Northern Woman April 2017

NORTHERN WOMAN

woman

NORTHERN

April 2017 £2.50/€3.95

Women in Power Behind the scenes of those leading the way at Stormont

Precious Commodity Ireland’s only breast milk bank in shortage crisis

APRIL 2017

Digital Dating NI men talk text play

Carolyn Stewart Shares her home style

VOLUME 33

ISSN 1361-2735

NUMBER 4

9 771361 273013

04

Roxanne Pallett Opens up about job uncertainty and why she’s Belfast-bound

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23/03/2017 17:03

Contents

Editor’s Comment

W

e don’t believe that January is the right time to embrace dramatic lifestyle changes just because it marks the turn of a new year. Isn’t April, by far, the most ably-equipped month to handle the New Year’s Resolutions job? It marks the turn of the new season and sets the scene (a brighter one) for doing so.

To celebrate our new New Year’s resolutions we present some of the latest trends for the home, wardrobe and beauty cabinet to give your world a bit of an overhaul. Think vibrant pinks, nude makeup and the hair trends to complement all of the above. We also chat with a mindfulness expert to see how you can clean up your thinking to welcome some peace and calm into your life.

And beyond our own lives we talk with the leading ladies in Stormont about what keeps them occupied when they’re not talking politics.

We also caught up with actress Roxanne Pallett about her visit to Belfast this month as part of the Wedding Singer theatre production and when local actor Stephen Hagan returned home, he took us to the bar to discuss topping the Sky viewing charts and raising his young family in London.

We do hope you enjoy the read and we look forward to introducing our new editor, Catriona Doherty next month.

Inside April Page 8

Happy New You! Emma Deighan (acting editor)

Publisher Independent News & Media Ltd Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3GB www.northernwoman.co.uk T: 028 9026 4264 Acting Editor: Emma Deighan Designer: Robert Armstrong, INM Design Studio Sales Manager: Eileen Doherty e.doherty@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4264 Art Editor: Helen Wright Editorial Contributors Catriona Doherty, Claire Craig, Amanda Ferguson, Davina Gordon, Audrey Watson Independent News & Media © 2016. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of Independent News & Media

✶ FEATURES

Page 14

8 ACTING UP Actress Roxanne Pallett discusses the 80s, insecurities and the future.

14 WOMEN IN POWER We chat with the women leading at Stormont about their lives beyond politics.

20 THE LUCKY STAR Lucky Man star, Stephen Hagan, talks family and work.

24 PRECIOUS COMMODITY The only Irish breast milk bank faces severe shortages. We talk to one woman who has kept it stocked in recent years and meet the baby who benefited.

Do you want to tell your story in Northern Woman? Contact us by emailing: info@northernwoman.co.uk #northernwomanmagazine

4 Northern Woman

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Contents Page 20

Page 32

Page 80

Page 94

Page 40

✶ STYLE

32 THE CLASH Ready for the pink invasion?

36 SEASONAL SELECTION The transitional staples to see you through the changing seasons.

39 DENIM DRIFT It’s all in the jeans.

✶ BEAUTY AND SELF 50 BARING ALL Perfecting the low key finish.

52 MANE ATTRACTION From Bardot bangs to 80s frizz.

54 MINDING THE GAP Have you mastered mindfulness?

Page 50

✶ LIVING

60 HOME TRUTHS DJ Carolyn Stewart invites NW into her stunning Bangor home.

78 PICTURES AND WORDS We review the latest movies and books.

80 DATES FOR THE DIARY What’s happening in NI this month.

81 THE ALBUM Who’s out and about this month?

94 NORTH STAR NW visits Derry.

Page 81

96 NORTHERN MAN 98 NORTHERN LOVES

Northern Woman 5

News

THE

Edit

The topics dominating conversations among Northern Women at the time of print…

✶In Love Actually When the trailer landed for the new Comic Relief version of Christmas favourite Love Actually excitement was an understatement. Mass hysteria swept across social media as some of the cast featured, armed with placards asking who’d aged best. We’re backing our own as Mr Neeson, for his 64 years, is still as handsome as ever.

✶Bill’s Emotive Eulogy

✶Tom Hardy for CBeebies CBeebies gets some of the best celebs for its Bedtime Story. To date we’ve had the Hoff, Sue Johnston, James McAvoy and Damien Lewis, among some other belters, settle the wee ones to sleep, or at least try. But when they pulled out Tom Hardy for the occasion on New Year’s Eve and then

Image credit: Carl Court/Getty Images

✶Terror in London

The latest terror atrocity to hit Europe came in the form of a single attacker who drove his vehicle into pedestrians walking across Westminster Bridge, London. A total of five people died, including the attacker. A mother of two, an American tourist, a 75-year-old man and a police man lost their lives in the event which has set the UK’s Terror Alert Level to ‘severe’.

6 Northern Woman

Valentine’s Day – they’d perhaps raised the bar too high. News that the man himself would be back in time for Mother’s Day was warmly welcomed as we went to print. We salute you CBeebies.

Remember, you’re only as good as your last Bedtime Story. The only way is up.

Mr Clinton and ex-Democratic Unionist Stormont first ministers Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster were among those attending Martin McGuinness’ funeral just before NW went to press. The ex US president commanded silence in the church as he reflected on Mr McGuinness’ life but called on the NI community to continue making peace in a powerful eulogy that will be remembered for a very long time.

Despite divided opinions across Northern Ireland there is one thing that can be agreed on and that’s Bill Clinton’s dedication Image credit: to advocating peace in Colm Lenaghan/ here. Looking down on Pacemaker Press the coffin, Mr Clinton who was central to the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, implored today’s leaders to pick up where Mr McGuinness left off.

“The only thing that happened was that he shrank the definition of ‘us’ and expanded the definition of ‘them’.”

✶Alison Moyet for Belfast

We love the 80s at NW and news that one of this decade’s melodic queens would be coming to Belfast’s Ulster Hall this October 29 was, well, music to our ears. Hits like All Cried Out, Love Letters and Yazoo’s Only You had us feeling a tad emosh. Tickets are on sale now by calling 028 9033 4455 or online at ulsterhall.co.uk.

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Northern Woman 7

Interview

Acting Up

BY EMMA DEIGHAN

Roxanne Pallatt opens up about her roller coaster journey since she left the Dales and her date with Belfast this month...

I

t’s hard to believe that Roxanne Pallett has been a household name for over 12 years since she took up the role of the feisty Jo Stiles in Emmerdale back in 2005.

She grabbed the nation’s attention in her screen debut on the show and later broke hearts as the victim of one of the biggest domestic abuse storyline in soap at the time. The dramatic performances earned the actress six award nominations including Best Storyline and Best Actress at The British Soap Awards 2007, 2008, 2009, the Inside Soap Awards, and TV Quick Awards 2008.

It’s a role she reflects on with sentiment and one she is only to happy to reference in conversation: “I look at Emmerdale with great affection. It was an amazing place to learn the craft. I was only 22 when I worked there.

I always see the gang and it’s like all friends, your lives go in different directions but when you meet up it feels like nothing is different and no time has passed,” she began.

Indeed you would believe that no time has passed since she departed the farm back in 2009. Youthful looks are on the soap star’s side so much so that it makes you wonder how she could execute a role in 1980s-based theatre show

8 Northern Woman

Roxanne as Holly in The Wedding Singer

The Wedding Singer, which comes to the Grand Opera House from April 11-15. Isn’t it only true 80s children that can display the kind of enthusiasm essential to relive a period so amazing?

Born in 1982, Roxanne, 34, is in fact an 80s child and remembers that time with much fondness. The fashion, the classic music and the iconic movies that made the decade the vibrant and, to many, nostalgic era that it was is her favourite which is why she was so rightfully casted as Holly in the Wedding Singer, a role she interprets as a wild child based on ‘Madonna, Cindy Lauper and a mix of eccentric people I know’ she said.

“Of course I remember it!,” she gasped as she makes her way back from a coffee run with co-star Tara Verloop who plays Linda in the show.

“I have such fond memories of being driven to school by my mum with her big shoulder pads and all those Madonna hits, the ones from the Immaculate Collection,” she continued.

“I am all about the 80s, I couldn’t tell you what music is in the charts now because I’m always listening to old music. I love the 80s power ballads and all the John Hughes movies – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is my absolute favourite,” she gushed.

It’s as well she has an affiliation with it because The Wedding Singer, based on the movie written by Tim Herlihy and featuring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, is a festival of the hair, the fashion and the vibes of that generation.

Continued on 10 ➤

Interview

I’m always casted as these extreme characters – broken and flawed – but I get more from that than I probably would playing someone else and if I had to do that I’d be a maverick and probably go against it...

Northern Woman 9

Interview

I went through a phase when I thought I wouldn’t work in the industry again. But I held on.

Every day I made sure I got up and got dressed because it’s easy to wallow and feel sorry for yourself...

And while it’s an original score (you won’t hear any Madonna, Wham or A Ha), Roxanne who was born and raised in Cumbria says the tunes are so ‘clever’ that it will transport you back in time.

Based in 1985, rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart (played by Jon Robyns) is New Jersey’s favourite wedding singer. When his own fiancée dumps him at the altar a seriously ‘bummed out’ Robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own. Sweetnatured Julia (Cassie Compton) and her bff, Holly (Roxanne) try to lure Robbie out of the depths of despair and back into the limelight reads the synopsis which dubs the show as the ‘party of the year’. And Roxanne couldn’t agree more.

“This is such an exciting show and you don’t have to have seen the film to have fun at the stage version. This is its own entity which has something in it for everyone.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. It’s emotive and as an actress to see that we have an impact like that on the audience, it’s a great feeling.

I’m not saying it’s Les Mis but it will still provoke a reaction.” she added.

“There is so much freedom attached to my role as Holly so she’s a bit different to what she is in the movie. My character is an 80s wild child. I base her on a cross between Madonna, Cindy Lauper and some of the eccentric people I know – she’s a little mix of all of that. And she seems a little bit drunk too. I don’t drink but if you saw me playing that role you would think I was out of it,” she joked.

Roxanne is no stranger to playing likewise spirited and fiery titles since she entered the world of acting; “You know what the great thing is, I never play vanilla characters. I never play that nice quiet girl and that’s good for me because when you’re acting, you spend half of your time in your character’s shoes.

10 Northern Woman

Roxanne pictured at one of her many red carpet events, prefers to lie on the sofa watching American TV “I originally auditioned for the role of Julia but they saw me as Holly. I’m always casted as these extreme characters – broken and flawed – but I get more from that than I probably would playing someone else and if I had to do that I’d be a maverick and probably go against it,” she admited.

There’s an innate vivacity about Roxanne.

An enthusiasm and passion that is compelling so it’s easy to see why she nabs those high energy roles and you can’t help but imagine life off the stage and beyond the camera is full of the same. To the contrary she informs us.

“I’m so boring when I’m not working. I

would love to say I have this exciting life and I do yoga in Finsbury park but I don’t because as an actor you are always on display and when I’m off I like to go home, take my makeup off and watch an American TV series and eat pizza, or catch up with my friends and mum,” she confessed.

“When I’m working I can be away for months at a time. I’ve missed weddings and birthdays because of work so when I get that time I spend it with those I’m close to.

In fact, probably, one of my highs right now is having this coffee with Tara – it’s what I like to do.”

The past 15 years for Roxanne have been

Interview

a bit of a professional roller coaster. After she completed her role at Emmerdale she went on to star in a variety of entertainment shows including Dancing On Ice, Soapstar Superstar and Celebrity Stars in their Eyes which she won for her impersonation of Gloria Estefan.

She also acted in Waterloo Road, The Rocky Horror Show in theatre and horror film The Devil’s Tower among others.

She’s an incredible singer, dancer and actress with a varied CV, so it’s a surprising to discover that Roxanne experienced the dark lull that is a part of life for some actors – that wilderness between roles that can make or break many.

“It is feast or famine. As actors we feel it waiting on the phone to ring,” she divulged.

“It’s filled with anxiety.

“I went through a phase when I thought I wouldn’t work in the industry again. But I held on. Every day I made sure I got up, got dressed because it’s easy to wallow and feel sorry for yourself.

“Sometimes people will stop you on the street and ask what you’re working on,

I literally live in hats and put my hood up all the time. Of course I have days when I have insecurities and I don’t want to leave the house but you need to leave those insecurities at the door

what you’re doing and you’ve nothing to tell them and that’s hard but that’s the lifestyle I chose and I ride the wave when it happens and just hold it together,” she said.

When she was out of work Roxanne was by no means idle and transfixed by Jeremy Kyle, she was, and still is, busy playing the role of ambassador for her many charity projects; from the Samaritans to Age UK, her local hospice and a bullying trust.

“That’s good for your perspective and puts everything in focus and it allows you to spend time with people and I think time is the best gift you can give anyone,” she explained.

It’s this gratitude that Roxanne exudes that has seemingly left her void of any divasims. You only need to google her name to generate an endless stream of candid pictures of her leaving back stage doors, running for coffee and going about her business either with or without makeup – a privacy invasion that she accepts with no complaints.

Continued on 12 ➤

Northern Woman 11

Interview

Roxanne on stage (above) and below as Holly and Jon Robyns as Robbie Hart. (Photo: Darren Bell)

I want the people in Belfast to be my host and show me about, take me to where I need to go and show me what I need to see “I’m just used to it. It’s part and parcel of this job. 80 per cent of actors are out of work and I’ve been there and this is the price you pay to live your dream.”

And while she is unquestionably and naturally gorgeous, does she feel the pressure to maintain a high gloss finish knowing the cameras will be waiting?

“I literally live in hats and put my hood up all of the time. Of course I have days when I have insecurities and I don’t want to leave the house but you need to leave those insecurities at the door.

“When I come home from a red carpet event I get straight into my onesie. I’m a

girl who loves her comforts. I’ll lie on the sofa and my mum would come in and say, ‘if only they could all see you now’” she joked.

With or without makeup, Roxanne defies those 34 years and it beggars belief that she’s still single but she’s certainly looking for love she admitted when asked what the rest of the year holds for her.

“I don’t know what could happen. The film, The Habit, is due out at the end of the year which I feature in but I have no idea what’s ahead of me. It’s like a lucky dip because you never quite know what the next phone call will bring but right now every day is a blessing. Who knows, I might even meet a man!” she exclaimed.

And could that man be Belfast-based?

“If he is from Northern Ireland, I’ll tell you what, you can come to the wedding and have exclusive rights to it!” she teased.

Anticipating her Belfast visit, Roxanne continued: “You know, I’ve never been but I cannot wait to come. That accent. I love the Irish and I am really looking forward to meeting the people. I want the people in Belfast to be my host and show me about, take me to where I need to go and show me what I need to see.

“I’ve been to Dublin and I’ve always felt that the Irish, they have that excitability and show enthusiasm and that really matters to me as an actress.”✸

12 Northern Woman

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Women in Power

WOMEN in POWER

Regardless of conflicting political persuasions in Northern Ireland, there is one thing we can all agree on and that is the monumental victory for women in politics here. Thirty per cent of MLAs at Stormont are now women, the largest proportion yet and, more significantly, for the first time ever our two leaders are females.

In this special feature Amanda Ferguson ✶Naomi Long avoids agendas to give ew Alliance Party leader Naomi Long topped the us the low down on four poll in Belfast East at the Assembly election in prominent women March. The 45-year-old, who was born and bred taking seats in the house east Belfast, is married to Alliance councillor Michael Long. They on the hill... began dating as teenagers and their first

N

date was a trip to the cinema to see Dirty Dancing. They enjoy travelling abroad and spending time in Donegal with their Jack Russell cross Daisy, a rescue pup from Assisi sanctuary. Leading a political party doesn’t leave much time to indulge interests outside work. Previously Naomi sang in a choir but now during time off enjoys reading books and loading up her Kindle with courtroom dramas and thrillers.

She enjoys Netflix and Chromecast for box sets such as current favourite The Good Wife.

“It’s the perfect mix of courtroom drama

14 Northern Woman

and political intrigue so not too far removed from work but more professional,” she said.

“It has a strong woman cast, which I like as well.”

Naomi’s father died when she was 11 so her “courageous and hard-working” mother raised her alone and she felt matriarchal influence through aunts, cousins, Girls Guides and the church. “I grew up with a lot of very strong women,” she said.

A civil engineer before politics her fantasy job is contract arbitration because she gets her kicks from big projects and problem solving.

Naomi believes now is the time for talented, capable women of all life experiences to “step up in politics”.

“Most don’t come into a career to break a glass ceiling, they come in because it is something they are passionate about.

“The more of us that are doing that the more barriers break down.”

Women in Power

✶Clare Bailey

C

lare Bailey is the Green Party deputy leader in Northern Ireland.

The 46-year-old represents Belfast South where she also lives.

The Queen’s University Belfast politics graduate is a single mother of a 20-year-old daughter and 21-year-old son.

Prior to entering politics she worked in community development for Lenadoon Community Forum and for Nexus rape and sexual abuse charity.

Outside Stormont she enjoys “good food, good wine and good times”.

“I love cooking,” she said.

“If I get the chance to have a weekend I love cooking in the kitchen and listening to the radio. It’s a good way to catch up with the kids.”

She has a handful of close friends who

try to meet up as often as possible, most recently indulging in spa treatments.

She also enjoys going to Donegal and walking on beaches and up mountains for “peace and quiet”.

Clare is motivated in life by the women around her such as Jan Melia from the Women’s Aid Federation and former Marie Stopes director Dawn Purvis who she says have “good energy and really inspire”.

If she wasn’t a politician her dream job would be in high end hospitality as she worked in London years ago and loved the

opulence “but it’s not very Green which is why it’s a fantasy job and not a real job”.

Clare wore a Trust Women t-shirt when she was elected last month and believes when females are active in public life “we get more results and more sustainable outcomes”.

Her advice to other women is “never doubt yourself, never be afraid and embrace all the opportunities that come your way”.

Continued on 16 ➤

Northern Woman 15

Women in Power

✶Michelle O’Neill

I

t has been a whirlwind few months for Sinn Féin’s new northern leader Michelle O’Neill.

The 40-year-old from Clonoe, Co Tyrone, acknowledges taking over the top job in the republican party at Stormont from veteran peace process figure the late Martin McGuinness meant she had big shoes to fill.

Those shoes are now somewhat more formidable following his recent passing.

“Growing up as a young republican I was inspired by Martin McGuinness and I continue to be today,” she said paying tribute to him. “His leadership, grace and warm personality have transformed Irish politics for the better and his impact will be felt for many years to come.”

Many commentators had seen Michelle’s male colleagues such as Conor Murphy, John O’Dowd and Mairtin O’Muilleoir as front runners for the northern leader role and while some view her as a surprise choice you only have to look at her career progression and track record in government to see why she was selected for the challenging role by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.

She became involved in republican politics as a teenager and then worked as

16 Northern Woman

an adviser to Francie Malloy, Mid Ulster MP, a role once held by Martin McGuinness before he moved to represent Foyle.

She was the first woman to hold the position of mayor at Dungannon and South Tyrone Council and during her time at Stormont has headed up the challenging agriculture and health departments.

When interviewed about her own health she offered the advice of “everything in moderation” and said that her late father always told her “life is for living” so she tries adopt that attitude in life. O’Neill has said a balanced diet is difficult because of her hectic work schedule and admits to putting home-made gravy “on everything”.

While not always getting as much sleeps as she would like, her typical day starts at 6am, when she will attempt a gym class with friends, as the laughter between them is “the best tonic of the day”.

Checking social media, listening to the radio news bulletins and a series of negotiations, meetings and engagements dominates days at the moment.

She described her appointment as northern leader of Sinn Féin – which is part of a transition going on in the party to a new generation of republicans – as one of

the proudest moments of her life.

There to watch her big moment back in January was her proud mother and also her two children, Saoirse (23) and Ryan – who turned 18 recently and was left a little red-faced by the media glare when he was accompanied by his mother to vote for the first time.

Since she was thrust into the top role there has been a lot of media attention on the fact that Michelle is an attractive woman and a mother of two, in some cases as leading statements ahead of her ability and achievements.

She does not get “overexcited” about this and knows she was “chosen to be the leader because of my ability to lead”.

She would like to see more women in politics and noted that a lot of the commentary around her status as a mother and the clothes she wears “they would never say about a man”.

Sinn Féin has the best female representation at Stormont with 11 (41%) of its 27 seats filled by women at the recent election.

Michelle says she now wants her Assembly team to help “chart a course for the future based on equality, respect and integrity”.

Women in Power

✶Arlene Foster

D

UP leader Arlene Foster has had a challenging few months up on the hill so outside of Stormont enjoys spending time with family and friends to help her unwind.

The 47-year-old former solicitor has three children – a 16-year-old daughter studying for her A/S levels, a 14-year-old son in Year 11 and a 10-year-old son in P6.

On her interests, she says: “Obviously the children take up quite a bit of time outside of politics which is great as they are the best antidote!

“Where is my rugby kit and how am I getting to the cinema to meet my friends is a welcome change.

“I also very much enjoy meeting with my close group of friends for food and chat, again most of my friends are non political so that is a great way to switch off.”

Arlene’s hobbies are walking in the Fermanagh countryside and reading mostly biographies but the last book she read was ‘Prisoners of Geography’ she describes as “a fascinating book by Tim Marshall on how geography is so important to world politics”.

Arlene tells Northern Woman of her love of music and that she will “sing along to (I know very scary) music of all kinds”.

“I love Take That, Back Street Boys, Adele in terms of popular music but also enjoy light classical as well,” she said.

“I hosted a wonderful local choir concert in Enniskillen Cathedral before Christmas in aid of the NI Children’s Hospice and it was just fabulous.

“I sang in the church choir before I was married and still enjoy singing in church every Sunday.”

Watching musicals and James Bond movies are another way to relax.

“My favourite film of all time is, and this may surprise your readers...The Sound of Music,” she says.

“I can sing all the songs. I also enjoy all the Bond movies from Sean Connery to the gorgeous Daniel Craig.”

Among her female role models is the late former British Prime Minister “Margaret Thatcher for her drive and determination”.

A committed royalist Arlene also looks to the Queen for inspiration.

“Our marvellous sovereign, Her Majesty the Queen for her dedication to duty and this country and in terms of faith in action our local heroine Maud Kells, whose love of the people of the Congo has undoubtedly saved many lives,” she said.

Arlene was educated at Enniskillen Collegiate grammar school for girls before

heading to Queen’s University Belfast to study law and then complete a professional qualification as a solicitor also at Queen’s Institute of Legal Studies.

“I practiced as a solicitor for 12 years before becoming a full time politician in 2007,” she said.

“I was a councillor on Fermanagh district council before becoming an MLA. “In 2007 Dr (Ian) Paisley appointed me as environment minister.

“Then in 2008 I became minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment after Peter Robinson became leader of the party.

“In May 2015 I moved to Finance and Personnel and after two stints as acting first minister I became First minister in January 2016.”

Following the collapse of government and the snap Assembly election in March Arlene has been involved in negotiations up at Stormont to restore the power sharing institutions.

On her vision for society she wants to see “a devolved administration representing all interests moving forward to build the country into a strong economic unit with a health care available for all at the point of need, and a strong education system, within the United Kingdom and looking forward to the centenary of Northern Ireland in 2021”. ✸

Northern Woman 17

Relationships

Digital Dating Decoded

The buz of digita z words l dating

‘Ghosting’, ‘benching’ and ‘tuning’ are just three activities rife in the world of dating in the digital era. In this special feature Davina Gordan attempts to decode the game rules of modern day love...

143 – I L ove You BA Benchin E – Before Any one Els g – Put a e dater o Catfish n the bac Cuffing ing – Us k benc Season ing a fak – e profile h DTR – A Finding a partn er for th request Ghostin e winte to defin g – Cea r month sing all e the re s ro lationsh m antic int ver wondered why the ip erest w Layby – ith no ex A backu guy you were having planatio p option Moonin n g Textlat a textlationship with ionship – Do not disturb – A rela ghosted on you? No, I’m tionship and onli built on ne mess not speaking a foreign text ages IR L – In re language, rather the language of Tuning al life – Makin g a su modern dating. ‘liking’ a status b btle move, like Fraternising online is now the leading ut n commit ot making a way to meet Mr Right, or at least Mr Right ment Now. From random ‘liking’ activity on your Facebook posts to the ‘read reports’ lot more simplistic? A phone number was on iMessages but no response, and the penned on a bar receipt and then followed, mindboggling behaviour in between, it’s a sometimes, agonising wait for the landline hard to know if you’re being played or you to ring and if it didn’t it was a done deal? need to up your game in world of dating Today there is texting to and fro, today.

Messenger, WhatsApp, SnapChat – and Wasn’t there a time when dating was a that’s before online dating forums – that

E

✶George, 28, engineer Does online dating beat meeting the old fashioned way?

“It’s an extension… online dating allows a wider scope of people and is more straightforward. I think old fashioned is the best way though.”

What qualities do you look for in a woman when online dating?

“A balance between common interests and differences that make you unique to one another.

A good sense of humour and good communication skills.

Would you consider yourself a game player?

“No. I don’t believe in being one.”

18 Northern Woman

Are you guilty of ‘ghosting’?

“Yes! Especially when you discover their photographs are ten years old.”

Do you let someone down gently or drop them with little or no explanation?

“I’ve done both. I’ve become friends with people I have dropped down gently but on the other hand, some people haven’t deserved an explanation.”

What are your rules when it comes to dating, do you text a love interest straight back, or leave them waiting?

“I don’t rush into anything, nor have an agenda from the off. I don’t believe in leaving anyone waiting.”

What’s your policy on giving likes on Facebook?

“It depends. If I agree with something they say or do, I will, but it won’t be sexually motivated.”

What’s your main dos and don’ts?

“Be yourself, be honest. Don’t have an agenda and don’t let anyone discourage you from doing what you want to do.”

What is a major turnoff?

“Snapchat filters, no sense of humor, bad grammar and tardy replies.”

Relationships are just complicating the process of finding a soulmate. There’s the telltale activity trails of the read/seen icons that can leave a stomach-churning sensation and futile questioning.

Kate MacLean, Public Relations Coordinator and Dating Expert at PlentyOfFish says, first off, we can dispel the bad mouthing often associated with this type of interaction. She believes that social media and online activity doesn’t always signal game playing. She says that 75% of millennials use dating apps because they are looking for a serious relationship and, rather encouragingly, she estimates that the PlentyofFish creates one million relationships ever year.

“With the sheer number of people using dating apps today, singles have a huge pool of potential matches to choose from,” Kate affirms.

So far, so good. But how do women increase their chances of finding their future partner in an increasingly virtual world? Kate thinks women often limit themselves to one particular type. “Don’t write someone off based on one photo or an interest you may not share.” She says that women can do themselves a disservice by waiting too long to respond to messages or by having just one profile picture.

According to Kate, five or more images on your profile will result in eight times the message received. She emphasises (like our men below) that the images should be an honest representation, not an old photo from ten years ago!

When it comes to game playing, Kate believes that both sexes have the freedom to define their intent. At PlentyofFish, there is a drop down menu for users to distinguish whether they are looking for a relationship, to date casually, are putting serious effort into finding someone, or are ready to find someone to marry. She says: “Whatever your relationship intent may be, our date shows that people who are honest about what they’re looking for and those who connect with people are looking for something similar have the most success.”

But beyond dating site terrain, there is still ambigious digital activity that leaves ladies, and gents, unclear as to the motives of the other player.

We asked four men for their views on dating in the digital era, their turn ons, and offs, and what makes them tick.✸

✶Bob, 62, former university lecturer Does online dating beat meeting the old fashioned way?

“Nope. It feels unnatural - a bit of a meat market.

I’d much rather meet the old fashioned way - eyes meeting across a crowded room.”

What qualities do you look for in a woman when online dating?

“Intelligence. Wit. Good with word, someone who understands creativity.”

Would you consider yourself a game player?

“Absolutely no way. I hate it when people play games. I need honesty, integrity. From those two qualities come respect too.”

Are you guilty of ‘ghosting’?

“No. Never. If you need to end a relationship then it’s best to be up front about it. I treat others as I would wish to be treated.”

Do you let someone down gently or drop them with little or no explanation?

“Always gently. Those in their 50s and 60s carry a lot of baggage. They may be widowed for instance, there are no good reasons to cause any further pain.”

What are your rules when it comes to dating, do you text a love interest straight back, or leave them waiting?

“I always get back to people ASAP. I have to admit to one woman that I didn’t text back within an hour because I didn’t wish to appear too eager.”

What’s your policy on giving likes on Facebook?

“I stay clear. She may be a love interest but I have to respect boundaries early on. Friends and family tend to get very wary when there’s some stranger ‘liking’ stuff all of a sudden.”

What’s your main dos and don’ts?

“Always reply, always meet in neutral territory.

Always hug on meeting. Don’t be pushy. Don’t be touchy feely.”

What is a major turnoff?

“A woman talking down to me as if she were my mother. A person turning up who doesn’t look at all like the photo you have seen ,and poor spelling and grammar in email correspondence.”

✶Chris, 31, university administrator Does online dating beat meeting the old fashioned way?

“Online dating turns into old fashion dating eventually as you have to meet up at some point, but it’s sometimes nice to chat briefly to someone first. Speed dating is my favourite.”

What qualities do you look for in a woman when online dating?

“Sense of humour. I’m quite brave about taking the Mickey as quickly as possible - if you can’t take a light joke or laugh at yourself, we probably won’t get on.”

Would you consider yourself a game player?

“Absolutely not. I hate that part of online dating.

At 31 I don’t have any time for that nonsense - it’s manipulative, empty and boring.”

Are you guilty of ‘ghosting’?

“Unless sometimes not responding to someone’s opening line counts - then no, absolutely not. I always politely say if I want to end the chat and on nearly every occasion I have received a polite response.”

Do you let someone down gently or drop them with little or no explanation?

“The former - but whilst being careful not to be patronising. Everyone deserves respect.”

What are your rules when it comes to texting, do you text a love interest straight back, or leave them waiting?

“If I leave them waiting it would never be deliberate - that would be game playing which I don’t do. I’ll normally respond as quickly as I can out of good manners - if that makes them think I’m too keen, then they’re over thinking and probably not for me.”

What’s your policy on giving likes on Facebook?

“Um... don’t think I’ve ever done that. But I can see how it might appear as a blatant suck up. Don’t think I’d do it unless it was something I genuinely thought was worthy of a like!”

What’s your main dos and don’ts?

“No ghosting. obviously no weird pervy openers.

Just be normal, and funny, and pay them a compliment if it’s genuine.”

What is a major turnoff?

“Crap bios that talk about how you love tea and gin, or motivational quotes. Openers that ask me how my weekend was - you don’t know me... why would you care?”

✶James 40, pub worker Does online dating beat meeting the old fashioned way?

“It’s just an evolution of mating rituals due to new technology. But I’d rather have the old fashioned meeting and chatting to someone in a bar because it’s more organic and easier to chat.”

What qualities do you look for in a woman when online dating?

“I know it sounds shallow but it has to be looks.”

Would you consider yourself a game player?

“No, I’m pretty honest and straight up.”

Are you guilty of ‘ghosting’?

“Yes, particularly on Snapchat.”

Do you let someone down gently or drop them with little or no explanation?

“Usually just cease messaging, I know it sounds rude but isn’t it a faceless world online?”

What are your rules when it comes to dating, do you text a love interest straight back, or leave them waiting?

“I actually tend to message too much and consequently am probably perceived as over enthusiastic or desperate.”

What’s your policy on giving likes on Facebook?

“Facebook is a sort of grey area as other people I know can view my activity, most flirting is by private mail.”

What’s your main dos and don’ts?

“No abusive language or explicit photos, I’m not that generation where sending those is acceptable.”

What is a major turnoff?

“Girls in football jerseys.”

Northern Woman 19

Interview

THE LUCKY STAR

Local actor Stephen Hagan is arguably one of the most aesthetic exports NI has given the acting world of late. Here the father of three and Lucky Man star talks balancing family life with work, hangover cures and why there’s no place like home...

20 Northern Woman

Interview

S

tephen Hagan arranged to meet NW at The Duke of York to talk about Lucky Man, the second series.

It was possibly the best choice of venue considering he got there early and secured the only snug in the venue so he’d worked his way into our good books the minute we spotted him.

“I’ve been doing a few interviews in bars,” he began. “I met another journalist in The Harp Bar yesterday.”

Could pub crawls with journalists be a smart ploy for the Greenisland man to get the good press?

“Ha ha, maybe. I’ll get a name for myself.

Journalists will be asking their editors can they go out to interview me and it will be ‘no you can’t, he takes everyone to the pub’” he said before taking a swig of the black stuff.

Here to talk about the second series of the Stan Lee show Lucky Man in which he plays Rich Clayton – brother to Harry (played by James Nesbitt), Stephen is just fresh from celebrating his 32nd birthday in Vegas with wife, comedian and actress Wendy Wason.

Wendy treated the local man to a trip to watch the fateful Frampton-Santa Cruz fight – an experience he’ll never forget.

“Everyone says Vegas is a theme park for adults and now I can see why. We stayed awake for 30 hours straight and we didn’t even know it. The place is crazy.

“There were hangover cures that could be delivered to your room with oxygen and IV drips. I would’ve loved to try it because I had one bad hangover after that fight,” he digressed.

But back to the show and the real reason for our hook up.

This is the series’ new offering which Stephen says has a more ‘episodic’ format which he hopes will allow new viewers to dip in and out without having to follow a storyline from the offset. Not that the show would need to recruit a new fan base having summoned the title of Sky One’s most successful original drama series ever last year.

“We were worried about how it would come across when the first series came out,” admitted Stephen, “But the audiences seem to love it.”

And why wouldn’t they? Stan Lee (the creator of Marvel Universe) is the man behind the action crime series and like anything he works on this too has benefitted from his midas touch.

The show is based on Jimmy Nesbitt’s character Harry’s bracelet which is loaded with extreme superpowers and the trials and tribulations that come with such afforded abilities.

“In this series we have a second bracelet which really throws a spanner in the works,” continued Stephen.

“My character, Rich, comes into the series half way through. Rich and Harry had fallen out in the first series and I’d just had enough of getting beaten up on his

Stephen as Rich with co-star James as Harry behalf so it takes a wee while for Rich to get back on board and he’s trying to stay away from Harry as much as possible. So it’ll be interesting to see how that develops,” he said.

Off screen the relationship Stephen has with fellow native James is far from the on set fallout. The two are pals and have known each other for a long time, going back to the days when Stephen was just starting out in acting and nervously met the star as a youngster.

I remember the first day on set we really had to keep an eye on our accents so that we didn’t go too Northern Irish

“It’s quite nice to work with him and I remember the first day on set we really had to keep an eye on our accents so that we didn’t go too Northern Irish.

“I think that’s a thing we all have to do when we move away – try to keep that balance of staying Northern Irish but making yourself understandable,” he explained.

Even off camera Stephen is still keeping his accent in check. “I’ve learned to speak slowly but then you come back home and everyone tells you you’re too posh,” he laughed.

London, today, is where he calls home with his wife, two step children Isobel, 13, Max, 11, and son Riley, 4, who love to come back to NI to catch up with Stephen’s extended family and ‘load up on cash’!

“The kids really like it here. My wife has one sister and although I’ve just one brother I would be really close to all my cousins here.

“When we come home they realise how big the family is. I remember when we first came home Wendy thought everyone was nosey but I explained that was the way it is here.

“The kids love that all the relatives give them a couple of quid, that’s such a big thing at home and I forgot until the kids started to come out with all this money,” revealed Stephen.

Getting off the plane, Stephen explains, is like ‘getting wrapped in a warm blanket’; “There’s just something very comforting about coming home. And while I’m probably too old to want to come keep coming home to my mum’s, I just love it,” he continued.

But there is a chance that home could become much further away if Stephen’s talks with his connections in America bring any big moves to fruition.

“I’ve been in American a few times and I’ve a management team there and I’m constantly sending tapes over for different jobs. When you’ve got a family and a house and kids you just want to keep the ball rolling,” he explained.

He loves what he does; theatre – his first love, followed by screen acting, but Stephen is always conscious that he spends his time out of work with his family.

“My wife is probably more busy than I am but from day one we have always said as long as the kids are happy if we get jobs we look at ways to allow us to accept them and figure out child care in between and it normally works out.

“The kids understand it now and know that I will be away for long periods of time but they also know that when I’m home I’m very present and involved,” he added.

His latest lengthy gig was playing the role of a vet in upcoming Irish film The Zoo. “It’s about a woman called Denise Austin who, in 1941, found out the government was going to put down a lot of large animals at the zoo for fear they would escape during the war.

Continued on 22 ➤

Northern Woman 21

Interview

Above: Wife Wendy with Isobel,Riley and Max and left, Stephen and Wendy “She got hold of the baby elephant and kept it in her back yard to save it. In the meantime they did put down a lot of the large animals and when the bombings ended, they brought Nellie the elephant back and it lived until the 60s,” recounted Stephen.

“The great thing is, it’s all about these kids, a bit like the Goonies and their story. Art Parkinson (best known for his role as Rickon Stark in Game of Thrones) stars in it and I play the new vet brought in to put down the large animals. That was a baddie role which was nice for a change,” added Stephen.

And while we await to see the outcome

22 Northern Woman

for Rich and Harry in Lucky Man and the release of Zoo which is due out this autumn, Stephen’s plans beyond that are pretty much a secret.

“There are few meetings in England and here but I can’t talk about that. It’s all going quite well and it’s all about filling the gap if a season three of Lucky Man goes ahead.”

We have every faith that the show will be as big as hit as it was before and it’s only a matter of time before season three gets rolling.✸

Lucky Man Season 2 is on SKY One every Friday at 9pm until April 28.

31Ballynahinch Rd Carryduff BT8 8EH 028 9081 2028

38 High Street Newtownards BT23 7HZ 028 9182 7889

www.berlinclothing.co.uk

Special Feature

Precious commodity With the only milk bank in Ireland facing extreme shortages Claire Craig looks at the process of breast milk donation and speaks to two mothers on their experience of the service

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Sepcial Feature

I

t is the only facility of its kind on the island of Ireland, providing a life saving resource for vulnerable babies.

Since its opening nearly 17 years ago the Western Health and Social Care Trust’s Milk Bank in Irvinestown, Fermanagh has distributed breast milk to hundreds of sick and premature babies in neonatal units all over Ireland.

Last year alone more than 900 infants benefitted from the service which is possible only because of the selflessness of its donors – mothers who are breastfeeding their own babies aged six months and under.

The centre, the brainchild of former health worker Ann McCrea, was established to help at risk babies that would benefit from breast milk but whose own mothers couldn’t feed them. Ann, the Milk Bank’s manager believes that in many cases this donated milk can make the difference between life and death.

She said: “Breast milk is liquid medicine.

Lots of the babies who receive our help are ones who need gut or heart surgery.

The donated milk helps prepare them for surgery and to fight any infections they’re liable to get.”

In 2010, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidelines for the running of milk banks in the UK and while there are no hard-and-fast rules for babies who can, and who should, receive donor milk it advised that resources be concentrated on those who need it most.

This includes very premature babies (born at less than 32 weeks), those who have had surgery on their intestines, babies with major heart abnormalities, and infants who have a sibling who is receiving donor milk.

Medical research suggests that human breast milk contains substances that cannot be synthesised and which help babies fight viruses and bacteria. It has unique fats that can help the immature brain, eye and nervous system develop better for improved intellect and sight, but most importantly for the premature baby it helps to protect the immature gut from Necrotizing Entero Colitis (NEC), a life threatening condition where the gut ruptures.

Following an exceptionally busy few months caring for increasingly smaller babies and helping a greater number of multiple births stocks of the Western Trust’s breast milk have been drastically reduced and, despite heavy donor recruitment, the Milk Bank is facing severe shortages.

As a result it is urgently appealing to new mothers for help, particularly mothers of premature babies for which stocks are at their lowest. Donations from those with babies under three months of age are also needed.

Continued on 26 ➤

Northern Woman 25

Special Feature

Shirley with her three children

✶THE DONOR

Shirley Wadsworth, 33, Fermanagh “I only started donating after my second daughter was born. I had collected 12 ounces of pure colostrum and didn’t want it to go to waste but wasn’t sure what to do. I know Ann McCrea personally so I contacted her and asked if it would be any use and what the process was for donating.

I was unsure initially and didn’t know if I’d be able to cope with it as I already had an 18 month old toddler running about but once I started I got a buzz out of it.

I was only able to do it for 14 weeks the first time because my supply started dipping but after having my youngest son Luke in September I signed up again and this time I’ll be doing it right

All donated milk is thoroughly checked and screened and using the blood transfusion guidelines as a basis donors are checked to ensure suitability.

Describing how the donated milk is treated Ann explained: “All donated milk is tested for bacteriology, pasteurised and goes through five cooling process. Before it’s despatched it goes it into a -40 (degree celsius) freezer while we wait for the results.

“Before we release the milk we wait for

Leah and Naomi until he hits the seven month mark.

The Milk Bank require you to be on a good diet and healthy, you give them full access to your medical notes and have to do a blood sample. I take a good multi-vitamin, eat well, express as and when I can and when there’s enough there a courier collects it – it’s no effort.

Luke has Down’s Syndrome and before he was born I spent a lot of time chatting to mothers with sick babies. While he had no surgical needs it really hammered home how important breast milk can be to the recovery of those babies that need operations.

I’m a radiographer by profession so see tiny babies in the special care unit, knowing well they do with breast milk is a great reward.”

the mum’s blood and bacteriology results and a good food analysis on each sample. It then goes out in our specialist bags to the babies that need it.”

Each donor is provided with a starter kit containing six pre-sterilised bottles and information on how to collect and store the milk. There is a minimum donation of three litres of milk though donors have three months in which to meet the quota and milk can be returned to the centre via a variety of transport methods.✸ To become a donor contact the Human Milk Bank on tmb.irvinestown@westerntrsut.hscni.net or ring 028 68 628333.

26 Northern Woman

Leah Gaines, Saintfield, 36 “During my pregnancy with my fifth daughter Naomi I had severe pre-eclampsia. I spent three weeks in hospital before delivering her at 26 weeks. When she was born she was classed as a micro-preemie weighing 1lb 8 and had underdeveloped lungs and a bleed on the brain. The doctors came to me the day after she was born and warned us there was a good chance she wouldn’t make it through the night.

I had combine-fed all my girls and that had always been the intention with Naomi but when she was born so early and with so many complications I just wasn’t in a position physically or emotionally to give her what she needed. I didn’t know if she was going to survive and my milk supply was so low that it took a week before I could even begin expressing. When the hospital offered donor milk I had no hesitation in accepting.

I thought it was brilliant that there was a service there that meant my baby could be getting the best that she could until I was able to provide it myself.

Naomi spent 130 days in hospital and at the start she could only manage half a mil of milk every two hours. She’s now six months old and up to 8lbs 8 and we’re so grateful for the extra antibodies that the milk donation provided.

Before I had my children I might have found the thought of donor milk strange but really it’s no different from needing a blood donor.”

The New Season Collections Have Arrived!

Competition

COMPETITION Win a luxury spa break in The Heritage Killenard – 5-star luxury in the rolling green countryside of county Laois

R

elaxed and welcoming, The Heritage Killenard has a world-class Spa, an extensive selection of luxury accommodation, a wide range of dining options, and a fine array of indoor and outdoor activities.

Whether you choose to indulge in a restorative spa treatment in The Heritage Spa, a game of tennis on the resort’s court, a refreshing visit to the Health Club with its pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms, or just to take some fresh air following the 5-kilometre floodlit walking and jogging track. Or maybe you’re in the mood for a movie in the cinema at The Heritage or simply to sink into a cosy couch with a good book - whichever you choose, you’ll find there is plenty to do in this lush countryside setting, whatever the weather.

We are giving you the chance to win a luxurious two-night break in this five-star hotel. You and a guest will stay in a beautiful deluxe room for two nights with breakfast on each morning. Spend time with your guest enjoying dinner on one evening in The Arlington Restaurant. The Heritage Killenard has a 7,000 square foot award-winning spa, where you can while away some time being thoroughly pampered. Start with their two-hour Spa Experience, a sensory journey that maximises the benefits of all the spa facilities leaving the body feeling profoundly alive and invigorated. You will both then experience a 60 minute ESPA treatment – choose between a relaxing massage or a facial.

Simply answer the following question: n i W What county is The Heritage Killenard situated?

How to Enter: Send your answers to: competitions@northernwoman.co.uk Competition terms & conditions apply.

Entrants must be over 18.

Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 28th April.

28 Northern Woman

Style

STYLE

Northern Woman 29

Style

FASHION NEWS

Beyoncé wearing Givenchy in 2014. high-octane embellished collections, and achieved notoriety for distinctive graphic sweatshirts, trainers and sportswear-inspired garments and for building star-studded relations with the Wests, Beyoncé and Madonna. Ms Waight Keller, who will be the first woman to head the brand, comes from Chloé where her penchant for pastels and fluid shapes was her signature.

The VB for Target line is on sale now in America.

VB for Target Planning on a trip to the States anytime soon? While you’re there you can now snap up some Victoria Beckham threads at a fraction of the price in bargain retail chain Target. The VB for Target line drops in stores throughout the country this month. Inspired by Victoria’s daughter, Harper, the collection is a vibrant mix of colours, cuts and patterns for both mother and daughter. The 200 items priced from $6 to $70 include tops, trousers and playsuits for women, as well as some matching children’s items.

It’s the Spice Girl’s first venture in children’s wear.

“I wanted to offer a collection of clothes to women who either couldn’t afford designer prices or didn’t want to pay designer prices,” Beckham told the Associated Press. “Target is about being inclusive and that is something that is very important to me as a brand as well.”

Denim goes Digital Google and denim giant Levi’s have teamed up to create the first ever wearable smart separate.

From this autumn a new denim jacket will, quite literally, allow wearers to, well, wear their hearts

30 Northern Woman

on their sleeves. With the swipe of a cuff users will be able to control their smartphones without even taking it out of the pocket. Skip songs, use Google Maps and even make phonecalls while parading a timeless denim jacket are all USPs for this revolutionary piece. Priced at $350 the jacket has been in development since 2015. It marries thin metallic alloys with natural synthetic yarns to create touch-sensitive interaction fabrics they say!

Clare takes the reigns at Givenchy Clare Waight Keller will succeed Riccardo Tisci at the French couture house this May. It’s expected that Clare’s appointment could mark a dramatic shift for the brand, which has had an unmistakeable hip-hop edge under Tisci. The fiery Italian-born designer became known for his

Head turner at PFW Maison Margiela’s Paris Fashion Week show recently presented a literal head turner when models clad with fur-carpeted bags paraded down the runway. Wearing a bag on your head is now a thing. Yes, we know fashion is an art and all about expression but this is one trend we don’t think will work its way onto the high street. Then again, Crocs are still hanging about.

Image credit previous page: New Look

Style

Zara, £17.99

Accessorize, £8

Dorothy Perkins, £30

CLASH Balmain SS17

THE

From passionate magentas to pretty lilacs; pink and purple worn together will sweeten up your SS ’17 wardrobe

Primark, £2 H&M, £24.99 Topshop, £29.99

Dune, £165 Autograph Statement Sleeve Blouse, £49.50

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Jimmy Choo, £795

Style

Calvin Klein Bag, £110 at House of Fraser

Petite jumper, Topshop, £34.99

Balenciage SS17

Esssentiel Antwerp pink lace blouse, £163, Peel

Christian Louboutin, £975

MIU MIU shirt, £610, Net a Porter

H&M, £69 Fait at Debenhams, £45

Miss Selfridge, £45

Primark Zara, £15.99

New Look, £39.99 New Look, £19.99

Northern Woman 33

Style

Black Polka Dot Print Frill Dress by H! by Henry Holland available from Debenhams, £45

Dress from Gerry Weber Collection, £125

Essentiel Antwerp Dress available from Peel, £240

al Casuck chi

HEIGHT of This season fashion runways are awash with demure high necklines featuring dainty collars, feminine frills and futuristic funnel neck – anything goes…

Long Dress from Benneton, £79.95

Navy Floral Tiered Dress from TK Maxx, £24.99

Palm House Funnel Neck Dress from Jigsaw, £399

34 Northern Woman

fashion Painted Spot High Neck Wrap Dress from Oliver Bonas, £79.50

Pink Dress by Autograph, from Marks & Spencer, £65

Tie Floral Dress from George at ASDA, £14

Style Cobalt Floral Embroidered Bodycon Dress from Next, £85

Black Lace Insert Bodycon Midi Dress from River Island, £55

n Out own the to

Darcy Belted Dress from Phase Eight, £110

This season raise the fashion stakes with a seriously stylish high neckline

Double Peplum Pencil Dress (tall exclusive) from ASOS, £48

Floral Dress from Closet, £62

Rochelle Humes Spot Mesh Midi Dress from Very, was £100 now £50

High Neck Lace Bodycon Dress from Lipsy, £65

Shirt Dress from OWNTHELOOK.COM, £76

Sleeveless Flared Dress from Marc Cain, £28

Northern Woman 35

Style

Zara, £69

Pull and Bear, £14.99

ped The Storpi T

nch The Tre your

item in st savvy lassic coat o m e h T c u be, this wardro tral will see yo u n e o n s a a in every se through

- stripes y or pin sign d n a c , n al de Breto univers ressing e h t e r a d sitional for tran M&S, £25

Jil Sander, £410 Barbour, £199

Topshop, £79

H&M, £39.99

Commes des Garcons, £245

Karl Lagerfeld, Ikonik convertible gabardine trench coat, £345

Phase Eight, £139

George at Asda, £14

Primark, £25 Jaeger, £50

Seasonal 36 Northern Woman

Saint Laurent, £510

La Redoute, £49

The transitional staples and wardrobe heroes for fashion’s no-man’s-land

Style

Zara, £29.99

Nike, £105

The ean J Cropped hints at

Flat e d u N e Th nd

grazer t An ankle limes but is jus c a r r e o f m r wa ugh afe eno about s er rebound wint

a , comfy Classic r-ready summe

J by Jasper Conran at Debenhams

BIBA at House of Fraser, £75

Mango, £35.99 Isabel Marant, £210

Reebok, £64.95

River Island, £45

Monsoon, £39

Mango, £79.99 Miss Selfridge, £36

Dune, £75 J Brand, £271

Dorothy Perkins, £25

SELECTION Northern Woman 37

Footnote

Anita Leather Kitten Heel, from Phase Eight, £99

Ankle Strap Court from New Look, £17.99

Blue Suede London Cotton from Dune, £80

Kitten heels make a comeback

For comfort and style kudos there is no shoe more purrfect for your feet right now than the low-slung court, as the fifties-style kitten heel makes a comeback…

Hilda from KG Kurt Geiger, £120

Kerr Heeled Pump Grey-Suede from Ravel, £65

Kitten Trap Court Red from Marks & Spencer, £25

Maggie Blue from Dolcis, £28

Martini from Office, £65

38 Northern Woman

Sling Back Kitten Heel from JD Williams, £25

Style Denim jacket £45, River Island, Pink sleeveless denim dress £169, Marc Cain at Peel

Denim

Drift It’s all in the jeans...

Northern Woman 39

Style Embroidered bodysuit £32, Midi denim skirt £36, both Topshop, Slides £17.99, New Look

40 Northern Woman

Style Pink crop top £25, Topshop, Boyfriend jeans £42, River Island, Nude heels £46, next, Bag Essential Antwerp £95, Peel, Necklace stylist’s own

Northern Woman 41

Style Red top Giadatranner at The Rosh Collection, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Cullotte jeans Giadatranner ÂŁ275, also Rosh, Denim mules ÂŁ45, Next

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Style

Tweed jacket, Marc Cain at Peel, Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast £315, Denim Dress £45, Lost Ink at House of Fraser, Belfast, Gold heels model’s own

Northern Woman 43

Style Jumper £36, Next, Skinny embroidered jeans £32.99, New Look, Shoes model’s own

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Style Denim bell-sleeve dress £24.99, New Look, Mustard coat £375, Essential Antwerp at Peel, Shoes model’s own

Northern Woman 45

Style Myrine Antwerp dress £109.90, Evelin Brandt, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Shoes £285, Essential Antwerp at Peel, £285, Shirt £36, Topshop

Tee £104, Essential Antwerp at Peel, Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, Denim skirt with mesh overlay £36, Topshop, Bag £126, Essential Antwerp at Peel

MODEL: Niamh @ Style Academy Model Agency.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Brendan Gallagher at Catchlight Studios, Conway Street, Belfast.

Tel; 07900 638365, Web; http://brendangallagher.net/ HAIR: Gemma Managh Session Styling.

Tel; 07535 975 892.

Email; gemmamanagh@gmail.com MAKEUP: Samantha Weightman Make-Up Artist.

Tel; 07866 315 279.

Email; info@samanthaweightman.com

46 Northern Woman

Beauty

BEAUTY & SELF

Image credit: Primark

Northern Woman 47

Beauty

Estée Lauder’s new Concentrated Recovery Eye Mask joins the Advanced Night Repair family to help beat the stresses of modern life. In just ten minutes fine, dry lines are plumped as skin is drenched in moisture that lasts for hours, from £10.

The new products working their way into your routine...

Beauty Cabinet ✶Himalayan Gentian, Evening ✶Fusing the best of a BB, a CC and a tinted moisturiser in one, Bare Minerals’ Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream claims a 215% increase in skin hydration after just one week. Available in 16 shades with a dewy, sheer-to-medium coverage, £27.

✶Following the success of their initial, limited edition launch Clarins has added four new bright colours to its Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil range. With active plant ingredients the oils moisturise without stickiness and add a subtle pop of colour, £19.

✶Luxury fragrance brand by Kilian has added a

✶Jump-start skin’s renewal every morning with Clinique’s Fresh Pressed Renewing Powder Cleanser with Pure Vitamin C. Specialised stayfresh packaging isolates the pure vitamin C until activation, maintaining its freshness and full power, to deliver brighter, more radiant skin in just 7 days, £24.

✶Sunshine in a box – Benefit’s GALifornia blusher gives cheeks a golden-pink glow and comes encased in funky 1970’s inspired packaging to brighten your make-up bag as well as your face, £24.50.

48 Northern Woman

Primrose oil and powerful liposoluble compounds combine in Elemis’ ProDefinition Facial Oil to create contour and lift around the jawline, nose and brow.

Abundant with essential fatty acids skin is deeply moisturised and hydrated for longer, £65.

more intense version of a best-selling original fragrance to its line. Good Girl Gone Bad Extreme is a powerful whirlwind of jasmine, rose, orange blossoms and warm toffee. The refillable 50ml bottle comes packaged in a black and gold embossed clutch, £235.

✶Max Factor’s 2000 Calorie Curl Addict mascara, with its short curved brush and buildable formula hugs the eye line for maximum root volume and curl – no lash curlers needed. £7.99

✶Inspired by sea✶It’s the £22 face cream that has been a sell-out success since its release. Marks & Spencer’s Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream has been proven to tackle 10 signs of ageing and help cheat your way to a full night’s beauty sleep.

air Michael Kors Turquoise is a fresh floral fragrance with a modern edge. Smooth, unexpected and feminine, refreshing notes of water lily, cucumber and lime blend with jasmine and orchid, from £46.

Beauty Revolutionary new treatment for women in Northern Ireland 3fivetwo Healthcare is now offering the award winning THERMiVA treatment at the Maypole Clinic in Holywood. Fresh from the USA this innovative new treatment offers a non-surgical, non-invasive solution for the alleviation of conditions associated with childbirth and the natural aging process.

Giving birth can sometimes cause stretching and loosening in women post pregnancy. The effects of the menopause can also cause physical and functional changes such as excessive dryness, pain and urinary incontinence.

Leaks prior to using the bathroom, during exercise and reduced sexual sensation are all areas of concern to many women.

Contrary to popular belief these are not just issues that affect older women and can impact younger mothers lives as well and can cause a loss in confidence.

Beyond Skin Clinic

A Deeper Understanding of Skin Care

Are you ready to reveal your skin this summer?

For years’ women have suffered in silence but now a solution is available to what can sometimes be an embarrassing problem.

How does THERMiVA work?

The treatment works through the delivery of radio frequency heat through a small disposable wand to gently promote the production of collagen which slowly tightens and firms the vagina.

Treatment lasts around 30 minutes and only 3 sessions are recommended, meaning you can get back to your best in no time and at an affordable cost.

What are the benefits?

• No surgery • No downtime • No anaesthesia • Comfortable in-office treatment • Three 30 minute sessions, one month apart • May resume sexual relations same day/night • Noticeable improvement after 1st or 2nd session THERMiVA is now available at 3fivetwo Healthcare.

Sessions are carried out at The Maypole Clinic in Holywood and are carried by renowned Gynaecologist, Professor Jim Dornan.

Interested in finding out more? Call us on 028 9068 8872 or email one2one@3fivetwo.com for more information on our introductory pricing or to book your consultation.

L

aser Hair Removal is a quick, easy and painless way to permanently remove unwanted hair from the face and body which offers a number of benefits over alternative methods such as shaving and waxing:

THERMIva

Rediscover your younger self

Do you suffer from any of the following post childbirth symptoms?

• Mild to moderate incontinence • Urinary urgency • Vaginal laxity • Pelvic prolapse

COST EFFECTIVE

Choosing laser hair removal instead of waxing your legs can save you over £6,000 in treatment costs! And with prices starting from just £35, many people find laser to be a very cost-effective form of hair removal.

REDUCED IRRITATION

Say goodbye to stubble rash and ingrowing hairs – laser treatment is non-invasive and a great solution for people with sensitive skin who find shaving to be irritating for their skin.

SPEED

Laser Hair Removal treatments are considerably faster and cleaner than waxing treatments with clients often popping in on a lunch break or after work.

PRECISE

• Dryness • Sexual dysfunction THERMIva®, a new non-invasive treatment, now available in Northern Ireland at 3fivetwo Healthcare.

“THERMIva® offers a non-surgical solution to many common gynaecology problems that can arise after giving birth. Rediscover your younger self today” - Professor Jim Dornan MD (Hons) FRCOG FRCPI

Contact us today to find out more about the procedure and our special introductory prices T: 028 9068 8872 E: one2one@3fivetwo.com

Laser Hair Removal treatments can be targeted to almost any area on the face & body to an accuracy of 3mm. Perfect for delicate grooming and shaping around areas such as the hair line.

PERMANENT

Laser Hair Removal works by killing the blood flow to hair follicles on treated areas meaning the hair can’t grow back. Permanent hair reduction in the blink of an eye!

Beyond Skin offer laser hair removal for men & women in Belfast City Centre. To start your journey to the perfect beach body today call us on 02890 333858 and book your complimentary consultation.

W: 3fivetwo.com 3fivetwo.com

PART OF THE 3FIVETWO GROUP BECAUSE LIFE MATTERS

14 College Street, Belfast. T: 028 9033 3858 • www.beyondskinclinic.com

Northern Woman 49

Baring All

Beauty is getting a make-under this season. Softer, youthful and more romantic; forget strobing, baking and contouring, and opt for barely-there makeup

Image credit: Topshop

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BARE FACED CHIC

Baring All

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orget about au-natural though, it takes effort and smart choices to let your natural beauty shine through. Ditch the liners and heavy powders and choose lightweight formulas and feature enhancing shades for a radiant glow – no filter needed.

✶Prep and Preen

1. Skin should be clean and well prepared but not weighed down with products. This deep cleansing balm dissolves daily grime and pollutants for a glowing complexion, £40, Elemis.

2. Infused with soft focus filter technology La Mer’s Perfecting Treatment works to instantly diffuse light and create radiance, £155.

✶All About That Base

3. Matte skin doesn’t need to look dull, Clarins’ Pore Perfecting Foundation adds luminosity and gently reduces the look of dark, shadowy areas, £28.

4. Give skin a wash of colour with a warm toned highlighter. Bare Minerals’ Invisible Glow Highlighter mimics how sunlight reflects on skin for a subtle sheen, £25.

5. Get blushing with the original multi-purpose stick for eyes, lips, cheeks and body, Nars The Multiple in Orgasm, £29.

✶Once Bitten

✶The Eyes Have It

8. Use soft pinks and orange golds to define the eye without looking like you’ve tried too hard, Nude by Nature Rose Natural Illusion eyeshadow trio, £24.

9. Brows are still strong but a lot less structured this season. Slick on some gel – or gloss – and brush upwards. Benefit, Ready Set Brow, £20.

10. Models were sent down the catwalk sans mascara at Lanvin and Gucci but if you’re not brave enough to go bare-eyed choose a wax formula that won’t clump or flake. Charlotte Tilbury, Legendary Lashes, £25.

6. Prep and plump lips with a moisture-rich balm.

Liz Earle Superskin Superlip Balm, £16.

7. The new nude; packed with pigment for a longlasting look Estée Lauder’s Raw Sugar Ultra Matte lipstick is perfect for achieving that melted-in look.

Northern Woman 51

Summer Hair

✶80s Revival Corkscrew curls, full blown power hair and even crimped locks all made an appearance on the Spring Summer catwalks.

High maintenance hair requires time but don’t worry about it getting it too perfect, this looks best a little undone. Volume and texture are everything with this look – the bigger the better.

Surf Spray, Bumble and Bumble, £22 Cien Heat Protecting Spray, Lidl, £1.79 BaByliss Tight Curls Wand, £25

Mane Attraction

✶Bardot Bangs This feature framing style works on most face shapes and can be tailored to suit. Prepare hair with a volumising shampoo, blow dry with fingers or a barrel brush, spritz in some texture and then pull your fringe into place with tongs or straighteners.

Herbal Essences Daily Detox Volume Shampoo, £3.99

GHD hair styler, £99

Batiste Dry Shampoo, £4.99

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Summer Hair

✶Plait’s Nice From chunky side braids, to skinny centre-parting plaits and intricate, multistrand updos, the braid is this season’s most versatile look. Prep locks with a lightweight hairspray (most styles work best on day-old hair) then get creative.

Body Crafter, Wella, £10.50 Moroccanoil hairspray, £17.25

Hair elastics, Claire’s Accessories, £3

From pretty plaits, to throwing shade and putting a modern twist on classic and retro looks, hair is fun and full of personality this season. We look at a few key trends and how to achieve them ✶Side-Lined Regardless of hair length partings are side-stepping the centre stage for a sharp, sleek look. Pick a side, part hair at the outer edge of your brow, blow dry straight and smooth any flyaways with pomade.

Paddle brush, Denman, £8.49

Hair dryer, Dyson, £299.99

Shine Pomade, Wella, £12.95

Northern Woman 53

Mind Yourself

Minding

GAP the

An area of health many of us tend to neglect is the wellbeing of our thinking patterns.

Audrey Watson talks to mindfulness expert Bridgeen Rea about honing the skill to put your mind at ease 54 Northern Woman

W

ith our lives becoming increasingly frantic, more and more women are developing an interest in mindfulness – a form of Buddhism that focuses on meditation and ‘being in the now’.

Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing.

Mindfulness expert Bridgeen Rea is one of the top local lifestyle gurus involved in creating Centra’s ‘Restart 10-Week Challenge’, part of the convenience retailer’s year-long ‘Live Well’ initiative.

The former communications consultant

is passionate about the practice having experienced its benefits first-hand after a serious road accident when she was 21.

“My injuries from the road accident were so serious I had to learn to walk all over again,” says Bridgeen (41).

“I started going to yoga as a way to exercise my body, as even walking hurt.

“I sustained that interest and at 29, took a year out to travel the world where I did a lot of yoga retreats, staying on ashrams and even doing a 10-day silent Vipassana retreat.

“By the end of the year, I was hooked and in 2005, headed to Plum Village in France, the home of Vietnamese Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh.

“I read his book The Miracle of Mindfulness and knew that this was what I

Mind Yourself

Bridgeen Rea

NW’s Tips for Everyday Mindfulness ✶ Start as you mean to go on:

Starting the day with 10 -15 minutes of calmness and reflection (before you get out of bed, or sitting at the kitchen table before everyone gets up) helps set the tone of your nervous system for the whole day.

✶ Go for regular walks: Simply going for a walk can be excellent way to calm the mind. And walking through green spaces may actually put the brain into a meditative state, according to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

✶ Be creative: If you want to become more mindful but are struggling with silent meditation practice, try engaging in your favourite creative activity, whether it’s baking, doodling, or singing in the shower, and see how your thoughts quiet down.

✶ Don’t multi-task: Well not quite … Studies have found that when people divide their attention, it takes them 50% longer to accomplish a task and they are 50%

had been looking for.”

As well as having a Masters’ degree in Mindfulness Based Approaches (the only person in Northern Ireland to hold this qualification), Bridgeen, is also a qualified yoga teacher, reflexologist and Reiki master.

“Mindfulness changed my life and definitely benefitted my communications career,” she says.

“It helped me make wise choices and not get too stressed. It also enabled me to stay fit and well and take care of myself.

“And when we incorporate the kind and non-judgemental aspect of mindfulness into our being it benefits our relationship with ourselves and others as well,” she adds.

“Mindfulness directs attention to what is happening in the present moment in contrast to our more habitual states of

mind where we are often preoccupied with memories, fantasies, worries, and planning.

“Although we are often unaware of the current of our thinking, it has a profound effect on how we live our lives, as well on our mental and emotional health.”

In 2014, Bridgeen left her job in the civil service to concentrate on her mindfulness and meditation practice, Immeasurable Minds.

“Running my own business full time was never something I imagined myself doing, she says. “But the feedback and encouragement of my students pushed me on.”

Bridgeen advises that the best way to get started is to join a class and learn in a group setting from an experienced teacher.

“A 10-week plan such as the one

more likely to make errors. The mindful way is to focus on one task completely for a given period of time, and then take a break before continuing or moving on to another task.

✶ Stop checking your phone: Mindful people have a healthy relationship with their mobile devices – they set (and keep) specific parameters for usage. This might mean making a point never to start or end the day checking social media, or choosing to unplug on holiday and at weekends. Too much time spent on social media stops us truly connecting with others. Put down your phone, or look up from your laptop and maintain eye contact with whomever you are interacting with. In doing so, you will develop and maintain a stronger relationship.

✶ Pay attention to what you eat and drink: We’re not talking deprivation diets here, mindful eating is all about taking your time, paying attention to the tastes and sensations of food and focusing fully on the acts of preparation and eating. By doing this, you will naturally veer towards foods that are nutritious and find it easier to stop eating when you feel full.

Remember – mindfulness is not a quick fix, it’s not a life hack or a tool or technique. It’s a way of being and when we practice it, it helps with all of these situations.

I’ve written for Centra is a really easy introduction as it takes people on a journey to the point where they can do some sitting meditation,” she says.

“Each week people are invited to notice an aspect of their experience. This is like ‘turning on’ the muscle of mindfulness and getting used to noticing an experience in a fresh way.”

To get you started, Bridgeen has this mindfulness advice to help NW readers cope with five everyday situations. ✸

✶To find out about Centra’s Restart

10-Week Challenge, go to www.centra.co.uk For more information on Bridgeen and the courses she offers, go to: www.immeasurableminds.co.uk

Northern Woman 55

Tried & Tested

Bobbi Brown, Art Stick Liquid Lip, Uber Red

Bobbi Brown, Lip Color, Pink 6 Bobby Brown Extra Lip Tint, Bare Pink

Puregloss Lip Gloss, Jane Iredale in Nectar

✶Puregloss Lip Gloss from Jane Iredale in Nectar, £19.95

Colour/pigment: As decscribed - a ‘shimmering honey rose’ I loved how the gloss shimmered on my lips under the light. It felt creamy once applied.

It’s said to be ‘remarkably’ long lasting – I would describe it as ‘average to long lasting’ because it needed to be touched up after an hour and half or so of wear.

Finish: Glossy.

Duration: One and half hours.

General views: I like the subtle berry taste, the slight shimmer and I would be happy to buy the product again. The fact that Jane Iredale products are certified cruelty-free also increases the product appeal. CD

✶Bobbi Brown, Lip Color, Pink 6, £23 Colour/pigment: It was true to description - great pigment. This is a rich colour, not as pink going on as what it looks on first impressions. It glides on easily and lasts a decent length of time. It’s not drying and feels good .

Finish: Silky.

Duration: Average.

General views: I am a red head and a few friends made comment that I did suit this colour. I have worn it a few times and also wear with a gloss over this to add some shine. It’s a gorgeous lipstick and would buy this shade again. SAG

✶Bobby Brown Extra Lip Tint, Bare Pink, £25

Colour/pigment: Very much as described.

Finish: A natural sheen that enhances the natural lip colour. For me it had just the right amount of sheen.

Duration: Approximately one hour.

General views: Lovely product, which makes lips feel luxurious without the gloop of gloss. I think I would perhaps try a shade darker next time as I am fairly pale lipped as it is. I’m afraid I wouldn’t pay £25 for it, but certainly wouldn’t turn it down as a present! SB

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bareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lip Colour, Smooch

Lip Service We try out the latest tints, glosses, stains and matt finishes giving pouts purpose…

✶bareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lip Colour, Smooch, £17

Colour/pigment: Nude with a lilac edge and stunning on. Can be made deeper by applying over a darker hue.

Finish: Matte.

Duration: This lasts for hours – all night if you’re out and most of the day when working.

General views: By far my favour lip product right now. I’ve played with this over berries and reds and always get positive comments. ED

bareMinerals Gen Nude Buttercream Lipgloss, Must Have

✶Bobbi Brown, Art Stick Liquid Lip, Uber Red, £21.50

Colour/pigment: True to description, the colour was vivid and intense.

Duration: It literally stayed on all day. No amount of tea, coffee or water drinking made this budge.

Staying power is this product’s unique selling point.

General views: I was complimented on how great this colour was for me as I am pale and it made my lips pop with colour! CD

✶bareMinerals Gen Nude Buttercream Lipgloss, Must Have, £17

Colour/pigment: Gingery in complexion but not on the lips this is actually a versatile wearable pink tint.

Finish: Glossy.

Duration: Not as hearty as its sister matte product, it requires frequent application.

General views: This is for the more timid makeup wearer. The colour, the finish and the duration would suit someone who wants to avoid impactful tones. ED

Living

LIVING

Image credit: French Connection at DFS

Northern Woman 57

Interior Trends

£195, DFS

£199, Argos £39, Furniture Village,

Into the

From pastel to dusk and deep sea navy, blue is making waves this season…

blue… £1482, albionbathco.com

£85, Butterfly by Mathew Williamson at Debenhams

£149, TK Maxx

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£10, Sainsburys Home

Interior Trends

£16, Next

£1899, Dickins & Jones at House of Fraser

£34.46, Homebase

£235, theinteriorsboutique. co.uk

£349, Wedgewood

£35, Sainsburys

£29, Furniture Village

£4, M&S

£4, George Home @ Asda

£4069, Cuckooland. co.uk

£185, shimu.co.uk

Northern Woman 59

Home Truths

BY CLAIRE CRAIG

Carolyn Stewart, one of Northern Ireland’s best-known radio personalities, invites Northern Woman into her Co. Down home

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Home in Focus

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he’s been a familiar voice on the airwaves for nearly three decades.

Known for her engaging manner and ability to interact with her listeners on her daily U105 show it is perhaps little wonder to discover Carolyn Stewart’s home is as warm and welcoming as the woman herself.

Tucked away in an elevated corner site in Bangor Co. Down this has been Carolyn’s home since 2006. It was the fantastic views from the area that first attracted Carolyn to the property, though the original structure

62 Northern Woman

failed to make the most of them.

“The best view was out of one tiny window on the landing,” she explains.

“Every time I walked past I’d stop and look out and think ‘if only it was bigger.”

Adding an extension out and up from the existing kitchen allowed Carolyn to create an open plan living, dining and kitchen area that backs on to the decked patio. It also transformed the upstairs space, allowing for the creation of an elevated sitting room with a large feature window – perfect for taking in the vistas.

Sharing the home with her two black labradors, Jackson and Ella, Carolyn’s

Sharing the home with her two black labradors, Jackson and Ella, Carolyn’s interior style is as eclectic as her music taste

Home in Focus

interior style is as eclectic as her music taste. In the downstairs open plan area contemporary ghost chairs, a glass dining table and high gloss cabinetry blend with red velvet and leather sofas, black and white prints and pot plants for an unpredictably inviting look.

“I’d say my taste is pretty minimalist,” she muses. “I don’t like clutter or mess. I’m also a bit of a bargain hunter and love picking up unusual items and pictures when I’m travelling.”

A print from Rio was a gift from her sister and hangs framed in the living area, as do discs from Alicia Keys, Usher

and Avril Lavigne – thanks from the record companies for Carolyn’s support in promoting their artist’s new music.

Doing six radio shows a week, plus regular gigs means that away from the decks Carolyn is happy to spend time

relaxing at home. An ideal night out is actually a night in with good friends, home cooked food and a few cocktails – mixed by Carolyn herself.

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Northern Woman 63

Home in Focus

I don’t like clutter or mess. I’m also a bit of a bargain hunter and love picking up unusual items and pictures when I’m travelling “I love cooking,” she says. “It’s a real passion of mine. I’ll regularly have friends round for dinner and even sometimes I’ll have people over and someone else will bring all the ingredients and just crack on in the kitchen.

“When that happens I get busy making cocktails. I love experimenting and making something a little different from the norm.

I have a friend who has a bar in Belfast and she was so impressed with one of my recent concoctions that she’s going to put it on the menu and name it after me – so look out for a Carolyn Stewart coming to a bar near you soon!” she laughs.

This desire to create and experiment has recently manifested itself into a line of

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Home in Focus

Jamaican food products, something that Carolyn is particularly proud of.

“I went to Jamaica on holiday a lot of years back and adored the food. When I came back to Northern Ireland I started trying to recreate some of the dishes but it was never the same.

“I tried for years to get it right but it never had that authentic Jamaican flavour.

About two years ago I returned and spent my time researching, visiting different pattie-shacks and talking to the locals about what they used. I brought this knowledge back and found that this time around my recipes were much more successful.

“I then began giving friends samples to try and with their encouragement I decided

to bite the bullet and launch my own range.”

The result is ‘Carolyn Stewart’s Tastes of the Caribbean’ which will hopefully be available to purchase later this year.

If they’re not watching a film in the dedicated cinema room – complete with large screen and theatre seating – then the upstairs living room is where guests tend to gravitate to after dinner to listen to music and put the world to rights. Rows of vinyl, music artist autobiographies, and a record player mean that in a game of Though the Keyhole Carolyn’s profession would be guessed pretty easily.

An old fashioned telephone and Stax Records’ memorabilia are souvenirs from a recent visit to Nashville and take pride of

place in the upstairs landing alongside a vintage record player that’s still in working order.

“I like things that have a story,” comments Carolyn. “I visited the States last year on my own and found the whole experience extremely liberating. I drove down to Nashville and it just blew my mind, The history, the culture and the music is just everywhere, it’s impossible not to immerse yourself in it.”

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Northern Woman 65

Home in Focus

Framed by patios and garden areas the home’s exterior has just as much personality as the inside. Palm trees, potted plants, a pond and multiple seating areas make up this resort style landscape – all of which is Carolyn’s own handiwork.

“I grew up in a flat in North Belfast so when I first had a garden it was a real novelty. It was something I taught myself although I now regularly have gardening experts on the show so I’m always picking their brains!

“I could easily spend the whole day working in the garden, I find it so

I grew up in a flat in North Belfast so when I first had a garden it was a real novelty.

It was something I taught myself although I now regularly have gardening experts on the show so I’m always picking their brains!

66 Northern Woman

satisfying.”

While gardening and cooking may be passions, music is still Carolyn’s first love.

Cutting her craft in bars before landing a presenting gig at Cool FM on its first day of broadcasting in 1989 then moving to U105 some 15 years later, career highs include interviewing a young Amy Winehouse and warming up for Justin Timberlake in the Odyssey.

Carolyn’s easy-going manner and knack for picking hit records has won her a legion

of loyal listeners over the years and it is their reactions that continue to motivate and reward her.

“I get such a buzz from DJ-ing. I still love going out and playing gigs as much as I did when I was 25. It’s the people that make it worthwhile though – same as on my shows.

The interaction I get from listeners is brilliant, they’re like a little family. I feel like I know them and vice-versa.

“I love the way music gives you an ability to connect with people and their lives.”✸

Breathe new life into

Living

Spring

It’s that time of year when all we want is to change everything in our homes; the sun starts to stream in the windows and suddenly we notice the cushions need updating on the sofa. The lighter evenings call for heavier blinds, and our beds all need new textiles. Let’s not even get started on our storage needs…

Luckily, we have Adele Hughes and Norman Carlisle from the Interior Design team in IKEA Belfast, to talk us through some trends we can easily adopt for our homes in the coming months, and they also take us through their favourite products from collections that have been released for spring at IKEA. So, let the sun shine in, air out your furnishings and settle down to breathe some new life in to your spring palette.

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Northern Woman 67

Living

Norman Says:

✶Colour Pop “Spring is the time to bring colour into our homes and we have that in abundance in store!

With natural fibres and textiles that hark to Indonesia, the JASSA limited edition collection is a vibrant mix of pinks and yellows along with cool blues and greens. Pull these bright IKEA colours along natural PS 2017 materials like bamboo candlestick, and you create a real £10 raw handicraft feel. You need to kick back and have fun with this range and bend the rules a little, everything doesn’t have to co-ordinate.”

Available while stocks last.

JASSA Collection

✶Green with Trendy

JASSA Cushion Cover, £4

“One trend we see coming through for spring/summer, is the use of plants to bring some spring air inside our homes. The green trend is really taking off and it doesn’t require too much effort to completely change the look of a room with some plants. It is, however, a chance to be creative, so take a storage unit and gather as much greenery in one area as possible, it can really make a statement!”

JASSA Collection

INGEFÄRA plant pot with saucer, £3

CACTACEAE potted plant, £4

✶Scandi Living “Every other year, we welcome the STOCKHOLM collection back in store at IKEA. This range demonstrates Scandinavian modernity of the highest quality in form, function and materials at an affordable price. The 2017 collection has featured more light wood in it, with rattan and ash replacing walnut, with dark Nordic blues and orange tones. It’s beautiful.”

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IKEA STOCKHOLM 2017

Living SALTHOLMEN extendable and foldable outdoor table, £75

“What I love most about the brighter days, is the chance to get together with friends and family to enjoy some picnics, barbeques and drinks al fresco.

It doesn’t even matter if all you have is a small balcony – that too can become a social centre!

A simple table, a few stools that can be stored away when not being used, and plant shelving that can double up as a bar to hold some glasses and you’ve got yourself the perfect summer spot!”

Adele: Says

✶The Wonderful Everynight

✶Small Space Socialising

SOMMAR quilt cover and pillowcases, £7

“One of the rooms in the house we tend to focus on most when spring/summer comes around is the bedroom. With warmer nights, we should change out heavier duvets for lighter ones, and if there are children in the house, a black-out blind will ensure less bedtime disruption with the lighter evenings!”

✶Make More Than Just Food

SOMMAR 2017

“The brighter weather means more time spent outdoors. The focus right now is to tidy up our gardens to make sure they’re guest-ready for summer entertainment!

After the garden is pruned, look to IKEA’s colourful SOMMAR 2017 collection which provides throws, cushions, dinner wear, napkins, hammocks and beach chairs perfect for either garden picnics or beach barbeques. Getting everyone to bring something to contribute, means you’re making memories as well as munchies!”

SOMMAR 2017 IKEA Belfast

SOMMAR 2017 tray, £2.50

SOMMAR 2017 napkins, 90p

All products are available at IKEA Belfast, and can be viewed online at www.ikea.co.uk Northern Woman 69

Recipes

Betty Crocker’s sweet treats

Now Betty has a gorgeous range of products, along with an exciting website and fabulous online TV channel. With over 90 years of incredible history behind her, you can trust Betty to help you bake a perfect cake every time.

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lobally,Betty Crocker has almost 1,000,000 followers on Facebook and 30,000 on Twitter.

Fans can use these pages to ask for help and advice with their cooking and baking dilemmas and to display their own creations.

✸Chocolate Hedgehog Cake Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted ovens) / Gas Mark 4. Grease the tins or line with greaseproof paper.

2. Mix the eggs, oil, water and Devil’s Food Cake Mix gently together and whisk (by hand or electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour the cake mix evenly into your two greased cake tins.

4. Bake in the centre of the oven for 23- 28 minutes or until a rounded knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in the tin then cool on a

cooling rack.

5. Ice a thin, even layer of icing over the top of one cake and gently press the other cake on top. Cut off a section from each side and a point at the bottom of the cake.

6. Cut the point of the cake at an angle to create a nose.

7. Ice a thin layer of icing over the top of the cake and stack the offcuts on top.

Apply more icing to the whole cake (you may want to water down the icing slightly to make this easier) then place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once set apply another layer of icing all over the cake for a smooth, crumb free finish.

8. Decorate the giant buttons in half and place in row towards the back of the cake.

9. Attach the normal sized buttons around the front of the cake, leaving room for a face.

10. Create the eyes by sticking white chocolate buttons at the front and add some icing to the chocolate drops to stick them onto the buttons. Finish off with a milk chocolate ball for the nose.

11. Add a few drops of green food colouring to half a tub of vanilla icing and mix well. Spread over the cake board to create the grass.

12. Finish with some flower decorations and leaves for a beautiful final touch!

between 23-28 minutes or until a rounded knife inserted fully into the centre of the cake comes out clean, then cool on your cooling rack.

5. Ice one cake with of the Betty Crocker™ Cream Cheese Style Icing then sandwich together with the other cake. Cover with the remaining icing and smooth out with the palette knife.

6. Decorate by whizzing the freeze dried raspberries in a small food processor, until fine.

Gently sprinkle half of the dust onto the top of the cake creating a circle, 3cm thick around the outside.

With the remaining dust, gently press into the base of the cake, coming almost 2cm up from the bottom.

1 box Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix 120ml vegetable oil (6 tbsp) 3 medium free range eggs 230ml water

Topping 2 tubs Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Icing Normal and giant chocolate buttons white chocolate buttons Milk chocolate drops Milk chocolate ball (optional for grass: ½ tub Betty Crocker™ Vanilla Icing and greed food colouring)

Utensils 2 x 8” well greased cake tins Electric mixer Palette knife

✸Red Velvet Cake Cake 1 box Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Mix 3 medium free range eggs 105ml vegetable oil 200ml water

Topping and Filling 1 tub Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Style Icing 6g freeze dried raspberries (bought from supermarket)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted ovens) / Gas Mark 4.

2. Mix the eggs, oil, water and Red Velvet Cake Mix gently together and whisk (by hand or electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour the mixture evenly into your two greased cake tins.

4. Bake in the centre of the oven for

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Recipes

✸Raspberry & White Chocolate Fudge Brownies 1 box Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix 40ml vegetable oil 75ml water 1 medium free range egg 200g raspberries 100g white chocolate drops

✸Vanilla Icing Cake with Assorted Retro Sweets

Utensils 20x30cm greased and lined tin Large bowl Spatula 1. Preheat the oven to 180C, 160C fan, gas 4.

2. Mix the egg, water, oil and brownie mix together until well blended (mixture may be lumpy). Fold through half of the white chocolate chips.

3. Spread the mixture evenly into the lightlygreased rectangular tin. Scatter over the raspberries and remaining white chocolate chips, gently nudging the raspberries into the mixture.

4. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 25 minutes or until a rounded knife, inserted 5cm (2”) from the edge of the tin comes out almost clean. Allow to cool before cutting into slices.

TIP: Y ou any s can use weet s choc olate or s you prefe r.

1 box Betty Crocker™ Velvety Vanilla Cake Mix 90ml vegetable oil 180ml water 3 medium free range eggs 1.5 tubs Betty Crocker Vanilla Icing Selection of sweets (we used liquorice allsorts, dolly mixtures, flying saucers, rainbow chocolates, liquorice wheels, milk bottles, cola bottles)

✸Brookies

Utensils For the Cookies 1 box Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix 65ml vegetable oil 25ml water 1 medium free range egg

For the Brownies 1 box Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp water 1 medium free range egg Utensils 2 medium mixing bowls 2 wooden spoons 2 large baking trays, lined with greaseproof paper Wire rack 1. Preheat the oven to 190˚C (170˚C fan assisted ovens)/ Gas Mark 5.

2. Mix in one mixing bowl the cookie mix, water, oil, and egg, until you have a stiff dough. In the second mixing bowl, stir

together the brownie mixture with the oil, water and egg until you have a stiff dough – it should be a similar consistency to the cookie dough.

3. Take a walnut-sized piece of each dough (about 20g weight) and shape each into a ball. Mould the two balls of dough together with your hands and flatten slightly. Take care not to mix the two doughs too much or you will you lose the double-cookie effect. Place on a lined baking sheet.

4. Repeat with the remaining dough mixtures to make about 24 large cookies.

You may have a little chocolate chip cookie mix left over - just shape into 2-3 plain cookies.

5. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the brookies are set and pale golden.

Leave on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to the wire rack and leave to cook completely. Then Enjoy!

Large bowl 2 x 20cm greased and lined round cake tins Hand or electric whisk Spatula 1. Preheat the oven to 180C, 160C fan, gas 4.

2. Mix the eggs, oil, water and cake mix gently together and whisk (by hand or electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.

3. Divide the mixture evenly between the greased and lined cake tins.

4. Bake in the centre of the oven for 22-25 minutes or until a rounded knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, then cool on a wire rack.

5. Spread half a pot of the vanilla icing onto the top of one of the cakes. Place the other cake on top and sandwich together. Spread the remaining icing over the top and down the sides, fully covering the cake. Smooth round the sides and tops.

6. Stick the sweets onto the top of the cake.

Cut into slices and serve with a selection of the sweets!

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Wedding

Miss Catherine McAlinden and Mr Ryan Lawless Mr and Mrs Lawless

C

atherine, 28, an Accountant at Terex GBS, and Ryan, 30, a Process Operator at Almac, first met on a night out in their home town Lurgan in 2011 and it was love at first sight.

On Christmas Eve, 2015, Ryan proposed with a sign around their daughter Catlin Eve’s neck saying, ”Mummy, will you marry Daddy?”

It was an early start on the big day, 11th February 2017, with alarms ringing at 6.30am. First off it was hair and makeup, of course accompanied with bubbly!

Catherine’s dad, Brian, and brother, Thomas, headed off for breakfast and arrived home only 15 minutes before the service was due to begin. After a mad dash the wedding party arrived St Marys in Derrytrashna a little later than planned.

The wedding ceremony went smoothly and Catlin Eve helped settle the nerves by racing up the aisle before the bride.

Catherine had two bridesmaids, her sister, Grainne Carville and cousin, Alison McCavish. The Bestman was Ryan’s friend John Toman and the Groomsman was Damien Murtagh.

After the service the bridal party and 160 guests headed to The Canal Court Hotel, Newry to continue the celebrations.

They were welcomed with a champagne reception and entertainment by Parcel of Rogues. Before dinner guests were treated to canapes and Baby Guinness shots.

The speeches took place before everyone tucked into a fabulous meal. After dinner, the newly married couple played a game of ‘Mr and Mrs’. Thankfully it went down well even when Ryan got every question wrong!

The first dance was ‘The One’ by Kodaline and from that moment the dance floor was never empty. The party was in full flow and guests enjoyed the selfie mirror provided by Barry Carville.

After the band a DJ arrived who ensured everyone kept dancing and even included a few games.

On Valentine’s Day, Catherine and Ryan jetted off to Las Vegas to celebrate as husband and wife.

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Wedding

Bridal Gown: Creative Ideas Armagh Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Creative Ideas Armagh Flowergirl’s Dress: Debenhams Groom and Groomsman’s Suits: Groom Hire Banbridge Rings: Warren James Flowers: Mairead Breen Hair: Powercuts Makeup: Carla Bailie Photography: John Lambe Videography: Paul Heaney Cake: Expressions

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Wedding

Miss Sarah Norwood and Mr Mark Campbell Mr and Mrs Campbell

S

arah, 26, a Sales and Marketing Manager from Comber, and Mark, 29, Director of Ultralift Ltd from Lower Ballinderry, met five years ago through their work at Clearlift Ltd. It was thanks to some Dutch courage at the Christmas party that Mark asked Sarah on their first date, a romantic meal for two at Blue Chicago, Lisburn.

For Christmas 2015 Sarah and Mark treated themselves and visited New York.

It was here in Central Park where Mark dropped to one knee and popped the question.

14 months later Sarah and Mark said ‘I do’ in front of 95 of their closest friends and family. The ceremony and reception were both held at Ballymagarvey Village, County Meath. The couple opted for a humanist ceremony which was conducted by Emma Sides. The ceremony focused on a positive, ethical philosophy of life based on concern for humanity in general and for individuals in particular.

On the morning of the wedding Mark surprised Sarah with a VW Camper Bus to take her and her bridesmaids to the venue.

The only thing to go wrong was thanks to the Irish February weather. As Sarah and Mark posed on the jetty for photographs Sarah’s veil blew off in the wind and landed in the rushes beside the lake. Thankfully Mark and the photographer were able to save the day by retrieving the veil which was still in pristine condition!

Mr and Mrs Balloons, Belfast supplied LOVE balloons which decorated the venue.

The seating plan was created by wedding planners at Ballymagarvey Village with a chest of drawers and individual photo frames.

The bridesmaids were Sarah’s best friends Ashley Cash, Kyra Green and Sarah Irvine. Best Man Nick Kennedy helped Mark battle his nerves and thankfully avoided a the Best Man curse by not losing the rings!

Sarah and Mark are living together in Moria and are building a house at Mark’s parent’s farm in Lower Ballinderry. They are planning on travelling to Dubai and Mauritius for their honeymoon in May.

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Wedding

Bridal Gown: Peony Bridal, Hillsborough Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Chantilly Lace Flowergirl’s Dress: Monsoon Groom and Groomsmens’ Suits: Hire Class, Belfast Rings: Murray and Co, Belfast Flowers: Arbour Blooms Hair and Makeup: Emma Dugan and Emma Scott Photography: Jonathan Ryder Cake: Cakes by Berina

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Review

Pictures

Audrey Watson reveals the latest literary and movie treats

A Quiet Passion (Cert 12A) At the QFT from April 7

✶

Filme of th th Mon

Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon is outstanding in this mesmerising portrayal of 19th century American poet, Emily Dickinson, during her spirited youth and later years as a reclusive and lonely writer.

Born into privilege in 1803, Dickinson spent most of her life on her parents’ estate in Massachusetts.

In her youth, the introverted Emily was a fiercely intelligent young woman, with very strong opinions on life and art – and, more particularly, on the place of women in a patriarchal society.

As the years passed, she became more and more reclusive and gradually

Rules Don’t Apply (Cert 12A) In cinemas from April 21

✶

Aspiring actress and devout Baptist Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins) arrives in Los Angeles after securing a contract with eccentric billionaire and film mogul, Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty).

At the airport, she meets her driver and fellow Hughes employee, Frank Forbes (Alden Ehrenreich) – only two weeks into his job and also from a religiously conservative background.

Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but

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withdrew completely from society.

In her cloistered existence Emily was consumed by poetry, but the lack of recognition (fewer than a dozen of her nearly 1800 poems were published in her lifetime), death and her continuing frustration about gender inequality, all played their part in the steady crushing of her spirit and her increasing loneliness.

Directed by Terence Davies, the film is beautifully shot and celebrates Dickinson’s immense talent while also sympathetically portraying her loneliness, rage and fragility.

A well-deserved and sure-fire contender for the next film awards season.

also defies Hughes’ number one rule: no employee is allowed to have an intimate relationship with a contract actress.

Hughes’ behaviour intersects with Marla and Frank in very separate and unexpected ways, and as they are drawn deeper into his bizarre world, their values are challenged and their lives are changed.

Written, co-produced, directed by and starring Warren Beatty alongside his wife, Annette Benning (who plays Lucy’s mum) Rules Don’t Apply shines an entertaining spotlight on the weirdness of 1950s Hollywood.

Their Finest (Cert 12A) At the QFT and selected cinemas from April 21

✶

With London emptied of men now fighting at the World War II Front, Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) lands herself a job writing copy for propaganda films that need ‘a woman’s touch’.

Her natural flair quickly gets her noticed by dashing movie producer Buckley (Sam

Claflin) whose path would never have crossed hers in peacetime.

With the country’s morale at stake, Catrin, Buckley, and a colourful crew, work furiously to make a film that will warm the hearts of the nation.

As bombs are dropping all around them, Catrin discovers there is as much drama, comedy and passion behind the camera as there is onscreen.

A strong ensemble cast (which also includes Bill Nighy, Richard E Grant and Jeremy Irons) shine in this feel-good period drama, which was adapted from the 2009 novel by Lissa Evans.

The story is told with a light touch, but also an acute sense of the mood of domestic Britain in the dark days or wartime.

Table 19

(Cert 12A) In cinemas from April 7

✶

Ex-maid of honour Eloise (Anna Kendrick) having been relieved of her duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text, decides to hold her head high and attend her oldest friend’s wedding anyway.

Along with five ‘randoms’, she finds herself seated at the dreaded table 19 – the table tucked away in the back corner of the wedding venue and reserved for singles and people you didn’t really want to invite, but felt obliged to.

Her fellow Table 19 rejects include a bickering couple (Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson), an old nanny (June Squibb), a disgraced, socially backward ex-convict cousin (Stephen Merchant) and a horny, hopelessly nerdy teen (Tony Revolori).

However, as everyone’s secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of Table 19.

Friendships – and even a little romance – can happen under the most unlikely circumstances.

While it won’t win any Best Movie awards or gongs for any of the cast, Table 19 is a light, harmless piece of fluff and escapism perfectly timed for the start of spring.

Review

Let the Dead Speak

By Jane Casey (HarperCollins)

✶

When 18-year-old Chloe Emery returns to her West London home, she finds her mother Kate missing and the house covered in blood.

Everything points to murder, except for one thing – there’s no sign of a body.

Detective Maeve Kerrigan and her counterpart DI Josh Derwent turn their attention to the neighbours.

The ultra-religious Norrises are acting suspiciously and their teenage daughter and Chloe Emery definitely have something to hide.

Then there’s William Turner, once accused of stabbing a schoolmate and the neighbourhood’s favourite criminal.

As a body fails to materialise, Maeve must piece together a patchwork of testimonies and accusations.

Who is lying and who is not? And soon she starts to realise that not only will the answer lead to Kate Emery, but more lives may also be at risk.

Irish detective Maeve Kerrigan has quickly become one of the most popular characters in crime fiction.

Let the Dead Speak is number seven in the series and Dublin-born author, Casey, shows no sign of slowing down either the pace or the intrigue.

Chilling and disturbing, this suburban nightmare, set in a street just like yours, will have you hooked from page one until the last, unexpected twist.

Booke of th th Mon

Secrets of a Happy Marriage

By Cathy Kelly (Orion)

✶

Any family knows that a special birthday party is the perfect chance to come together, but for the Brannigan clan it’s about more than just raising a glass.

Bess is hoping to show everyone just how happy her recent marriage is, but behind all the party-planning the cracks are beginning to show.

Jojo, Bess’s stepdaughter, has a point to make. Bess is not her mother, and she won’t replace the one she’s been missing every day for the last two years.

Cousin Cari is a fierce career-woman who isn’t unnerved by anything – apart from facing the man who left her at the altar, and

he’s on the guest list.

Thanks to laughter, tears and one surprise appearance, the Brannigans might just discover the secrets of a happy marriage … But will they find out before it’s too late?

Bestselling author Kelly returns with a heart-warming and sparkling tale of family, friends, and marriages in trouble, told with her trademark wit, warmth and wisdom.

The Other Mrs Walker

By Mary Paulson-Ellis (Pan)

✶

In a freezing, desolate Edinburgh flat, an old woman takes her last breath surrounded by the few objects she has accrued over a lifetime: an emerald dress, a brazil nut

engraved with the Ten Commandments – and six orange pips sucked dry.

Meanwhile, Margaret Penny arrives back at her old family home, escaping a life in London that recently turned sour.

Faced with relying on a resentful mother she has never really known, Margaret soon finds herself employed by the Office for Lost People, tasked with finding the families of the dead.

Her instructions are to uncover paperwork, yet the only thing Mrs Walker left behind is a series of peculiar objects.

But in the end it is these objects that will unravel her real story: a story rooted in London grime and moving from the 1930s to the present day; a story of children abandoned, of misplaced mothers, family dysfunction and deep betrayal.

Part mystery, part family drama, fans of Kate Atkinson and Sarah Waters will love this clever and unusual debut from Paulson-Ellis.

The Witchfinder’s Sister

By Beth Underdown (Viking)

✶

It’s the year 1645. When pregnant Alice Hopkins’ husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives.

But home is no longer a place of safety.

Matthew has changed, and there are rumours spreading through the town: whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in which he is gathering women’s names.

To what lengths will Matthew’s obsession drive him? And what choice will Alice make, when she finds herself at the very heart of his plan?

The book is based on the true life story of Matthew Hopkins, often referred to as The Witchfinder General, who hunted and then helped to convict more than 100 women of witchcraft in the 1640s.

This gripping and evocative thriller is a clever, pacey page-turner that blends truth and fiction and has obvious parallels to more modern forms of witch-hunts and misogyny.✸

& Words

Northern Woman 79

Diary Dates

Dates for the Diary

April

The low down on the big days (and nights) this month

Rock ‘n’ Roll

Early Birds

April 8 The King is alive, at least for tonight when Elvis Does the Jailhouse Rock. Award winning tribute act Ciaran Houlihan brings his show to Crumlin Road Gaol. This is as close as you can get to The King. Why not make an evening of it by taking a guided tour of the prison, followed by a three course meal at the new Cuff’s Bar and Grill? ✶Visit www.crumlinroadgaol.com or call 028 9074 1500.

Sunday April 2 WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is offering a unique opportunity to enjoy their wonderful wildlife reserve before daybreak with a spectacular Dawn Chorus on Sunday April 2 at 6.30am. During the guided tour, visitors will get the chance to see and hear beautiful birds such as the wren, blackbird, goldcrest and blackcap.

At the end of the walk enjoy a hot and hearty breakfast in the Kingfisher Kitchen. To book a place call 02891 874146.

Fashion Conscious April 28 It’s time to reach for the ra-ra skirts and launder the legwarmers because eighties’ fashions are coming back with a vengeance. The Walk of Life Fashion Show at the Crowne Park Plaza, Belfast, is a unique, retro-inspired event brought by the same fashionistas who were at the heart of the vibrant 1980s fashion scene here. Organiser and ex-model Julie Duckworth is planning the event to raise funds for two charities close to her heart.

Her father died 18 years ago from cancer and her mother passed away with Parkinson’s Disease in 2014, so Julie will be donating all proceeds from the event to the charities Parkinson’s UK and The Boom Foundation. Music will be provided by Cool FM’s Pete Snodden. ✶Tickets cost £30 are are available from Belfast Welcome Centre Box Office on 028 9024 6609.

Furry Friends

Quacking Family Fun

April 17-18 Back by popular demand, the MAC Petting Zoo returns this Easter Monday and Tuesday. Free to visit, drop in anytime between 10am and 2.30pm.

No ticket required. You’ll find the Petting Zoo on the ground floor in the main foyer. If you were there last year, you’ll know just what to expect and if not the fluffy friends are back and they can’t wait to meet you! With lambs, chicks, bunnies and lots more - cuddle, feed and stroke your farmyard favourites till your heart’s content. ✶Visit www.themaclive.com

April 8-26 This year WWT’s new children’s character, Dusty Duck is joining in the fun and helping kids finds 10 missing ducks, hidden around the Castle Espie reserve in the Giant Duck Hunt. As well as completing the duck hunt challenge, take part in cute, Easter bunny themed craft and have your faces painted on Easter Monday and Tuesday. ✶For more details visit wwt.org.uk/castleespie/events

Comedy April 28 - May 1 On the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, the Festival of Fools promises a packed programme of daredevil feats, fast paced acrobatics, heart-stopping Hip Hop, mesmerising object manipulation and laugh out loud comedy. More than 120 performances will take place across the streets of Belfast City Centre and Cathedral Quarter, free of charge. ✶For details, visit www.foolsfestival.com

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Musical April 11-15 When New Jersey’s top wedding singer Robbie Hart (Jon Robyns) is cruelly jilted at the altar, he sets about making every wedding as disastrous as his own. But can sweet natured Julia (Cassie Compton) and her best friend Holly (Roxanne Pallett) lure the the downtrodden and broken hearted musician back into the limelight?

Furthermore, will he be able to win Julia’s heart before she falls for the archetypal bad guy? ✶To book call 028 9024 1919 or visit www.goh.co.uk

The Album

The

ALBUM Northern Woman 81

Fashion Teas

Laura McPolin and Rebecca McKinney

Louise and Sarah Kavanagh

Emily Hendron, Sinead Martin and Michelle Dillon

Marion Ibinson, Elaine Davison and Jacqui Jack

The Merchant Hotel’s iconic Fabulous Fashion Teas returned recently to treat Belfast to another season of style and decadence, serving up the hottest spring/ summer fashion trends for 2017.

Guests were treated to two days of new season styles from top designers and independent boutiques across Northern Ireland, accompanied by the famous Merchant Afternoon Tea a chilled glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne.

Models from The Style Academy graced this year’s catwalk, showcasing this season’s hottest looks with an intimate round table show in the hotel’s stunning Rita Duffy Suite. Hair looks were created and styled by Andrew Mulvenna, with complementary ontrend make-up looks from Lancôme.

Harper at The Merchant Hotel, The Walk in Wardrobe, The Rosh Collection along with APD Jewellery and David Yurman at Lunn’s all wowed guests with their new collections.

The Merchant also invited guests to shop the collections hot off the catwalk at special pop-up boutiques, with spring/summer must-have fashion buys available from each of the featured retailers and designers.

Sarah Ferguson, Jane Black and Melanie Wilkinson

Monica Frazer and Laura Loye

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Fabulous fashion teas spring back into Belfast

Ashleigh Graham, Lauren McKay and Chloe McCabe

Roisin Donnelly and Marie Blair

Fashion Teas

Mary Sheridan and Stephanie Yassin

Norah Bowman, Patricia Carey, Sharon Semple and Suzanne Boyle

Claire Mullin and Kelly Henning and Olivia Hummell

Katie Andrew

Emily Hancock

Sarah Donaldson, Phillippa Watson, Joy McGimpsey and Victoria Kitchen

Suzi Lunn, Denise Robinson and Cathy Martin

Emma Murphy and Siobhan Murphy

Ciara Carberry and Kerry Carmichael

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City Quays

(second right) Niall McKenna th wi e ph to is uth Jean-Chr mes Street So n team from Ja he tc ki e th d an

Gerry Lennon, Ed Vernon and Brian Ambrose

Lisa Keys, Peter McVeery and Lyn Crowther

JeanChristophe Novelli’s City Quays restaurant taster event Due to open in Spring 2018, Jean-Christophe Novelli’s new restaurant at the AC Marriott Hotel was unveiled through artist’s impressions and a stunningly executed three course lunch. Jean-Christophe flew into Belfast for the event which took place at the Harour Commissioner’s Office where he called in the talent of chef Niall McKenna and his team. Attended by figureheads in the hospitality trade as well as local personalities and media, the event marked the countdown to the exciting new restaurant. Jean-Christophe told NW that Belfast was ‘an explosion, the wakening of a giant’ and the couldn’t wait to be part of the ‘party’.

Ann McGregor, Kerrie Sweeney and Isabel Jennings

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City Quays

John Campbell, Colin Neill and Julian O’Neill

Helen McGurk, Richard Sheriff and Emma Deighan

Dr David Dobbin and Dep Lord Mayor Mary Ellen Campbell

Pete Snodden, Katie Best and Paul Grant

Janet and Sharwan Varma

Jean-Christophe addressing his guests

Jill Wharry and Kerri Adair

Northern Woman 85

Max Mara

Max Mara Fashion Show

Fiona Lowe

Joanna Spencer Boyd

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Luxury Italian design house Max Mara put on an exclusive fashion show at Belfast City Hall recently in aid of disability charity Positive Futures.

The event, which was hosted by the Lord Mayor Brian Kingston, saw models clad in the new collection now available at Max Mara.

Charlotte Tilbury was the big name behind the makeup for the show while Richard Phillipart for Babyliss ensured the models’ hair was set to perfection.

Nina Walls, owner of Max Mara’s Belfast store says the collection ‘proposes a new blend of voluptuous modernity – intelligent, audacious, sexy fashion…’

A crowd of style-astute models, personalities and fashion followers dressed for the occasion making the event one of the most fashion-led in the city so far this season.

Emily Hancock, India Reed and Louise Vance

Derek Dubery and Lisa Cunningham-Black

Dorcas and Niamh Crawford

Jasmin Bell

Max Mara

Rebecca Maguire and Tiffany Brien

Claire Hart and Joyce Craig

Trish Fraser, Jenny Meadows and Leigh Kennedy

Rebecca McKinney

Jackie Martin and Nuala Meenehan

Soraya Negus and Nina Walls

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Institute of Hospitality

Finalist Lorna Johnston with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Finalist Gail Byrne from The Hilton Belfast with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Finalists Damien McDonald and Brian Donaghy with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Finalist Victoria Caddell with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Finalist Susan McIlveen with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Finalists Sharon Cummins, Colin Prentice, Anthony Parker and Marcus Lemon with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Finalist Gillian Bolton with Michael, Pamela and Barra

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Finalist Lynsey Gordon with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Institute of Hospitality Awards Reception Entrants to the 22nd Institute of Hospitality NI Awards gathered at a stylish reception at the Bullitt Hotel in Belfast recently to officially announce this year’s awards finalists.

Also in attendance was this year’s awards’ hosts Barra Best and Pamela Ballantine as well as Chairman of the IOH, Michael Cafolla.

Formally known as the Janus Awards, the Institute of Hospitality NI annually recognises the most dedicated and passionate professionals working across Northern Ireland’s hospitality industry.

To celebrate the recent opening of the first Newbridge Silverware store in Northern Ireland, located in Arthur Street, the Irish jewellery, home and giftware company is providing the trophies for this year’s awards gala to be held in Titanic Belfast on May 5.

Finalist Suzanne Bowman with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Institute of Hospitality

Barra Best, Michael Cafolla and Pamela Ballentine with finalists Michelle Madine and Donna Maguire

Finalists Helen McLarnon, Iain McIntyre and Madison Davidson with Barra, Pamela and Michael

Finalist Pamela Millar with Barra, Pamela and Michael

Finalist Gillian Bolton with Michael, Pamela and Barra

Finalists Adrienne Hanna and Robert McKenna with Barra, Michael and Pamela

Finalist Denise Wilson from The Garden Cafe Downpatrick with Ciara Brennan from Stepping Stones, Barra, Michael and Pamela

Finalist Tim Smith with Barra, Pamela and Michael

Finalists Diarmuid Dallat, Joan Betton and Paul Deeney with Michael, Pamela and Barra

Finalists Anna Magolan, David Morrison and Daryl Beacon with Barra, Pamela and Michael

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Dalriada Festival

Eddie and JP Mac Johnny Cash band

Robin Elliott and Mark Mahaffy

John, Mark, the Lord Mayor and Adrian with Peppa and George

Adrian with Mark McClements and Pamela Scurfield

Eddie Carey with Clare Gillan and Curtis Nichol

Eddie Carey

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Dalriada Festival launch The seventh annual Dalriada Festival, powered by Camlin, recently launched its festival programme at Glenarm Castle.

The event will take place on July 15 and 16 this year.

Among the highlights are Nathan Carter, Donna Taggart, The Fureys and Dublin City Ramblers. Kids’ favourite Peppa Pig will also feature while the annual County Antrim Pipe Band Championships, The Nation’s Strongman Championships and an exciting addition to the festival - Northern Ireland’s first ever Wife Carrying Championships will ensure there is loads to see.

At the launch, guests were treated to entertainment from folk group Runabay, trumpet maestro Rick Swann, World Champion Snare drum champion Lee Lawson, country singing sensation Eddie Carey and Johnny Cash tribute JP Mac, as well as comedian ‘Rodney’, a regular guest on Cool FM, who along with Downtown Radio and Downtown Country are media partners.

Day passes and camping packages for July 15 and 16 are available from www.dalriadafestival.co.uk. Concert Tickets for both concerts are also on sale via www.dalriadafestival.co.uk or www.ticketmaster.ie

Rick Swann

Bearnice and Wilma

Ian Johnson and Lee Lawson

John and Adrian

Rebecca, Gary and Strongman

Runabay

The Hudson

Joanna Braniff, Emer Dooris and Joanne Sweeney

Peter Lavery and Denise Watson

Ali Askir, Binder Tohani and Joris Minne

Jarlath McTernan and Rory Cunnane

Boxer Paul Hyland and Sean Donnelly

All the luck of The Hudson To celebrate the new look Hudson Entertainment complex, the award-winning bar in Gresham Street, Belfast, hosted a St Patrick’s Day themed event. Guests were treated to their signature Irish Stew and Wheaten Bread and a ‘Costa Del Belfast’ cocktail, made with Blue Curacao, Midori and fresh lime and passion fruit puree.

Irish traditional musicians entertained guests in the new Heel Bar. Among those in attendance was the Hudson’s new resident DJ Johnny Hero and his U105 colleagues Denise Watson and Paul McKenna, NVTV’s Robin Elliott and Larry the Leprechaun.

Johnny Hero, the lucky Leprechaun and Denise Watson

Claire Craig and Laura Dunn

Vikki Lavery and Anton McCague

Ryan Lavery and Wendi Kane

Johnny Hero and Peter Lavery with the Leprechaun

Robin Elliott, George Ellis and Liam Stryker

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Ballygally Castle

Scott Weatherup, Helen and David

Chris Wales ,Norma Craig and Audrey Wales

Sam Denning, Hilary Harrison, Norma Craig and Melanie Moore

Denis Broderick and Mark Alexander

Ballygally Castle Gourmet Evening Norman McBridge, general manager of Ballygally Castle hosted a gourmet evening giving guests from the hospitality industry and local media the opportunity to sample the finest local produce with wines in the company of Woodford Bourne. The sevencourse menu was paired with a different wine for each course and included Cekeriac Veloute, Broighter Gold Tuffle Oil with Crispy Guanciale Flat Bread; Paupiette of Lemon Sole stuffed with Portavogie Prawn Mousse with a Spelt and Wild Garlic Risotto; Shortcross Gin Granita with Candied Lemon and Cucumber Gel a Trio of Local Beef with Carnbrooke Cannon Fillet, Hannan Pulled Brisket Suet Pudding and Jacobs Ladder.

Fiona Brown, Anna Corry, Joanne Harvey and Rick McGhee

Katrina and Andrew Schnell

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Norman McBride, Laura Leonard and Dee Morgan

Jameson

Bronagh Bennett, Andrew Dickey, LeighAnne Deegan and Liam McCluskey

Julie Ozturk and Russell Campbell

Lorraine Kennedy, Gillian Johnston, Joanne O’Hagan and Karen Anderson

Jonathan Lavery and Timmy White

Jameson NYC Experience Competition Eight of Northern Ireland’s Jameson Irish Whiskey-loving bartenders battled it out at a grand finale event to win an exclusive week in NYC shadowing those working at the World’s Best Bar, The Dead Rabbit.

Co-founder and owner of the bar, local man, Sean Muldoon flew into Belfast for the event when Nicole Kane from Muriel’s Café Bar was crowned the winner.

Nicole will gain behind the scenes access to the operations at Sean and his partner, Jack’s second bar, BlackTail as part of her prize. The final took place at a ‘secret location’ at Belfast’s Gasworks where industry experts including Ger Garland, Irish Whiskey Ambassador for Irish Distillers Pernod-Ricard; Jason Scott, owner of Bramble Bar in Edinburgh and Craig Harper, UK On Trade Manager for Fever-Tree as well as Sean Muldoon judged.

Karen Anderson with winner Nicole and Sean Muldoon

Joanne O’Hagan and Ger Garland

Joe McGowan and Phil Ervine

Karen Anderson and Sean Muldoon

Mark Hill, Caelan Bradley and Ian Megrath

Ross McDonald, Suzie Gates and Rhos Patterson

The eight finalists

Una Martin, Laurence Smith and Gemma Toner

Charlotte Murphy, Emma Fitzgerald and Matt Fox

Christina Fusco, Cormac McCarthy are Laura Fusco

Karen Anderson, Jason Scott, Craig Harper, Nicole Kane, Sean Muldoon and Ger Garland

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Travel

It’s all too easy to neglect what’s on your doorstep for something further afield on a city break but Derry and its environs are most definitely having a moment as NW discovered when it explored its stunning hospitality map in a two-day getaway…

North Star SLEEP A one hour, 45-minute trip from Belfast to Derry is hardly the most stress-inducing journey but when you’re going to explore the north it would be criminal to bypass the historical beauty and warmth of Ardtara Country House in Maghera. (ardtara.com) Host Sean McAvoy is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the house, its past (it is one of the world’s oldest and longest working linen production sites) as well as life in general. He makes you feel like he’s invited you into his home, albeit a very grand, stately-like home. He was one of our favourite attractions here.

The bedrooms are gorgeous; nostalgic with intact Victorian interior references and the location – ‘nestled in eight wooded acres’ means you’re going to have a silent night. The dining room and the conservatory setting are home to the Best Hotel Restaurant in Ulster 2015 and Best Emerging Cuisine 2015 but more on the man, Ian Orr, behind the kitchen later.

Having hosted Hollywood stars Bill Murray and Aidan Quinn is testament that this hideaway is one to get lost in. We recommend you stay indoors and just enjoy the splendour and beautifully personal experience.

In Derry City the newest host with the most, and award-winning at that, is Bishop’s Gate Hotel on Bishop Street which dates back to 1899. (bishopsgatehotelderry. com) This hot spot set within a Grade B1 listed building just celebrated its first birthday – a full year of exceeded occupancy and awards.

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The penthouse suite still allows that true Edwardian feel to come through but nods at modern elegance.

For us it was the marriage of the staff with the product that gives Bishop’s Gate its deserved credit. Every member of staff was incredibly amiable. From the reception to the restaurant and the bar, every person executed the right amount of personable charm with professionalism and it was that touch that will have us return.

(There are some impressive overnight stays at this venue including a Fabulous Foodie Break priced at £69.50 inclusive of breakfast, a four-course dinner and signature cocktail on arrival.)

Above: Bishop’s Gate exterior and one of its rooms and below the stunning Ardtara Impressively it won TripAdvisor UK’s second best hotel in the UK. We can see why. The interior is aesthetically handsome at every turn.

EAT & DRINK There is one man who has put Derry on the gastronomic stage beyond Northern Ireland and that’s Ian Orr. He is revolutionising the dinner plate in the region in his role as Chef Patron of Browns Restaurant Group. The portfolio includes Ardtara Country House Hotel, Upperlands; Browns Restaurant and Champagne Lounge, Browns In Town in Derry, Browns On The Green and Barnhill Bar and Grill in Letterkenny.

Ian has won ‘Best Restaurant in Ulster’ twice and is an avid ambassador for local produce which contributes to his stunning foodie masterpieces that see his restaurants attract awards and loyalty.

He’s also a bit of a celebrity chef having appeared on the Great British Menu, been named five times in the Bridgestone/ McKenna Top 100 Restaurants and Top Ten Chefs to Watch – we could go on.

We dined in Browns In Town where unforgettable dishes that play with fusion ideas and experimentation were something

Travel

Derry’s City Walls and left an overview of the city. Below left, some of Ian Orr’s spectacular dishes

EVERYTHING is due credit at this place – the cocktails, the salted chilli squid starter and the seabass main were flawless as too was the breakfast.

Derry has been known to provide a great night with an abundance of bars and clubs that have been beckoning girlie weekends away to the city for years. We chose The Blackbird on Foyle Street where live music and cocktails at the stupidly welcome price of around a fiver made for an enjoyable night in the city. A new kid on the block this joint is popular with the locals and the in place to be. else. It’s star quality with adventure being the theme.

On our second night we ate at Bishop’s Gate’s packed-out The Gown Restaurant where reservations are a must.

SEE Derry’s history is emotive. It’s contentiously recent but to really get to know anyone or anywhere they say you must first know

its history. We took a £4 walking tour of the Walls of the City, which need no introduction.

City Walking Tours depart at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm every day at the entrance of Foyleside Shopping Centre and last one hour.

It’s pretty formidable that Derry is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of Walled Cities in Europe. The Walls were built during the period 1613-1618 by the honourable, the Irish Society as defences for early seventeenth century settlers from England and Scotland.

They’re 1.5km in circumference and within that length John, our tour guide, managed to captivate his audience with compelling facts and history and draw a few tears from NW. Beyond the Walls other attractions that demand space on a longer itinerary include St Columb’s Cathedral, Museum of Free Derry, The Guildhall in all its architectural glory, Tower Museum and the Millennium Forum.

SHOP Foyleside is where you’ll find your high street names while Waterloo Street has a nice selection of more independent outlets.

WHAT’S HAPPENING From April 27 until May 1 you might want to time your visit with the City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival. This is one of the region’s most anticipated events and this year Irish singing legend Imelda May will headline at the Millennium Forum.

For all the details visit cityofderryjazzfestival.com.✸

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Male Order

A NORTHERN MAN Lee Henry on why Cbeebies is hurting the egos of dads everywhere...

Italian Bricolage Check Overshirt from Jigsaw, £89

Madras Navy Red Plaid from Gap, £34.95

C

beebies is, for my money, one of the BBC’s finest channels.

As new parents, we relied on its regular scheduling to occupy the wee man and eventually send him off to sleep. ‘The time has come, to say goodnight, at the end of a lovely day.’

Lovely for him, maybe. Exhausting for us.

I even developed a soft spot for the everpresent Justin Fletcher over the years – rotund, rosy-cheeked, downright hilarious at times – who fronts multiple shows like the pantoesque Justin’s House and takes the Michael out of jordies and newsreaders on sketch show Gigglebiz.

Our three-year-old boy, Patrick, has all but grown out of Cbeebies.

Nowadays, he flicks from app to app, and will soon, no doubt, record programmes of his own, which we can all kick back and enjoy watching ad nauseum.

He remained partial, for a time, to the odd trippy trip down memory lane with an episode or two of In The Night Garden, but that’s old hat for him now. Mercifully.

(When I hear the tittifers’ demented squawking, I know the nightmares will come flooding back. MakkaPakka stalks me through the forest. Igglepiggle and Upsydaisy combine to cut me off in a pincer movement. Derek Jacobi coolly narrates my descent into madness as I’m bungled into the Ninky Nonk never to be seen again.)

Given how nonsensical the world seems to have become in recent times, however, I suppose

I shouldn’t be at all surprised that Cbeebies is creeping back into our lives. My wife, Mairead, watches it when I’m out, in fact. She texts her friends about it and may well have created a WhatsApp group specifically.

She sits at night and scrolls through Pinterest pictures relating to it, and when I recently ventured into our recorded programmes to relive Manchester United’s 1999 treble-winning season highlights, I realised, to my consternation, that it had been replaced with Book at Bedtime.

Other husbands and fathers reading this column will relate to my plight. It will be the same for them, no doubt. They will be feeling lonely, neglected, emasculated, inadequate.

Our wives tell us that they still love us – receding hairlines, love handles, terrible posture and all – but we know the truth.

It’s clear to see. They love Tom Hardy more.

We’re off on our holidays soon, to sunny Portugal. I’ve been running, doing sit-ups, pushups and squats. I’ve cut down on the Gold Bars and have my swimming trunks at the ready. There remains more than a semblance of beer belly but, at this stage, there’s not much I can do.

Mairead tells me that it’s OK, not to worry, she loves me anyway. Then her phone beeps and she excuses herself. My ear pressed to the door, I hear those words, uttered in that strange neither here-nor-there accent – ‘I’ve noticed that you’re not in bed yet’ – and I know that I’m beat. It’s Justin and I against the world. Cbeebies will never be the same again.✸

Our wives tell us that they still love us – receding hairlines, love handles, terrible posture and all – but we know the truth. It’s clear to see. They love Tom Hardy more

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Stretch Core Gingham Shirt from Original Penguin, £60

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Printed Bird Shirt by Turner & Sanderson from House of Frazer, £85

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White Needles Print Shirt from Topman, £80

Image credit: Burton

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✶Anything goes Brightly coloured birds, bicycles, and palm trees… anything goes when it comes to printed shirts this season. For a look that is anything but understated; go flamboyant or go home!

Floral Shirt from River Island, £25

Onyabike Shirt from White Stuff, £39.95 Flamingo Shirt from Simon Carter, £130

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Northern Loves

Melissa Riddell, 24, is the newest face to join the Cool FM presenting team. You can hear her Sunday through to Thursday on Cool FM for ‘Cool Nights’ from 10pm to 1am. Here she chats to NW about her local passions...

Northern Loves

Melissa, above, can be heard on air from 10pm to 1am Sunday through to Thursday. Right; The Dirty Onion, her favourite social haunt Hometown & current location: Magherafelt. I’m still living at home which is a few miles out of town, and in the middle of nowhere! I’m really hoping to relocate to Belfast this year. It’s on the to-do list!

Favourite NI food?

Champ! When I went to uni in Liverpool, I had to phone home and ask my Dad how to make it the way he does – I’m not the best cook in the world, and yes I know it’s so simple, but parents and grandparents always have their own secret ingredients!

Favourite NI restaurant?

There are so many amazing restaurants here, especially in Belfast, it’s almost too difficult to pick just one! So I’ve chosen one a little closer to home – Gilles Bar and Grill, which is one of the Galgorm Resort and Spa restaurants. I love it there. Whether you’re grabbing lunch or heading out for dinner in the evening, the atmosphere is so chilled and the food is always incredible. And the best part, the experience doesn’t just end with the food – you have a view of the resort’s stables, and you’re also free to take a walk around the grounds.

It has the whole package!

Top NI social haunt?

Cathedral Quarter. It’s my favourite place to go on the weekend if I just want a few drinks with the girls. My favourite bar is the Dirty Onion but, to be

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honest, you could go into any of the bars around there on a Saturday night and you are guaranteed to have a good time, it’s always buzzing.

Favourite local personality?

DJ Hix. He’s probably one of the coolest and most talented people I know. Not only that, but he’s a complete gent as well, and always on hand with some solid advice. I count myself very lucky to have been able to get to know him over the past year or so since I’ve started working at Cool FM. Best NI fashion spot?

It has to be Belfast – it has absolutely everything you could need or want!

Between Victoria Square, CastleCourt, Spires Mall, and the boutiques along the Lisburn Road – there really is something for everyone.

I think NI in general is a brilliant place for fashion at the moment as we’re not afraid to be daring with our style and to try new trends. I am the new Style Insider for West Coast Cooler FASHIONWEEK SS17. I think we’re definitely going to be seeing some amazing style in the coming weeks.

Favourite place for timeout?

Portglenone Forest. It’s only a few minutes’ drive from my home but feels like a world away. It is beautiful all year round but especially in spring/summer when the bluebells come out – I could spend hours sitting down by the river. It also has a few

different trails you can follow which are perfect if you want to go for a run or walk the dog!

Best childhood memory of NI? I have so many great memories from my childhood. Growing up in the countryside I spent most of my days playing outside with my sister and brothers. However, my favourite memory is a day we packed up the car and headed off to the beach. We were so excited, and how often is the weather good enough for you go to the beach in NI? Unfortunately, though, the weather didn’t stay that way, by the time we got there it was pouring! The rain still didn’t stop us running into the sea and playing there for hours!

That’s one memory that really sticks out in my mind – the day we went to the beach in the pouring rain and ate the picnic in the car!

Best NI gig to date?

Walking on Cars! I love them, they played Belsonic last summer before Ellie Goulding, and I also saw them in the Limelight – SO GOOD! Where would be the first place you’d take a tourist?

The North Coast, for sure!

There’s so much to do around there and it’s absolutely stunning. I always take my friends to the Giant’s Causeway – there is something so magical about it! I also love the beaches, and if we’re stopping off for food – it has to be the Ramore!✹

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Appointment necessary to appreciate venue: Contact: Marlene Marcus, Events& Wedding Manager Email: marlene@parkanaurmanorhouse.co.uk Email: events@parkanaurmanorhouse.co.uk Ph: 028 8776 1336 • Fax: 028 8776 1257 • Web: parkanaurmanorhouse.com Parkanaur Manor House, 57 Parkanaur Road, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone. BT70 3AA

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