because it was seen to be an achievable target for most people. However, we really need about ten portions of fruits and vegetables a day but many people find this difficult to achieve.

According to research, Vitamin C contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system, so it’s not unreasonable to assume that a vitamin C deficiency may be associated with a suppressed immune system. Evidence suggests that vitamin C concentrations in the blood plasma and white blood cells decline during infections and stress and that

Visit Earth Rainbow online at:

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vitamin C may be involved in the biological mechanisms that control the production of white blood cells that we need to destroy bacteria and viruses. What’s more, recent research has shown that if taken at the onset of a viral infection, vitamin C consumption could help reduce the duration and severity of a cold.

There’s no mistaking the many health benefits of taking an adequate intake of Vitamin C. Dr. Thomas Levy, board certified Cardiologist suggests there is a need for high doses when taking with most illnesses. In his opinion, “When enough vitamin C is given, in the right form and for a long enough time, vitamin C helps virtually every condition, resolved many of them and prevents still others.”

Choosing the right vitamin C may present a dilemma.

Unfortunately standard oral vitamin C supplements are not well absorbed. What is needed is a high quality vitamin C with superior absorption directly into the cells like Liposomal Altrient C. Here at Earth Rainbow our focus is all about absorption from our foods and what we put into our bodies.

You can visit our store online to order this high quality supplement as well as Vitamin C rich food boxes to give you the best offence during this winter.

Nichaan Brice M.A.R CNHC M.A.R.R Executive Creative Consultant

TRIEDCOLUMN & TESTED

“Apex Headache Clinic cleared my constant migraines” 29-year-old Natasha Brown from Bangor, suffered with constant migraines which affected every aspect of her daily life. After thinking migraines and headaches were something she would have to live with, she visited Apex Headache Clinic in the hope that she could get even a little relief.

Here, she shares how the clinic’s unique regime of specialist manual physiotherapy treatment for migraines and headaches, called The Nelson Headache Approach™, cleared her migraines, meaning that she could finally get her life back on track.

Natasha, when did your migraines begin?

I had suffered with migraines for years and I had learnt to live with them. I would have had one migraine per week and I would have just gone to bed early and after sleeping, I would have been fine. In November last year my migraines began to get worse and I had to go to my GP and they gave me medication to try to help them. Just after Christmas last year I started to take severe migraines to the point where I took them for 60 days in a row, without a break. During this time I was put on more medication and was sent to hospital to investigate what was causing this. Between December 2019 and March 2020 I had only had six or eight days migraine free and I was in an awful way.

How did the pain affect your life?

I couldn’t do anything. At the beginning of this year when working in the office I was having to come home early nearly every day. I couldn’t sit or work in the office due to my migraines being so severe. I was very lucky that my boss allowed me to work from home but I was still suffering with migraines and my GP recommended taking time off work. I took a full month off work and the headaches and migraines were no better, even taking the medication that the doctor had given me. During this time I couldn’t leave the house as the pain was agonising.

What led you to Apex Clinic?

My mum had read an article in the Ulster Tatler and she sent it to me. The article was about a teenage girl who had migraines and headaches while at school and during her exams and how Apex Headache

Clinic had helped her. I thought I would give it a go as at that stage I was willing to try anything. In March 2020 I made an appointment at Apex Headache Clinic and within a couple of weeks I started to feel that my headaches were easing off and I was only having a migraine on four days per week rather than on six or seven.

How has your life changed since having treatment?

It is like day and night. I am now headache and migraine free for 90% of the time. I don’t worry about getting a headache or migraine now. I don’t have to worry about going to bed with a migraine knowing I would wake up with a migraine. I am back at the gym and exercising and I don’t have problems at work anymore.

Having a headache or migraine used to be my number one worry but now it is the least of my worries. I only have to attend the clinic once every four weeks now for maintenance treatment with my specialist physiotherapist.

What advice would you offer someone suffering from migraines?

I would say do not prolong it. If you can, make an appointment at Apex Headache Clinic. I have recommended Apex to friends who suffer from migraines and they have seen how it has changed my life. If anyone suffers from headaches or migraines I would say, go to Apex Headache Clinic. You will not regret it.

To book an appointment at Apex Headache Clinic, call 028 9048 4153. No GP referral is necessary.

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Ireland’s leading physiotherapy & sports injury clinic info@apexclinic.co.uk www.apexclinic.co.uk

info@apexheadacheclinic.co.uk www.apexheadacheclinic.co.uk

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COLUMN

Rebecca Nelson

Rebecca is founder and Director of Physiotherapy at Apex Clinic and Apex Headache Clinic.

SAY GOODBYE TO HEADACHES, MIGRAINES, VERTIGO AND TINNITUS FOR GOOD This month, Apex Headache Clinic founder and Spinal & Headache Physiotherapy Specialist, Rebecca Nelson, discusses headaches, migraines, vertigo and neckrelated tinnitus and how Apex Headache Clinic has a high success rate in treating and clearing these debilitating conditions. or an accident are also factors.

At Apex Headache Clinic we fully understand your pain. We know, from over 20 years of clearing headaches and migraines, that our specialist unique physiotherapy treatment regimes rather than painkillers can be the long-term cure that you are looking for.

The specialist physiotherapists at Apex Headache Clinic have been fully trained in The Nelson Headache Approach™, which is a treatment regime for clearing headaches and migraines and is offered in no other clinics in Northern Ireland or the UK. Due to our high success rate with this regime, we have patients travelling from all over the UK and further afield for our treatment.

Are headaches or migraines making you miserable?

Persistent headaches and migraines can literally ruin the quality of people’s lives, leaving them desperate to find a solution that brings relief to their pain.

What many people don’t realise is that headaches or migraines can actually be triggered from damage, stiffness or stress in the structures of the upper neck region. Poor posture or hours spent hunched over desks and computers commonly cause persistent neck-triggered headaches and migraines, while repeated heavy lifting, a previous fall

Is vertigo or dizziness ruining your life?

Dizziness originating from the upper neck region of the spine is called cervical vertigo and is very commonly overlooked as a source of vertigo. It originates from stiffness or damage of the upper two neck joints of the spine. Often the person experiences no actual neck pain, only dizziness.

At Apex Headache Clinic, our team of specialist physios have been successfully treating and clearing cervical vertigo for years, thanks to our unique regime of manual treatment to the upper neck region called The Nelson Vertigo Approach™.

During your initial consultation, one of our specialist physiotherapists will assess your neck to establish if it is involved in causing

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your vertigo and to differentiate it from vertigo from the inner ear. A treatment plan can then be started to clear it. One of the features of cervical vertigo is that it does not respond to drugs given for inner ear vertigo.

Is tinnitus getting you down?

Tinnitus is usually experienced as a ringing, hissing, whistling, buzzing or clicking sound that can be intermittent, or constant. It is an intrusive, annoying and, in some cases a devastating condition for sufferers.

Although often associated with damage to the hearing system, tinnitus can actually be caused by injury or stiffness of the upper neck joints. The good news regarding tinnitus which is triggered from the neck is that, in most cases, it can be treated and cleared at Apex Headache Clinic.

Treat and beat pain at its source As with all niggles, aches and pains, we recommend that you get to the root cause of your symptoms as soon as possible.

Once diagnosed, Apex Headache Clinic’s specialist manual physiotherapy treatment regimes can clear all of these conditions, restoring your quality of life and allowing you to get on with enjoying life symptom free again.

If you would like to book an appointment with Apex Headache Clinic, contact us on: 028 9048 4153. No GP referral is necessary.

apex

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chiropody

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Ireland’s leading physiotherapy & sports injury clinic info@apexclinic.co.uk www.apexclinic.co.uk

info@apexheadacheclinic.co.uk www.apexheadacheclinic.co.uk

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Therapist: Catrina Bell

Oak Tree Therapies is available for anyone who wishes to reduce stress levels, feel more self confident, gain control of anxiety/fears and phobias, depression, PTSD, eating disorders, manage pain, improve sleep, stop smoking or get rid of any addiction and so much more... including sports performance.

Therapies I provide are:

• Clinical Hypnotherapy/Psychotherapy • CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) • Reiki (Master Practitioner) • Counselling (BACP Acc & NCS Acc) • NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) • Egyptian Sekhem

The power is within…

…Change is an ever-evolving part of the ‘journey’ we each take throughout our lives…

Sometimes we lose our way, have no map to guide us, no signposts to direct us through the seasons of life and it can get tiresome when the ‘terrain’ changes, when the storms move in and darken our view.

Oak Tree Therapies is aimed at helping you to realise that the power to take back control is within you!

As Karen Horney (1950) stated; “if obstacles are removed…an acorn will develop into a beautiful oak tree…” This is the inspiration behind my holistic (mind, body, soul) approach here at Oak Tree Therapies.

Here in the therapeutic setting of Houston’s Mill in Broughshane, Co. Antrim, I offer a safe space where we can work together to remove the obstacles that block your path…

Houston’s Mill, Broughshane, BT42 4NJ For appointments call 077 6382 3224 or email oaktreetherapies@outlook.com

Find us online at www.oaktreetherapiesni.com

THE SCENE

LAUNCH OF THE ORMEAU PARKLET Belfast Buildings Trust, Queen’s University Belfast, OGU Architects, MMAS Architects, the Department for Infrastructure, Belfast City Council, and four local hospitality businesses have partnered together to create the Ormeau Parklet. The project, which was launched recently, has transformed on-street parking spaces to outside space which can be used by local businesses to allow them to continue to trade whilst maintaining social distancing. It is hoped that if the Ormeau Parklet is a success, the model can be introduced elsewhere in the city.

Derek and Kim Loughrey.

Aisling Rusk (RSUA Women in Architecture) and RSUA Director Ciarán Fox.

Jane Rogers.

Gerry Millar and Ciaran Mackel.

Agustina Martire, Rachel O’Grady and Joanne Corr.

To advertise in the

GET A FIGHTING FIT IMMUNE SYSTEM THIS WINTER!

Ulster Tatler KEEPING YOU IN THE PICTURE

To help fight against colds and flus during the dark months, Dr. Wolz has formulated a range of immune complexes to help get you through.

call us now on 028 9066 3311 or email: sales@ulstertatler.com.

Zell Oxygen Immunkomplex boosts the immune system, helps to heal and strengthen your body at a cellular level, helps to overcome the symptoms of burnout and chronic fatigue. Ideal to take when undergoing intense training.

Immun Select is a formulation in capsule form containing Zinc, vitamin C, antioxidants, beneficial bacteria and immune boosting beta-glucanes.

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Kinderimmun is full of essential ingredients and immune boosting properties for children from 2 upwards. It contains colostrum, inulin, Vitamins C, D, B complex, zinc, bifido bacteria’s and more. And an easy, flavourless powder your kids will love. Also suitable for adults and during pregnancy.

For advice or to arrange a free, no commitment consultation contact us today on 028 4483 0486 or email Homecare@trackarshealthcare.com

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98

The Word

FOSTER CARERS URGENTLY NEEDED IN NORTHERN IRELAND Action for Children have made an urgent call for potential foster carers to come forward in Northern Ireland.

Avery Bowser, children’s services manager, explained: “The need is very great in Northern Ireland at the moment but the numbers coming forward have been too small.

“We know that there are lots of people who have the space in their home to foster but they are often put off by myths about fostering. They think it’s only for certain types of people.

“We need people from different backgrounds and communities to become foster carers because our children are all so different.

“At Action for Children we provide foster families that have the warmth and stability that enable children to cope with the changes that life brings them.

“We do that by recruiting ordinary people, from all walks of life, who do something extraordinary – become a foster carer.”

Avery is asking readers to think about fostering or encourage someone else who could foster.

“All kinds of people can foster. You have to be over 21, have a spare room, the ability to work with children and have the time in your life to give.

“So please give our friendly fostering team a call. The need in Belfast is very urgent and I am appealing for your help.”

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer or would like to find out more, please contact Action for Children’s fostering team on 028 90460500 or email fostercareni@actionforchildren.org.uk

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104 ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS

Cosy Christmas

Christmas Movies There are many things that help us to get into the festive mood but in the colder months, it’s hard to beat snuggling down to watch all the Christmas classics with our friends and family. Home Alone, Elf, The Polar Express, It’s a Wonderful Life and Jingle All The Way are great festive movies that will get you in the mood for Christmas.

Support Local This year it is more important than ever to support local as they have been hit hard with the COVID19 pandemic. Instead of buying online, visit your local shops and support them by buying gifts for your loved ones this year.

Belfast’s Christmas market may be cancelled but Mid and East Antrim council is still moving ahead with plans to add sparkle to the season with local markets. Ballymena, Carrick and Larne are all hoping to open Christmas markets and they could potentially be a weekly event in the run up to the big day. The two and three-day markets are in advanced planning stages with applications for road closures in the towns submitted in a drive to boost recovery in the towns.

Eat Out As well as local retail taking a huge hit this year, our catering industry has also been massively affected. Visit your local eateries as much as you can and avail of their take out services where possible.

Decorate One way to raise your Christmas spirit is to surround yourself with all things festive. Go out and find the perfect Christmas tree for your home and decorate it with all the tinsel, lights and baubles that you can get your hands on. Your home will start to feel like a magical grotto in no time.

Make hot chocolate Hot chocolate is a luxury of cold weather — a warm, velvety-smooth mixture of rich cream and dark chocolate that does double duty as a drink and dessert. Unlike its sweeter cousin, hot cocoa, hot chocolate is thick, with a balance of sweetness and bitterness that only dark chocolate can give. This homemade treat only requires a few ingredients and a few minutes on the stovetop to warm up a cold evening.

Wrap up warm and go for a walk Winter is the perfect time to wrap up warm, throw on some wellies or boots and go for an invigorating walk. Blow away the cobwebs along blustery coastal paths, or take a frosty Christmas or Boxing Day stroll in a forrest. Visit the National Trusts website for local trail / walking routes.

We have made a list of our favourite things to do over the festive period to help get us in the mood for Christmas this year.

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106 ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS

This Christmas give the gift of membership to Belfast’s oldest charity which has continued to address disadvantage since 1752 Membership fees start at £30 Members receive two free events per year and 20% off talks, tours and merchandise including: Winter Lecture Series: Partition and Attrition delivered by Dr Éamon Phoenix and other noted historians February-March 2021 Be part of the next chapter of our history!

For more information

Email: lucy@cliftonbelfast.org.uk Phone: 028 9099 7022

Christmas wishes

BELLFIELD Centre of Wellbeing

“Our true intent is all for your delight”

THE ELEMIS SPECTACULAR HOLIDAY TOOLKIT

Thank you to our clients for their continuous support.

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Gift Vouchers available Salon of the Year 2006, 2007 & 2008

THE SCENE

MARGEY’S ‘AT HOME’ ONLINE EXHIBITION & SALE TO REPLACE CULLODEN SHOW Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, North Coast Artist Adrian Margey had to cancel his Annual Exhibition at the Culloden Estate & Spa this Halloween. Instead, the artist will stage an Online Only Exhibition and Sale of Work at the end of November. The new collection will be unveiled via a virtual video tour on his website and on the Adrian Margey Artwork Facebook Page from Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd November. Margey will film the new body of work hanging in his Portstewart home – giving viewers an insight into how the pieces look in a domestic setting.

Margey’s Culloden Exhibition has been an important fixture for collectors across the country for many years. Celebrated for his inventive approach to capturing the landscapes and landmarks of Northern Ireland, Margey uses expressive brushwork together with palette knife and finger painting techniques to create his original pieces. From large-scale canvases to smaller pieces, demand is expected to be high for the artist’s latest work. Forty new depictions of North Down, Ards, Belfast, the North Coast and Donegal will be released from Friday 20th November.

To keep up to date with preparations for this much anticipated exhibition, check out the Adrian Margey Art Facebook Page and his website (www.adrianmargey.com) where you can view a full portfolio. Margey’s Portrush Studio remains open for drop-in visitors on Saturdays: 11am – 5pm throughout the year. To arrange a private viewing during the week please telephone 07841593762.

‘Family Time, Portstewart Strand’

Crawfordsburn Forest’

‘Ballintoy’

Artist Adrian Margey

‘Arcadia, Splash!’

‘Summer Memories, Portrush Harbour’

‘Summer Evening, Donaghadee’ by Adrian Margey

‘Lough Shore, Holywood’

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110 ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS

Give the Gift of Luxury at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort Take the hassle out of Christmas shopping this year and give the gift of luxury at the click of a button with a voucher for Northern Ireland’s premier hotel and spa destination, Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, nestled in the countryside just outside Ballymena.

With a selection of gift vouchers available from overnight stays and unforgettable dining experiences, to luxurious Spa experiences with breathtaking views of the River Maine, Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort is the ultimate destination to relax, unwind and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Or perhaps treat your loved one to a monetary gift voucher where they can choose their very own package at Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort.

This year for every £100 of gift vouchers purchased online until 30th November, you will receive a £10 Gift For You voucher, for free!

With enhanced safety measures in place throughout the Resort, there’s no better place to get away from it all and enjoy a safe and relaxing break.

For more information or to purchase a gift voucher, visit www.galgorm.com

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McBride Fashions is a family run business that has been going strong for 48 years. It is based at the Temple Shopping Centre on the main Ballynahinch Road, Temple. It is famous for top quality leather and sheepskins at highly competitive prices.

McBrides is Northern Ireland’s largest retailer of leather. Also stocking a range of country casuals, such as jackets, hats, gloves and rugs for all those countryside enthusiasts. Check in store for all the latest autumn/winter deals.

For more information call 028 9263 8767 or visit: www.mcbridefashions.com

Own A Masterpiece... in Your Home A copy by Steve of the original painting ‘Fruit And Flowers in a Terraco Vase’ by Jan Van Os.

A copy by Steve of the original painting by Paolo Veronese, ‘The Conversion of Mary Magdalene’ 1548.

Portrait of Pasia the cocker spaniel.

Portrait of Nancy Haigh.

A pastiche based on the primitive style of Markey Ronnison.

Ulster Tatler speaks to Steve Haigh about his business, Fine Art Copies.

When did your love of art begin?

I always loved drawing and painting in junior school. When I was drawing, my imagination took me to another world, I always preferred drawing and painting to school work!

How did the idea of setting up Fine Art Copies come about?

Fine Art Copies began when I painted my first copy as a student at the Royal Academy of Art in 1993. I couldn’t wait to get to the Academy where I was permitted to paint in the galleries for two hours each day before the doors opened to the public. From there I got the bug to copy more great works of art. I promoted my skills as an artist and copyist through my website fineartcopies.com What services do you provide at Fine Art Copies?

Pastiches, copies of famous or valuable paintings, or paintings that clients want to sell and have a reproduction in its place. I also do portraits of people, animals, ancestors from old photgraphs, cityscapes, landscapes and abstracts.

What is your advice to anyone looking for a piece of artwork for their home?

If you like it, buy it! There is great satisfaction in owning something that brings you happiness. Be discerning and confident, trust your instinct. Once it’s on your wall it becomes part of the house, and it should resonate with you.

With Christmas coming up, why should people consider giving the gift of art?

Art is a totally unique Christmas present. It is a great way to invest your money and you will be giving something that nobody else will have. You may want to commission a portrait of a relative or a pet, or a copy of a famous painting.

How far in advance should people order the art comissions to get them in time for Christmas?

Depending on the type of work, I would say for copies or portraits the sooner the better. Pet portraits don’t take as long to do, but as soon as you can contact me at steve@fineartcopies.com Is there a piece of artwork that is particularly popular?

In terms of the most famous works of art, I would say Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’.

Is there a particular project that stands out to you, and why?

I was permitted to paint a copy of the painting ‘The Upper Reaches of the Grand Canal’ by Canaletto, in the National Gallery. It was a technically difficult painting to copy as it required a lot of patience because of all the detail. I researched the method, and followed the technique. It took three permits to complete the painting over a period of nine months. You can view this copy on my website.

What do you love most about your job?

Making a living out of doing something I love and learning new methods and processes of painting.

What is the highlight of your career to date?

Having a portrait of my wife displayed in the National Portrait Gallery and winning the painting category in the Bayer Earth Art Prize at the Mall Galleries, London.

FINE ART COPIES @fineartcopies

www.fineartcopies.com

steve@fineartcopies.com

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Christmas Made Perfect at Wardens of Newtownards

Perfect table settings and gorgeous gifts, Waterford and Wedgwood at Wardens of Newtownards.

For more information visit www.wardenbros.com

NOW OFFERING DELIVERIES • Fresh Vegetables • Fresh Fruit • Fruit Baskets • Vegetable Boxes

• Fresh Flowers • Bunches • Bouquets • Arrangements • Easy Parking at the Door •

187 MOIRA ROAD, LISBURN BT28 1JA Open Monday to Saturday 8.00am - 6.00pm

Tel: 028 9266 6507

Email: evansfarmshop@outlook.com www.evansfarmshop.co.uk

Fresh Deliveries Evans Farm Shop based on Moira Road, Lisburn have a team of efficient and experienced staff who provide friendly and courteous service. They offer a delivery service to local shops, schools, cafes, restaurants and canteens. You can also phone them with your order and they will have it prepared and ready for collection. The shop stocks everything from fresh, local and imported fruit and vegetables, flowers, plants, dairy products, jams, chutneys and more. evansfarmshop.co.uk Tel: 028 9266 6507

Experience Christmas IN ALEXANDERS FAMOUS CHRISTMAS SHOP!

BEAUTIFUL FOOD GIFTS IN OUR NEW FOOD HALL! BESPOKE HAMPERS | CHRISTMAS TINS & SHORTBREADS CAKES & DESSERTS | DELICIOUS LOCAL PRODUCE & MORE

3 KEADY STREET, MARKETHILL | BT60 1PN | GIFTWARE@ALEXANDERSGIFTSTORE.COM

48 Soldierstown Road, Craigavon BT67 0ES Tel: 028 9265 2952 Email clenaghansrestaurant@aol.co.uk

@belfastwhiskeyweek belfastwhiskeyweek.com

EAT, DRAM AND BE MERRY!

JOIN US 24 DEC-01 JAN

We made headlines this year by introducing Irish Whiskey & Belfast to the world through the World’s Largest Irish Whiskey Festival in 2020.

But we’re not done yet... we have a special treat for those who missed out, or for those that just want more this Festive Period.

Introducing Belfast Festive Whiskey Week; a series of luxury tasting sets including 9 whiskey samples presented in a luxury wooden box and accompanied by two glasses.

The perfect Christmas gift for someone special, a whiskey enthusiast or to indulge in your own love of the liquid.

Each tasting can be enjoyed individually or through the online tastings scheduled to run between the 24th December and 1st January.

The Sets on offer include; Irish Cask Strength, Irish Premium, Scots Premium, Old and Rare, World Selection and Plus 12 and each set gains access to all the tastings during the Festive Period, as well as virtual access to Belfast Whiskey Week 2021.

Belfast Whiskey Week 2021 aims to build upon this years success and cement Belfast as a tourist destination to appreciate Whiskey.

Belfast was on top of the Whiskey World once before, and deserves the recognition globally as a city that oozes whiskey heritage and represents the future of Irish Whiskey.

Next year’s festival will play host to over 50 local musicians and artists, over 20 local comedians and well over 50 whiskey brands and distilleries.

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The Perfect Christmas Dinner with Lidl

Lidl Northern Ireland has partnered with award-winning chef, Gary O’Hanlon, to bring customers a luxurious Christmas dinner menu that is sure to impress your loved ones for less than £7 per person. Chef Gary has also shared his top tips to create the perfect Lidl Christmas meal as well as some delicious recipes to spice up your dinner this year. During what has been a particularly challenging year for many families, Lidl has made sure you won’t have to break the bank to enjoy a luxurious Christmas meal this year.

This Christmas spoil your family for less by serving them cured salmon with Lidl’s Salmon Gravadlax. Chef Gary recommends a cold starter as your stove will be full of pots and pans for the main course.

Price per head: £1.60 Suggested pairing: Lidl’s Comte de Senneval Champagne (£14)

Starter: Cured Salmon Gravadlax ***

Main Course: Roast Breast of Turkey Ham Croquette, Chantenay Carrot, Spiked Cranberry Stuffing, Bone Jus, Parsnip Crisps Truffled Brussels Sprouts & Smoked Bacon Mornay, Duck Fat Roasties: Candied Turnip, Rosapenna Pommes For the main meal, Chef Gary has created a creative twist on the classic Christmas turkey and ham. His top tip for this course is to minimise the use of pots and pans by roasting your veggies on the same tray. They will then cook alongside the Turkey for the last hour perfectly.

Price per person: £3.50 Suggested pairing: Lidl’s Chianti Riserva (£6.99) or Lidl’s Chile Chardonnay (£4.35) *** Dessert: Classic Crème Brûlée Chef Gary recommends planning ahead with your dessert so make it in advance and keep it sitting in the fridge until your guests are ready for the grand finale! Make a showstopping dessert that won’t take you hours by using Lidl’s tasty ready-made crème brûlée and serve with biscuit and scrumptious seasonal candied Christmas pudding ice-cream.

Price per person: £1.30 Suggested pairing: Lidl’s award-winning World’s Best Prosecco, Allini Conegliano Superiore Prosecco (£7.99)

If you are looking for some vegan inspiration, Chef Gary has a delicious alternative that you can whip up for vegan or vegetarian guests.

Herb Crusted Brussels Sprouts and Smoked Bacon Mornay Serves 8-10 • 1½ small nets of Brussels sprout • drizzle of vegetable oil • 250g smoked streaky bacon, rind removed and sliced • 1 large white onion, finely diced • 250ml double cream • 50g parmesan, grated • 50g grated mozzarella • 1tsp truffle oil • salt & white pepper to taste • 200g breadcrumbs • handful chopped fresh parsley 1. Pre-heat your oven to 190C. Place a pot of seasoned water on a high heat and bring to the boil.

2. Slice the root of each Brussels sprout flush, cut in half through said root and discard any withered outer leaves. Drop the split sprouts into the salted boiling water and cook until a cocktail stick goes through with a small bit of resistance. Immediately strain and drop into a bowl of iced water once cooked.

3. Heat a wok or a deep frying pan and add in the drizzle of oil.

Add in the onions and bacon, season and sauté until the bacon is browned a little.

4. Now add in the Brussels sprouts followed by the cream and season well. Bring to the boil and rapidly reduce. When the cream has reduced and thickened a little add in the grated cheese and fold through. Add in the truffle oil and adjust seasoning to taste.

5. Mix the breadcrumbs with the parsley.

6. Pour sprout mornay into an oven ready casserole dish and completely cover with a layer of breadcrumbs.

7. Place into the oven and bake until crumbs are toasted.

Serve.

The GastroGays have created some festive cocktails exclusively for Lidl so why not finish off your meal with a Merry Martini cocktail.

Merry Martini Serves 1 • 70ml Hortus Plum & Cinnamon Gin Liqueur • 35ml Pomegranate Juice • 35ml Vermouth • Juice of 1 lime • Ice 1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour all ingredients in and stir for 30 seconds until all the temperature has dropped –– you’ll notice as the sides of the shaker feel ice cold. Strain and pour into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a slice of fresh orange and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

This cocktail can be made in advance to save you time during a busy Christmas gathering. Just mix all the ingredients together and leave to one side in a jar or jug in the fridge. Shake with ice before serving.

FRENCH FURNITURE, ANTIQUES, FINE ART & INTERIORS

Experience Christmas in a Winter Woodland at The Old Courthouse Greyabbey Open Wed-Sat 11am-5pm www.theoldcourthousegreyabbey.com Also find us on Facebook & Instagram

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PART OF THE ULSTER TATLER GROUP

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The best things in life are naturally sourced, at least that is the ethos of this boutique situated in the Linen Green, Dungannon.

Specialising in skincare and supplements, Adele's Apothecary carries a curated selection of products which are easy to use, ethically sourced, and of an incredibly high quality. As a bonus, all of their products are cruelty-free, as organic as possible, and many of the products are certified vegan, all of which they are very passionate about.

Promoting a happier, healthier lifestyle is another passion of Adele's Apothecary, and this passion is unparalleled. The expertise of their staff mean that they are able to advise you on the ideal products for your specific needs, whether you are in need of a supplement for mental clarity or an essential oil to diffuse around your home to lift your mood!

Coming up to Christmas, the boutique have also curated gorgeous, high-quality gifts which won't break the bank, so why not give them a visit this festive season for all your gifting needs, or even to get a treat for yourself!

Adele's Apothecary, Unit 2, The Frame House, The Linen Green, Moygashel, Dungannon, BT71 7HB E: info@adelesapothecary.com | T: 028 8772 2441 | www.adelesapothecary.com | @adelesapothecary

SOCIETY

WEDDINGS Barr & Lyttle Natalie Barr and Robert Lyttle from Florida Drive, Belfast, were married on 4th August 2020 at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel, Bangor. The happy couple were hoping to honeymoon in Greece, which unfortunately got cancelled because of COVID-19, and so they enjoyed a staycation honeymoon at Grand Central, Belfast, and Lough Erne Resort, Fermangh.

Photography by Jonathan Deighan.

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SOCIETY

WEDDINGS

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SOCIETY

WEDDINGS McAfee & McConnell Sarah McAfee, from Ballymena, and Peter McConnell, from Antrim, were married on 8 August 2020. The intimate ceremony, which was held in a marquee from CMC Marquees at the bride’s parents’ home in Ballymena, saw 30 close friends and family members, as well as Teddi (the pomeranian) and Dave (the whippet), come together to celebrate Sarah and Peter’s special day.

Photography by Crazy Happy Love.

Peter and Sarah pictured with the bride’s parents, Victor and Janet McAfee.

Peter and Sarah pictured with the groom’s parents, Derek and Sharon McConnell, the groom’s sister, Emma Hanna, brother-in-law, Gareth Hanna, and Teddi the pomeranian.

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SOCIETY

WEDDINGS

The bride and her bridesmaids, Emma Hanna, Aimee McAfee, Jessica McClelland and Nicola Cadogan.

Peter and Sarah pictured with the bride’s grandparents, Frances and Desmond Cousley.

The groom with his best men and friends: Andrew Kitson, Gregg Turnbull, Greg Winning, Gareth Hanna, Ben McTaggart, Jonathan Small and Jonathan Hazlett.

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SOCIETY

WEDDINGS McCartan & Mitchell After having to postpone their wedding in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anne-Marie McCartan, from Laurencetown, Co. Down, and Gary Mitchell, from The Loup, Co. Londonderry, finally said ‘I do’ on 4th September 2020. The wedding ceremony took place at St Patrick & St Colman’s Church, Laurencetown and the reception was hosted at Tullyglass House Hotel, Ballymena. The happy couple enjoyed a minimoon in Killarney.

Photography by WilliamStudio

The Groom with his family (from left): Best Man Mr Stephen Mitchell, Mother of the Groom Mrs Bernadette Mitchell, Groom Mr Gary Mitchell, Father of the Groom Mr Malachy Mitchell, Bridesmaid (and sister of groom) Mrs Elizabeth Rogers.

Bride and Groom pictured with the Mitchell family (from left): Baby Anna Mitchell, Mrs Aileen Mitchell, Best Man Mr Stephen Mitchell, Page Boy Master Noah Mitchell, Mother of the Groom Mrs Bernadette Mitchell, Miss Rosa Mitchell, Groom Mr Gary Mitchell, Bride Miss Anne-Marie McCartan, Father of Groom Mr Malachy Mitchell, Bridesmaid Mrs Elizabeth Rogers, Groomsman Mr Raymond Rogers, Flower-girl Miss Sophie Rogers, Ushers Masters Matthew & Ben Rogers and Master Zach Rogers.

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SOCIETY

WEDDINGS

The bride pictured with her two eldest nieces and ower-girls (from left): Miss Marianne Corbett, Bride Miss Anne-Marie McCartan and Miss Sophie Rogers.

The Bride pictured with her aunts (from left): Mrs Mary O’Hare, the bride Miss Anne-Marie McCartan, Mrs Eileen McDermott and Mrs Frances Brennan.

McCartan Family (from left): Mr David Corbett, Baby Sean Corbett, Ushers Masters Niall and Eoin Corbett, Flower Girl Miss Marianne Corbett, Chief Bridesmaid (and sister of the Bride) Mrs Shauna Corbett, Master Rory Corbett, Father of the Bride Mr Sean McCartan, the Bride Miss Anne-Marie McCartan, Groom Mr Gary Mitchell, Mother of the Bride Mrs Paula McCartan, Mrs Katrina McCartan, Baby Emily-Rose McCartan, Mr Kevin McCartan, Master Cillian McCartan, Paige Boy Master Dara McCartan, Mrs Anita McCartan and Mr Michael McCartan.

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SOCIETY

WEDDINGS

Viljoen & Conn Roleen Viljoen, an actress and photographer originally from South Africa, and Alan Conn, an engineer from Lurgan, were married on 12 June 2020. The couple met during a rugby match whilst working in China. Although their original wedding date, scheduled for April 2020, had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the happy couple were finally able to celebrate their nuptials with an intimate wedding ceremony in the Laganview garden at the Crowne Plaza Belfast. Unfortunately due to travel restrictions, Roleen’s father, Hercules Viljoen, was unable to attend in person but he joined the happy couple during their celebrations via Zoom, along with his wife Erika Viljoen and her daughter Danné Beeslaar.

The bride and groom.

Photography by Collette Creative Photography

Rev. Henry Stevenson, best man Ralph Hewitt, the groom Alan Conn, father of the groom Kenneth Conn, and the bride Roleen Viljoen.

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SOCIETY

WEDDINGS

Catherine Conn, Roleen Viljoen, Maureen Conn and Jacqueline Jones.

Jacqueline and Calum Jones.

The bride and groom with Anneka Allen, Sales Manager at the Crowne Plaza, Belfast.

The bride and groom with the groom’s parents, Maureen and Kenneth Conn.

Niamh McConaghy, the bride’s friend, who acted as a witness on behalf of the bride’s father, Hercules Viljoen.

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Weddings

HELPING CREATE PEACE OF MIND FOR ENGAGED COUPLES THROUGHOUT COVID Throughout the last few months many couples have faced uncertainty and heart breaking decisions around their wedding day. Many couples have had to completely postpone their big day 2 or 3 years time.

Couples have found that the day of their dreams has had to change dramatically or been stopped completely, with number reductions, restrictions and venue closures.

One Co.Antrim wedding venue is doing all they can to help those couples in an impossible situation.

The Wool Tower Venue is a genuine 200 year old woollen mill with history and a story behind every exposed brick and stone.

Massive pitch pine beams, brick vaulted ceilings, stone walls and original stone tile floors make it simply one of the most amazing exclusive use spaces available in Northern Ireland for weddings. Its impressive size is more important in these difficult times than ever before. With masses of indoor and outdoor open space, the Wool Tower can accommodate 150 guests comfortably with 2m social distancing space.

“Guests feel at ease as soon as they walk through the main doors when they see the space,” says Adam O’Neill Venue Manager, “we feel that social distancing may remain important for some time, so giving people ample space so that they don’t feel cramped

from the open wood burner. The furniture is made from a Beetling Mill and guests can see exactly how the Beetling Mill worked 100 years ago.”

Because it is so spacious the Wool Tower is now able to offer a solution to couples whose weddings have been postponed, sometimes three times. Their WHIRLWIND WEDDING PACKAGE has been designed to host wedding ceremonies right away while following all the latest guidelines.

Adam continues, “When the latest restrictions came in place we felt so heartbroken for those couples unable to have their wedding and we decided to come up with a solution. The Wool Tower is very much still open and we can help couples go ahead and have their big day.”

is a must, and something the Wool Tower is very proud of.

“Thinking ahead we realised that an all weather outside space would be a big bonus during Covid. Throughout lockdown we worked hard to create ‘the Beetling Room’ a covered outdoor space where no matter how foul the Northern Ireland weather, guests can be dry while watching the ducks and herons on the Braid river and enjoying the warmth

For more information on how couples can go ahead with their weddings now, simply check out the Wool Tower facebook site or Wooltower.com

UP TO

25% OFF

WEDDING RINGS

and UP TO

50% OFF DIAMOND RINGS

76 Ann St, Belfast BT1 4EH 028 9032 0477 18A Castle Street, Belfast 028 9023 1122

Joseph Rea J EWELLERS

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Introducing...

Hi, my name is Damien Braniff from Noah James Photography. I’m an award-winning Belfast-based photographer with a sincere passion for catching every special moment I can on camera. I’ve been taking pictures for as long as I can remember but my professional career was kicked-started with the birth of my son ‘Noah James’. What started as an Instagram page for documenting everything from Noah’s first smile to his first steps has ultimately evolved into the Noah James brand you see today.

Capturing those memories helped me to realise just how important photography can be and I’ve no doubt that this has helped shape me both as a dad and a photographer. For weddings in particular I’m all about those natural, documentary-style, nonstaged, ‘Real’ photos, so if it’s authenticity you’re after, I’m your man! My main goal is to ensure that everyone is comfortable on the day so I can capture the personalities and connections you love so much. Rest assured, there’s no unnecessary or awkward posing involved and if I’m completely honest, all the good stuff happens when nobody’s watching anyway. That said, if you have something in mind that you’d like to recreate I’ll certainly be able to accommodate. I love what I do and I’m just about as easy going as they come so you can expect a relaxed and professional atmosphere whether you’re in the studio or enjoying your big event.

I have an amazing studio space that is perfect for family portraits, cheeky sibling pics, professional headshots and everything in between. Over the years I’ve also helped countless businesses and business professionals create the right image for their brand. You only have 7 seconds to make a strong first impression and that’s why it’s so important, especially in today’s climate to represent yourself and your business with quality standout visual content that helps you to connect with your audience.

Please feel free to contact me at any time for a friendly chat. I’d be more than happy to talk you through what packages are available or answer any questions you might have. If you prefer, we can always meet in person for a catch up with no obligation to book. You can reach me on:

Telephone – 07713410670 Email – Noahjamesni@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NoahJamesPhotography Instagram - www.instagram.com/noahjames_photography

QUALITY FLOORING SOLUTIONS Bangor-based Amour Flooring has been opened by husband and wife team, Kevan and Beau Savage. The modern and spacious showroom displays a vast range of high quality flooring options, including carpets, real wood, laminate and LVT tiles.

High-class products are at the core of Amour Flooring, supplying engineered real wood floors by well known brands such as Woodpecker and V4. In carpeting you can browse a selection of wool carpets by Ulster Carpets and Hugh Mackay. LVT tiles are very on trend and at Amour Flooring you can find luxury vinyl brands, Quickstep, Balterio and LG Hausys.

Kevan and Beau are delighted to have Aidan Walsh on board as part of the team. With over 20 years experience in the industry and his wealth of knowledge you can be guaranteed to receive the best in customer service.

57 Prospect Rd, Bangor BT20 5DF T: 028 9131 1799 www.amourflooring.com E: info@amourflooring.com Floor pictured: Woodpecker Goodrich Haze Oak

R FO G OM IN O C R N W TA O H DIS S GE IAL R C LA SO

ULSTER TATLER FEATURE

MAKE A SPLASH THIS MONTH ULSTER TATLER TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT BATHROOMS, SHOWCASING ALL THE LATEST CONTEMPORARY AND MODERN STYLES AND TILES TO GIVE YOU SOME INSPIRATION FOR GETTING YOUR HOME READY FOR SUMMER.

Smart technology is increasingly becoming a major component of everyday living at home, and the bathroom is no exception to this.

Current trends are pointed towards elevating and building character in bathrooms, whether it is through adding digital technology to showers, or installing self-cleaning toilets. Mirrors with built-in LED lighting and motion detecting faucets are also gaining popularity on the market.

Smart technology systems now allow for customised showers and baths, for example, temperaturecontrolled showers mean that your showering experience is more reliable, safe and less time-consuming. As well as this, having Bluetooth technology integrated into shower heads means that you can sing along to your favourite songs without much noise pollution.

Bold graphic designs which incorporate tessellated (or repeated) patterns, like dots, dashes and even animal prints, are set to take UK homes by storm.

This year, more and more of us are paying closer attention to the little details, such as drawer handles, light pulls, bath feet and hinges, to bring the bigger picture into focus.

Now more than ever, there is a huge focus on relaxation and mindfulness.

This focus has led to the rise of the tropical spa theme, with plenty of luscious greenery and luxurious cleansing in the form of walk in showers and freestanding baths.

Whilst it may mean different things to different people, sustainability is something we should all be striving to achieve with our bathroom projects in 2021. Whether this means seeking

eco-conscious bathroom products which save water and energy or using environmentally-friendly materials, going green is a growing bathroom trend.

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In this feature, we take a look at how you can elevate your bathroom beyond its simple functionality and turn it into a more modern space.

Sykes - New Logo Execution Sample.qxp_Layout 1 23/10/2020 16:21 Page 1

more more indvdualty. indvdualty.

ShOwOOm Op G i Och ShOwOOm Op G i Och 38 Duncrue Crescent Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm Tel: 028 9077 0044 38 Duncrue Crescent Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm Tel: 028 9077 0044 Belfast BT3 9BWBT3 9BW Saturday: 9am-12.30pm www.sykesinteriors.com Belfast Saturday: 9am-12.30pm www.sykesinteriors.com

MAKE A

SPLASH PASSION FOR DESIGN WITH CECO

Alison Brown

CECO www.cecoproducts.com Carryduff Business Park 8 Comber Road Carryduff BT8 8AN

CECO in Carryduff, has been delivering beautiful bathrooms since 2011. The bathroom showroom is managed

by Alison Brown who provides a comprehensive design service which includes aiding her clients to visualise their bathrooms through the use of a 3D virtual design programme. This gives the clients a complete understanding and confidence that the chosen products and design scheme will work in reality. Alison has been designing bathrooms for over ten years and has a wealth of experience having previously worked for many renowned bathroom companies. She has a passion for design and an eye for detail that allows her to create stunning bathrooms for her clients.

Ceco is the main supplier of Porcelanosa sanitary ware in Northern Ireland.

Porcelanosa is one of the world’s leading ceramics manufacturers, offering both bathroom furniture and tiles. With Porcelanosa you are guaranteed products that are high quality and right on trend.

These products along with many other leading bathroom brands such as; Laufen, Roca, Gessi and Burlington can be seen in Ceco’s stunning showroom, which has carefully selected pieces on display to help you seek inspiration for designing your new bathroom. Also introducing the new Assisi brassware range from Marflow.

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Ceco’s strength lies in its overall expertise and passion for design. The company’s carefully selected portfolio of products is what sets it apart. This and the company’s unrivalled service, make creating your dream bathroom and interior spaces an enjoyable experience.

Contact Alison for a chat about your bathroom requirements or to make an appointment.

Office: 028 9081 7272 Mobile: 07515 574 578

MAKE A

SPLASH WATERSHED BATHROOM & TILES

Robyn Fleming

WATERSHED BATHROOM & TILES www.watershedbathrooms. com

Passion for bathroom design combined with a dedicated and experienced sales team ensures that Watershed Bathrooms and Tiles remains at the forefront of the bathroom industry as one of N.I’s leading bathroom retailers. With a network of seven stylishly designed showrooms province-wide our stunning bathroom and tile displays showcase an extensive range of product including many of the leading designer brands such as Laufen, Duravit, Hansgrohe and Utopia. This truly stunning product portfolio of premier brands allows our experienced design consultants to create bathroom and tile designs that appeal to every taste and lifestyle.

Excellent customer service is central to everything we do. From the initial planning and design to the finishing touches, our dedicated sales team will be on hand to help you select your bathrooms and tiles, and help you every step of the way and advise you on the latest trends and innovative product. We offer a complimentary design service and our excellent 3D package allows us to bring your ideas to life.

Robyn Fleming of Watershed Antrim says, “The bathroom industry is an exciting place to work. We see our furniture and tiles ranges reflecting the current interior trends and styles and it never stops changing. These constant new additions to the industry allow us to create stunning bathroom designs that are very on trend. Recently there has been a demand for marble effect and stone tiles with black or rose gold brassware that are simply stunning.”

Whether you are looking to revamp an

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existing bathroom or planning a complete refurbishment, the sales team at Watershed Bathrooms and Tiles have the experience and knowledge to provide you with valuable advice and guidance to aid you in making the correct choice.

For ideas on bathroom and tile design call into one of our seven showrooms situated in Antrim, Bangor, Boucher, Coleraine, Cookstown, Eglinton and Larne and allow the expertise and vision of our design consultants to bring your ideas to life!

ISSUE: NOVEMBER 1997

LOOKING BACK ULSTER TATLER

Deirdre Johnston, Maureen Galbraith, Angela Hamilton and Wendy Anderson at the Belfast Royal Academy class of 1977 reunion which was held at The Europa Hotel.

Hillsborough Castle was the venue for a fashion show by The Red Fox, held in aid of Haven - the National Schizophrenia Fellowship.

Pictured at the event were: Eleanor Morrow, Patsy England and Dr Betty Crawford.

Pictured at the opening of modern shoe store, Rojo, were Donna Heasley (store manager), Hazel and daughter Claire McCullough.

Action Cancer’s Launch and Brunch for Beast Cancer, which was hosted at Deane’s Brasserie, Belfast, welcomed a host of guests including Michael Deane, Kate Smith and Peter Quigley.

Pictured after the opening night of Opera Northern Ireland’s new season in 1997 at the Grand Opera House were: Fiona Bellingham, Sara Johnston, and Joanna Lumley.

Katrina Forrest, Jim Fitzpatrick and Patrick McKeown at a special Wine & Company wine tasting evening.

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SH OP OWR OO EN NO ING M M VEM ID BER -

At Emporium Interiors, we’ve changed our name to Tracey Jane Interior Design. It may seem like a big change, but the shift reflects the changing nature of our relationship with our customers – and how they want more of that one-to-one, personalised design service that’s driven by that same creativity, attention to detail and passion that drives all we do here ...so welcome to Tracey Jane Interior Design.

Herbert Gould Home 384 - 386 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 6GN Tel: 028 9066 6900 Email: info@herbertgould.com Social Media: @herbertgouldhome

EXCLUSIVE STOCKIST OF ANDREW MARTIN IN NORTHERN IRELAND

UT Living

Ulster Tatler MEET THE EXPERTS

PODCAST Check out our fortnightly podcast to hear local interiors experts give practical tips on how to improve your home.

JACKSONS

Available on:

OF SAINTFIELD

NI’s largest stockist of riser Chairs recliners and chairs.

Call in and see us or call 028 9751 1429, home delivery or collection available.

Guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery.

Also stockists of adjustable beds.

Jacksons of Saintfield T. 028 9751 1429

JACKSONS

Unit 3 Monkstown Village Centre, Newtownabbey, BT37 0HS Tel: 02890 342 480 www.comfortfirstni.co.uk Open: Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm & Sat 10am-5pm Late Night Opening by Appointment

OF MOIRA

100 Main Street T. 028 9261 3660 Free parking at rear

Come Visit Our Showroom 139

CLEANING TRANSFORMATIONS WITH Nii Clean began trading in January 2018 with a small window cleaning round in Whitehead, County Antrim. Owner operator, Mark Donley explains; “My wife Erica and I started Nii Clean to simply provide some extra money for our oldest son who cycles. Road racing is very expensive and we simply needed more money to cover his costs.”

Shay has represented Ireland many times all over Europe in Road Racing events and is the proud owner of 11 National Championship titles.

It wasn’t long before Mark’s business experience drew his attention and focus to the cleaning sector.

“We really just started Nii Clean for some additional income as Erica and I were both working for a Christian charity at the time, but very quickly we realised that there was real potential in this sector.”

Having been involved in business for many years, owning an engineering business and helping set up other businesses, Mark saw the potential in Nii Clean.

“When we bought our first round in Whitehead it was easy to see that the guy who owned it previously had badly neglected it. People who wanted our service, were happy to pay but expected a good, hassle free service. I could also tell that customers wanted good, trustworthy people carrying out work on their properties.”

With this information in mind, Mark and Erica began to look at other cleaning businesses and looked for ways of bringing a better service to their customers. This included computerised scheduling, allowing Nii Clean to provide monthly or bi-monthly window cleaning for its customers. Nii Clean also developed a contactless work procedure where work is carried out and a ‘payment docket’ is posted through the customers door on completion. This allows each customer to make payments through bank transfer or PayPal. These payments

are then picked up by Erica in the office and marked off the customers account.

In January 2019 Nii Clean bought a further window cleaning round in Portadown and brought in Adam to work full time.

“I was still working full time and then working one day a week in Nii Clean but we could tell things were gathering momentum.”

June 2019 saw massive changes in Nii Clean for Mark and Erica.

“Things changed within work for us and although we had envisaged working within the charity for several more years, in May we felt it was our time to focus full time on Nii Clean.”

Moving from one day per week, to full time roles within Nii Clean meant Mark had to look for other avenues for business.

“I looked at so many options of how we could take the business forward but ultimately Nii Clean led me. We just had customers asking us to carry out work that we did not know how to do. The internet is a wonderful tool, we researched, studied and tried.”

Nii Clean now offer a large range of cleaning services and cover all of Northern Ireland.

“Things have moved very quickly for us. We now have three, two-person teams carrying out all sorts of cleaning work, all over Northern Ireland every day. Offering solutions for residential and commercial customers.

SERVICES OFFERED: - Roof cleaning – we remove moss from roofs and spray with specialist chemicals to kill all growth and clean the roof.

- UPVC cleaning – guttering, facsia, soffit boards and downpipes are all washed down using specialist cleaning products.

- Softwashing - we can easily remove unsightly green, red and black staining from dash, render and many other external hard surfaces using chemical treatments.

T: 07740180877 | E: markdonley@yahoo.com Facebook: @NiiClean

- Powerwashing – high pressure hot and cold water pressure washing.

Armagh Station Road BT71 7NP T: 028 3752 7007

Essor

Cementi Collection design@armatile.com www.armatile.com

Belfast 58 Boucher Crescent BT12 6HU T: 028 9068 2752

Newry Greenbank Ind. Estate BT34 2QX T: 028 3026 6021

The Word

VERSATILE DESIGN FOR YOUR HOME Adaptable furniture is a hot topic right now, with so many of our homes taking on more roles than ever. But it’s something that Neptune have been thinking about for some time.

“Timelessness has always been a central part of our philosophy,” says Neptune’s product and service brand director, Rebecca, “which isn’t just about how something looks. It has to work well for years to come.”

With that in mind, they’ve created several cabinetry designs that can take on lots of different guises, and no more so than the Ardingly. Affectionately dubbed ‘the everything cabinet’ by the team, they originally designed it as a drinks cupboard, but found that it could be so much more than that.

“We’ve added in details that can help it adapt,” explains designer Henry, “like reinforced shelves and hidden cable cut-outs for laptops or televisions.” There’s also a mirrored back for dressing tables and a marble shelf for larders. “It’s a real statement piece,” says Henry, “ but more than that, it’s got real practicality too. It’s at the top of everyone’s wishlist here for sure!”

Explore the new collection at Neptune’s store in Belfast or at Neptune by Malone & Smyth in County Fermanagh.

Neptune Belfast, 315 Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 3GB Tel: 028 9691 9988 Neptune By Malone & Smyth, Teemore Business Complex, Belturbet Road, Enniskillen, BT92 9BL Tel: 028 6774 1885

THE 1810 COMPANY LAUNCH INTEGRATED SOAP DISPENSER

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Kitchen sink and tap manufacturer, The 1810 Company has launched an integrated liquid soap dispenser. The contemporary designed unit is available in chrome, brushed steel, copper, gunmetal, gold brass and matte black finish.

Constructed from top quality solid brass, the dispenser is easy to install and refilling is simple due to the convenient top-fill facility. A generous 350ml capacity and pump action assures simple and easy day-to-day use.

The soap dispenser provides a hygienic solution for kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms and even outside washing areas following the increase in demand for separate handwashing facilities due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ireland’s sales Director for The 1810 Company, Colleen McStravick explains, “The pandemic has left many of us needing more assurance when in our homes. We require them to be as safe and hygienic as possible. Now, customers frequently ask for a second sink to be installed in their kitchen – be that an adaptation of their existing kitchen or a completely new design.

The second sink can act as a prep sink and/or a handwashing station. As a result of this, we have put together several sets which include sink, tap and integrated soap dispenser. These have proved to be extremely popular with our customers and offer a generous saving when compared to purchasing each item individually.” www.the1810company.co.uk

Autumn Event is NOW ON! Don’t miss out on great discounts and 24 months Interest Free finance (T&C’s apply).

We are a small family run firm with over 35 years' experience in the furniture business.

Creations, Boucher Crescent, Belfast, really is a destination you don’t want to miss out on!

+44 (0)28 9521 5899

www.creations-interiors.com FIND US ON

INTERIORS

TAKE A SEAT 1.Neptune – Caspar armchair £1275

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2 . N ex t – Albie corner sofa, £899

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3. Harvey Norman – Misha 3 seater sofa, £479

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Thursday, September 9th 2021

St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast

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S D R A AW

Title Sponsor

S D R A AW

I have some good news for you about the Ulster Tatler Awards.

As I am sure you will appreciate, due to the current restrictions, the Awards were not able to take place, as planned, in September. We had hoped to hold them in late 2020 but we have now taken the decision to move everything to next autumn.

So – a date for your diary - that means the awards are now scheduled to take place on Thursday 9th September 2021.

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If you voted earlier this year fear not, your vote has not been wasted - all votes will be carried forward to next year. That means your vote still counts.

Now more than ever I would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support. They are all open for business and Keen(s) (our title sponsor – get it?!) to talk to you. The following pages are devoted to highlighting the splendid work they all do.

Once again, the setting will be the spectacular St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast city centre.

Thanks again for your support and I look forward to seeing you in St Anne’s on 9th September 2021(fingers crossed!) for the Ulster Tatler Awards – I can’t wait!

The Awards are now firmly established as one of the highlights of the social calendar in Northern Ireland and next year’s promises to be better than ever.

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2021 edition of the Ulster Tatler. If you vote you will be in with a chance of picking up a fantastic prize, including a VIP trip to the awards. So please take the time to do so once voting opens in March.

Chris Sherry, Editor

WRIGHTS

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We will be officially launching the voting in the March

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D R A WRIGHTSW A DESIGN HOUSE

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S D R MEETS OUR TITLE SPONSOR A D S KEENS FURNITURE D R R W A A S A A W W D S A A W WARRD W A A A S S D D R W R A A A S W R S S A W D D A R A R A W W S A A A S W D S D RD A R W A D A A A W R S A S W W WARDWA RDS RA D A A A W A S A D R W D R S DSA AWAW A A D R R S W A D A S AWWA D R R A A S A D W D S A AW R RS A A D W R S A W D S A A D R W R A S A R W S YOUR HOME FOR FURNITURE

When you’re looking for your perfect sofa, eye-catching dining table or super comfy bed, a trip to the huge Keens Furniture showroom in Belfast is quite simply a must!

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This is our 50th year in business, and we would like to send everyone involved in our story a huge thank you!

We have enjoyed many years working with some wonderful people… our hardworking, friendly and knowledgeable staff we’ve known since day one, whom we could not do without and have truly loved working with! The long list of suppliers who help us put together our many diverse collections… and number one of course, our amazing customers whom we love getting to know...as without you all, we know there is no Keens!

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At Keens you’ll find a huge collection of sofas in all types, modern dining tables, great quality beds and mattresses, bedroom furniture, rugs, Pictures, mirrors and other stylish accessories for your home!

We also now have new social distancing measures in place including screens and sanitiser stations around the shop.

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On top of our own stylish collections of furniture, we also stock top brands like Alexander & James, Calia Italia,

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Ulster Tatler editor Chris Sherry pictured with brother and sister Cathy Smyth and Johnny Smyth of Keens Furniture at their showroom on the Albertbridge Road in Belfast.

Calligaris, Fama, Harrison Spinks, Natuzzi, Parker Knoll, Skovby, Stressless and many more... We also keep in stock many great products for fast delivery to your home, and with new items of all sizes added to our collection each week, a visit to Keens is always worthwhile!

Keens Furniture 186 Albertbridge Road Belfast BT5 4GS Tel: 028 9045 3310 E: info@keensfurniture.com W: keensfurniture.com

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LINWOODS

HÄFELE

Sponsoring Spa of the Year

Sponsoring Interior Designer of the Year of the Year

Linwoods range of milled seeds and nuts provide an easy and convenient way to include a wide range of nutrients, minerals and vitamins into your daily diet. The seeds are uniquely cold milled to protect the seeds nutrients and aid digestion. Simply add two spoonfuls a day to your soups, smoothies and cereals to boost your diet.

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S WRIGHTS D R DESIGN HOUSE A W A S S D R A ASW D R A W A Sponsoring Restaurant of the Year

Wrights Design House has a 50 year tradition of high quality furniture manufacturing. Wrights Design House believe it is important to always look forward; it is a proactive company, investing in highly skilled staff and the latest technology to ensure its kitchens and bespoke furniture are amongst the best in the industry.

WRIGHTS

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Häfele is Ireland’s leading premium home solutions specialist. Offering a complete source of furniture fittings, lighting, hardware, home appliances, architectural ironmongery, security products, sinks, taps, worktops and doors. Häfele are proud to have showrooms in Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Wicklow.

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Mick Smith, Managing Director Hafele Ireland.

S D R OUT INSIGHT A AW Sponsoring Special Merit Award

Insight.Out Financial is an award-winning financial planning company based on the Holywood Road.

From retirement planning, pension transfers, SSASs, investments and protections, Insight.Out has the indepth expertise, the practical experience and the ability and insight to work with clients to create a complete financial plan that will help them to achieve their goals for their life and future.

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Director, Glen Wright.

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HOLLEY OPTOMETRISTS

BEAUTY CULTURE

Sponsoring Best Dressed on the night

Beauty Culture is a multi-award winning beauty salon in the heart of east Belfast. Originally established in 2000 and then rebranded in new premises in 2014, the team has achieved Guinot Crown and Dermalogica Circle salon as well as a 5 star good salon guide status. The team consists of nine therapists, with eight Dermalogica skin experts and is owned by Caroline Purdy.

Sponsoring Beauty Salon of the Year

Holley Optometrists is an independent optical practice situated on Railway Road in Coleraine. Since its opening in 1985 the practice has provided comprehensive eye care to all patients and continues to deliver an exceptional experience to all customers. From advanced eye examinations using the latest optical technology to the latest styles in spectacles and contact lenses, the practice offers the highest quality care and product range to all who pass through its door.

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SO GOOD JUICE

So Good Juice is a family-run healthy juice business that has grown from a passion for healthy living. The organic juice company, based in north-west Ireland identified a niche market to create a range of products with multiple health benefits. Their main products are, a beetroot shot, a ginger shot, a turmeric shot and a wheatgrass shot. They are also available to buy frozen.

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S D R POT THE LOBSTER A AW Sponsoring Sports Person of the

Sponsoring Personal Trainer of the Year

www.sogoodjuice.com for more information and to see a list of stockists.

Propretior, Caroline Purdy.

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The Lobster Pot was established in 1900s and reopened again in 2014. The current owners have created a quality, affordable and family friendly restaurant in the heart of the beautiful village of Strangford. The last six years have been filled with awards for their food and service. They have featured in a Disney series, hosted celebrities and catered for Game of Thrones Tours. Their future goal is for a guest house to open in 2021.

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LETS HAVE A QUICK LOOK BACK AT 2019

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INTERVIEW

Claire McNeilly is a multi-award winning journalist with the Belfast Telegraph. She joined the paper in 2005 after five years working in France. Claire and John have been married for 10 years and live in Belfast with their daughter Soley (6).

ON THE BALL John Laverty, Belfast Telegraph executive editor, talks to his wife, journalist Claire McNeilly, about his life-threatening stroke and how it kick-started his ambition to write a book about his mentor, Malcolm Brodie.

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ike all journalists, John Laverty believed he ‘had a book in him’. But, like most of his peers, he never thought he’d find the time. That all changed when the Belfast Telegraph executive editor – my husband – collapsed in work after suffering a lifethreatening stroke just over two years ago.

“Prior to that night, I’d missed just five days in 35 years,” he said. “Maybe it was my body telling me to slow down. Whatever it was, I was ready to listen.” John remembers being in the office one minute, hospital the next. “It’s my close colleagues and family I felt for,” he said.

“They were the ones who had to live through that trauma, while I was unconscious and oblivious. I still feel guilty about what I put everyone through back then.”

John might not remember much, but I won’t forget work colleague Darwin Templeton’s ashen face when he called at our door in east Belfast that Friday night, June 15, 2018.

“John’s been taken unwell at work,” he told me, which was almost a relief because, from the look on Darwin’s face, I thought I was going to hear that John was dead. Our daughter Soley, who’d turned four just two days earlier, was shipped to my mum’s while Darwin, then head of news at the Belfast Telegraph, and myself stood silently in a corridor of the Royal Victoria Hospital for hours. A week in the RVH, being treated for the aftermath of a ‘left temporal lobe hypertensive haemorrhage’, was followed by speech therapy, physiotherapy – and nine months away from work. Recovery was sluggish and, for someone normally so adept with words, frustrating. He eventually regained his speech but much of his vocabulary was lost. Even now he struggles to find words.

“The Covid lockdown didn’t bother me; I was already used to self-isolation,” he said.

“Thankfully, I suffered no lasting physical damage but what happened took its toll psychologically. One moment I was thinking ‘why me’, the next I was thanking God for how fortunate I’d been. I realised that after seeing other stroke survivors at therapy sessions.

Some were really struggling”.

With me at work and Soley at school, John had 10 solitary hours to kill each day. So the award-winning journalist decided to pursue the project he’d been researching prior to the stroke: his book. And the 57-year-old clearly had ample time to write. “That always came naturally,” he said. “I’ve always found writing therapeutic.”

The seeds of Malcolm Brodie and Me had been germinating ever since the legendary, world-famous sports writer’s death, aged 86, in January 2013. “I read all the obituaries after Malky died, thinking ‘these guys didn’t really

know him at all’. I felt he deserved to have his remarkable life story told,” said John. “I mean, this man knew Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Irving Berlin, Ben Bradlee...”

John’s unique relationship with his “lifetime mentor and father figure” began in May 1977 when the then 14-year-old won four gold medals at his school’s sports day. “My father Joe joked ‘wow, maybe Malcolm Brodie will interview you about this’,” he recalled.

“I’d no idea who ‘Malcolm Brodie’ was, but made a point of finding out. That very day Malky was on the Tele back page, talking about Liverpool’s chances in the European

“In those days, sports hacks were almost as famous as the stars they reported on” John Laverty with Sir Alex Ferguson and renowned sports journalist Malcolm Brodie.

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Cup final... in Rome. I immediately thought ‘that’s the job for me’.”

A decade later, John was sitting in front of the legend himself, being interviewed for an opening on the Telegraph sports desk. “It was just like joining Man United,” he said. “These guys – Jimmy Walker, Jack Magowan and, of course, Malcolm himself – were the crème de la crème of Northern Ireland journalism.

In those days, sports hacks were almost as famous as the stars they reported on.”

John opted against a straightforward biography of Glasgow native Malcolm’s 50 years as the ‘doyen’ of local writers. “A lot of the incredible things Malky achieved happened before I was born,” he said. “I thought it would look silly, me saying ‘in 1952 Malky did this, and in 1961 he did that’. But we spent many years travelling the world together, and the book is about the remarkable stories he shared with me, and the unique, sometimes turbulent but never dull relationship that developed between us. We talked about old adventures, while making new ones...”

John, the middle of three sons, was born “during the Cuban Missile Crisis” in 1962 – devout Catholic mother Mary believed the world would end while he was still an infant - and was raised in a house which, at one time, backed onto a young Ian Paisley’s.

“I remember Mum hugging Paisley one day and Archbishop Cathal Daly, with whom she grew up in Loughguile, the next. Talk about sectarian balance!”

He initially fancied himself as a footballer but “suffered from a chronic lack of ability”, unlike fellow Ballymena man and future Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill.

After completing the National Council journalism course, the former All Saints Primary and St Louis Grammar pupil joined the Ballymena Times as a cub reporter in 1983, then the Belfast Telegraph as north west correspondent three years later. A year after his dream of making it to the sports desk was realised in 1987, he became Malcolm’s

John Laverty with his wife Claire McNeilly and their daughter Soley.

Picture by Stephen Bradley

three World Cups together: USA, France and Japan. We bumped into so many famous people – Barbra Streisand, John DeLorean, OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson’s lawyer Johnnie Cochrane, disgraced Bishop Eamonn Casey – mostly because they already knew him! It was a wonderful time and, sadly, one that will never return. I just feel blessed that I was part of it – and that I’m still here to talk about it.”

assistant, replacing him when the great man retired (well, sort of) in the early 1990s. He would later be appointed assistant editor, morning edition editor and executive editor – but the sports desk holds the most cherished memories.

“Those were the so-called ‘rivers of gold’ days, when newspapers threw money around like confetti”, he said. “Malky and I went to

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Saturday September 5 2020

MALCOLM BRODIE (&ME)

MALCOLM BRODIE (&ME)

BY JOHN LAVERTY

Mentor, father figure, fierce rival... legend

BY JOHN LAVERTY

‘Poignant, bittersweet rites-of-passage tale of a remarkable relationship’ (MARK McINTOSH, THE SUN)

Malcolm Brodie and Me, by John Laverty, £8.99, is on sale now.

John on location with“life-time mentor and father figure”, Malcolm Brodie.

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The Malcolm Brodie NI Soccer Yearbook 20/21, £2.95, published by Ulster Tatler Group, is also on sale now. This full-colour ‘football encyclopedia’ of both domestic and international football in NI is available by emailing: christinemcgoldrick@ulstertatler.com

Column /

Arts Diary Kellie Burch kellie@ulstertatler.com

ANOTHER ROUND The 64th BFI London Film Festival - held in partnership with American Express - ran from 7 to 18 October 2020, and invited film lovers to experience the world’s best new films wherever they where. As part of the programme of premieres, digital events, XR and Immersive Art, the Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast, hosted a screening of Danish-Swedish drama, Another Round. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, the film tells the story of four friends, all teachers at various stages of middle age, who are stuck in a rut. Unable to share their passions either at school or at home, they embark on an audacious experiment: to see if a constant level of alcohol in their blood will help them find greater freedom and happiness.

After guests made their way to their allocated seats, they were greeted by a pre-recorded welcome from Sarah Lutton, programme advisor of the London Film Festival, who was joined in conversation by the film’s writers Thomas Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm.

Speaking of the inspiration behind the film, Vinterberg said they wanted to make a movie about an alcohol experiment but also “a celebration of life”. Lindholm expanded by saying the idea was to “celebrate alcohol but also confront the price of it”.

Another Round sees Mads Mikkelsen reunited with Thomas Vinterberg after their thought-provoking drama, The Hunt. The dynamic partnership between the two is at the heart of this film, which sees Mikkelsen in blistering form. As well as the accomplished performances and an unusual concept - four friends set on proving an obscure theory by Norwegian psychologist Finn Skårderund, who argues that humans require alcohol in their system to thrive and suggests a daily intake in the vicinity of 5% Another Round excels due to the exquisite and nuanced cinematography; often times a close up of a face is as telling as the dialogue.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the film - and if I am honest I was convinced I would leave the screening a disheartened and reformed tee-totaller - however, Another Round (or Druk in Danish) is a compelling rollercoaster which certainly delivers some bleak and heartbreaking moments, but also has humour, heart and hope at its core making it an uplifting journey with an ending that had me grinning from ear to ear. I would definitely be happy to order ‘another round’ of such fascinating film making.

Another Round was screened at the Queen’s Film Theatre, as part of BFI London Film Festival, on 14th October.

Jonny Shanley and Michael Higgins.

Lucy, Alice and Yvonne.

Andrew Kydd, Mark Magill, Kellie and Keith Burch.

Mark and Clair Donnelly.

Neil Pimley and Siobhan Caslin.

Alex and Harry Garrett.

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Lily Ainsworth and Jeffery Ho.

Arts Diary

139TH RUA ANNUAL EXHIBITION The RUA Annual Exhibition is one of the most eagerly anticipated exhibitions in the Northern Irish cultural calendar, providing a unique platform for acclaimed artists and emerging talent to showcase their artwork in the fabulous galleries at the Ulster Museum. This year I was lucky enough to have a preview of the exhibition ahead of its opening to the general public on 16 October. I say I was lucky, as just when the exhibition opened its doors, it had to close them again due to new Government restrictions. However, this year the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts also launched an innovative viewing platform which offers an enhanced online virtual tour of the exhibition to compliment the physical tours at the Ulster Museum, perfect for those who are unable to view it in person.

In its 139th year, the exhibition, which has been sponsored by KPMG for the 13th consecutive year, contains approximately 250 examples of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video etc. This year there were almost 1,300 entries of which 190 were ultimately selected for inclusion. Some of the works reflect the times we are living in and allude to isolation, social distancing and surviving in COVID times.

However, the overall feeling of the exhibition is one of optimism and hope.

The hanging of this exquisite exhibition was overseen by exhibitions manager Mary McCaffrey whilst installation was by Tom Caldwell Installations.

Speaking at the preview, RUA President Betty Brown discussed how grateful they are for the continued support from KPMG, particularly during these uncertain times, as well as touching upon the intricacies of the judging process. “The only thing we judge on is the work, we don’t know the names of the artists when judging. Anyone can have their go, but the work needs to be good.”

The award-winning entries from this year’s exhibition are: RUA Perpetual Gold Medal sponsored by NIAVAC - Colin Watson “Spring”; RUA Perpetual Silver Medal - Laurence O’Toole “Bringing Flowers to my Mom”; RUA Perpetual Bronze Medal - Adrian Wojtas “Seven Seas”; The Drawing Prize - Heather McAteer “The Daze of Youth (self-portrait No 4); Outstanding Artist Prize - Dominique Crowley “Capitalocene”; Paul Henry Landscape Prize - Janet Keith “Listening for Curlews”; Portrait Prize - Cora O’Brien “Kate”; Watercolour Prize - Jennifer Trouton “Mater Natura”; Irish News Prize - Maeve Brennan “September”; Sculpture Prize - Catherine McWilliams “Goddess Danu”; The John Richardson Award - Hannah Smith “Sunrise”; and KPMG Young Artist Award - Mantas Poderys “Self Portrait at the age of 28”.

This year’s exhibition is running at the Ulster Museum (once it reopens) until 3 January 2021.

The exhibition can also be viewed online at: royalulsteracademy.org

Northern Ireland; Betty Brown, President of the Kim Mawhinney, Head of Art National Museums arge of KPMG in Northern Ireland and Glenn r-in-Ch Partne , Hanna Royal Ulster Academy; Johnny Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. y Patterson, Writer and Director of the Seamus Heane

Hannah Smith, recipient of The John Richardson Award.

James Conlon from sponsors NIAVAC and RUA President Betty Brown with RUA Gold Medal prizewinning oil painting ’Spring’ by Colin Watson.

Exhibition Manager Mary McCaffrey with the Silver Medal prizewinning painting by Laurence O’Toole.

Lani McDonald Exhibiting Artistand Amanda Croft and TJ Wilson.

Vice Chair RUA Joanna Mules ARUA.

James and Petrina Conlon.

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Noelle McAlinden.

Arts Round-up SUPPORT THE ARTS The Arts Council of Northern Ireland will deliver, on behalf of the Department for Communities, a £7.75m programme of support, aimed at helping the arts and cultural sector recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Through the Stability and Renewal Programme for Organisations, grants of up to £500,000 will be available to organisations working in the arts and cultural sector to help them respond to the immediate impacts of the Covid-19 crisis, including help with re-opening, adapting and stabilising their organisations in the long-term.

The Stability and Renewal Programme for Organisations is open to arts, culture and community organisations whose primary role is to create, present or support one (or more) of these categories: • Dance • Drama • Literature • Music and Opera

• Traditional Arts • Visual Arts • Performing arts and theatre • Festivals and cultural events • Participatory Arts • Comedy • Cross Art form • Community Arts

Creative Industries in the following segments: • Independent Cinema • Product Design, Fashion Design, and Graphic Design; • Crafts; • TV, Video, Photography, Film, and Radio.

Online applications for the Stability and Renewal Programme for will close on Friday 27 November 2020 at 12noon.

Further details, including Guidance Notes and FAQs, are available at www. artscouncil-ni.org. After applications close at midday on Friday 27 November, decisions on awards will be made by 29 January 2021.

The Lyric Theatre

STREET VIEW Belfast Exposed is delighted to launch ‘Street View’ on 5th November - a digital gallery space of curated exhibitions to increase the accessibility and visibility of photography on the streets of Belfast. Street View is an initiative, which provides a multimedia exhibition experience, in response to the restrictions put in place due to Covid-19 that prevent people from visiting galleries and viewing exhibitions.

Street View is a large digital window display that will showcase artwork by internationally renowned and local emerging photographers. Street View will launch with the work of Jill Quigley, as part of Belfast Photo Festival, followed by the work of Noel Bowler, Matthew Finn and Daragh McDonagh, among many others.

Street View will launch on Thursday 5th November. www.belfastexposed. org

BECOMING CHRISTINE Belfast Exposed is delighted to present, Becoming Christine, an exhibition based on the lived experience of Christine Beynon. This exhibition is part of Belfast Exposed’s three-year strategic plan to exhibit work about transgender topics. The exhibition opens on Thursday 5th November, coinciding with Late Night Art, and continues until 19th December.

It is a body of work involving represented “selfies”, sound installation and video portraiture. The “selfies” follow Christine Beynon’s journey and transition over a 12-year period. These self-portraits range in tone from the painful, to the playful, from 154

the mundane to the contemplative to the joyful. The immersive sound installation and narrated artwork was a result of a collaborative partnership between the artist and Christine Beynon.

The exhibition will include a live streamed artist talk, featuring both Christine Beynon and Amanda Dunsmore, on Friday 6th November, leading up to the Transgender Awareness Week which takes place between 13th and 19th November. During that week Belfast Exposed will also have a range of speakers and community engagement events.

Visit https://www.belfastexposed.org/

Arts Diary

‘THROUGH THE GLASS’

Helen Merrigan Colfer

c21 Theatre Company, one of Northern Ireland’s leading theatre companies, is collaborating with care and nursing homes across the country on a unique project. ‘Through The Glass’ The Reminiscence Project creatively interacts with residents stimulating conversations and encouraging them to share stories from their past. A selection of these stories will be developed into theatrical films and shared with residents and councils.

The project, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through its National Lottery Fund, regional councils and Doyle Shipping Group, features five short theatrical films based around the theme of home, community, school days, work and going out. It provides employment to 11 professionals over 22 weeks as well as creating innovative social interaction with the participating nursing and care homes (operating within COVID-19 guidelines). The films will feature actors, music, visuals and poetry and will be broadcast between November and December on c21 Theatre’s YouTube Channel and social media platforms. c21 Theatre Company worked with the education departments within local museums to supply reminiscence loan boxes to the nursing and care homes who used them in workshops facilitated by the activity coordinators located in the homes. The loan boxes contained historical items ranging from powdered milk from WWII to 1970s shoes. The stories gathered provided the project’s writers Gary Wilson, Tom Rowntree-Finlay and poet Shelley Tracey with content for brand new work for the films. The films which are directed by Stephen Kelly and produced by Donna Hunter, feature local actors Colm McCready, Christina Nelson, Debra Hill, and Eoghan Lamb.

Through The Glass’ The Reminiscence Project will be broadcast on c21 Theatre Company’s YouTube channel over a five-week period between November and December. Follow the Project on c21 Theatre Company’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

For further information on c21 Theatre Company visit www.c21theatrecompany.com

TRIBES AND TRIBULATIONS Flowerfield Arts Centre is hosting a solo exhibition by award-winning artist and sculptor Helen Merrigan Colfer which wil run until 19th December.

The ‘Tribes and Tribulations’ collection includes precise and elegant resin and bronze figurative sculptures, alongside the audio-visual Covid Diaries, a series of paintings and illustrations created during lockdown. These relatable artworks address the recent challenging situations that have faced us all, with wit, humour and sensitivity.

Reflecting on the title of her exhibition, Helen said: “Our place of origin, or the people we are surrounded by, can alter our sense of belonging, self-identity and self-belief. If it is negative we can react differently to those who seem to have only experiences of being loved, protected and valued. We perform daily, put on costumes, hide behind masks, fearing that we don’t belong. Constantly in a state of flux.”

Stephen Kelly Director c21 Theatre Company, cast member Debra Hill and Damian Smyth Head of Literature, Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Helen works from her studio on the tip of the Hook Head Peninsula in coastal Wexford, overlooked by one of the oldest working light houses in Europe. From this creatively inspiring location she makes art that is exhibited throughout Ireland and internationally, and held in a number of important private collections.

‘Tribes and Tribulations’ runs at Flowerfield Arts Centre until 19 December. You can find out more by visiting www.flowerfield.org or follow the centre’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

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NEW IRISH LITERATURE

AUTUMN MUST-READS

With the arrival of the longer nights, now is the perfect time to curl up with a good book. Here we look at some of the latest releases which are sure to make it onto your autumn must-read list.

THE UPSIDE OF DOWN

TALES WE TELL OURSELVES

Two weeks after the launch of her first novel, Tara West confessed to her husband that she wanted to kill herself. And yet she was living a life most people only dream of - a wellpaid job in advertising, a published novel, a loving husband, great hair…

In a villa high above Florence a group of seven women and three men are cocooning, seeking shelter from the epidemic, scared by reports of death coming nearer to their own doorstep by the day. Sound familiar? It should, as it describes Boccaccio’s fourteenth-century masterpiece the Decameron. At once bawdy, witty, tragic and ever-topical, this selection of stories demonstrates how great literature survives a fast-forward to the twenty-first century.

In this warm, inspiring and unexpectedly funny memoir, Tara invites readers to join her on her hard-fought journey into and out of depression. Providing fresh and very personal perspectives on the illness, her memoir explores how her vicious inner critic was formed, and how it drove her to succeed on the one hand, and consider suicide on the other.

In these dark and unprecedented times, an understanding of mental illness is so important.

West’s The Upside of Down provides a poignant, honest and engaging insight which will help shatter the stigma surrounding depression.

Told with authenticity, this compelling memoir takes you on a journey of ups and downs but ultimately is a story of hope and resilience.

The Upside of Down by Tara West Published by Dalzell Press

Carlo Gébler, alongside New Island Publisher Edwin Higel, re-imagined twenty-eight of Boccaccio’s timeless tales for a contemporary readership whose experiences of the current pandemic mirror what Boccaccio’s characters endured. Whilst drawing out the essence of the tales in order to let their true genius and wit shine, Gébler’s central focus, as was Boccaccio’s before him; the fortifying and restorative powers of fiction in the face of tragedy.

Tales We Tell Ourselves: A Selection from the Decameron Retold by Carl Gébler Published by New Island. Available from 15th November 2020

SHANNON COUNTRY

In August 1939 the Irish travel writer Richard Hayward set out on a road trip to explore the Shannon region just two weeks before the Second World War broke out. His evocative account of that trip, Where the River Shannon Flows, still sought after now by lovers of the river, became a bestseller.

Eighty years on, inspired by his work, Paul Clements – author of Romancing Ireland, the biography of Richard Hayward – retraces Hayward’s journey along the river, following – if not strictly in his footsteps – then within the spirit of his trip. From the Shannon Pot in Cavan, 344 kilometres south to the Shannon estuary, his meandering odyssey takes him by car, on foot, and by bike and boat, discovering how the riverscape has changed but is still powerful in symbolism. While he recreates Hayward’s trip, Clements also paints a compelling portrait of twenty-first century Ireland, mingling travel and anecdote with an eye for the natural world.

In a time when we are spending more time exploring the gems on our doortstep, Clements’ a tribute to the country of Ireland’s longest river provides the perfect read for those looking for some staycation inspiration.

Shannon Country: A River Journey Through Time By Paul Clements Published by Lilliput Press 156

A Poem on a Page INK AND HELLEBORE

By Bebe Ashley

It is Thursday and Digital Detox Day in the Botanic Gardens.

I took a tour of the Tropical Ravine, where they let us into the staff-only access areas to see the pineapple plants up close.

They weren’t doing well overcrowded by big banana leaves.

Our tour guide asks if we have any questions and somebody asks about the history of the vertical panes of glass, and if the Belfast Botanical and Horticultural Society were still active today.

Then it is quiet, and we are about to move from the Palm House, when I raise my hand and say yes, I have a question.

I like your plant tattoos. Can you identify the species? and nobody else is interested in our conversation so he says thank you. Now that I’ve been here a while, I try to pick native plants. and I think I could marry this guy but then he says my girlfriend did them. I can give you her details and I say yes, that is exactly why I was asking.

In her debut collection of poetry, Bebe Ashley, who lives in Belfast, spins gold from the detritus of the internet. A landscape often depicted as a wasteland is illuminated in poems that explore celebrity, obsession, sexuality, coming of age, and that charismatic enigma, Harry Styles. Gold Light Shining introduces an essential new voice; one that captures how pop culture’s Technicolor joy disrupts our greyscale world.

‘Ink and Hellebore’ features in Bebe Ashely’s debut poetry collection: Gold Light Shining. The book is available to buy on at www.bansheelit.com, and from Ulster bookshops including No Alibis and Waterstones Belfast.

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THE SCENE

Katherine, James and Sara Allen from Jane’s Kitchen at Magheramorne estate.

Dr Frankenstein and his monster by Michael McCloskey-Ooi and Martin McAuley.

David and Jane Allen with Fig and Olive in Magheramorne.

MAGHERAMORNE ESTATE’S HALLOWEEN TRAIL The grand Magheramorne Estate in Larne held a spooky Halloween Trail on the Estate grounds, which was spookactularly interactive for all ages.

The trail featured mysterious and entertaining characters, with thrills and laughter for all the family. There was an opportunity to get dressed up, explore the woods and of course get treated to some hot refreshments from Jane’s Kitchen who are based on the estate.

Anne, Aimee and Jodie Irvine and dog Bella.

Katherine, Sara and James Allen with actors Patrick Connor (Lord of the manor), The chef, Kyle Emerson, Clare Crow (the good wife) and Alan Hamilton (Brilliant trails).

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Tina Gillan-Rankin and Clare Crow.

Alex, Julie and Colin Campbell.

Denise Ferguson and grand daughter Anna English, Auntie Megan Ferguson, Ben and Chris English.

Jane Hought, Briony Robinson and Una Culkin.

Jacqui, David, Tom and Eve Lynch.

Rosa, Sasha and Cora.

Lisa and Caleb Duff and Grace and Melissa Shearer.

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MY

PAUL CLEMENTS Writer, journalist and former BBC broadcaster.

10. FAVOURITE

1. What do you love most about your job?

It is a pleasure and a privilege to travel around Ireland trying to capture the spirit of a place and to bottle fleeting thoughts for safe keeping for my travel books. Meeting people and hearing their stories are the sparks for my work and curiosity. These trips are followed by trawling through my notebooks, finding a structure and starting to write the book. The next stage is the torture of rewriting, revising, fact-checking, editing and proofreading, and then a launch and promotion. It is gratifying to receive feedback from readers who have enjoyed a book and immediately like to ask ‘What is your next one going to be about?’

2. What has been your career highlight to date?

Each book is a highlight, but my most recent one, based on a journey along the course of the River Shannon, brought particular satisfaction. It was written after recovering from a serious brain operation in 2018. I am profoundly grateful for the expertise of the medical team at the Royal Victoria Hospital for successfully and skilfully removing my tumour. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of my book are being donated to the Brainwaves charity whose fundraising has been severely curtailed due to the pandemic.

3. What are your favourite hobbies/ activities outside of work?

Much of my work is linked to my hobbies since reading, walking, cycling and travelling are all bound up with what I do for a living. I have long had a fascination with the natural world and birdwatching is one of my favourite activities although the elusive kingfisher is hard to find. For many years I have had an

interest in the wildflowers of the Burren in Co. Clare (the subject of one of my books) but have recently been bitten by the gardening bug at my home, and my wife and I undertook a major redesign in 2019.

4. What is your daily routine?

Over breakfast I listen to BBC Radio 3 which is a calming way to start the day by perhaps hearing Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations’, or in this morning’s case, ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’ from Les Misérables. After logging on to my computer to check my emails and social media, I cycle through the park for newspapers. Back home I brew a coffee and settle down to the serious business of getting the words in the right order. I have been selfisolating for 14 years and my writing has wide parameters, so depending on what project I am working on, it could be a new book or a travel article, literary criticism, journalism, cultural essays, diaries or preparing a talk.

5. Do you have a fitness regime?

Aside from cycling or walking most days, each night during lockdown I spent 30 minutes carrying out a unique mix of Pilates and Yoga exercises (I call it Piloga) to a background of music. I rifled through my CD collection of pop, rock, soul, blues and Irish traditional, covering it alphabetically from ABBA to ZZ Top and called it my ‘rockdown’. The playlist was a musical portal into another world, reflecting the warp and weft of memory and staging posts along the way.

6. Do you have any tips for staying positive during this time?

Embrace nature and get as much vitamin ‘N’ as possible into your system. I have a positive outlook on life and, as far as practicable, avoid 160

Movie: Dead Poets Society Band/Musician: Everything from the Eurythmics, Kate Rusby’s lilting voice, or Peter Gabriel’s haunting ‘Mercy Street’, to ‘The Road West’ with Máirtín O’Conor or Christy Moore in full flight.

Book: ‘A Writer’s World’ by Jan Morris, and ‘The Poems of Norman MacCaig’ Restaurant: Ginger Bistro in Belfast Holiday Destination: France Drink: A chilled Sancerre in the above Meal: Haddock mornay

negative or defeatist misery. As someone who has written about the natural world, and what are known as ‘encounters of meaning’, the post-op period made me even more aware of the magic of the ordinary and MacNeice’s ‘Sunlight on the Garden’. The material things in life are less important than many sometimes think and coming safely through an operation gave me a new capacity for celebrating love and life.

7. What do you think is the best thing about living in Northern Ireland?

The exceptionally diverse range of scenery.

There are abrupt landscape contrasts from mountains, glens and drumlins, to rich pastureland, lakes, islands and forests all within an easy and accessible distance.

8. What is your mantra or favourite quote that you live by?

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeking with new eyes.” – Marcel Proust.

9. Who has been your biggest influence?

My parents encouraged me to read widely and to write, which is why I dedicated my new travel book, Shannon Country: A River Journey Through Time to them for inspiring my wanderlust. Many writers have been in my bloodstream including Jan Morris, William Least Heat-Moon, Jonathan Raban, Paul Theroux and our own home-grown Richard Hayward in whose footsteps I have followed.

GREAT TASTE AWARDS SPECIAL FOCUS

PUNCHY FLAVOURS HAVE JUDGES SEEING STARS, AS NORTHERN IRELAND’S PRODUCERS GET TOP MARKS AT GREAT TASTE Following 14 weeks of judging, the results of the world’s most trusted food and drink awards, Great Taste, have been released, with many producers in Northern Ireland now celebrating. Out of a record breaking 12,777 entries from 106 different countries, 42% were awarded a highly prized Great Taste accolade and a remarkable 172 are based in Northern Ireland.

Among the Great Taste winners from Northern Ireland are a number of products that deliver big, bold flavours, including; TBD Brew who had two award winning products, Lightning McGreen, a refreshing green tea kombucha and The Hoptomist, a kombucha inspired by a west coast IPA. Husband and wife team, Suki and Sukhjit Nagra from Derry won with Simply Indian Makhan (butter) sauce, a traditional mild Indian butter sauce. Scrabo Cottage Ltd were recognized with a 1 Star for their vegan based Irish Sea Kelp and Mushroom Stock which is based on a Japanese dashi soup stock.

Rodgers Meats of Belfast won three 1 Star awards for their dry aged sirloin, fillet and T-bone steaks, all of which are hung on the bone for a minimum of 28 days. H&J Carnduff from Newtownards picked up a 2 Star for their 45 day dry aged Belted Galloway fillet steak and a further four 1 Stars for their 45 day Belted Galloway sirloin steak, a 6oz Belted Galloway burger, a homemade steak and rich gravy pie and also a homemade chicken pie. Spar, Eurospar and Vivoextra are adding a I Star Chocolate Brownie Pudding to their range and Eurospar are adding a 1 Star Thai Green Curry to their range. Maud’s Ice Cream shops in Northern Ireland can add a 1 Star to their Poor Bears Delight, a dairy based ice cream with pieces of cinder toffee (honeycomb). Maud’s also won awards for their Roasted Piemonte IGP Hazelnut ice cream and their Sea-Salted Pistachio ice cream, both of which were awarded 2 Stars. Food producers Foyle Food Group from Omagh picked up three 1 Stars, one for a 32 Day Mature, Angus Dry Aged sirloin steak, one for a 30 Day Aged Prime Ribeye Steak and another for a 30 Day Aged Prime Sirloin Steak. They also were awarded a 2 Star for 30 Day Matured Prime Fillet Steak. Ulster Rugby stars Louis Ludik and Schalk Van Der Merwe were awarded a

1 Star for their Hellbent Boerewors rolled sausage made to 100 year old South African recipe using Irish beef. Cloughbane Farm Shop in Pomeroy excelled again this year with a 1 Star for their Cloughbane Farm Lasagne, available in a number of supermarkets.

Recognised as a stamp of excellence among consumers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else, with no regard for branding or packaging.

Whether it is cake, coffee, kippers or kombucha being judged, all products are removed from their packaging before being tasted. The judges then savour, confer and re-taste to decide which products are worthy of a 1-, 2- or 3-star award.

This year’s winners have been found through a combination of remote judging and socially distanced judging sessions, after the lockdown began just one week into the schedule. This necessitated a swift and comprehensive reinvention of the Great Taste process to ensure that robust judging standards were maintained and the quality of feedback was not compromised, all in time to provide a much-needed boost for food and drink producers during the allimportant Christmas period.

The panel of judges included; cook, writer and champion of sustainable food, Melissa Hemsley, cook, writer, stylist and voice of modern vegetarian cooking, Anna Jones, celebrated Spanish chef, José Pizarro, Kavi Thakrar from Dishoom, food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay, and baker and author, Martha Collison, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose. These esteemed palates have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winners to finally agree on the Golden Fork Trophy winners and the Great Taste 2020 Supreme Champion.

Details of this year’s winners can be found at www. greattasteawards.co.uk and a wide range of award winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.

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GREAT TASTE AWARDS SPECIAL FOCUS

AWARD-WINNING LOCAL PRODUCE

H&J Carnduff’s award-winning Belted Galloway Fillet Steak and Belted Galloway Sirloin, 6oz Belted Galloway Burger and Steak Pie and Chicken Pie.

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GREAT TASTE AWARDS SPECIAL FOCUS

NORTHERN IRISH BEEF SERVED AT US LAUNCH EVENT Premium beef from Northern Ireland’s Foyle Food Group was sampled by key influencers and buyers across three states as part of an Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) virtual launch event.

A group of chefs, butchers and members of the press were targeted in the first showcase on October 13, with a select number receiving a cut of sirloin cannon and topside mini beef joints.

The following day saw importers, distributors and wholesalers sampling the cuts, in a bid to highlight the exceptional taste and quality of UK beef.

This first shipment from UK meat processors to the US comes after market access for UK beef was granted in March of this year after extensive efforts by both government and industry to demonstrate food safety controls during production. Four UK meat businesses, including three from Northern Ireland – Foyle Foods, WD Meats and Granville – have now been approved to supply the US market.

The beef was flown to the US from Foyle Food’s processing plant in Derry, marking an historic moment for UK beef exports in a deal estimated to be worth £66 million over the next five years.

Foyle Food Group received 1 star for their Prime Ribeye Steak, Sirloin Steak, Dry Aged Sirloin and 2 stars for their fillet steak.

UNSURPASSABLE QUALITY At Rodgers Meats we aim to provide our customers with local quality meats & poultry at a competitive price that does not compromise on our standards of excellence.

On our first time of entering the prestigious Great Taste Awards, we were awarded One Gold Star each for our Dry Aged Sirloin Steaks, our Fillet Steaks and our T-Bone Steaks.

Awarded a star from Great Taste for our Irish Sea kelp and mushroom stock

65 Upper Braniel Road, Belfast, BT5 7TX www.rodgersmeats.co.uk T: 028 9044 9221 Open Monday – Saturday: 9am-5pm

Contact Ben Hamilton

Mobile: 07966 445003

Email: scrabocottage@gmail.com 164

AWARD-WINNING STEAKS Based in Omagh and operating from other sites in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and England, Foyle Food Group is the largest single species food processor in the UK. It slaughters an average of more than 7,000 cattle a week, employs some 1,300 people and has a turnover in excess of £400m, yet is still a family business. At the heart of its operations it has four exclusive producer clubs, which sees the company working closely with its farmers to share knowledge and promote mutual understanding. Using practices and husbandry techniques handed down the generations – such as herd health planning and grassland management – cattle are raised with the aim of producing beef with superior flavour and texture.

Foyle Food Group received 1 star awards for the Prime Ribeye Steak, Sirloin Steak and Dry Aged Sirloin Steak, as well as a 2 star award for Fillet Steak at the Great Taste Awards.

www.foylefoodgroup.com T: 028 8224 3201

GREAT TASTE AWARDS SPECIAL FOCUS

AWARD-WINNING LOCAL PRODUCE Rodgers Meats received a Gold Star for their T-bone steaks as well as their dry-aged sirloin steaks and fillet steaks.

Henderson Wholesale’s Fresh Foods achieved 1-star for their The CHEF Thai Green Chicken Curry.

Cloughbane Farm Shop received 1-star award for their individual lasagne.

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GREAT TASTE AWARDS SPECIAL FOCUS

FOUR NORTHERN IRISH FOOD PRODUCERS “DO THE DOUBLE” There were four Northern Irish companies who were both recognised at Great Taste Awards and who also took top prizes at this year’s Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards. Kilkeel-based Crawford’s Rock Seaweed won a 1 Star at Great Taste and also picked up the Best New Product Award at the Irish Food Awards. The winning product is a Seaweed Seasoning with Garlic and Rosemary. Their Seaweed Seasoning also won Best in County Down and a Bronze award.

The awards are the largest blind-tasted food awards on the island of Ireland. The prizes were announced online this year instead of in Dingle.

Maud’s Ice Cream who took several Gold Stars at Great Taste took the Best in Ulster Shane McArdle Award for their Poor Bear’s Delight.

In the meat section Hellbent Sausages, also Great Taste winners, won Bronze for their Boerewors rolled South African sausage.

In poultry, there was Silver for Cavanagh Free-Range Eggs from Fermanagh, also recipients of a Great Taste award.

Food NI CEO Michele Shirlow said “This year has been more challenging than any other so I am delighted that so many Food NI members have done so well at these awards. It really gives a boost to producers to know that what they are doing is award-winning. Thanks also to Artie and Fallon at Blas nah Eireann for their tireless work in making sure these important awards went ahead.”

award winners

award winners

2020

2020

SPAR enjoy local

Peppered Rump Steaks Produced by K & G McAtamney Butchers, Ballymena

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Strained Greek Style Yogurt with Strawberry Compote Produced by Clandeboye Estate, Bangor

GREAT TASTE AWARDS SPECIAL FOCUS

AWARD-WINNING LOCAL PRODUCE

Crawford’s Rock received 1 star for their Kombu Peppermint Tea.

Hellbent were awarded 1 star for their Irish beef boerewors with authentic South African seasoning.

“CLEVER. A VERY LOVELY SAUSAGE, WELL MADE AND WELL JUDGED.” Our ancestors foraged the shoreline for shoulk and seaweeds, the most popular Shoulk (Sloke, Nori, Laver), which was washed and boiled for 6-8 hours, strained and seasoned with black pepper and served on home baked wheaten bread or griddle farls. As trustees of the shore they had historic kelp rights used for agricultural purposes, today we relive this tradition in a very modern company called Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company.

Crawford’s Rock is a Triple Award winning Seaweed Company specialising in seaweed products like Seaweed Seasonings, Seaweed Tea’s, Seaweed Flakes, Seaweed Baths and a Seaweed Supplement we like to call "Vitamin Sea". As a new company we are delighted with our recent awards at Blas na hEireann, not only did our Seaweed Seasoning Garlic and Rosemary win Gold it also won Best New Product 2020. Our award at Great Taste for the Kombu Peppermint Tea was a complete surprise and the comments from the judges were both constructive and pleasing, especially since we had entered just one tea and have a combination of four others.

With Seaweed now bang on trend we are very happy to receive the recognition that these awards have brought as we seek to grow our business in the future throughout the Island of Ireland and abroad.

DELICIOUS CULTURE COLLISIONS

T: 07999 953 926 E: info@crawfordsrockseaweed.co.uk www.crawfordsrockseaweed.co.uk

WEAREHELLBENT.CO.UK

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GREAT TASTE AWARDS SPECIAL FOCUS

AWARD-WINNING LOCAL PRODUCE

Sukhi’s Kitchen were awarded 1 star for their butter (Makhani) indian curry sauce.

The Bucha’s Dog won 1 star for their Lightning McGreen green tea flavoured kombucha and 2 stars for The Hoptimist, a grapefruit, peach and hops flavoured kombucha.

RESTAURANT QUALITY INDIAN CUISINE TO MAKE AT HOME Our family’s story begins in 1962, when my parents left India and moved to Derry/ Londonderry. Like many local women, my mother went to work in the city’s shirt factories, and my two brothers and I were expected to help out at home. From an early age I loved food – particularly my family’s traditional Indian recipes – so I made sure my task was always the cooking! It was only when I went to study in Manchester and experienced the curry houses there that I realised I had to share my love of Indian food with my home town.

My family opened our first restaurant in Carlisle Road more than thirty years ago, where I have been cooking ever since. Now our range of Sukhi’s Kitchen ready meals, prepared using authentic Indian and Irish ingredients, means you can enjoy restaurant-quality Indian food at home – just like we do.

Sukhi’s Kitchen has been supplying ready meals and naan breads to local supermarkets and shops for four years, and just recently we have added Jalfrezi and Butter (Makhani) sauce to the range. The Butter (Makhani) sauce, has recently been awarded a gold star at the Great Taste Awards, which we are very proud of. Our aim has been to produce a range of products which cover many dietary requirements, such as low calories, low fat, lactose and gluten free.

Saffron, the family-run restaurant.

www.saffronderry.co.uk

For Goodness Cake A hobby that turned into a small business, For Goodness Cake specialises in bespoke cakes, cupcakes and treat boxes. Made fresh to order with fabulous flavours and flawless finishes, For Goodness Cake is perfect for every occasion from birthdays to seasonal holidays.

Alexandra Sinclair, 23, from Hillsborough.

07436025338

For Goodness Cake

@forgoodnesscake2020

Discover the true taste of

India Jharna at

133 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AG TEL: 028 9038 1299

TAKE AWAY AND DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE START YOUR SPICY LOVE AFFAIR...

Lisburn Road Restaurant

322 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 6GH Phone: 028 9068 1255 www.bengalbrasserieuk.com info@bengalbrasserieuk.com

THE SCENE

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Junior Minister Declan Kearney pictured meeting with The Prince of Wales at Hillsborough Castle.

The Duchess of Cornwall pictured meeting healthcare workers during a visit to the Ulster Museum.

First Minister Arlene Foster and Lord Dodds pictured meeting with The Prince of Wales at Hillsborough Castle.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall meeting with Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Frank McCoubrey.

The Prince of Wales meeting staff at the Ulster Museum.

ROYAL VISIT The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall recently enjoyed a one-day trip to Northern Ireland. The pair undertook a series of engagements to thank individuals, healthcare workers, food distributors, nonprofit managers, and members of the tourism sector for their ongoing efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. Their whirlwind tour of the province included visits to the Ulster Museum in south Belfast; Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid; and Henderson Group’s food and grocery distribution centre in Newtownabbey. The couple ended their day by meeting with Northern Ireland government officials at Hillsborough Castle.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall meeting staff at the Ulster Museum.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall pictured during a visit to the Ulster Museum.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis pictured meeting with The Prince of Wales at Hillsborough Castle.

The Duchess of Cornwall pictured with Michele Janes - Head of Barnardo’s Northern Ireland and Pamela Kirk - Assistant Director of Children’s Services.

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Where to begin? … corporate gigs, private parties, along with being frequently asked back to the bigger festivals and shows each year, such as Balmoral Show and Belfast Twilight etc.

Well, we began quite simply with an old gazebo, a single grill with hopes and dreams. We have a real passion for fresh locally sourced produce from surrounding areas. We sourced and got to know our local producers and got to work refining our recipes to create the best possible burger recipe that worked for us. So far it’s proving to be quite a hit – winning Best Burger in Ulster & Ireland 2018-2019.

Once we had our patented burger blend and initial menu, and quite a few outings in our basic setup, we were confident that our dreams could be realised, so we decided to plan forward and save for our first food truck in 2016. With our beautiful black Airstream we hit the surrounding areas pitching up locally and traveling up and down NI and Ireland doing shows, markets and events.

It’s very rewarding to see the public and our customers get very excited to see us at these large events.

Rugby legend Rory Best pictured at The Hatch

It took time but slowly we started to amass more popularity and our following began to grow rapidly. This hasn’t really stopped, which is fantastic! With a weekly changing special, award- winning burgers and just great street food and a healthy base of returning customers we have secured some fantastic recognition. We are so grateful to have been recognised within The McKenna Guide and The Georgina Campbell Guide. We’ve been moving from strength to strength.

With a fleet of three trucks and big plans in the pipeline our business is growing. We are taking more bookings for weddings, 173

We strive in doing our bit where possible for the environment by reducing our carbon footprint, we are very proud to say we only use biodegradable and compostable packing at all times.

We pitch up locally in our permanent location and hometown Opening times are Wed-Sat 12-3.00pm Lunch Menu 4-8.00pm Main Menu Sun 1-7pm 2 Golf Links Rd, Newcastle BT31 0SP T: 079214 28099 thehatch2016@gmail.com www.thehatch2016.com

An Oasis of Delights along the Carrickfergus seafront The Courtyard, Carrickfergus is a unique collection of shops and businesses located on the edge of the medieval town centre. Surrounding a newly refurbished courtyard and garden, it provides a tranquil and interesting place to visit.

Last month we gave you a closer look at our lovely shops housed in the front courtyard. But what about the shops surrounding our tranquil garden in the back?

One such hidden gem is JAVART! Run by Alison, this is a must visit shop full of gifts and accessories for you and your home. Alison is also one of the main Northern Ireland stockists for the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, perfect for giving that beloved piece of furniture new life.

An avid user of the produce herself, Alison is always happy to dish out tips, tricks and advice.

Take Thyme is a wonderful delicatessen with a beautiful selection of meats, cheeses, jams and jellies. They also serve fresh food whether itʼs lunch or just a snack, along with some of the best coffee around and delightful pastries. At Christmas time, Christine makes hampers that are second to none and highly sought after, well worth a look.

On the left-hand side of the garden, beside the aromatic herb patch, there is Julie and her wonderful team in The Nail Room waiting to pamper you in style with a range of beauty treatments, always striving to implement the latest trends. Alongside her team of contemporary artists, Julie also offers a range of nail training courses, from beginner to professional.

On the second floor there is Altheia Consultancies, run by Johnny, will take care of all your contract carpeting needs while Jo and Chris, in the opposite side of the complex, run The Secret Bookshelf.

Kelly Courtney Hair Design is lovely salon with a direct view of the garden is where Kelly will help you to relax whilst creating your own unique hairstyle.

Covering everything from the classics to local authors to comic books, there is something for everyone in this well laid out treasure trove. They also stock a comprehensive range of literary related gifts or items, such as tote bags, night lights and, sometimes, even a Niffler or two!

All of our business owners have been, and constantly are, striving to provide the safest environment for all their customers. This includes individual sanitising stations, one-way systems, regular cleaning of the shop, wearing masks, screens and anything else theyʼve been able to think of! We want to make sure your visit to us is as happy, but also as safe as possible.

The Courtyard 38 Scotch Quarter, Carrickfergus, BT38 7DP E: courtyardcarrickfergus@gmail.com W: www.thecourtyardcarrickfergus.com

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A Spooky Kinda Loaf

A

s the nights draw in, we are in the middle of one of the scariest times of the year! No, it’s nothing to do with the Covid pandemic but our traditional Halloween celebrations. These spooky celebrations have their roots in traditional Irish Pagan rituals, marking “Samhain” the end of summer. It’s believed this is the time of year when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest, allowing spirits to cross into the living world. These ancient beliefs prompted the wonderful traditional celebrations involving spooky costumes to frighten away evil spirits, bonfires, fortune telling, games and eating delicious Halloween foods such as apples, pumpkins, nuts and delicious bakes from the recent harvest.

One of the traditional foods eaten at this time of the year is Barmbrack or “Báirín Breac” (speckled bread), a moist fruit loaf filled with whiskey, tea, spices and dried fruit. This loaf is similar to a fruit cake, though not as sweet and is best served thickly sliced and buttered. It is typical of the rich, nutritious and filling foods eaten as winter beckons to warm us from within. Traditionally objects such as a ring, a pea, a matchstick, a piece of cloth and a coin were placed inside the loaf with certain meanings coming to the person who finds the item in their slice. Finding a ring meant you would marry within the year while finding the pea meant you would remain single. This is definitely a spooky loaf! Give this recipe a go and bring a bit of fun and mysteriousness to your own Halloween celebrations.

www.bakehouseni.com

bronagh@bakehouseni.com

T: 07900806480

ON TOP OF THE WORLD Congratulations to six time World Superbike Champion, Jonathan Rea, who holds the highest number of race wins in the Superbike championship.

The Ballyclare man also won Ulster Tatler Sport’s Personality of the Year twice, 2018 & 2019.

FACT FILE Born: 2 February 1987

Current Team: Kawasaki Racing Team

Superbike World Champion 2015,2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Social: Subscribe/Like Jonathan’s youtube channel: jrea65 2012 Marries Tatia at a ceremony in the Lake District 2017 Nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year finishing in second place 2017 Receives an MBE for his services to motorcycle racing

Jonathan with sons Jake, Tyler and wife Tatia after winning the title in Estoril, Portugal.

2019 Receives an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast

“

Jonathan Rea’s achievements as sixtime World Superbike champion have been welldocumented and rightly lauded in the sporting media. But there is much more to admire in his character and personality beyond his skill, bravery and technical ability on the race track. Here is a sportsperson whose field requires 100 per cent plus commitment, energy and focus. Yet he finds time for family, friends and the sporting public, all with their differing degrees of demands.

“

To win one world championship requires enormous talent, dedication and desire. It means you are the best at what you do on the planet.

To continue with the hunger, commitment and consistency until you have won six consecutive world championships in a sport where even the smallest mistake can destroy your whole season in a split second is on a higher plane, an accomplishment only the very greatest can achieve.

Jonathan Rea’s six World Superbike titles represent the greatest achievement of any Northern Irish sportsperson and mark him out as one of the finest motorcycle racers of all time.

“

Stephen Davison, photographer and Editor of Road Racing Ireland.

Where possible, he is open, accommodating, approachable, personable and generous with that time. An all-round good guy and a pleasure to work with in the media, he is the ultimate ambassador for his sport and his country, a credit to both, to his family and, above all, to himself.

“

Jim Gracey, Belfast Telegraph.

“

A great, but humble ambassador for The Province adding his name to the list of Northern Ireland motorcycling champions and an inspiration to all local young aspiring Sports men and women.

“

Paul Waddell local motorcycling Enthusiast.

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the thewardrobe Mother of the bride outfits I N B A L LY C L A R E

Congratulations to Jonathan Rea on his 6th World Superbike Title from the whole team at The Wardrobe.

35 Main Street, Ballyclare BT39 9AA Tel: 028 9332 2444 www.lovethewardrobe.co.uk

JONATHAN REA SIX IN A ROW

JONATHAN REA: LIFE IN LOCKDOWN In April, whilst in lockdown and before his now sixth Superbike World Championship win, Ulster Tatler’s Joanne Harkness spoke to Jonathan Rea.

glasses for my son, and it was so strange seeing the city so empty, but it is all to keep everyone safe. Doing exercise daily is really helping me, because a strong body equals a strong mind.

Working from home is the norm now for many people across the province and speaking to Jonathan Rea on a sunny Tuesday lunchtime via Skype, I explained to him that as a technophobe I was still getting used to this new way of communicating. He could see the benefits of this way of staying in touch, especially during these difficult times. “It is weird during these times when there is no face-to-face interaction and no events, everything is online now. I have been trying to catch up with Zoom that everyone has been using. It is a great way to stay in touch.”

With exercise and routine helping Jonathan cope, he tells us his advice for staying positive during these times.

“I would say only listen to official news channels. Everyone wants to hear the news to stay informed, but stay away from all the conspiracy theories and stop scrolling through all the information that you don’t need to hear. With smartphones, everything is at your finger tips, but I would encourage people to stay off their phones and tablets as much as they can and instaed invest time in yourselves and your family.

“Being in lockdown is a strange situation to be in, but it feels like the new normal now. I am starting to forget what going out and about, and socialising is like. I do miss my family, but I am lucky that I have brothers and sisters who live very close by, so when we take the kids out on their bikes we cycle past their house, which is nice.”

Jonathan is used to travelling around the world to compete in the Superbike World Championships but with races being postponed he has been in lockdown in his family home in Co. Antrim instead. “ up to missing three races so far, which would have been in Qatar, Spain and Holland. They have had to re-jig the calendar and re-allocate races to provisionally start at the end of July, which at present could be quite optimistic, but we will have to wait and see. It would just mean our season would finish a bit later in November, but we just have to follow the evolution of the virus and see what is best.”

With two boys aged four and six, Jonathan and his wife Tatia have been doing some homeschooling during lockdown. “That is one of the hardest aspects of lockdown, with the kids having so much energy at their age it is hard for them to be stuck in one place. I am still flat out doing my training as normal, so my wife does the homeschooling on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then I do it on a Tuesday and Thursday. This morning we were working from a really cool book, it is a Covid-19 activity book for kids, which allows them to detail everything

they have done during lockdown, it’ll be something nice for them to look back on. The rest of the time we try to stick to the curriculum, what they should have been doing at school. My eldest is doing adding and subtraction so it isn’t above my mental age just yet, but I’m sure it won’t be too long! My youngest Tyler, starts P1 in September so we have been showing him how to write and how to do letters, but of course his older brother Jake tries to show him his way of doing it – it is completely different now to how we learnt it at school.”

Keeping the kids entertained and educated is one thing, but how has Jonathan kept himself busy? “Honestly, we try and keep a routine, we have a blackboard in the kitchen, so at the start of the week we plan out our meals to avoid rushing up and down to the shop and to be efficient with food. I would have always been out at the gym, I trained at the BLK BOX in Belfast with my trainer Jonny. Now, he is still giving me my programme but I can train at home, so I keep to my strength days on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and indoor training on the bike the rest of the days.

I have been doing 350-400km a week, mostly on the indoor bike but sometimes it is nice to get outside on the bike too.

The weather has been unreal, we have been so lucky. I took a trip on the bike to Belfast as I had to collect a new pair of 178

This is a great time for self improvement, I have been working on my fitness to be as fit as possible for when the season starts but I have also been looking at taking on big challenges. I have been cycling for a while now and enjoying it, so I am thinking about doing a cycle around Ireland when lockdown is over. I have also invested more time in cooking, I am really enjoying that.

For some people it’s hard not to worry or be anxious, it will affect everyone in different ways, but I believe exercise is a great way to relieve it. We are very lucky in this country to be allowed outside to exercise, a lot of my friends in Italy and Spain weren’t even allowed out to exercise, they were only permitted to go out to the supermarket. You just have to make the most of being at home, it could be a good time to enrol in online classes, learning an instrument or a language.”

Being stuck in lockdown, many of our thoughts are turning to what we will do once the restrcitions are lifted and Jonathan is no different. “I have been pining to go out and have a nice evening at a lovely restaurant in the city, maybe the likes of Yugo or Edo in Belfast as we love the sharing plates.

I feel like for a while there will still be a touch of anxiety about going out amongst people in case there is still a risk of picking up the virus. In countries like Japan even before the coronavirus emerged people would wear face masks if they just had a common cough or cold to be courteous to others. Perhaps we could adopt that kind of approach

JONATHAN REA SIX IN A ROW struggled to find.” There is a great butchers located in Coleman’s Garden Centre who take telephone orders and bring the meat out to your car and we get freshly baked sourdough from Zac’s Bakehouse. Millbank Farm based in Saintfield do deliveries and we get a box of fresh fruit and vegetables – I think it is important to support local farmers, butchers and producers as much as possible.”

were mask wearing becomes more normal and look at it in a postive light, that somebody is wearing it to look after themselves, but also look out for others.”

Small, local businesses have suffered due to the Covid-19 outbreak, but Jonathan and his family have been trying

their best to support local during this time. “We shop at our local village store, rather than the big chain supermarkets and they have everything we need. We break up the week by having datenight and drinks on a Friday night and I was looking for mint to make mojitos with and that is the only thing I have

“It it will go away and life will get back to normal if we stick to the guidelines and be courteous and respectful to others.

I’m lucky to be in lockdown with my wife, my kids and my mum, we are all fine and we can be close to each other and embrace each other. There is talk now that lockdown will soon be lifted, but I feel that people may be getting too relaxed and socialising more than they should, so it is important that we just keep with it, because the more we stick to the guidelines the sooner we will get out of it.”

This article originally appeared in the Ulster Tatler free digital magazine, The Social Update. If you are interested in subscribing to The Social Update visit www.ulstertatler.com and select Emag.

Hagan Business Park, 181 Templepatrick Road, Ballyclare Co. Antrim BT39 0RA Tel: (0)28 93345610 Mob +44 7803155822 Email: bronagh.vallely@idverde.co.uk

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JONATHAN REA SIX IN A ROW

Frogg) Jamie McMinnis (Herbie ler Tat ter Uls , Rea n tha and Jon Awards 2019.

ER WINN R ULSTLEER TAT RDS AWA/2019 2018 Andrew Trimble, Pamela Ballantine and Jonathan Rea, Ulster Tatler Awards 2019.

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JONATHAN REA SIX IN A ROW

Barra Best Jonathan Rea and Tatia Rea.

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Jonathan Rea, with wife Tatia.

Bonita Boutique We stock the following footwear brands; Escape, EMU Australia, Kate Appleby, Lunar & XTI. We also stock a range of clothing from fashion capitals Paris and Milan.

Opening Hours Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Bonita Boutique 68 Main Street Ballyclare BT39 9AA Tel: 028 9334 5161 www.bonitaboutique.co.uk

Congratulations to Jonathan Rea on his 6th World Superbike Championship win!

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Jonathan Rea, Pamela Ballantine and Tommy Bowe, Ulster Tatler Awards 2018.

JONATHAN REA SIX IN A ROW

LET CIP MAKE SURE YOU ARE COVERED New & quality used cars sourced and supplied to suit all budgets.

30 Years in Business Customer care is at the centre of everything we do to provide excellent service at all times.

At CIP Insurance Brokers, founded in 1977, they are all about providing expert, friendly advice and helping support local business’ in their search for the best value insurance deals.

Paul Williamson MD, oversees operations in 4 branches at Crumlin, Ballyclare, Belfast and Portadown and takes a hands on approach in ensuring clients are getting the best level of customer service.

CIP are fiercely proud and privileged to have supported Jonathan and Tarsh since they returned back to settle in NI and continue to work hard in finding them affordable, bespoke insurance solutions.

They would be delighted to help you too.

Congratulations to Jonathan Rea on his

6th World Superbike Title

from everyone at William Taggart Car Sales 41 Rectory Road, Doagh, Ballyclare BT39 0PT Tel: 028 9334 2111 | M: 078 0266 9449 W: www.williamtaggartcarsales.com

Congratulations from the team at CIP to Jonathan and ‘Team Rea’ on 6 WSBK Championships in a row!

For more information visit www.cipinsurance.co.uk

Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 9.00am to 5.30pm, Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm - Saturday 9.30am to 1.30pm, Sunday Closed

CONGRATULATIONS TO JONATHAN REA ON HIS 6TH WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP WIN!

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JONATHAN REA SIX IN A ROW Jonathan at the launch of his autobiography, October 2018.

ome at the airport Jonathan receives a hero’s welc 7.

201 ber Octo , fans from family and

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Indoor 3G 6-a-side football pitches 51 Green Road, Ballyclare

Tel: 028 9332 4551

www.thesoccershed.co.uk Congratulations to Jonathan Rea on his 6th World Superbike Title from everyone at The Soccer Shed

Jonathan receives the Freedom of the Borough of Antrim and Newtownabbey, January 2019.

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MY

BETTY BROWN President of The Royal Ulster Academy (RUA)

1. What do you love most about your job?

The best bit has been curating the Royal Ulster Academy Exhibition at the Ulster Museum for the last three years, unfortunately only a small part of the job! I mean few people get an opportunity like that.

2. What has been your career highlight to date?

Being elected President of the RUA and Chairman of the RUA Trust.

3. What are your favourite hobbies/ activities outside of work?

One of the more unusual hobbies, I have tried in the past, was showing chickens. We specialised in Dutch Bantams and went from knowing nothing about them to winning Reserve Champion at Balmoral Show!

4. What is your daily routine?

It now involves the laptop and dealing with emails. However I look forward to the time when I can return to the studio and painting, not too long away now as my tenure as President finishes next summer.

Betty Brown pictured with “Tea in the time of Coronavirus”

by Amanda Croft, one of the pieces on display in The 139th RUA Annual Exhibition taking place online and at the Ulster Museum until 3 January 2021.

5. Do you have a fitness regime?

Walking on Ballywalter beach has become very important during lockdown. Having lived here most of my life, it is familiar but changes everyday with the tides.

6. Do you have any tips for staying positive during this time?

actor Adrian Dunbar in “Line of Duty” now being filmed in Belfast.

9. Who has been your biggest influence?

My Father, Jackie Brown, who was President of the NI Flute Band Association in his time and taught me a sense of duty and that someone has to be prepared to step into the breach.

I have been very lucky in the support of many people, members of the Academy, the RUA Board and Committees who are all volunteers, but who are always there in the background or meeting via Microsoft Teams and they keep me positive for the future of the Academy even through difficult times.

10. FAVOURITE

7. What do you think is the best thing about living in Northern Ireland?

Book: Reading “The International” by Glenn Patterson at the moment.

Northern Ireland colloquialisms or sayings which brings me to…

8. What is your mantra or favourite quote that you live by?

“I didn’t float up the Lagan in a bubble” an old saying, but most recently a line from local 186

Movie: The Godfather Band/Musician: Band

Restaurant: Lisburn Rd.

Ballywalter

Deane

and

Flute

Decano,

Holiday Destination: Venice Drink: Aperol Spritz Meal: Dressed Brown Crab caught locally in Ballywalter.

TESSA stands for Therapeutic, Education and Support Services in Adoption. It is a fiveyear project aimed at supporting adoptive families across Northern Ireland, who have children between the ages of two and 12 years old. It is a joint project run by Family Routes and Adoption UK in Northern Ireland.

At TESSA, we value every family from a holistic approach. This means that we do not focus on any one particular area, but that we look at the entire family unit and beyond. This enables our support to extend to adoptive parents and immediate caregivers, children who have been adopted and educational professionals supporting an adopted child in school.

TESSA support starts with parents because parents are a child’s safe base. The more flexible, resilient and supported parents feel, the stronger the family unit will be.

Through counselling we provide a safe and confidential space for children and parents to share their feelings, explore challenges and reflect on their relationships. We also offer training in therapeutic parenting and online therapeutic workshops. As adopters, we need to understand how trauma impacts on a child’s development and how parenting therapeutically can make a difference to family life.

Adopted children, very often, have experienced trauma before they developed language. This can mean that they struggle to find the words to describe how they feel and often have very little awareness of, or control over, their behaviour.

At TESSA we recognise the value of childrens therapy and can offer introductory sessions to therapies such as play therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, art therapy, equine therapy, osteotherapy/craniosacral therapy, reflexology and talking therapies.

We also encourage shared therapeutic supports, where parent and child attend therapy together. We find this approach particularly effective as it allows the relationship to strengthen, whilst offering insight for a parent into their child’s inner world.

Children with a history of trauma and attachment difficulties often struggle to learn and are challenging to teach. Understanding the importance of attachment in child development can help teachers, classroom assistants and other school staff support a child’s emotional regulation, behaviour and learning, resulting in fewer meltdowns, better outcomes, and a calmer school environment. TESSA offers a free two hour training session to schools in attachment and developmental trauma and, if required, strategies and services to support individual children with specific issues.

COVID RESPONSE Due to social distancing guidelines we have been unable to provide therapeutic support and counselling within the therapy room. With thanks to our funder, the National Lottery Community Fund, we have been able to move a number of our services to an online platform and are now providing online workshops and training sessions, in addition to our existing supports.

The TESSA project is exceptionally grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund, who are our current sole funder. We regularly update our Facebook page www.facebook.com/TESSANorthernIreland with upcoming online workshops and training events.

If you would like to make a self-referral you will find a referral form and further information at our website www.tessani.org.

For further information on how TESSA can support your family please contact us on 028 9046 9211 or email us at info@tessani.org.

The Word

MURRAY GRADUATION

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According to recent independent Research by Ulster Marketing Surveys, the Ulster Tatler has by far the largest readership of any Northern Ireland magazine.

Congratulations to Lauren Murray from Dundonald who recently graduated from Ulster University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Diploma in Professional Practice with Business Studies.

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COLUMN // KNOW KNOWTHE THELAW LAW

Sarah Elliott Sarah Elliott is a Solicitor specialising in Family Law at Worthingtons Solicitors

TRAVEL CORRIDORS AND CHILD CONTACT Sarah Elliott, Solicitor specialising in Family Law at Worthingtons Solicitors, considers how a request for contact for a separated parent travelling from a non-Green List country might be viewed by a Court.

This issue was addressed in the case of K (A Child) (Stay of Return Order: Asylum Application) (Contact to a Parent in SelfIsolation) [2020] EWHC 2394 (Fam), whereby a Deputy High Court Judge in England granted a stay of a Return Order under the Hague Convention 1980 to return a 9 year old boy to his home country of Russia, from where he had been brought to the UK by his father, allegedly without his mother’s prior knowledge or consent. A Return Order was made but was stayed as an asylum application had been made on behalf of the child by the father within the UK. But of perhaps more general interest to separated families, the Judge also ruled that child contact visits with the mother, who would be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in the UK, was not permissible within that period, given she was travelling from a non ‘green list’ country, as the mother was deemed to live in a separate household to the child.

In the substantive case, Counsel representing the father advised the Court that the decision of asylum should be determined first before the Return Order enforced, given the Geneva Convention

states that ‘no Contracting State shall return a refugee to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened.’ The Judge agreed and ruled that the return proceedings could go no further until the asylum application process was complete.

The side issue arising, that has potential for wider application, was the Court’s view on whether a Contact Order should be made in favour of the mother to re-establish her connection with the child, within the 14 day period that she would be required to self-isolate having travelled from Russia to the UK to see the child.

Pending the stay of the Return Order as a result of the asylum application, Counsel for the mother argued that a child could move between and be part of two households, under the relevant Coronavirus regulations, and that the child should be considered to be part of both the father’s and the mother’s household, and that therefore contact with the child could take place during the 14 day quarantine period.

The Judge did not accept this argument and ruled that ‘there is no explicit exemption in the regulations and no government

guidance that permits a child to visit a parent who is self-isolating if the child is not a part of that parent’s household’, that the mother would therefore be breaking her quarantine if contact was permitted within the 14 days and the Court therefore sought to protect the child from risk of contracting Covid-19 given Russia was not a ‘Green list’ country at that time.

The case is interesting to those who practice in the area of family law, not only because of the consequences of an application for asylum in relation to Hague Convention Return Orders, but also given the Court’s application of the regulations in refusing to grant a Contact Order with a parent not deemed to be part of the same household as the child and who requires to self- isolate having travelled from a nongreen list country.

If you have a query of a family law nature, please do not hesitate to contact our specialist family team here at Worthingtons Solicitors by email at familylaw@worthingtonslaw.co.uk or by phoning our Family Law Department directly on 028 91282905.

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CLEAVER FULTON RANKIN NAMED AS RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS CHAMPION 2020 Cleaver Fulton Rankin has been named a Responsible Business Champion in this year’s Business in the Community (BITC) Responsible Business Awards.

The accolade has been awarded in the ‘One to Watch’ category, sponsored by Ciena, in recognition of Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s significant progress in developing and implementing its responsible business strategy.

Corporate responsibility is a key pillar of Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s strategic agenda, which drives the Company’s commitment to reducing its impact on the environment, supporting and developing its people, providing the best service to their clients and giving back to the local community.

The Company’s efforts, noted in a recent CSR report, have so far seen them: • Supporting 17 local charities and schools by volunteering 350 hours to education and fundraising activities.

• Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill by 10% year on year and working with responsible suppliers to use 35% renewable energy within the business.

• Supporting clients and their businesses needs by completing 857.5 CPD hours and delivering 16 seminars to businesses and 500 plus individuals in the community.

• Encouraging conversation with internal campaigns to support mental health and well-being and strengthen relationships and teamwork.

Commenting on the award, Jonathan Forrester, Managing Director at Cleaver Fulton Rankin, said: “To be recognised as a 2020 Responsible Business Champion, alongside some of Northern Ireland’s best known businesses, is a fantastic achievement and testament to the commitment of our team members to conducting our business responsibly.

As a leading commercial law firm in Northern Ireland, being a responsible business remains top of our agenda. Our culture, actions and outputs will ensure we continue to play a positive role in our local community. I am very proud of our accomplishments to date and we will continue to ensure that Corporate Social Responsibility is at the core of our business.”

For more than 16 years BITC Responsible Business Awards have showcased transformational stories of businesses taking real action to build thriving communities. This year, due to the impact of the pandemic, the 2020 awards ceremony is unable to take place. Instead, BITC is recognising the leadership and excellence of all its finalists under the title of BITC’s 2020 Responsible Business Champions.

Kieran Harding, Managing Director, Business in the Community, explained: “There is no doubt that 2020 has been a very different year to the one we expected, however, throughout the pandemic so far, I am continually heartened by the determination of companies across Northern Ireland to be even more responsible through their activities, as they take care of their people, the environment and their communities.

We have moved to recognise our Responsible Business Champions for 2020 rather than highlighting one Award winner in each category.

We feel this is the right thing to do in a year where a celebration event does not seem quite so fitting but recognition of responsible businesses is still absolutely vital. Congratulations to Cleaver Fulton Rankin.”

For more information visit www.cleaverfultonrankin.co.uk 190

The Word

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY LEGACY GIFT OF £60,000 TO CANCER RESEARCH Thanks to a legacy gift from a Queen’s University alumnus, seven major cancer research projects which were put on hold due to grant cuts, are able to restart.

Each year, over 9,000 people in Northern Ireland are diagnosed with cancer. The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s is internationally recognised for its ground-breaking research, housing over 200 staff and students all working towards a common goal of improving the lives of patients with cancer.

In April this year, a team of seven researchers at Queen’s learned that one of their largest UK charity funders had taken the difficult decision to reduce the value of response-mode grants by 5%. This meant an unforeseen shortfall in funding of approximately £61,000.

The researchers are working on a number of treatments and diagnostic tools for a range of cancer types, including colorectal, oesophageal, ovarian and breast cancer.

Concurrently, the Queen’s Foundation had gratefully received a substantial legacy gift, from Arts and Theology alumnus, Mr Alexander Leckey from Belfast.

In his will Mr Leckey had specified that his gift was to be unrestricted, which meant that it was the decision of the Foundation Board how the monies were used to fund the most urgent needs of the University. The Foundation agreed to use £60,000 of the gift to enable the researchers to go back to the labs in June and July and continue their life-saving work.

Professor Chris Scott, Director (Acting) from the Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University, said: “We are extremely grateful for this unrestricted legacy donation given to us during these extremely challenging times for cancer research.

“This legacy gift will allow our world-class researchers at The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research to continue their important, lifesaving work, and has the potential to positively impact patient care by discovering new and better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer, both locally and globally.”

To find out how you can leave a gift in your will to support the future work of Queen’s University cancer research, contact Susan Wilson on susan.wilson@qub.ac.uk.

You can inspire the greatest minds and invest in world-class research

BECOME PART OF THE SOLUTION

A gift in your will to a registered charity is a tax-effective and unique way for you to support those causes that you are passionate about, without affecting your finances in your lifetime. Legacy gifts to The Queen’s University of Belfast Foundation, both big and small, are instrumental in pushing boundaries for solutions to global challenges in areas such as medical research, cyber-security, global food security and conflict resolution.

Contact Susan Wilson Legacy Manager Development and Alumni Relations Office, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN T: +44 (0) 28 9097 3162 E: susan.wilson@qub.ac.uk queensfoundation.com/legacygifts

Registered Charity Number: NIC 102044

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ISSUE: OCTOBER 1998

LOOKING BACK ULSTER TATLER

The Institute of Legal Studies Social Committee with guests at the organisation’s May Ball at Belfast Castle: Jonathan Hewitt, Catherine Cairns, Guest of Honour, Mr Brian Fee QC and Angela Fee, Leona Askin and Andrew McGuinness.

Ulster Society of Women Artists memebers Betty Gilliland, Betty Jackson and Mabel Young (Past President) at the annual exhibition at QUB School of Architecture Building.

Christine and Brendan McGoldrick at Smoke on the Water, an evening of music and fireworks with the Herb Miller band held at Castleward.

Julie Maguire, Vice-Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, making a presentation to Gerry Lennon, Tourism Development Officer, Belfast City Council who addressed the first meeting of the NI branch in the Stormont Hotel.

Centre is Jim McAnlis, Chairman.

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