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PICTURED: Edith McNeill and Mabel Irwin from Mullan Mews and Sophia Kyle from Linen Court and Gardens were presented with their Clanmil in Bloom Awards by BBC Radio Ulster Gardeners’ Corner host Cherrie McIlwaine. Also pictured is Steve Amos, Chair of Clanmil Housing.

BLOOMING GREAT GARDENING SUCCESS FOR EAST BELFAST RESIDENTS People living at two East Belfast housing developments are celebrating first place wins in a Northern Ireland wide gardening competition run by local housing association, Clanmil Housing Group. he gardens at Mullan Mews supported housing for older people with dementia in the Woodstock area have been named best newcomer in the Clanmil in Bloom competition, while those at Linen Court and Gardens family housing in Woodcot Avenue were named best overall family development. Clanmil in Bloom is an annual competition run by Clanmil to acknowledge and

reward those tenants who take a keen interest in keeping the green spaces around their homes looking the very best they can. It gives tenants with green fingers and a passion for gardening a chance to showcase their handiwork. Tenants from both schemes were presented with their awards by Cherrie McIlwaine, host of BBC Radio Ulster’s Gardeners’ Corner, at a celebration event in Belfast

Castle. The event provided an opportunity to highlight all of the hard work that goes into making the gardens at Clanmil’s housing schemes look first class. This year the standard of entries from Clanmil tenants throughout was extremely high, and the judges had a difficult job choosing the winners, but the gardens at Mullan Mews and Linen Court and Gardens really stood out. Tim O’Malley, Community Development Manager at Clanmil, said; “We really appreciate the interest that so many of our tenants show in their gardens and all of the hard work and effort that goes into making them look so well. Congratulations to everyone at Mullan Mews and at Linen Court and Gardens who helped create and maintain their winning gardens. The variety of plants and the amazing colours made these schemes really stand out. They are both very worthy winners!” Cherrie McIlwaine said; “Magical

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things happen when you make a garden. From the mystery of sowing a seed to the bigger picture of changing a landscape, gardening empowers people and transforms communities whether you are planting a window-box or a wide open space. Clanmil in Bloom is a blooming marvellous idea and congratulations to the winners and to everyone who got going and got growing.” As a prize for maintaining the best kept gardens, tenants at both housing schemes were rewarded with £200 worth of spring/summer flowering bulbs and plants, which will help add more colour and blooms for them to enjoy next summer. Other winners on the day included Cramsie Court in Ballymoney which scooped the top prize for best kept independent living scheme and Pauline Hobson from Moy who won the prize for best kept individual garden. Visit

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Three local charities celebrate a funding windfall on black Friday Three Northern Ireland charities had thousands of reasons to be thankful as totals announced on Black Friday reveal they raised more than £8,000 in two hours during a special crowdfunding event at the Belfast Harbour Commissioner’s office. Street Soccer NI, Drake Music NI, and Creative Exchange pitched their projects before an audience of top business leaders and philanthropists at a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style event organised by Giving Northern Ireland and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland under the umbrella of The Funding Network (TFN). Donations are still coming in and the money raised will help the charities tackle a variety of issues including homelessness, cultural understanding in East Belfast as well as the inequality experienced by people with acquired brain injuries or physical, learning or sensory disabilities. wStreet Soccer NI was sponsored by Belfast Community Sports Development Network; Drake Music NI was sponsored by Roger Jarvis; Creative Exchange was sponsored by Esther Haller-Clarke.

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Contents

INSIDE THIS MONTH Dec 2015 #11

EMAIL: STUART@LOOPMAG.NET • TEL: 028 9070 1607 • FIND US ON FACEBOOK : LOOP PUBLICATIONS

LOOP

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

LOCAL EDUCATION

CHECK OUR HANDY GUIDE

IN & OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

Struggling to find the perfect gift? Struggle no more with our essential guide to local pressies

We have the news on local schools and colleges with some fantastic achievements all round

HANDMADE CHRISTMAS

LOCAL HISTORY

TIME TO GET CRAFTY

THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Keep the little ones busy while you prepare for Christmas with these stained glass cookies

Aidan Campbell digs deep into the archives and uncovers some festive photos from days gone by

FOOD & DRINK

THE ARTS

TUCK INTO THIS MONTH’S NEWS

CREATIVE MASTERS

From bug fighting food advice to unique wine coming from Georgia via Holywood, tuck in!

Some extraordinary stories this month including a remarkable photography collection

HEALTH BEAUTY WELLBEING

LOCAL SPORT

BE WELL

PITCH SIDE ANALYSIS

Local advice and experts on how you can keep in tip top condition plus some handy tips

We have the round up from local sport spanning Rugby to football and some fantastic funding news

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T he Lo o p | D ecember 201 5 | News

PICTURED: James Duggan and Aidan Byrne, Hosford Project Manager launching the new initiative

Local Estate Agents Keep Homeless Warm James Duggan Estates are giving local homeless people a helping hand this winter by teaming up with charity, the East Belfast Mission’s Hosford Project, and providing a winter warmth pack every time a customer completes on a new home. he Hosford Project aims to provide accommodation to those facing homelessness, but only has 26 apartments at any one time, sadly there are those that there is simply no room for. At present, there are 5,000 homeless in Belfast each year. Many of these people will find temporary accommodation in hostels. However some will not and there

has been an increase in rough sleeping in the past year. Last year Hosford received 1000 referrals from people looking for a bed. Sadly they could only accommodate 60 of those people, with the nights getting colder it is now much harder for those in need. James Duggan’s winter warmth pack will be given to those who face a night on the streets until suitable accommodation can be

found. Each pack consists of a cosy fleece blanket, socks, hat, gloves and a £5 voucher for local chip shop, the Fryer Tuck on Belfast’s Bloomfield Road. James Duggan says of the initiative; “We are passionate about supporting our local community and wanted to do something that would make a real impact. Every day we see happy smiling faces as our customers move into their new home, but that’s sadly not the case for many others, the Hosford project is a fabulous charity that actively changes the lives of those that it sets out to help, we wanted to be a part of that. The first stage of our involvement is to provide our winter warmth packs and down the line, we will be helping those in need get back on their feet by donating home basics that many of us take for granted, such as kettles and toasters.” Aidan Byrne, Hosford Project Manager is delighted with the support;“It’s wonderful to see this local business addressing the needs of our community and we are

EAST BELFAST BT Volunteers Drive Sales and Raise More than £86,000 for Marie Curie and the Irish Cancer Society

extremely appreciative of James Duggan’s support, especially as winter sets in and the nights get colder. We have seen a consistent increase in those experiencing homelessness and the only way we can deal with this as a society is if we work together.’ James Duggan Estates was established in September of 2015 and anticipates completing on approximately twenty homes between now and the end of January. Formerly Century 21, the family run business boasts 25 year of experience in the property market. The father and son duo pride themselves on bringing a unique approach to selling property by offering, Sales, Lettings, expert Property Management, Mortgage and Insurance Services, a recommended panel of solicitors, surveyors and advice on energy performance certificates (EPC’s), all under one roof - your one stop shop for all your property requirements. Call 028 9092 5050 www.jamesdugganestates.com

Photographer Darren Kidd / Press Eye

Northern Ireland’s leading palliative care provider, Marie Curie, has received a welcome boost thanks to the efforts of volunteers from leading communications provider, BT. BT volunteers stepped 160 out of their day jobs to volunteer in the ‘Great BT Charity Shops Challenge’, with each BT team taking over one of the 10 Marie Curie shops across Northern Ireland to help raise vital funds for the charity. This includes the Marie Curie stores in Ballyhackamore, Belmont Road and Cregagh Road. On the same day, BT volunteers in the Republic of Ireland also supported the Irish Cancer Society, taking over six stores. The BT teams competed fiercely against each other using all of their planning, marketing and selling skills to generate extra stock, raise the profile of the shops locally, attract more volunteers and customers, and increase shop takings on the day. As a result, over £86,000 was raised for Marie Curie and the Irish Cancer Society. This is the third year that the allisland ‘BT Charity Shops Challenge’ has taken place, with close to a staggering £250,000 being generated for the two charities over the course of that time. The money raised this year for

Marie Curie, will go towards helping the charity run and maintain its Belfast Hospice, deliver nursing care across Northern Ireland and help more people living with a terminal illness, including cancer. To the end of April 2015, the Marie Curie Nursing Service cared for 2,753 patients in Northern Ireland – equating to 33,546 hours of care. BT’s support could also be used by the charity to pay for nearly 2,000 hours of nursing care. Clayre Sloan, Area Manager Marie Curie’s Shops, Northern Ireland said: “This year’s BT Shops Challenge was a fantastic success. This is the third year that we’ve worked with BT and I hope our partnership will continue for many more years. All of the BT staff brought a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm to the challenge and really got into the spirit of things. I got a chance to meet a lot of the teams and it was clear to see that they understood the purpose of the challenge and the work of Marie Curie. The money raised by BT will allow Marie Curie to deliver its nursing service in the Belfast Hospice and across

NEWS IN BRIEF Belfast City Council begins ‘real nappy’ incentive scheme East Belfast Green Party Councillor has welcomed the introduction of a Belfast City Council incentive scheme to encourage parents to use real cloth nappies as an alternative to disposables. Commenting on the initiative Cllr Brown stated, “I brought this proposal to Council following an enquiry from parents who had asked why Belfast did not provide incentives for parents to use real nappies unlike other councils in the rest of the UK. I am very pleased that other councilors agreed with the idea and we have not begun a £3000 pilot scheme offering parents in Belfast the opportunity to try washable nappies for free for two weeks, as well as offering a £30 refund on the cost of buying cloth nappies. This initiative is not about forcing any parents to use real cloth nappies but rather supporting those who do and promoting a different option to new parents who may feel disposable nappies are the only option. The Green Party philosophy is to strive towards a zero waste economy and initiatives like this demonstrate the benefits of this type of thinking. Nappies make up 4% of waste going to landfill and the largest identifiable category of waste so any reduction reduces our environmental impact.The council and ratepayers save £100 per year in waste disposal costs for every child who uses cloth nappies instead of disposables. And parents too will save around £600 by the time their child is two-years-old. Details of the scheme and information on how to apply are available on the council’s website or you can contact waste management on 0800 032 8100

Lo welcomes reinstatement of arts funding

PICTURED: Hannah Palmer from BT and Cindy Anderson, Lead Nurse at Marie Curie are pictured at the Marie Curie Hospice in Belfast celebrating the announcement that the ‘BT Charity Shops Challenge’ helped raise more than £86,000 for Marie Curie and the Irish Cancer Society Northern Ireland, as well as helping to fund new services for people and their families living with a terminal illness.” Alex Crossan, Managing Director Networks, BT Northern Ireland said: “At BT we take great pride in finding meaningful ways to support those that need it most in our communities and the ‘Great BT Charity Shops Challenge’ is an important campaign for all our volunteers in that respect. Alex continued: “Since we first began the Charity Shops Challenge three years ago, it’s gone from strength to strength. The energy, enthusiasm and creativity of the

teams has been amazing and we’re delighted to have raised such a significant amount of money particularly at a time when there are enormous pressures on people to support world - wide crisis situations. Our volunteers always go above and beyond when it comes to this campaign and we thank them - and all of the customers who came out to support the shops - for their efforts. Hopefully the money raised will go a long way towards helping Marie Curie to continue to deliver the valuable support they provide for families and communities right across Northern Ireland.”

Alliance South Belfast MLA Anna Lo has welcomed the reinstatement of funding for a number of arts organisations after the Culture Minister restored money to the Arts Council. Ms Lo was speaking after Carál Nί Chuilίn announced the passing of an Assembly budget meant £620,000 would be given to the organisation, which will subsequently feed it out to groups such as the Lyric Theatre, MAC, Grand Opera House and Ulster Orchestra. The Alliance MLA said arts groups deserved praise, after their lobbying for the funding to be restored over the past number of months. “The affected organisations came together and spoke with a strong voice, uniting to say they could take no more cuts and to showcase how vital the arts are to our wider society. They made the difference and put pressure on the Department, a move that should be recognised. The impact of the cuts in the first place have caused a great deal of anguish in the arts sector and as a whole, it is still underfunded compared to the rest of the UK. But nevertheless, this is welcome news and an extremely positive step.”

5 Th e Lo o p | D ec emb er 2 0 1 5 | N ew s

PICTURED: Launching Mission Christmas are, from left, Gary Myles, Downtown Radio, Mark Corry of Harry Corry, Rebecca McKinney and Pete Snodden, Cool FM, with the Cash for Kids mascot Courage the Cat!

Local Harry Corry branch on a Mission this Christmas Harry Corry supports Downtown Radio and Cool FM’s Christmas campaign to make sure no child in Northern Ireland goes without arry Corry’s Connswater branch is calling on members of the general public to donate toys as part Downtown Radio and Cool FM’s “mission” to support vulnerable children across the community this Christmas. With almost one in four children in Northern Ireland living in poverty*, Harry Corry and the team at Downtown Radio and Cool FM’s Cash for Kids is urging NI folk to buy one extra gift as they shop for Christmas this year. With Harry Corry as title sponsor, the initiative will see each of the retailer’s 18 branches acting as “drop off points” for the public to donate a gift for a disadvantaged child. The appeal is also supported by Mace, Centra and Sprucefield Shopping Centre who will be collecting toys alongside over 600 other businesses across Northern Ireland. With the latest government research revealing that Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK which has experienced an increase in child poverty, Andrea Charles, Cash for Kids Charity Manager believes Mission Christmas can help make a difference to many young people: “The facts paint a worrying and stark picture about poverty in our community. Our mission at Cash for Kids is to help these vulnerable young people, many of whom will wake up to

nothing on Christmas morning without our help. Last year we distributed gifts to over 6000 children – which was fantastic – but the need is greater than ever this Christmas. We would encourage everyone to support those less fortunate than themselves by buying an extra gift this year and dropping it in to their nearest drop off point.” Mark Corry, Marketing Manager at Harry Corry added: “We’re extremely proud to be supporting the Cash for Kids Mission Christmas appeal for the third year running. Christmas is a time for giving, and we hope that the public get behind the campaign and make sure no child goes without this year.” The Mission Christmas appeal seeks donations of new and unwrapped toys, clothes or games which can be left into any of the drop off points in towns and cities across Northern Ireland. “We always find ourselves with a particular shortage of gifts appropriate for children aged 0–3 or 14–17.” continued Andrea, “Every year we run short of gifts suitable for children within these age groups.” Cash for Kids is also inviting underprivileged families, living in difficult circumstances, to apply to receive gifts by contacting one of the organisations registered to benefit from the campaign. This includes governing bodies e.g. Social Services or a registered charity e.g. The Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Home Start, Barnardos, Women’s Aid. A list of all organisations that can be contacted is available on the Cash for Kids Mission Christmas website. Visit www.downtown.co.uk/mission for a full list of all drop off points or to donate £5 text the word GIFT to 70808**

East Belfast Traders Get Into The Narnia Spirit THE EASTSIDE OF THE CITY STEPPED THROUGH THE WARDROBE INTO NARNIA AT THE C.S. LEWIS FESTIVAL, WHICH RAN FROM 19 – 22ND NOVEMBER Making sure shoppers didn’t miss out on the Narnian experience, traders on the Belmont Road, East Belfast, played their part by dressing their windows using specially designed Narnian themed window displays provided by EastSide Arts. The displays included snowflakes and C.S. Lewis themed bunting showcasing one of the East Belfast author’s famous works – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Getting into the spirit of the C.S. Lewis Festival in Fiddlesticks, Belmont Road were from left Beverley Brown, from one of the festival sponsors James Brown & Sons, and Jackie Stanfield from Fiddlesticks.

*NI Statistics and Research Agency, Department for Social development –NI Poverty Bulletin published 25 June 2015** Text costs £5 plus network charge. Cash for Kids receives 100% of your donation. Obtain bill payer’s permission. Customer care 02891815555. Charity number 1122062.

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T he Lo o p | D ecember 201 5 | News

Ulster Museum Announces Exciting Programme For Over 50’S THE ULSTER MUSEUM HAS ANNOUNCED ITS POPULAR ‘MAKING CONNECTIONS’ AFTERNOONS PROGRAMME FOR OVER 50S WILL RUN UNTIL MARCH 2016.

aking place on the first Wednesday of each month, Making Connections is a free programme of informal demonstrations, talks and workshops. Making Connections is a special initiative for older people and is part of a wider initiative by National Museums Northern Ireland which has been supported by the Big Lottery Fund as part of the Live & Learn project. The Ulster Museum’s programme aims to engage older people, with tailored activities also taking place at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park. Colleen Watters, Head of Learning & Partnership at the Ulster Museum said, “Since our award-winning programmes for older people began in 2009, we have engaged thousands of older people in a range of successful and enjoyable initiatives. To have Making Connections programmes taking place across National Museums Northern Ireland and here at the Ulster

REMEMBERENCE SUNDAY PARADE The annual Remembrance parade from Clonaver Park Army Reserve Centre to St Mark’s Church on the Holywood Road took place this year on Sunday 8th November. eading the parade were Army Reserves from 40 (NIH) Sig Sqn supported by an element from A Company 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment. Also participating were cadets from the Sea Cadets Corps, the Army Cadets Force and the Air Training Corps. With a large contingent of the Royal Signals Association also marching this made over 120 personnel on parade. After the church service it was back to Clonaver Park for a well deserved lunch and where a ballot was held raising £210 which will be donated to the Somme Hospital.

The Royal Signals specialises in communications and Information Technology. If you are interested in a part time career with them then phone 028 90670006 for more information or call into Clonaver Park Army Reserve Centre. A special presentation took place with retired Royal Signals veteran WO1 (RSM) John Loveday receiving a badge and plaque in recognition for 50 years membership with the Royal Signals Association. After 22 years service with the regulars John continued his military service with the Army Reserves on joining 40 (Ulster) Signal Regiment. Very well done.

Museum allows us a greater reach and we hope will attract both familiar and new visitors. We are very grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for helping us to provide this programme for all our visitors who are over 50!”” The programme includes a guided tour of the Royal Ulster Academy exhibition, an artist led printmaking workshop, a ‘Polar Nights’ handling session which tells the story of survival and creativity in the Polar Regions, a discussion on Rembrandt with art historian Amanda Croft as well as a Rembrandt-inspired artist led painting workshop. The March event, called ‘Bronze Age Bling’, will involve a visit to the Early Peoples Gallery followed by an artist led copper workshop. Everyone over 50 is very welcome to come along to the Making Connections special events and participation is free. However for some workshops and for large groups, booking is advisable. For further information and for booking, please e-mail sharon. mckibbin@nmni.com or phone 028 9044 0052.

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T he Lo o p | D ecember 201 5 | News

Council launches the 2016 Lisburn & Castlereagh Visitor Guide Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has recently launched its 2016 Visitor Guide, highlighting the area as one of Northern Ireland’s most accessible and attractive tourist destinations.

he must have Visitor Guide is jammed packed with things to see and do across the area and boasts an excellent selection of places to stay, along with an extensive portfolio of major events taking place in 2016. Speaking about the launch, Alderman Allan Ewart said, “It gives me great pleasure to help launch the 2016 Lisburn & Castlereagh Visitor Guide. The Guide is a fantastic publication, which enables us to showcase what the area has to offer the local community and prospective visitors.

PICTURED: With Alderman Allan Ewart, Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee and Alderman Jim Dillon, Vice Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee are Visit Belfast representatives, Jac Callan, Leisure Trade Sales Manager and Sara Graham, Marketing Executive.

Big-hearted Ballyhackamore Businesses donate 26 family tickets for Santa Tour

Tourism is a key focus for the Council due to its significant contribution to the local economy, featuring two of Northern Ireland’s top participating visitor attractions, Dundonald International Ice Bowl and Lagan Valley Leisureplex, and with several high profile events held every year, including, the Lisburn Half Marathon, Pipe Band Championships and the famous Ulster Grand Prix, I am confident that tourism in the area will continue to grow and make an impact. I would like to encourage everyone to get a copy

Children from families in need of some extra Christmas cheer are being given the chance to go on an exciting quest to find Santa, thanks to the generosity of traders from Ballyhackamore.

PICTURED: Denise Magee, Chair of Ballyhackamore Business Association hands over family tickets for the ‘Nearly True’ Christmas tour to Rachael Davison of Walkway Community Association

wenty-six big-hearted businesses have each sponsored a family ticket for the ‘Nearly True Christmas Tour’ where children, with the help of two intrepid elves follow the clues to find the jolly man in the red suit before his big day. The tickets worth more than £1,000 are being distributed to families by the Walkway Community Association, East Belfast Mission and the Children’s Heartbeat Trust. At the end of the search every child will be presented with a gift, an official elf detective badge and a photo with the grateful Mr Claus. Denise Magee, Chair of Ballyhackamore Business Association, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of local Ballyhackamore traders. Everyone from large corporations to small

one of the families who went on Saturday. They had a wonderful time despite the rain.” Ballyhackamore Business Association has always taken Christmas seriously, and this year is no exception. Engaging the irrepressible talents of Young at Art, Northern Ireland’s leading arts organisation for children and young people, and supported by Belfast City Council through the Retail Action Plan, this year Christmas is turning into a hunt for Santa. That’s right Santa has been kidnapped! The ‘Nearly True’ Christmas Tour is an exciting walking tour around the village of Ballyhackamore, where no stone will be left unturned in the search for Santa. The hour-long tour, which begins at Orlee Kitchens, is running every Saturday from 28 November to 19

independent retailers have bought family tickets. They will go to families who need some help at this time of year. The Walkway Community Association is concentrating on young working families who don’t receive the same benefits as people out of work and are financially worse off and Children’s Heartbeat Trust will give tickets to families who have siblings who aren’t ill but are often overlooked because mum and dad are naturally focused on the needs of the child with a heart condition,” she added. Rachael Davison of the Walkway Community Association said it was a lovely gesture from the businesses. “It was unexpected and it’s great that some people are being given the opportunity to take their children on this exciting adventure. I received a text from

December and further tours will be held on Monday 21, Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 December to ensure that Santa is found before December 25! There will be three tours each day beginning at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and are currently available to buy from Greens Pizza in Ballyhackamore. These are priced at £12 per child and £8 per adult and this will include a gift and a photo with Santa. Ricky Armstrong, Vice Chairperson, from Ballyhackamore

of the Visitor Guide and explore what Lisburn and Castlereagh has to offer – you will not be disappointed.” The 2016 Visitor Guide will be distributed to all Visitor Information Centres, selected attractions, and to a variety of activity and accommodation providers throughout Northern Ireland over the coming weeks. To obtain a copy of the Guide, contact Lisburn Visitor Information Centre on 028 9266 0038 or visit the website www.visitlisburncastlereagh.com

Business Association says: “We were looking for an alternative to this year’s festive activity and we really wanted to engage with the local children and their families. So, if you want an alternative to visiting Santa in his grotto, then we feel this is the answer. It’s sure to get all the kids, and we are pretty sure all the adults too, excited about Christmas.” For more information on the Santa Tour go to www.facebook.com/ ballyhackamore.business

East Belfast student awarded prestigious JP McManus scholarship Abigail Moore from Ballyhackamore has received a prestigious JP McManus Scholarship at a recent event in the University Concert Hall, Limerick.

New leisure facility for east Belfast We’re investing £20m to develop a modern fit-for-purpose leisure facility for outer east Belfast. We want to know how this investment can benefit you and your community and help people enjoy healthier and more active lifestyles. Come along to one of our public information sessions to find out more about our plans and have your say on what you would like to see and do in the new leisure centre. · Tuesday 1 December, 12-2pm, Tullycarnet Community Centre · Wednesday 2 December, 7 – 9pm, Braniel Community Centre · Thursday 3 December, 12-7pm, Forestside Shopping Centre · Thursday 3 December, 7.30-9pm, Clonduff Community Centre · Friday 4 December, 9.30-11am, Braniel Community Centre · Saturday 5 December, 2-4pm, Avoniel Leisure Centre · Monday 7 December, 11-1pm, Avoniel Leisure Centre · Tuesday 8 December, 5-7pm, Avoniel Leisure Centre · Wednesday 9 December, 6-9pm, Cregagh Community Centre · Thursday 10 December, 2-4pm, Cregagh Community Centre · Monday 14 December, 3.30-6.30pm, Belvoir Activity Centre If you are unable to attend any of our information sessions and would like to provide feedback please email leisuretransformation@belfastcity.gov.uk

www.belfastcity.gov.uk/leisure/transformingleisure AD816_Public Notice.indd 1

27/11/2015 16:22

PICTURED: Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry together with Jan O’Sullivan TD, Minister for Education and Skills, presented certificates to 125 students, including 25 from Northern Ireland, at the ceremony in the University Concert Hall, Limerick. The JP McManus scheme provides financial assistance to students across Ireland from low-income households who are intending to take up higher education places. The scholarships are worth £5,500 per year to students from Northern Ireland. Further information on the JP McManus All Ireland Scholarship Scheme is available www.nidirect.gov.uk/ all-ireland-scholarships.htm

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10 T he L o o p | D e cember 201 5 | News

MISSING CAT

The award for Best Marketing Campaign was sponsored by JCDecaux and presented by Laura Dowie (right), Women in Business, to Lynsey Redpath of Argento (centre), with Kate Marshall, chair of Women in Business.

Best Young Business Woman of the Year was sponsored by Q Radio and presented by Cate Conway (far right) to Katie Waddell of Spoon Street. Also pictured is Kate Marshall, chair of Women in Business.

East Belfast women share the spoils at Women in Business Awards Two Women from companies based in East Belfast have scooped awards at the fifth annual Women in Business Awards held last Thursday at the Culloden Estate and Spa. atie Waddell from frozen yoghurt business Spoon Street won the award for Best Young Businesswoman of the Year and Lynsey Redpath from Argento won the award for Best Marketing Campaign. Commenting on her award Katie said; “After only one year in business, two stores later and what feels like a lifetime in the planning and implementing of Spoon Street, I am absolutely delighted to receive such an honour from the inspiring and entrepreneurial Women in Business. “I feel that my hard work has been recognised and rewarded, and this will certainly inspire me onwards and upwards. When I looked round at the awe inspiring business women from all over Northern Ireland, I felt so proud to be part of it.” Lynsey said; “I feel extremely privileged to win a Women in Business award for the best marketing campaign, it makes all the hard work so worthwhile. The entire process has been an amazing experience and I have learnt so much. I’ve met some inspiring women and I look forward to keeping in touch with everyone”. Chief executive of Women in Business Roseann Kelly said; “The Women in Business Awards are an acknowledgement and celebration of the determination, success and contributions of women from the business community across Northern Ireland. The Culloden was awash with inspirational women on Thursday evening from guest speaker Madam Justice McBride to each of our very worthy finalists – such fantastic role models not just for females in business but for the business community as a whole. Indeed everyone who attended the Awards should be proud of the role they play and contribution they make, no matter how big or small, to Northern Ireland’s economy. These awards are all about shining a light on their achievements and encouraging the next generation of female business women to be just as inspired and successful.”

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ST GEORGE’S MARKET ADVENT CALENDER The countdown to Christmas has officially begun, with the opening of the official St George’s Market advent calendar. The special crowd-sourced ‘12 Days of Christmas’ video - which is showing on the Big Screen at the City Hall - shows the Market traders having fun promoting their wares with the message ‘Buy local. Make your #NIxmas at St Georges Market Belfast’. Following on from the success of last year’s campaign, the 2015 St George’s Market Advent Calendar will encourage festive shoppers to support local traders. Filmed entirely within St George’s Market and facilitated through Creative Conspiracy, the campaign focuses on the variety and wealth of produce and gifts available in this space. Everything for the festive season is available at the market, using local ingredients, employing local people and displaying local crafts. The video can be viewed on the Belfast City Council YouTube channel

Abbeyfield NI Societies Raise £4,278 To House Elderly In Impoverished Cape Town Township ABBEYFIELD’S two Northern Ireland societies joined forces to raise £4,278 for an Abbeyfield South Africa project that will house people in the impoverished Cape Town township of Pelican Park. The massive sum of more than 90,000 South African rand will be presented to the Pelican Park project this Christmas, when Professor Bob Stout, Abbeyfield’s Regional Chairman for Northern Ireland visits as part of a familly holiday. Abbeyfield Belfast’s residents, volunteers and staff raised money through an Amble for Africa sponsored walk and two garden parties, while Abbeyfield & Wesley Society held Raise the Roof, a night of music and Irish Dance at the Agape Centre. The money raised will be used to furnish the 14-bedroom house, and to buy kitchen equipment for the community nutrition centre that will be integrated into the house to provide hot meals for elderly people in the township. Stuart Mynott, Abbeyfield Society’s membership director, explained the difference that the money will make to Pelican Park at an event at Malone House attended by residents, volunteers and staff of both the NI Abbeyfield Societies. He recently visited Cape Town and showed photographs of the impoverished conditions as well as the development of Pelican Park, which is almost ready for residents to move in.“This money is going to make a real difference to people who literally have nothing,” he said. “The community nutrition centre will be relied on by people who simply wouldn’t eat unless they have one meal a day provided for them, and the people who move in would have no furniture without this generous donation,” he said. Niki Molloy, acting chief officer of Abbeyfield Belfast, said residents had particularly enjoyed getting involved in the fund raising, and were delighted that they have been able to make a difference to people less fortunate.

Keeping your pets merry this Christmas! Christmas is generally a fun time for all the family but some of the things we find exciting can be a bit strange for our pets! Some pets love being in the middle of the festivities while others may prefer to hide away. Here are some handy hints to help your pets survive a busy Christmas and get the most from a visit from Santa Paws. If your pet loves being the centre of attention that’s brilliant but for those more anxious pets give them a safe quiet place where they can get away from the noise and activity and make sure they have water and food nearby. Christmas trees are great fun to decorate, but be aware that your pet may see the decorations as a fun toy. Be careful with wires from lights as chewing them could give your pet quite a shock! Batteries can be fatal if eaten so should be kept well way from animals. If possible restrict access to Christmas plants because holly, mistletoe and poinsettia are toxic and can cause tummy upsets or worse. Don’t forget that lilies are very toxic to cats and ideally any household with cats should avoid having these flowers at all.

It can be tempting to indulge your pets over the festive period but there are a few foods to avoid that can cause more than an upset tummy! Anything containing raisins, such as mince pies and Christmas cake, should be avoided as they can cause kidney failure. Chocolate and alcohol are both poisonous to pets so restrict access to these. Other foods that may cause illness are macadamia nuts, avocadoes and blue cheese. Cooked bones can cause choking and damage the gut so should never be fed to pets. If you are concerned you pet has eaten any of these please contact your vet. Hopefully by being aware of the dangers to pets this Christmas the whole family can have a safe and fun holiday. Merry Christmas from the team at Vets4Pets Belfast Stormont Looking for the perfect gift for your pet? Vets4Pets Belfast Stormont has a selection of Christmas gifts and stockings for your dogs, cats and rabbits. Call in and have a look!

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12 T he L o o p | D e cem ber 201 5 | News n September, 2kg of rocket seeds were flown to the International Space Station (ISS) on Soyuz 44S where they will spend several months in microgravity before returning to Earth in March 2016. The seeds have been sent as part of Rocket Science, an educational project launched by the RHS Campaign for School Gardening and the UK Space Agency. 30th Belfast Brownies will be one of up to 10,000 schools and youth groups to receive a packet of 100seeds from space, which they will grow alongside seeds that haven’t been to space and measure the differences over seven weeks. The Brownies won’t know which seed packet contains which seeds until all results have been collected by the RHS Campaign for School Gardening and analysed by

30th Belfast Brownies (Willowfield) to grow seeds from space! Brownies at the 30th Belfast Brownie Unit, based at Willowfield Church are preparing to become space biologists and embark on a voyage of discovery by growing seeds that have been into space.

Lidl Community Works delivers “A Random Act of Kindness” to New Life Counselling Lidl Northern Ireland has named New Life Counselling (who have a base in East Belfast) as one of their 32 Big Projects who will receive backing through their Community Works Campaign. ew Life Counselling, based in Belfast with an office in East Belfast’s landmark Skainos building, provides counselling support to children, teenagers and adults across Northern Ireland for a range of mental health issues including depression, bereavement, anxiety, bullying, and relationship breakdown. The Lidl Community Works initiative

in June of this year and sees Lidl Northern Ireland backing local community groups and projects from all over the province to the value of £200,000. Lidl had the help of a star studded judging panel, including Rory Best and Zoe Salmon, who had the difficult task of choosing the final 32 groups from over 2,000 nominations. Community Works Crew Member

Natalie McBurney is thrilled to be taking part in the initiative, “Lidl Community Works is such a fantastic campaign and it’s such a treat to get to interact with the many deserving community groups first hand. We hope Lidl’s donation to New Life Counselling will help them see just how valued they really are.” Chief Executive of New Life Counselling Karen Collins welcomed the Community Award: “We are delighted to be selected out of over 2,000 applicants for this Award. In accepting this Award more people will hear of our work and know where they can access counselling service within their local community.” New Life Counselling are hosting a charity screening of 2003 Christmas Classic, ELF with Will Ferrell at Strand Arts Centre on the Holywood Road, 4.15pm, Sunday 13th December. Please phone 9039 1630 or strandartscentre.com/newlifeelf to book tickets £7.50 for Adults and £4.50 for children. This event is kindly sponsored by Northern Ireland Business Communications Ltd.

Find out more For more info on the work of New Life Counselling please contact Astrid Conville, Fundraising and Communications Manager; 9039 1630 or email astridconville@ newlifecounselling.net

professional biostatisticians. The out-of-this-world, nationwide science experiment will enable the Brownies to think more about how we could preserve human life on another planet in the future, what astronauts need to survive long-term missions in space and the difficulties surrounding growing fresh food in challenging climates. Leader in charge, Michelle Clarke, says: “We are very excited to be taking part in Rocket Science. This experiment is a fantastic way of teaching our girls to think more scientifically and share their findings with the whole community. Our girls are aged between 7 and 9 and enjoy discovering new things and finding out more about the world around them. We have spent the first part of this Brownie year working towards our Science Investigators badge and this

experiment will help our Brownies to develop the skills they have learnt in the past few months.” Rocket Science is just one educational project from a programme developed by the UK Space Agency to celebrate British ESA astronaut Tim Peake’s Principia mission to the ISSand inspire young people to look into careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects, including horticulture. Applications to take part in Rocket Science are still open and will close in March next year or until all packs have been allocated. Schools and educational groups can apply at rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening.

the project on Twitter: @RHSSchools #RocketScience

CROWDS FLOCK TO SEE SANTAS ARRIVAL @ CONNSWATER SHOPPING CENTRE Santa arrived at Connswater on Saturday 21st November and this year you can come and see him for free and get a free gift and photo too courtesy from all the traders at Connswater Shopping Centre and Retail Park. Santa arrived in a Pumpkin Carriage to the centre and crowds of young people queued to be the first to see him. He was welcomed by Pete Snodden and the Cool FM roadshow.

FREE SANTA at Connswater continues until 24th Dec. Thurs 10 Dec 1pm - 6pm Sat 19 Dec 11am - 5pm Fri 11 Dec 1pm - 7pm Sun 20 Dec 1pm - 5pm as Sat 12 Dec 11am - 5pm Mon 21 Dec 12pm - 6pm Christm ! FF Sun 13 Dec 1pm - 5pm Tues 22 Dec 12pm - 6pm Day O Thurs 17 Dec 1pm - 6pm Wed 23 Dec 12pm - 7pm Fri 18 Dec 1pm - 7pm Christmas Eve 11am - 4pm To be kept up to date follow Connswater on Facebook or Twitter or logon at Connswater.co.uk

TOWELL HOUSE XMAS SWITCH ON! The now legendary Towell House Christmas torch lit procession and lighting of the beautiful Christmas tree took place on 2nd December. Organisers said, “A BIG thank you to Barney Barnes from Startrax Disco for providing the music, all the staff and directors who assisted on the evening and a MASSIVE thank you to Alan Tipping and team for putting all the lights in place again this year. A great start to our December Celebrations.” 57 - 59 Kings Road | www.towellhouse.co.uk

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14 T he L o o p | D e cember 201 5 | News Installation of the reinforced flood wall along the Black Path

Scottish Whinston walls - Aslan one of the seven sculptures will look over C.S. Lewis Square from here.

Connswater Community Greenway Construction Update Works on the Connswater Community Greenway move full steam ahead with great progress on multiple sites across East Belfast. Moving along the Connswater River from the Sydenham Bypass the contractor has piled both sides of the river and has been making steady progress with the installation of a reinforced flood wall. Downstream at the Holywood Arches works continue on the new event space for the C. S. Lewis Square, with the placement of Scottish Whinstone walls and granite paving. n the Avoniel area a piling platform has been installed and piling works has now begun in Bloomfield Industrial Estate, whilst also commencing earthworks in Avoniel Park. In the Hollow the contractor has continued to make good progress with the construction of retaining walls and the beginning of concreting works on the new pathway. The section connecting Orangefield Park to Clarawood, Laburnum and the Braniel nears completion with final concreting and fencing works now finishing and only landscaping works left to complete. It is hoped this section will open Spring 2016. Elsewhere, Farrans have been

installing a Readyrock flood wall at the Belfast Metropolitan College, Montgomery Road. Works in the Loopland area continue with the installation of a haul road, and a piling platform. On the road sections of the Connswater Community Greenway works continue to progress well along the Cregagh Road, Orby Road and Montgomery Road with granite kerbing and resurfacing works. The contractor has left the Cregagh Road section last week but will return in early January due to a Christmas embargo. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (DARD) Rivers Agency are working in partnership

with us (Connswater Community Greenway) to deliver elements of the East Belfast Flood Alleviation Scheme (EBFAS) which will help reduce flooding to 1,700 properties in East Belfast. A large proportion of the works comprising the Rivers Agency Standalone Flood Alleviation Scheme have been completed. Flood alleviation works are presently concentrated on the Knock River at Sandhill/Clara areas. The existing undersized culvert on the Knock River across Clara Park has been replaced and reinstatement works are presently progressing. Once the road at Clara Park has been fully reinstated it will be opened again to traffic and the temporary bridge

over the Knock River at Sandhill will be removed (i.e. in approximately 6-8 weeks time). The construction of the flood defences upstream of Clara Park are also ongoing and are progressing well. The flood defences downstream of Clara Park will progress upon full reinstatement of the carriageway of Clara Park. Unfortunately, Sandhill Parade will be closed to traffic from the junction of Sandhill Park to the junction with Clara Park commencing Monday 30th November 2015 at 08 00 hrs to Friday 26th February 2016 at 17 00 hrs. The road closure is required in order to undertake flood defence works to the Knock River adjacent Sandhill Parade. The only flood alleviation works remaining and forming part of the Rivers Agency Standalone scheme will be the culvert upsizing works on the Loop River across Ladas Way. The extent of these works are presently being assessed. The start date for construction has yet to be confirmed. If you have any questions, queries or comments about works on the Connswater Community Greenway please call Farrans 24hr Customer Care Line on 0800 083 8160. As work is progresses on elements of the East Belfast Flood Alleviation Scheme Rivers Agency is also engaging with affected communities and public representatives. If you have any enquiries regarding the Rivers Agency’s work please contact Alex Bailie on 028 9025 3355.

See the unopened sections of the Connswater Community Greenway before anyone else on the Hard Hat Bus Tour See the unopened sections of the Connswater Community Greenway before anyone else on the Hard Hat Bus Tour The Connswater Community Greenway are giving you the chance to see behind the fences and walk along the unopened sections of the Greenway before anyone else with their next Hard Hat Bus Tour. Michael Briggs, Chief Executive of the East Belfast Community Development Association said of the last tour which took place in October 2015: “The tour was excellent and I would definitely recommend it to anyone to see first-hand the vastness of this project. The Connswater Community Greenway has already physically connected many communities by linking up places throughout east Belfast. It will be great when the Greenway is complete so that people can walk and cycle to their destination whilst experiencing the beautiful outdoors of east Belfast.” The next Hard Hat Tour will take place on Thursday 14th January, 1pm -2.30pm. If you would like to come along please register your interest by emailing stephanie@ eastsidepartnership.com or telephoning 028 9046 7925.

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21. Bombay King Prawns £7.50 King prawn sprinkled with garlic and spices, stir fried with peppers and potatoes All starters served with a choice of sauce £6.00 1. Chicken Pakora £3.50 22. Curry (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A traditional Indian 2. Vegetable Pakora £3.00 3. Onion Bhaji £2.80 curry, medium or hot £6.00 4. Meat/Vegetable Samosa £2.80 23. Bhuna 5. Chicken Tikka Puri £3.50 (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) Spring chicken cooked 6. Prawn Puri £3.50 in fresh tomatoes, chopped onion and fresh 7. Mixed Vegetable £3.50 herbs in a medium curry sauce 24. Korma £6.00 Veg samosa, veg pakora & onion bhaji (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A very mild & sweet 8. Sheesh Kebab £3.00 dish cooked in coconut powder, almond Beef mince mixed with herb & spices 9. Tandoori Mix £3.50 powder & fresh cream with mild curry sauce 25. Kashmiri Korma £6.50 Chicken, tandoori chicken & sheesh kebab 10. Chicken Tikka £3.50 (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A very mild & sweet dish as korma with fresh fruits 26. Rogan Josh £6.00 (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A mildly spiced thick sauce cooked in spices and garnished with All served with either pilau rice, plain fried onions, green peppers & tomatoes naan or chips and a poppadom 27. Dopiaza £6.00 11. Tikka Massala £6.80 (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A medium dish cooked with spices, onion cubes and fresh coriander (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) An exotic dish topped with fresh onions marinated in yoghurt & spices, cooked in 28. Dansak £6.00 cream, spices and almond powder 12. Panjabi Massala £6.80 (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) Sweet & sour dish cooked with Lentils, a touch of sugar, chillies, (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) Cooked with onion & green pepper with a mild blend of spice in a lemon & pineapple 29. Madras £6.00 smooth creamy sauce 13. Chilli Massala £6.80 (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A hot dish prepared in a hot sauce, well spiced, cooked with fresh (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) Cooked with tomato, green peppers, onions and tomatoes fresh green chillies & onion £6.00 14. Chilli Garlic £6.80 30. Vindaloo (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A hot dish cooked with (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A very hot dish, spiced fresh ginger, garlic, green chillies & coriander and cooked with fresh onions, tomatoes, potatoes and flavoured with lemon in a medium to hot sauce £6.00 15. Jalfrezi £6.80 31. Pathia (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) Cooked with onion and (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A special blend of lemon juice in a sweet and sour thick sauce herbs cooked in a spicy sauce with chunky 32. Karahi £6.00 green peppers, onions & tomatoes 15a. Jal Jal £6.80 (Chicken/Lamb) Prepared with onion, green pepper, garlic, ginger & chef’s own spices (Chicken/Lamb) Cooked with fresh garlic, 33. Indian Cuisine Special Curry £6.50 ginger, onion, green peppers, green chilli, Chicken & lamb mix curry (mild/medium/hot) coriander & yoghurt 16. Balti £6.80 (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A medium spicy dish ALL MAIN DISHES WITH cooked with garlic, tomatoes, onion, green PRAWN OR KING PRAWN £1.50 EXTRA peppers, fresh coriander and a special blend WITH LAMB £1.oo EXTRA of balti spice 17. Saag £6.50 (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) A medium dish cooked with garlic, ginger, fenugreek & selected spices enriched with spinach, peppers, All served with either pilau rice, plain naan spring onions & coriander or chips a mix of veg curry sauce & salad 18. Methi £6.80 (Chicken/Lamb) Fresh Methi leaf, chefs own 34. Tandoori Chicken (boneless) £7.50 style, medium to hot dish Half chicken marinated in yoghurt with a 19. Chicken Makani £6.80 special mild blend of herbs and spices Roasted spicy chicken in mild creamy mango 35. Tandoori Mix £8.50 20. Pasanda £6.80 Chicken & lamb tikka, tandoori chicken & (Chicken/Lamb/Veg) Mild, creamy & buttery sheesh kebab

MAIN DISHES (SPECIALS)

TANDOORI SPECIALS

KEBABS Doner Kebab Chicken Tikka Chicken Pakora Vegetable Pakora Sheesh Kebab Mixed Kebab

Chicken Goujons (6) pitta nan/chips Chicken Goujons with chips £4.00 £4.50 Chicken Dippers (8) £4.50 £5.00 Chicken Dippers (8) with chips £4.50 £5.00 £4.50 £5.00 £4.50 £5.00 Chicken Wings (6) £5.00 £6.00 With chips & Salad

Indian Cuisine Special

£5.00

SPICY & TASTY

(Chicken Tikka & Kebab Meat)

£6.50

(Chicken Tikka, Chicken Pakora & Doner Meat)

Doner Kebab Meat Mix Meat

CHICKEN

BURGERS

Small Burger Plain Burger Sml Box Large box Cheese Burger £2.50 £3.50 Double Cheese Burger £3.50 £4.50 Hawaiian Burger Chicken Fillet Burger

Chicken Pakora Chicken Nuggets (10) Chicken Nuggets with chips Chicken Fillet Burger with chips

£3.50 £3.20 £4.60 £4.60

Chips

Chips (Regular) Chips (Small)

£3.50 £4.60 £3.00 £4.60 £3.50 £4.60

36. Chicken Tikka £7.50 Pieces cooked in tandoori oven 37. Chicken Tikka Shaslik £8.50 Pieces cooked in tandoori oven with fresh tomato, pepper & onion

BIRYANI DISHES 38. Chicken Biryani 39. Lamb Biryani 40. Kebab (Turkish) Biryani 41. Vegetetable Biryani 42. King Prawn Biryani 43. Indian Cuisine Special Biryani

SIDE DISHES 44. Aloo Gobi £3.20 Potatoes with cauliflower cooked with light spice & herbs 45. Saag Aloo £3.20 Spinach with potatoes cooked in butter, onion & tomato 46. Bombay Aloo £3.20 Potato cooked with light Indian spices 47. Saag Bhaji £3.20 Spinach cooked with spices 48. Mushroom Bhaji £3.20 Sliced mushroom cooked with spices 49. Ghana Bhaji £3.20 Chick peas cooked in light Indian spices 50. Ghana Saag £3.20 Chick peas and spinach cooked in light Indian spices 51. Tarka Dhal £3.20 Lentils cooked in light Indian spices

SUNDRIES RICE 52. Pilau/Boiled Rice

£2.00

53. Fried Rice

£2.50

54. Egg Fried Rice

£2.80

55. Mushroom Pilau Rice

£2.80

56. Chana Pilau Rice (+ chick peas)

£2.80

57. Keema Pilau Rice (+ mince)

£2.80

BREADS 58. Plain Naan

£2.00

59. Spicy Naan

£2.20

60. Garlic/Cheesy/Peshwari Naan

£2.50

61. Keema Naan

£2.80

Gravy/curry/cheesy chips Garlic/chilli/house/Mayo chips Chips, Fried Onions & Mushrooms Chips, Peas, Onions, Curry or Gravy

£2.50 £2.50 £3.00 £3.50

FISH & CHIPS Cod Cod Supper

(Cod, Chips, Drink & Mushy Peas)

£1.80 £2.50 £2.80 £3.50 £2.90 £3.50 £2.00 £1.50

£6.50 £7.50 £6.00 £6.00 £8.50 £7.50

Fish Cake Fish Cake Supper

SUNDRIES

Spicy Potato Wedges Pastie Pastie Bap Pastie Supper Sausage Sausage (2) Supper Kebab Buttie

62. Chilli Coriander Naan

£2.50

63. Roti/Chapati

£1.50

64. Parata

£2.00

SIDE ORDER 65. Plain Poppadoms

£0.50

65. Spicy Poppadoms

£0.80

67. Spicy Onions

£2.00

68. Mango Chutney

£0.80

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MEAL DEALS King Prawn Dishes Lamb Dishes

MEAL FOR ONE £12.50 Any 1 starter Any 1 main dish & any 1 side dish 1 pilau rice, 1 plain naan 1 poppadom and 1 sauce

MEAL FOR TWO £21.00 Any 2 starters Any 2 main dishes & any 1 side dish 2 pilau rice, 1 plain naan 2 poppadoms and 2 sauce, 500ml drink

FREE

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KIDS CORNER

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£3.90 £6.50

Chicken Nuggets (5) Chicken Goujons (3) Kebab Meat Pastie Burger Sausage (1)

£1.50 £3.00

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Christmas Gift Guide

VITA COCO OIL COMPETITION!

Struggling to find that special something for that special someone for that special day? Here’s something special we’ve lined up for you; a comprehensive array of gifts all available on your doorstep.

TOP ROW

SECOND ROW

THIRD ROW

1. Girl’s hairband with flower. 1. Gift vouchers now available for all 1. Super soft sweatshirts from Slim’s £4. Made by The Painted barbering servies on The Original Healthy Kitchen. Both adult (£25) Bunting. facebook.com/ Hairbus. Enter”FIRST-CUT” to (S, M, L & XL) and children’s (£15) ALL I WANT FOR DELICIOUS ABERNETHY ThePaintedBuntingCrafts receive 15% discount on your first (aged 3-10) sizes. Buy online at A SIMPLY 2. Sterling silver hand made booking between 31/1/16. slimskitchen.com CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS, 25TH now andBUTTER DISH Leaves Tel: 07599 871626 thehairbus.com 2. 10 stylesSPOON available of Cafe Smart DESSERT ANNIVERSARY A locally madeFalling ceramic butternecklace dish with a funky cow printHandmade to by Bluebell 2. Soñar wish pendant, solid silver Cast Iron Teapots starting from £20 EDITION All I want for Christmas handcompliment your Abernethy Jewellery. £35. facebook.com/ pendant with semi precious stone online dessert or in store. 56 Belmont Rd. embossed spoon. A Simply Delicious Christmas, Butter – ideal as a present! Every item is tied with a velvet bluebellhandmadejewellery on 925 chain by 028 9047 1679 cafesmart.co.uk first published in sterling 1989, is silver a ribbon and then placed in a much-loved cookbook, with 3. CHEMEX Coffee Maker. Includes Bohemian Vixen. £48 available on 3. Patrick Colhoun ‘ A lways Watching cotton drawstring bag. tattered, well-worn copies to a polished wood collar with leather bohemianvixen.com Over You’ Ceramic Sculpture 2015. be found in most households tie. Available from Indie Fude. The 3. Wilson the Whale Toothbrush £245. Available from Framewerk. in 10 the country. Courtyard, 5A High St, Comber. Tidy (UK Gift of the Year 2015) Upper Newtownards Rd. indiefude.com £12 from Oscar & Joy. 94 High framewerkbelfast.com 4. ‘Half Irish’ written by local author Street, Holywood. 028 9042 5483 4. Sweet Pea’ earrings Peter Waugh. Available on Amazon oscarandjoy.com by Isabel Marant £105 from Please Kindle for £3.95 or a signed copy in 4. Harland & Wolff Lockers or side Don’t Tell @ farfetch.com. 99 High physical format for £9.99 +P&P via table drawers are created from Street Holywood, 02890 423845 petewaugh.com vintage records boxes salvaged or 675 Lisburn Road, 02890 5. Little Dotes Photography and from H&W. £165 for the pair. 1-5 661266. farfetch.com Bespoke Frames. Homes visits and Albert Sq, Belfast, 02890 434290 5. Vita Coco Coconut Oil - From mini photo sessions available. £20 refoundonline.com baking to beauty, it can do it all! each. Tel 07788 956562. Facebook. 5. Wishbone 3in1 balance bike from Available at Amazon, Tesco, Boots com/littledotesphotography Little Citizens-Boutique. £180. and Dunnes Stores across Northern 6. Junkers 6680-4 Hugo Junkers littlecitizensboutique.com Ireland. From £5.99 vitacoco.com watch. Commemorating the 150th 6. HETTA hat/ beanie/ headband! 6. Enter the wonderful world anniversary of Professor Hugo (cotton & wool) £14.99. Four of fermentation and culturing! Junkers. Available from Artiqua, 90 muted colours available from Vouchers available for various High St, Holywood. 028 9042 2227. linesandcurrent.com classes. theculturedclub.com

BOTTOM ROW

1. Handmade concrete coasters. Each coaster is individually hand painted. Colours in the set include shark grey, dove blue, blossom pink, daffodil yellow. By Ali & El. Available from ReFound 1-5 Albert Sq, Belfast, 02890 434290. 2. Hand made clocks for kids made here in Belfast by Siobhan Gilfedder. £30 plus P&P. Available from click-clox.com 3. Prints by local artist Aly Harte ranging from £10 - £60 available from alyharte.com 4. With Oxfam, you can help people to make a living with the ever popular farmyard friends such as a goat. £25. oxfamireland.org/unwrapped 5. Or, get creative this Christmas. Also from Oxfam you can give the gift of making your own crackers. £4 from your local Oxfam shop. 6. Snail Island limited edition printed canvas cushion by Dawn Crothers. 40cm x 40cm. 100% cotton. Printed from an original work by the artist. Reverse of cushion is light grey in colour. Other designs & sizes available. dawncrothers.com

Organic, 100% raw, extra-virgin and cold pressed, Vita Coco Oil is proving its use for every occasion, with a range of high-profile fitness, beauty and fashion personalities already incorporating the oil into their daily regimes. Combining the endless benefits of coconut oil with the coconut expertise of Vita Coco, this already popular product is set for the big time, with fans already quoting the product’s mantra: Eat It. Wear It. Swear By It. With New Year’s diets and wellness drives on the horizon, Vita Coco has teamed up with The Loop to give away a deluxe Vita Coco hamper including 4 assorted sized jars of Vita Coco Coconut Oil, 4 1-litre cartons of Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water, a Hemsley & Hemsley cookbook featuring a range of healthy recipes to put your coconut oil to use, a Hemsely & Hemsley tote bag and two wooden spoons perfect for scooping your coconut oil! To be in with a chance of winning simply tell us how you’d put your Vita Coco Coconut Oil to use by emailing info@loopmag.net with your name and post address by 22nd January 2016. Winners will be notified via email on Monday 25th January.

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18 T he Lo o p | D ecember 201 5 | CRAFTY

Arts & Crafts HANDMADE CHRISTMAS STAINED GLASS COOKIES

These stained-glass style snowflake cookies can be made in a rainbow of festive colours and look beautiful hung in a window to catch the light—the perfect edible Christmas decoration. Recipe by by Laura Tabor | Photography by Stuart West. Taken from the book Handmade Christmas published by CICO Books

INGREDIENTS 1 package boiled candies in assorted colours

For the vanilla cookies 185 g unsalted butter, softened 240 g caster sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 390 g plain flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Makes 12 cookies

EQUIPMENT A non-stick baking sheet, greased Snowflake cookie cutter set Toothpicks Icing tip (nozzle) Small palette knife Ribbon, for hanging

1 To make the cookies, beat the butter for a couple of minutes, then add the sugar and beat well until combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until creamy. 2 Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then add one half of it to the butter mixture and beat until combined. Add the rest of the flour and mix for a few minutes until a dough begins to form and easily comes loose from the sides of the bowl. 3 Lightly flour your work surface. Turn the dough out and knead into a ball. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C/Gas 3). 4 Let your dough stand to soften up slightly, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to an even thickness of 1/4 in. (3–4 mm). Transfer to the

prepared baking sheet. It’s easier to cut out the detail on the cookies on the sheet, as they will be too delicate to move later. Cut out the snowflake shapes and then, using the small insert cutters, cut out snowflake patterns. Remove any stubborn pieces of dough with a toothpick. Use the icing tip (nozzle) to cut out a hole at the top of the snowflake; this will be used to thread the ribbon. Put the cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes, then part-bake the cookies for 6 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet. 5 Put the boiled candies into separate sealed bags according to colors and smash with a rolling pin. Take care as the sweets will be hard, so use an old rolling pin or similar on a sturdy surface that will not mark. 6 Fill each of the snowflake cavities with pieces of smashed candy. Don’t pile them too high. Pop the cookies back into the oven for a further 5–6 minutes. Remove from the oven. The “glass” parts will be bubbly, but the bubbles disappear as they cool. Leave the snowflakes on the sheet to cool for at least 20 minutes. With a small palette knife, gently slide under the cookies and lift each one off the sheet and let cool on a cooling rack. Tie each cookie with a ribbon to hang on your tree.

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SPECIAL OFFER FOR LOOP READERS! Handmade Christmas is published by CICO Books at £14.99, and available from all good bookshops or call 01256 302699 quoting EE2 to purchase a copy at the special price of £10.99 including free p&p. For more information, please visit www.cicobooks.co.uk

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20 T he L o o p | D e cember 201 5 | EAT DRINK & BE M E R RY

Food & Drink STAY HEALTHY THIS WINTER

Porridge is an Aphrodisiac Published by Shanway Press (Price £13) it can be purchased online through Shanway, Waterstones and Amazon, or from many local book shops.

Kinesiologist and food author Roisin Armstrong’s Top Ten Guide to Fighting Illness Roisin Armstrong, kinesiologist and food author has a special interest in nutrition and how foods affect people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Her first cookbook, Porridge is an Aphrodisiac is aimed at making healthy-eating fast, easy, inexpensive and fun, whilst educating readers on the basic vitamin and mineral content of commonplace foods to encourage a greater interest in how our bodies use the nutritional benefits from our daily foods. Roisin commented: “It is always a lot easier to stay healthy than to fight your way back from ill health. That is true even of the minor but deeply annoying winter coughs, colds and flu. There are many things you can do get yourself winter ready, here are my tips:”

Roisin Armstrong’s Top Ten Guide to Fighting Illness STAY CLEAN! Washing your hands decreases your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. If your immune system is strong, it should be able to fight off the virus if it does enter your body, but washing your hands provides extra protection, especially when 63% of all surfaces on public transport are contaminated with viruses! YOU ARE SWEET ENOUGH! Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately. It is important to avoid sugar if you feel you are coming down with something, but keeping sugar out of your diet as much as you can makes a huge difference to your health. GET ENOUGH SLEEP! Regular rest will keep you strong and ensure that your body has the strength to fight off any potential invaders. Aim for at least seven

hours a night. If having difficulty sleeping, have a bath in magnesium flakes or Epsom salts, or take a magnesium tablet just before bed. KNOW YOUR METAL! Magnesium not only helps you to sleep, it has a vital role in the immune system, helping support the white blood cells including phagocytes and T- cells. Check with your pharmacist it is safe to take with any other medication you may be taking. GET IMMUNE! Take an immune building herb like Echinacea. Echinaforce, marketed by A.Vogel, a licensed product that contains a standardized dose of both the leaves and stem of the plant. Recent research proved it can reduce the chances of picking up an infection by 58%. It’s thought 20% of colds can lead onto sinusitis, bronchitis, and even pneumonia, this study showed that taking

COMPETITION TIME!

Echinaforce reduced the chances of greater infection by 65%. GARLIC : IMMUNE SYSTEMS FRIEND It’s antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, killing a variety of bugs in one sweep. Try to eat it daily and also eat it with fresh root ginger, peeled, chopped and added to soup, curry, stir fry and stews, these two pack a powerful anti-oxidant punch. GO VEGGIE! Use vegetables as your medicines, broccoli contains twice as much vitamin C as an orange and is high in selenium, a powerful anti-oxidant. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, onions are anti-viral, anti-oxidant and anti-histamine. Parsley contains twice as much iron as spinach and three times as much vitamin C as an orange. Fennel, can help to expel phlegm from the lungs. LOOK AFTER YOUR DIGESTION! Take a probiotic daily; recent

research suggests that the health of your digestive system has an amazingly powerful effect on your immune system. Take after breakfast and not in the evening. GOOD GUTS! Regularly eating fermented foods supports your immune system. Foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and Kombucha tea. No sugar, live, natural yoghurt is fantastic. Miso makes great instant soup and tempeh. Check out St George’s Market on Saturdays for local producers. GET MOVING! Exercise boosts your immune system. 50 minutes a week or 20 minutes a day of moderate exercise raises your heart rate, allows you to break a light sweat, helps your health, boosts immunity and helps both your physical and mental health as well as reducing stress levels.

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS Meet the duo bringing a unique wine to our shores and our glasses

Harland Wines was formed by friends Adam McCullough and Simon Bryans from Holywood who have a mutual appreciation of wines. We get the lowdown on their speciality Georgian wine and how the business began.

HEARING LOSS CHARITY AND LOCAL BUTCHER IN CHRISTMAS COMPETITION! Action on Hearing Loss are running 2 Christmas Prize Draws in association with McCallum’s Butchers in east Belfast (Woodstock Road & Beersbridge Road). The prize is either a 16lb turkey or a meat pack to the value of £40 –whichever the winner prefers! Tickets cost £2 each and can be purchased at either of the McCallum’s shops or by contacting Norma Conn on 07751152873 or you can email Norma at norma.conn@hearingloss.org.uk. Closing date to buy a ticket is Tuesday 15th December; the draw will take place on Friday 18th December.

GOOD LUCK!

The Courtyard 16 Downshire Road Holywood, 07919 550050 or 07872 902229 sales@harlandwines.co.uk he mind might automatically place a marker on the map of France, Italy, Spain or Australia when it comes to some of the worlds leading wine producers. But this pair of friends from Holywood have discovered a new place to mark; Georgia, where the ancient tradition of quevri winemaking dates back over 7,000 years. “Adam originally tried Georgian wines in a restaurant in London last year,” says Simon, “and was very impressed with the high quality and pricing. After

Well

FESTIVE RECIPE lacto-fermented cranberry sauce/relish BY Dearbhla Reynolds @ THECUTUREDCLUB.com To aid digestion of the Christmas indulgences, this has the characteristic lively fresh, sweet and sour flavour of a relish whilst boosting the ingredients to a superior product. If you haven’t yet made or tasted fermented foods, let this easy recipe be your add a little magic to Christmas dinner. Fermentation reduces the sugar in the recipe, it heightens the berries’ own sweetness and gives the relish a delicious tang.

Makes:3 cups 4 cups fresh organic cranberries 1 organic orange, seeded and chopped, keep 1/2 of the peel 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup 1 tsp of cinnamon 1 teaspoon chopped ginger 1/2tsp salt (option to add up to a cup of pecans or walnuts to this recipe) • Wash and drain your cranberries. • Place the berries, orange, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger and honey in a food processor and coarsely chop (do not reduce to a puree). • Pack tightly into a clean flip-top jar. • Cover and leave out at room temperature for 2 days. • Taste and use it now or, to increase zesty flavour, let it sit out to ferment for an additional day or two. • When the taste suits you, cover & store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. • OPEN WITH CARE! Gases do build up during fermentation.

researching we discovered a rich history to Georgian wines, with them being the oldest in the world and politics having blocked trade with the western world for the last 650 years. We also discovered that there were no wholesalers in Northern Ireland and that there was a gap in the market.” They have a range of three red, three whites and an orange wine, as Simon explains, “All the grape varieties are indigenous to Georgia, the main varieties would be Saperavi which produces our red wine and Rkatsiteli which produces white. Quite a mouthful but the public seem to be embracing them! The orange wine is white grapes fermented like red grapes with the skins left on. This is done in large terracotta pots which are buried underground in a process the Georgians call Qvevri. It is extremely tannic and a very acquired taste but something completely different.” As the business develops they aim to be the go to wholesalers to source interesting and unique wines for restaurants and wine merchants. Ultimatley the plan is to expand the distribution network to really give the grape varieties the international acclaim they evidently deserve. “As success grows with the Georgian wines we are looking at bringing in other wines from the Black Sea Region and another area we have our eyes on at the minute are Indian wines which are growing ever more popular. We have also been dealing with a man that owns a vineyard down in Lusk outside Dublin. We are starting to import a small amount of his wine which is a Cabernet Merlot blend. Currently the off-licences we supply are The Grange Wine Merchants in Holywood, The Vineyard wine merchants on the Ormeau Road or at the Vintage wine merchants in Antrim or Randalstown. As for restaurants, we currently supply Graze, Shu and Deanes to name but a few. We are always adding to this list and have quite a few top end restaurants lined up for January!”

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T he Lo o p | D ecember 201 5 | BE WELL

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing SLIMMING WORLD CASE STUDIES Meet Vicki & Nicola who tell their success stories acheived with their local slimming world groups

VICKI

NICOLA

VICKI’S STORY

“A Little Black Dress for Christmas!” ocal woman Nicola Thompson used to dread the Christmas party season, avoiding dressy events where possible so that wearing a ‘Little Black Dress’ wasn’t even an option. “After having my son almost 16 years ago, my weight became a problem” explains Nicola (41), “I ate on the run, grabbed unhealthy options at my desk and even ate breakfast in the car! As my weight increased over the years I developed a ‘uniform’ for nights

out of dark trousers and tops that felt comfortable, but definitely not attractive or glamorous. I avoided cameras and when someone did try to take a photo I usually squeezed behind a friend or asked for a head and shoulders shot only”. In April this year Nicola had to buy a new dress for a formal event and was disappointed to have crept up yet another dress size to a size 20. The next week she walked through the doors of the Connsbrook Slimming

World group. “This is when everything changed for me” Nicola says, “I had tried other diet plans – and silly fads in the past to lose weight but at best kept off a little weight for a month or so until the plan just couldn’t fit with my lifestyle anymore. Each time I then gained even more weight back”. So what was different this time? “I arrived at Slimming World in April feeling nervous and quite negative about my chances, but the initial welcome I got from the members and the friendly new members’ talk from my Consultant Michelle was phenomenal. I felt so much more upbeat and also couldn’t believe that I had a massive choice of Free Food to choose from that could fit my lifestyle. I could even eat as much of my favourite food such as pasta and rice as I liked – and I didn’t have to make separate meals for my hungry teenager.” 3 stone lighter, Nicola is so enthused about sharing the tools for weight loss success that she has trained as a Slimming World Consultant and is opening her own group at Garnerville Presbyterian Church on Saturday mornings at 9.30am. Anyone interested in hearing more can contact Nicola on 07493 774713. When asked recently what she’ll be wearing to the Garnerville group’s launch morning on 2nd January Nicola said “a little black dress of course”.

YOU IN MIND YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS People with Lived Experience invited to tell their stories of using Mental Health Services The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Public Health Agency (PHA) want to hear about your experiences of using mental health services, across Northern Ireland, in the last three years. he You in Mind - Your Experience Matters Survey is being run for the second time in Northern Ireland. People with lived experience and their carers have been asked for their personal experiences of using mental health services. This follow-up audit builds on the important work carried out during the Your Story Can Change Lives Survey of 2012. By revisiting the themes and issues addressed previously mental health professionals can assess the quality of mental health services across Northern Ireland, compare progress in service provision with previous survey results and identify those areas which still require improvement. Dr Stephen Bergin, Consultant in Public Health, PHA, said: “In 2012 we made a commitment to re-run this survey in three years’ time. At that time, through the survey we gathered many useful stories which shaped our work in planning future changes in mental health services and staff training. “With this in mind I would encourage anyone who has used mental health care and treatment services since 2012, in any setting, to get involved. People can go online and tell their personal story and express their thoughts and feelings about that experience. They will also be asked to spend a few minutes answering twelve questions.” An individual with lived experience of using mental health services added: “This is an amazing opportunity for people who use Mental Health Services to share their experiences which will help shape the future within mental health. I might not be here today if it wasn’t for the help that I have received and I would like to encourage others to share their stories through these surveys.” The You In Mind - Your Experience Matters online questionnaire is available to complete at www. hscboard.hscni.net/mentalhealth/YEM.html and will be open for sharing your experiences and stories until 15th January 2016. All contributions will be used anonymously and compiled in a report which will be available in 2016. People who do not have web access can also participate by contacting their Trust Mental Health Service Improvement Manager directly. Contact details for Trust Service Improvement Managers are available at www.hscboard.hscni.net/mentalhealth/YEM.html. The Staff Experience Survey, being run through the 10,000 Voices Initiative, will complement the You in Mind - Your Experience Matters Survey and acknowledges the valuable role of staff who work in Mental Health Services across Northern Ireland. Staff can complete the survey at www.10000voices.info. Details about how to access this survey through the 10,000 voices website are also being promoted across all Trusts.

Further information on the You in Mind Regional Mental Health Care Pathway and other mental health resources can be accessed on the Health and Social Care Board website at www.hscboard. hscni.net/mentalhealth.

NICOLA’S STORY

“I Can't 'Weight' to Share My Secret” I joined Slimming World in March 2013 as I wanted to lose some weight to go on holiday with my friends. Slimming World opened my mind to a healthier eating way of life and I was amazed I could still have take aways, albeit fake aways, which are even more tastier and healthier, and still lose weight. Slimming World educated me and it will educate you too, to a new way of looking at food - that’s where coming to my new group Opening on Tuesday 29 December at 7.30pm in McQuiston Memorial Presbyterian Church, Castlereagh Road, will help you. Please contact me, Victoria, on 07720 890093 and I will share my new healthier lifestyle on how to cook and eat everyday food, eg potatoes, pasta, fruit, veg, meat, fish even the ready made Slimming World meals, so you never feel hungry. I lived in dark baggy clothes and had no interest in fashion. If you recognise yourself in the old me then give it a go and join my new group. Everyone’s invited, family and friends or even come on your own, all will be made very welcome. You, and only you, can make it happen and I would like to help you along the way - You wont regret it. Since I lost 4 stone my outlook to life is happier and I am more confident. Before I lost the weight I went to work, came home and just sat in front of the TV and just ate and ate. Slimming World changed my life and now I want to pass on my knowledge and enthusiasm of Slimming World to help you smile and enjoy a new healthier and happier way of life. You can have delicious food and at the same time lose weight and feel good and never feel hungry. So lets go girls and boys I really hope to see you on 29 December! Thank you for taking the time to read my story”

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23 Th e Lo o p | D ec emb er 2 0 1 5 | H AIR OLIVIA MULDOON

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Transform your hair this winter Invigorate your hair colour through the winter months, throughout winter it is very easy to become bored with your hair colour why not adjust it a bit to enhance the colour on you. REDHEADS I love having red hair in winter for me it creates a glow as well as intense shine and vibrancy to get me through the winter months. Red is a colour that needs maintaining every three to four weeks because it is so visible. It is essential to maintain it for it glossy shine and tone. Warmer skin tones should choose deeper reds and burgundy colours while cooler skin tones should opt copper peach or fiery auburn colour.

BLONDES Contouring colour through blonde is an effortless way to create an illusion of movement in the hair, light blondes should try darker natural tones through the hair to create texture while darker blondes should lighten the area surrounding the face. Blondes always complain of dry hair and no shine, weekly conditioning treatments and glossy toners are the answers to this problem as they add moisture and shine to the hair.

BRUNETTES Chestnut brown, mocha and espresso tones are all in this season, warm and cool tones go perfectly with a few lowlights through the hair, and these beautiful tones create a radiant glow for the skin. These colour can make your hair look expensive and full of shine and it is important to maintain these colour.

BRIDAL HAIR TRENDS FOR 2016 Over the past 5 weeks I have been enrolled in a up styling course at Olivia Muldoon hair and makeup studio. Olivia Muldoon is a bridal specialist and makeup artist, I thought it would be a great idea to see what hair trends are coming through in the new year and what hair advice she would have for anyone getting married .

“

SS16 bridal hair seems to be all about the understated hairstyle, adorned with beautiful, ornate decorations. Whether it be flowers, butterflies, fascinators or sparkles you wear, simple hairstyles are what’s hot for this season.

talking. If you like height like I do, why not add hair pieces in to the hair and then create a beautiful glamorous upstyle around that. At the end of the day, it’s what suits you and reflects your true personality.

Summer screams Boho, and of course this year won’t be the exception. Brides will be wearing their hair in variations of pretty braids, both up and loosely down. These styles are perfect for adding fresh cut flowers, and my absolute favourite style. We will also be seeing chignons which can vary from simple to very intricate depending on the brides preference. As boring as a plain chignon sounds, you can really add drama by adding jewellery to the style. This look can look amazing if you want the dress to do the

I get asked all the time by brides, “How far in advance should I book my wedding hair?”. My answer is, If you know who’d you’d like to book, then as soon as you book your wedding! Depending on each brides requirements, it’s usually only possible for your hairstylist to only cater for one bridal party in one morning, therefore once the date is gone, it’s gone! I have bookings 3 years in advance, and most of my clients book as soon as they have the date set. About a year before the wedding, I recommend the

Olivia has worked backstage at major fashion events including Belfast Fashion Week, Miss N.Ireland, Miss Ireland and is currently working exclusively with popular NI blogger and former Miss Northern Ireland Tiffany Brien ‘Peanut Butter Girl’. Olivia’s skills for hair perfection and flawless skin are ideal in front of camera, even if it’s just for a selfie! The talented hair and makeup artist has worked on high profile ad campaigns including Rushmere Shopping Centre, Belfast City Council and The Merchant Fashion Teas as well as in TV & Film on the set of Cupcake, Game of Thrones and soon to be released ‘Halo: Nightfall’ by Ridley Scott

oliviamuldoon.com bride to start really thinking about her hair care. The better the hair looks when down, the better it will look when it’s up, therefore I always ask them to have regular haircuts and to keep the colour fresh. This is not the time to start experimenting with styles and colour! About 6 weeks prior the wedding, I would arrange a trial where I discuss the overall look we would like to achieve. At the consultation it’s a chance for me to have a good chat with the bride to get an idea of what she likes/dislikes and for me to advise on what will suit her, complement the dress, and of course suit the weather. I will always look at the dress, and decide what hairstyle will suit the neckline, and also the brides face shape. This can be critical as you want to make the bride look the best she can on her big day.

“

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24 T he Lo o p | D ecember 201 5 | THE KIDS ARE A L R I GH T

Local Education total of seven schools participated including Primary Schools; Forth River Primary, Campbell College Prep and St Joseph’s Primary. Secondary Schools which took part included St Gerard’s, Aquinas Grammar, Grosvenor Grammar and Malone College. The judges for the competition included Gerry Monaghan from Connswater Shopping Centre (Competition Sponsor), local artist Ross Wilson and Norma Smith. There were over 200 entries across 7 schools. Gerry Monaghan from Connswater Shopping Centre said; “We were so pleased to be able to sponsor this element of the C.S. Lewis Festival. The standard was very high so it was a difficult task whittling the entries down to just 16! C.S. Lewis was local to this area so it’s great to see the Chronicles of Narnia inspired artwork on display for all to see within the Centre – not only celebrating his legacy but the amazing talents of these local children. We hope everyone will pop by

NARNIA POP UP ART GALLERY COMES TO CONNSWATER SHOPPING CENTRE LOCAL SCHOOLS GET INVOLVED WITH ART COMPETITION As part of this year’s C.S. Lewis Festival local Primary and Secondary Schools were asked to participate in a Chronicles of Narnia themed Art Competition.

REAL LIFE DANGERS BROUGHT TO LIFE AT £1.8M FACILITY IN BELFAST Prevention is better than cure - consequences of everyday risks come to life at new safety learning centre Ireland’s first fully interactive ‘safety’ educational centre which tackles the main risks and dangers facing children and young people has been launched in Belfast.

rom road safety to accidents in the home, internet safety to mental health risks, RADAR (Risk Avoidance and Danger Awareness Resource) addresses the common problems which impact on the younger generation and result in thousands of deaths each year. The £1.8m facility, which is funded by both the public and private sectors, brings together a range of experts in risk management. As well as providing an experiential learning resource for those aged nine to 24, RADAR aims to bring a 4:1 social return on its investment. Thanking new sponsors, ACC

Alan Todd said: “All aspects of risk management are catered for at the facility thanks to the involvement of public, private and community partners. I’m delighted to thank those sponsors who have made a commitment to support RADAR which opens in January 2016, including Policing & Community Safety Partnerships, SPAR, Nationwide, Charles Hurst, John Minnis, Farm Safety Foundation and Fujitsu.” The 25,000sq ft facility centres around a life-size street scene through which visitors navigate a number of learning zones, each geared to reflect the dangers and

challenges of everyday life. With a full size bus, a shop, police station and court room, RADAR addresses a range of risks, from crossing the road, or managing finances, to the consequences of antisocial behaviour. “All too frequently we hear about deaths resulting from accidents which could have been avoided,” said Sandra Leo, Centre Manager. “We believe that prevention is better than the cure so our whole focus at RADAR is on helping children and young people keep themselves safe. “RADAR really has to be seen, and experienced, to be believed as it encapsulates an amazing ‘indoor village’ which brings to life those same situations which we all have to cope with in daily life and which could, if not managed properly, result in fatalities.” Now taking bookings from schools and community organisations, the Centre’s training sessions are tailored to the specific needs of each group. RADAR has also devised a specialist programme for those aged 14-16 which addresses life skills such as mental health, drug and alcohol awareness, diversity and online safety. “We place great emphasis on life skills,” added Sandra. “The hard hitting and realistic nature of our learning zones ensures young people leave with lasting messages about risk and its consequences. Not only can we help them better navigate through life’s challenges, but society as a whole benefits as the projected social return for RADAR is estimated to four times the level of investment in this bespoke facility. ”

Connswater Shopping Centre to enjoy the pop up Art Gallery while it is here.” The winners received their prizes at Connswater Shopping Centre on Saturday 21st November. Thanks to all the schools who participated and to Connswater Shopping Centre for sponsoring this element of the C.S. Lewis Festival. Congratulations to all the winners including: Primary School Winners: Jessica Swain from Forth River Primary; Dylan Dunlop, Tim Murray and Charlie Kirk from Campbell College Prep; Malachy Tohill, Lucy Quinn, Dara Cotter and Dara McCabe from St Joseph’s Primary Also to the Secondary School winners; Pearse Campbell from St Gerard’s; Shayna Gail A. Velasquez and Poppy McGonigle from Aquinas Grammar Springfield Emma Proctor and Amy Preston from Grosvenor Grammar Sofia and Jamielee and Hector Delgado from Malone College.

HONORARY FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED AT BELFAST MET GRADUATION Belfast Metropolitan College celebrated the achievements of over 1,000 higher education learners at its annual Graduation which was held in Titanic Belfast on 9th November. The annual event welcomed 2,000 guests over two ceremonies and recognised students from the Faculties of Technologies and Academic Studies, Leadership, Science and Service Industries and Health, Care, Sport and Leisure. Belfast Met conferred an Honorary Fellowship Award to Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive of Belfast City Airport who was awarded for his outstanding contribution to tourism and economic development in Northern Ireland. Alastair Hamilton, Chief Executive of Invest NI, was also awarded an Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding contribution to enterprise and economic development in Northern Ireland.

(l-r) including Principal Jayne Jeffers; Vice-Principal Stephen Walls; Assistant-Principal Pauline Kinney and Edith Bell, Director of Counselling for the Familyworks service.

LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS

BENEFIT FROM $10,000 BURSARY FUNDING FROM IRISH AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP Two Belfast primary schools have been awarded a $5,000 bursary from the Irish American Partnership (IAP) after benefiting from a similar award from the IAP earlier in the year. Lord Mayor Arder Carson visited St Kieran’s PS in Poleglass and Elmgrove PS on the Beersbridge Road in east Belfast this week to present the schools’ Principals with their cheques after he helped secure the funding during a sister city trip to Boston and a meeting with the IAP this year. This is the second time the two schools have received bursary funding from the Irish American Partnership. They each received a $5000 bursary in June. The Irish American Partnership was founded in Ireland by business, political and education leaders and funded by the Irish Parliament in 1987. Today it has 400 supporters in the United States with donors that support education, community and job creation programmes. Jayne Jeffers, Principal of Elmgrove PS, said: “On behalf of the governors, staff and pupils from Elmgrove, I want to express our delight and gratitude to the Irish American Partnership and the Lord Mayor for this very generous bursary. Within the school we have invested in a bespoke counselling service which provides support to children experiencing difficulties and promotes their emotional well-being, thus improving their ability to study and learn. The bursary will enable us to enhance and extend our current provision and we are grateful for this opportunity to welcome the Lord Mayor to our school so that he can see for himself the difference this funding will make.” Belfast City Council entered in to a Sister City Agreement with Boston in May 2014 to explore academic, business and cultural links between the two cities. For more information visit www.friendshipfour.com

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26 T he L o o p | D e cember 201 5 | THE KIDS ARE A L R I GH T

Local Education BE SEEN

th optical Nine year old Noah McGimpseyStwiuart Brown. and assistants Amy McIntyre

WIN HIGH VIS VESTS FOR YOUR CLASS! CONNSWATER SPECSAVERS AND THE LOOP HELPING LOCAL CHILDREN BE ‘SEEN’ ON OUR ROADS Last year there were over 2,000 children (aged 0-15) killed or seriously injured on UK roads. Walking to and from school in the dark winter mornings and evenings can be very dangerous for our young children. It is really important that all pedestrians take precautions and wear high visibility clothing to help them be seen on the roads. It’s also really important for drivers to make sure their vision is up to

scratch before getting behind the wheel. Specsavers in Connswater has teamed up with The Loop to giveaway 100 high visibility vests to primary schools and local community groups to help make the walk home from school safer this winter.

group simply answer the question below and email your answer with your name and contact details to The Loop at info@loopmag.net by 31st December 2015. And if you’re a driver don’t forget to get your eyes examined very two years.

HOW TO ENTER: If you would like to win a set of 20 high vis vests for your class at primary school or your local youth

Question: Why is it important to wear a high vis vest when out and about in the dark?

ASHFIELD GIRLS RADIO ADS NOT ‘RUBBISH!’ EAST BELFAST SCHOOL DONT LET OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS GO TO WASTE bbie Anderson from Dundonald, a pupil at Ashfield Girls’ High School in East Belfast, is part of the winning team who recently took part in a radio advert workshop in conjunction with Belfast City Council whereby the GCSE Media and Moving Image Arts students worked collaboratively to script a radio advert, highlighting the issues surrounding the impact litter can have on the city of Belfast. Under the guidance of NVTV presenter and broadcaster, Aly McElroy, the students created a number of 30 second adverts as part of a competition with Cool FM and the school is delighted to learn that Abbie’s team wrote the winning script. Head of Media and Moving Image, Tracy Rossborough, told us, “This was a great opportunity for the girls, not only to be involved in the creating of adverts, but also to learn about the physical and financial impact litter has on us as a community. We are now looking forward to attending a masterclass at Cool FM studios later this year.”

PICTURED:

L-R Left to right: Judith Greene Belfast City Council, Kirsty Armstrong, Aly McElroy NVTV, Lucy Wilton, Erin Fitzpatrick, Abbie Anderson & Corina Conlon Belfast City Council

GROSVENOR GRAMMAR PRESENTS BUGSY MALONE Grosvenor Grammar School recently staged its annual whole-school Drama Production, performing ‘Bugsy Malone’ to over 1500 audience members over four entertaining and action-packed performances. Under the leadership of Director Mrs Orla Young and Musical Director Mr Jonathan Arnold this year’s cast and crew, comprising over one hundred and twenty pupils in Forms One Upper Sixth, combined to deliver a vibrant and entertaining take on the show, the libretto of which was written by Alan Parker, with words and music by Paul Williams. Following a Dress Rehearsal on Monday 30th November, Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd March saw the cast deliver matinée performances to visiting Primary School children in the William Moles Hall, while on the evenings of Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th the show was staged for members of the paying public. The production saw a number of acclaimed performances delivered by lead actors Jonathan Brown (Bugsy), Georgia Galway (Blousey), Reuben Browne (Fat Sam), Courteney White (Tallulah), Anna Smith (Fizzy) and Thomas Parke (Dandy Dan). In addition the show was brought to life by its superb chorus and collection of dancers, as well as a talented band of musicians who delivered its distinctive score with aplomb throughout. Following four accomplished, professional and entertaining performances all in attendance were left wowed by the level of application and effort which enabled Grosvenor’s cast to produce such a superb series of shows. In recent times the school has deservedly earned a name for delivering Musical Drama productions of the highest quality and ‘Bugsy Malone’ served only to enhance this reputation. Congratulations to everybody involved in Grosvenor’s production of ‘Bugsy Malone’ who helped to make the show such an overwhelming success - we look forward to seeing many of its talented actors and actresses treading the boards again before long.

WINNERS OF ANTI- BULLYING WEEK CREATIVE COMPETITION Winners OF THIS YEARS anti-bullying art, creative writing and movie competition were announced recently at a special awards ceremony at RADAR nti-Bullying Week is coordinated by the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) and supported by Translink. NIABF is an interagency group hosted by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) NI and funded by the Department of Education. Discussing the level of creativity, Dr Noel Purdy, Chair of NIABF, said: “We’ve been delighted by the response to this year’s antibullying art, creative writing and movie competition, which provides a channel for young people to tell us their views on bullying and how it should be tackled. The volume of entries reflects, I believe, the desire that exists amongst children and young people to have their voice heard and to send out a very clear message ‘END BULLYING NOW’.

PICTURED:

(L) Junior Creative Writing Category Winner: Owen Collins (8yrs), Gilnahirk Primary School, Belfast (R) Special Merit Prize winners Conor McSherry & Ben Thompson, Tor Bank School, Castlereagh, Belfast

Dr Purdy continued: “There has been such a diverse range of entries submitted, each showing the great thought that went in to it. All the pieces are important as they are individual and unique to the person that created them. I would like to thank everyone who has spent time on preparing an entry. Your work will be shared with a large number of people and I’m sure they will find it as inspiring as I have.” Education Minister, John O’Dowd said: “This year’s Anti-bullying creative competition attracted almost 3,000 entries, indicating that our young people feel strongly that bullying is an important issue. Bullying is damaging to individuals and their education. It can happen to anyone and the effects of which can be felt right through into

adulthood. The message is simple, bullying in any form is and will always be unacceptable and I encourage schools and pupils to continue to work together to eradicate this problem.” Translink has been an active supporter of Anti-Bullying Week for the past number of years and helps to reinforce messages by placing anti-bullying poster displays at train and bus stations across Northern Ireland. Ursula Henderson, Translink said: “Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up! The entries into this year’s competition showed just how bullying can be interpreted. Translink is pleased to join forces with NIABF and support the great work being done to increase awareness of this serious issue and tackle it effectively,”

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Cregagh Primary School A Family of Learning at the Heart of the Community

CREGAGH PRIMARY SCHOOL INVITES YOU TO ITS UPCOMING OPEN DAYS & EVENTS

Wednesday 6th January

Principal’s illustrated talk for prospective

Cregagh Primary School - Putting Children First! Cregagh Primary School has been serving the greater Cregagh community for over 75 years. Our school is unique in that we share a large campus with Cregagh Community Centre & Cregagh Pre-School. Consequently, we can provide a safe, secure & stimulating learning environment in which your child can flourish, succeed & reach their full potential. With 172 pupils currently enrolled, our average teacher-to-pupil ratio is 1 to 23. Our state-of-the-art buildings, built in 2002, are bright & spacious. Our pupils benefit from access to Interactive Whiteboards & Smart-Touch Screens throughout the school, a fully equipped ICT Suite, iPads, large indoor resource areas, twin playgrounds, large sports hall & a wildlife garden. Our own facilities are further enhanced by those of our neighbouring community centre complex that include a further multi-purpose sports hall & a flood-lit 3G soccer pitch. The welfare of our pupils is our top priority. Visitors, including School Inspectors, comment on the warm & family-like atmosphere of our school. Cregagh Primary has two very proactive School & Eco Councils. We are proud to have as part of our school community, a Hearing Impaired Unit comprising of two classes. Many of these pupils come to us from the greater Belfast area; attracted by the Unit’s excellent reputation. We ensure a common high quality experience for all our children to help maximise each individual's potential, while supporting creativity & individuality within teaching & learning. Spanish is taught to all pupils from P1 through to P7. We offer a variety of after-school activities including soccer, netball, choir, rugby coaching, Monkeynastix, Movie Club, a homework club & 2-3 Waiting Club for P1-3 children. Put simply: children come first at Cregagh Primary School!

parents | 9:20am

Come along & find out for yourself all abou t our fantastic school. We would love to welcome you & your fam ily!

Individual tours of the school by the Prin cipal can be arranged by ringing 028 9040 1246

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East Belfast History By Aidan Campbell 28 T he L o o p | D e cember 201 5 | LOCAL HISTORY

‘IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS’ AIDAN CAMPBELL Aidan has previously published 11 East Belfast local history books entitled: Beaconsfield, Knock, Cherryvalley, Gilnahirk, Castlereagh, Cregagh, Stormont, Sydenham, Belmont and East Belfast Revisited Volumes 1 & 2. Newtownbreda is Aidan’s latest local history book. Aidan regularly gives illustrated talks to local groups and societies. The books retail at £10.00 each and most are available at Hillmount Garden Centre, Marie Curie Hospice, Hamilton News Cregagh and The Wingrove, Ballyhackamore with profits donated to local charity. Book sales online at: www.eastbelfasthistory.com

As Bing Crosby sang all those years ago in 1951. But what about some Christmas memories of East Belfast? Our resident historian Aidan Campbell has the gift of bringing them to you below with of course a compelling back story to each festive scene. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT rom left, Alan Wilson, Billy Harris, Robert Beggs, Roy Downes, and Gerard Murray having fun in a 1952 snowy scene on the Castlereagh Road. The scene is at the front of the newly constructed Clonduff Estate. The semi-detached houses in the background are located between Prince Regent Road and the Upper Knockbreda dual carriageway. There seems to be a lot of snow and it is reminiscent of the severe winter of 2010 which apparently was the coldest since 1963.

‘Look out, he’s behind you!’ A feature of school life is the annual Christmas pantomime and in this photograph the programme is well underway at Harding Memorial

School, Cregagh Road in 1948. The show was ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. The lead role of Snow White is played by a smiling Pat Gartside. Here are some of the smartlyattired and happy staff at William Kirk’s ‘high class’ grocery shop during the 1930s at 302 Upper Newtownards Road, Ballyhackamore (now demolished and replaced by Parkes Interiors). That could well be Mr Kirk standing in the doorway. Would modern Environmental Health regulations allow the display of those fine Christmas turkeys hanging outside Not far away from Kirk’s this is an interesting photograph of a young Ian McClune, standing, and his

friend Barr Mawhirt, playing in the ‘big snow’ at Eastleigh Crescent in 1947. A wartime reminder is provided by the presence of airraid shelters on the roadway. The shelters survived until about 1949 when they were demolished. The presence of Kirkpatrick Memorial Presbyterian Church is visible in the background, right. W.R. Hamilton traded as a butcher at 52 Albertbridge Road. Here is a 1932 photograph of the staff at the shop front. It is approaching Christmas and there is a wonderful display of turkeys hanging outside. Hamilton’s and other shops have all been demolished for road-widening and new housing at Short Strand. A much expanded road system now occupies the site of the shop. W.R.

Aidan is currently giving some talks on his new book; ‘Newtownbreda’ You can catch him at the following venues: Cregagh Library Wed 9th December 2015 @ 2.30pm Carryduff Library Friday 15th January 2016 @ 11.00am Newtownbreda Library Thursday 18th February 2016 @ 6.30pm

Hamilton’s son Billy is one of the young boys in the photograph and he continued in the family business and opened the first butchery shop at Greenway in 1952 at the newly built Cregagh Estate It is Christmas at Cherryvalley in 1987 and butcher John Williamson is pictured at the shop front with a customer. John’s grandfather John Williamson opened the shop here in 1936 when it was newly constructed by local builder Joe McMaster. Joe’s family name survives in McMaster Street and Lendrick Street on the Newtownards Road. John’s father Cecil was also the butcher here for many years. The butchery business continues at Cherryvalley with Corries Farm Butchers.

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2016. I hope you have enjoyed this series of historical memories of East Belfast so look out for future articles.

Best wishes from Aidan and Christine Campbell.

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30 T he L o o p | D ecem ber 201 5 | THE ARTS

Clockwise from above: The bombed city of Hanover / Perry in Cuxhaven post war / Cuxhaven girl with a British soldier / Troops disembarking a ship / Ship arriving in Cuxhaven / Perry's photos on a German newspaper supplement marking 70 years since the end of the war. Below : Perry now

THE EAST BELFAST MAN AND HIS EXTRAORDINARY SNAPSHOT OF HISTORY When Lt. Charles S. Perry Zachary took some photographs of Cuxhaven at the end of World War II, he was simply taking snaps to show family back home in East Belfast what life was like in Germany, where he was stationed. It didn’t occur to him that he was photographing history, or that one day these photos would be a significant record of the Allied Occupation. his year on the 70th anniversary of the end of the war in Cuxhaven the local newspaper published a supplement commemorating the event with numerous pictures and details of how the ‘photo treasure’ came about thanks to Lt Zachary. A second exhibition is now being planned of his pictures taken 1946 / 1947. Letters from journalists and friends tell him his photos have added a ‘new dimension’ to the history of the port city, as his pictures are almost the only ones taken at the time, when film was hard to come by. As an Army officer, Perry, as he prefers to be known, was entitled

to tobacco and alcohol rations, which as a non-smoking teetotaller her was able to trade for film. He had cobbled together a camera when in hospital in India, and had started his war photography then, and had since collected a Rolloflex and a Robot camera. He took pictures of the port where he worked, overseeing all arrivals and departures of ships including those bringing in British Army wives and families and those bringing home repatriated German prisoners of war. His pictures are a reflection of his life in Army quarters and at the NAAFI club, as well as everyday photos of people going about their business. “I took pictures of the

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME CREATIVE EXCHANGE ARTISTS | creativeexchange.org.uk ecently a host of artists and international curators found their way up the Newtownards Road and descended on Creative Exchange artist studios. As part of the Belfast Open Studios event Visual Artists Ireland (VAI) approached the studio group to host a Show & Tell event at their premises in Portview Trade centre. The aim of Show and Tell is for an artist to present ten slides/images for five minutes in front of an audience. But keeping within the five minute limit can be tricky as the presenter needs to make sure they only speak for 30 seconds for each image! The artists who spoke at the Show & Tell were : Lise McGreevy whose practice is as a visual artist and photographer. Sighle Breathnach Cashell, a visual artist originally from Belfast now based in Rotterdam, who creates site and situation specific environments as settings to be inhabited and activated by an audience. Stephanie Noble, a painter, who through using different paint application and removal methods she creates beautiful vibrantly coloured landscapes often featuring dramatic mountains and valleys. Deirdre Morrissey, who is originally from Dublin where she was an independent

children to show people back home how clean and tidy they were,” Perry said. “There were terrible shortages, soap was hard to come by, and yet the children were always clean and well turned out. I was impressed with how the Germans were ciping with the very hard times that people were suffering” The children photographed included Heiko Cramer, at the time a small boy trying to sell bits and pieces to Allied soldiers on trains for food or money. By coincidence Perry met Heiko at a flea market on a trip to Cuxhaven decades later and showed him the photos. He recognised himself and organised an exhibition of photos, which was

followed up this year with a bigger exhibition, with further exhibitions in the pipeline. “Heiko told me his mother would send the children out to ask soldiers for old socks or anything that could be unravelled and knitted into useful clothing. It was this resourcefulness that had impressed me so much and that I’d wanted to show people at home. The German people had nothing, but they coped so well with the terrible deprivation.” Perry was stationed in Cuxhaven and at just 23 was part of the team responsible for loading and unloading the ships moving troops and personal to and from the British Zone of Germany from the the key port at the mouth of the river Elbe. Having had so much responsibility, when he returned home it was hard to return to a desk job and he decided to explore his love of photography as a career. He joined Van Buren photographers in an unpaid role to learn the ropes, and before long was a partner in the company, eventually becoming sole owner. At 92 he has a lifetime

curator and director of The Market Studios. She now works for Creative Exchange as the studio administrator. Rob Hilken, is the Northern Ireland representative for the VAI. His own artwork is often participatory, he recently created a series of video works exploring the phenomenon of the Ulster Fry. David Fox originally from Co. Ofally but now based at Creative Exchange studios. His eerie paintings depict interior and exterior spaces where there is a noticeable absence of any human presence. He is currently represented by the Spanish gallery Galeria Silverstrein in Madrid. Charlotte Bosanquet, a Belfast based artist originally from Surrey in England was co-founder of Prime (an artist collective based at the Bathhouse on Templemore Avenue) She spoke about a recent project she worked on with members of the Women’s Institute. Heather Wilson is another artist based at Creative Exchange, her artwork is often sculptural, it combines craftsmanship and aesthetics and she spoke about the importance of ‘play’ in her work. Jane Butler is based at Array Studios in Belfast, she recently finished a directorship at Catalyst Arts. Jane spoke about a recent site specific project using a billboard image she was inspired by. Artists, curators, VAI director Noel Kelly and local visitors were welcomed to Creative Exchange with a ‘Feast in the East’ a handsome spread of food and wine kindly sponsored by the board of directors at Creative Exchange. The Feast gave the visitors an opportunity to meet the artists in their studios and do some all-important networking while enjoying a glass of red!

of photographs of Belfast and abroad catalogued on iPads, and is still a keen photographer, often using his iPhone to snap pictures, or one of his variety of digital cameras. He is a dab hand at photoshop and various other digital photography programmes, and has the technological prowess of a teenager. Perry maintained his connections with Cuxhaven all his life, honeymooning there in and visiting regularly with his wife Ruth over the years until her death in 2010. While his health makes it difficult to travel there now, he keeps up with the town through the port’s web cam, watching ships come and go and people promenading along the sea front. He’s pleased to still be involved with the town, even from a distance, and while he can’t make it to the exhibition himself, he can see where it is. “I never thought my photos would be in any way of historical significance, but I’m pleased with the way it has turned out, and that the people of Cuxhaven have got to see them,” Perry said.

Belfast artist Dawn Crothers, presents art donation made by herself and Whalley Fine Art to Hannah Farrell, Staff Nurse, & Ward Sister Bernie McShane, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children & the Children’s Cancer Unit Charity for the corridors of the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children’s Cancer & Haematology Unit. At a combined value of around £10,000, the art donation includes three oil-on-canvas paintings featuring brightly coloured snails. In addition to her donated works which will remain on display at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Dawn will also feature one of her newest painting images, “Partridge in a Pear Tree,” on the Children’s Cancer Unit Charity’s first Christmas cards www.childrenscancerunit.com or www.facebook.com/ ChildrensCancerUnitCharity.

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EVENTS

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FROM THE VERY LATEST RELEASES TO THE CLASSICS WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE

GET HANDS ON THIS MONTH WITH A HOST OF SRAFTY GOINGS ON EAST SIDE

KEEP THE LITTLE ONES BUSY WITH A CRACKING LINE UP OF ACTIVITIES GALORE

WINTER IS UPON US WHICH MEANS THE SEASONAL FAIRS & SOIREES ARE GO!

DEC EVENTS 2015 ETC

The month ahead!

Avoniel Community Garden Christmas Celebration Come to the Avoniel Community Garden for their Christmas Celebration on Saturday 12th December 2015, 11am to 1pm. On the day there will be: Mud Kitchen, Christmas Trail, Festive Food, Christmas Music, Visit the Fairy Garden and leave something for the fairies, Arts and Crafts and A visit from Santa Claus! Fun for all the family and everyone is welcome! For more information contact Michele from the Connswater Community Greenway team by emailing Michele@eastsidepartnership. com or telephoning on 028 9046 2925.

BELFAST BIG SWING BAND THE BIG BAND CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

DECEMBER AT THE STRAND ARTS CENTRE

152-154 Holywood Road | Belfast | 028 9065 5830 | strandartscentre.com

Friday 18 December 2015 20 piece ‘Big Swing Band’ The Belfast Jazz and Swing Orchestra is dedicated to the performance of Big Band swing and the jazz music of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glen Millar etc. (3 course Christmas Fayre - Dancing & Big Band) £25 per person. Dinner 7pm for 7.30pm. Ticket only – Contact Jackie 07711 428480 OR come just for the Band & dancing £8 (pay at the door) 9pm.

Come & Enjoy Elf Hosted by New Life Counselling Sunday 13th December The screening of this festive classix will take place at 4.15pm. Tickets are available from the box office 152-154 Holywood Road priced £7.50 for adults and £4.50 for children which includes entry and refreshments. Tel 028 9065 5830 or visit strandartscentre.com

ENJOY CHRISTMAS IN TITANIC QUARTER

THUR 10TH DEC, 8.00PM | THE BJORN IDENTITY – CELEBRATING ABBA The Björn Identity are the finest Abba tribute shows this side of Sweden, taking UK and Irish venues by storm with an authentic, live Abba in concert experience; paying homage to the world’s best-loved 70’s Super Group ABBA. Featuring specially selected performers with West End & international touring experience, they never fail to exceed all expectations. They will astound you not only in visual likeness, but with sensational vocal performances, frighteningly close to the real thing! TICKETS £15.00 TUES 22ND DEC, 2.00PM | CHRISTMAS CLASSIC: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) After George Bailey wishes he had never been born, an angel is sent to earth to make George’s wish come true. George starts to realise how many lives he has changed and impacted, and how they would be different if he was never there. (U) £3.50

This winter Titanic Quarter (TQ) has everything you need to get in the mood to celebrate the Christmas season from W5’s Winterland Express, Titanic Belfast’s magical Christmas experience, to festive afternoon teas, Titanic taster photography tours and the Dock’s Christmas markets. For the full line up visit facebook.com/tqeventsbelfast

THUR 10TH DEC, 8.00PM | CHRISTMAS CLASSIC: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990) | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY A scientist builds an animated human being – the gentle Edward – but dies before he can finish assembling him, leaving the young man with a freakish appearance accentuated by the scissor blades he has instead of hands. Loving suburban saleswoman Peg discovers Edward and takes him home, where he falls for Peg’s teen daughter. However, despite his kindness and artistic talent, Edward’s hands make him an outcast. (12) £3.50

TITANIC BELFAST A Magical Christmas Experience at Titanic Belfast 10-23 Dec daily. Step back in time and explore Titanic Belfast’s traditional Christmas street scene Children £15 & Adults £4. titanicbelfast.com/magicalchristmas

popular Christmas songs, moving outside to welcome the abseiling Santa and his elves finally guests can then wander over to the festive Dock Christmas Market. Dock Cafe opening hours 11–5 Mon to Fri, 10-4 Sat until 19 Dec. Re-opens for 2016 on 4 Jan at 11am. the-dock.org

THUR 17TH DEC, 8.00PM | CHRISTMAS CLASSIC: HOME ALONE (1990) | 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister acts up the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realises that two con men plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home. (PG) £3.50

Festive Afternoon Tea in the Titanic Suite 13, 19 Dec & 1 Jan Step back in time to a period of luxury, elegance and 5-star service. From £25.00pp. Special kid’s menu available (aged 2–11). titanicbelfast.com/festiveteas

The Dock Christmas Market Sat 12 Dec, 11am–7pm The Dock Market is set to go all festive with friendly stall holders creating a merry atmosphere aided by a choir dancing groups, Christmas colouringin books for the wee ones and other festive surprises. the-dock.org/market

Titanic Royale – NYE The name’s Bond. James Bond... Join us for Casino Royale at Titanic Belfast this New Year’s Eve! Includes: New Year’s Cocktail on Arrival, Themed Evening Supper, James Peake Experience, Casino and Roulette Tables, Midnight Piper & DJ Entertainment. £40pp titanicbelfast.com/nye2015 W5 Christmas at W5! Meet Santa in his icy Christmas cavern and ride W5’s magical miniature train ride, The Winterland Express. 28 Nov–20 Dec, 10am–6pm & Mon • 21 Dec–Wed 23 Dec: 10am–5pm • Closed on 24, 25, 26 THE DOCK The Dock Café Christmas Extravaganza Sat 12 Dec, 4pm Starting with candle light in The Dock with everybody belting out

T13 Club nights run throughout the Christmas Holidays. • Tue/Thu: BMX Club: 6.30–8.30pm • Tues/Thurs: Parkour Club 7pm–9pm • Sat: Scooter Club 1.30pm–3.30pm • Sat: Parkour Club 2pm–4pm For info on private lessons in BMX, Scooters & Parkour contact T13’s Facebook pg. All club nights £10 per session & work on a drop-in basis. CAST AND CREW Open all of December for your Christmas Party events. We have an entertainments licence, so feel free to bring your own DJ or singer and party the night away from 5pm until late. Choose from an exciting 3 course meal at £27.50pp Or why not celebrate in a unique style by having a Christmas BBQ, simply pick 3 delicious options for £22.50pp. Room hire free for parties of 30+ castandcrewbelfast.co.uk

ELF SCREENING ON 35MM Sat 12th - 2pm & 8pm, Sat 19th - 2pm & 6pm , Christmas Eve 24th - 2pm, Boxing Day 26th - 6pm & 8pm , New Year’s Eve 31st - 2pm Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. As it happens, this is Walter Hobbs, a cynical businessman. After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results. (PG) SAT 19TH DEC, 3.00PM | STAR WARS – CLAYRAZY YODA WORKSHOP Learn new skills while having fun! The Clayrazy instructors guide you through your tailored workshop, teaching you how to create your own model of Yoda that you get to take home! CHILD £9.50 / ADULT £4.00 MON 28TH DEC, 12.30PM | FROZEN SING-A-LONG SPECIAL We just can’t let it go! Activities start at 12.30pm with a meet and greet with Elsa & Anna! Film starts at 2pm. Live songs performed by Elsa & Anna, face painting and colouring-in… Dressing up encouraged! TICKETS £8.00 WED 30TH DEC, 2.00PM | MINECRAFT WORKSHOP 2 hour workshop with a Clay, Brick, and free-play stations. Kids are encouraged to bring their devices to play MineCRAFT on and can share some of their best builds! After the workshop, why not stay for a film - we have matinee screenings on after at 4.15pm for £4. Facilitated by Bricks for Kidz, for kids aged 4+ TICKETS £10 PER CHILD THUR 7TH JAN, 8.00PM | THE ELVIS SPECTACULAR The greatest Elvis show since 1977! Join us for a two hour trip to Elvis heaven... European champion Ciaran Houihan & his band and the Sweet Sensations are back! TICKETS £15.00 STARTS THURSDAY 17TH DECEMBER | STAR WARS – THE FORCE AWAKENS FRIDAY 18TH DECEMBER, 7.00PM | SPECIAL EVENT Get your photo taken at our selfie space station with Star Wars stormtroopers, plus free face painting for kids before the film at 8.00pm. The seventh installment in the main Star Wars film series, it stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow, with Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker reprising their roles from previous Star Wars films. The story is set approximately 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). SNOOPY AND CHARLIE BROWN: THE PEANUTS MOVIE Advanced Saturday and Sunday screenings 12th & 13th December From 21st December Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, the Red Baron, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home.

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34 T he Lo o p | D ecem ber 201 5 | Your local guide

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What’s Happening in East Belfast? Mums & Tots MONDAY Calvary Mums & Toddlers. 10.30-12.00am. £1 per family. 100 Dee St, BT4 028 9073 2331 East End Baptist Tiny Tots (Westbourne street). Each Monday during term time 10:30-12noon. £1 donation. Tel: 07786 962220. Little Stars The Salvation Army 110 Cregagh Road Toys/snacks/craft/music. £1.50 per family. 10am-12 term time for 0-4 years. 028 9045 4466. Sydenham Parent & Toddler Mon 10-11.30 £1 per family Inverary CC BT4 1RN 028 9047 1456 St Finnians 10-11.30. Cregagh Park, 028 9079 2793. Wandsworth Mums & Chums 10-11.45am. Wandsworth CC. £1 26a Belmont Church Rd. 07903 674698

TUESDAY Albertbridge Congregational 10.30-12.15. Woodstock Link. Donation £1 CFC Mops & Tots 9.30-11am (term time - alternate Tuesdays) £1 for one child, £1.50 total for more. Tea/coffee/juice/snacks. CFC Mops 9.30-11am (term time - alternate Tuesdays) £3.50 per mum. Breakfast and creche. 10 Belmont Rd. 028 9067 1838 www.thisiscfc.com Mersey Street Presbyterian. 10-11.45am term time. £1. 028 9065 7025 McQuiston Toddlers 10-11.30am. Toast, juice, tea, coffee & biscuits. McQuiston Memorial, 83 Castlereagh Road. Mount Merrion Parish Church 10am Toddler Group. Tel 07905 144070 Mount Merrion Ave, BT6. St Donards Church 10am-12 Bloomfield Avenue Tel: 028 9065 2321 £1 for adults. Tea/coffee/juice Strandtown Baptist Tots 10.00- 11.30am (term time) Strandtown Baptist Church, 1 Clonallon Court BT4 2AB Tel: 028 9080 8380 £1 per adult Tots & Co 10.15- 11.45am (term time) Cregagh Methodist Church £1.50 per family (incl juice/snack & tea. 28-30 Cregagh Rd. 028 9045 7564

WEDNESDAY Busy Bees 10 -11:30am Knock Methodist Church, Knock Road. Tel: 028 9065 3413 Orangefield Baptist Church 10.30-12. 37 North Road, BT5 5NE smallTALK @ orangefield 10-11.45am O’field Church & Community, 464 Castlereagh Road. 02890 799391 orangefield.org.uk St Colmcille’s Parent & Toddler 10am term time St Colmcille’s Parish Hall (opposite Tesco’s) in Ballyhackamore. Men looking after young children welcome. 191a Upper Newtownards Rd Willowfield Mother & Toddler 10-12pm W’stock Rd, 028 9045 7654 Bloomfield Methodist Church 10-11.30am £1 per family Grand Parade 028 9065 8946.

THURSDAY Cregagh Presbyterian 10am mothers & toddlers. Tel Josephine 028 9065 4181. 102-104 Cregagh Road Cregagh Mums & Tots

10-12pm Cregagh CC. Mount Merrion Avenue. Tel: 028 9040 1444 Gilnahirk Presbyterian Thursdays 10-11.30am. £1 per family. 161 Gilnahirk Rd. Tel: Laura 07708 000025 Glenmachan Tots & Toddlers 10-12 term time. Church of God, Glenmachan Road. Tel 028 9076 1676 glenmachan.org Kirkpatrick Memorial Presb Parents & Toddlers. 10-11.30am Upper Newtownards Rd £1 donation Knock Parent & Toddler 10-11.45am Knock Presbyterian 53 Kings Road, Gillian 07803 117619.

FRIDAY St Columba’s Mums & Tots 9.45-11.45 (term time). 29 Kings Road

Classes & Events MONDAY Ballyhackamore Library 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204 Ballyhack Book Pack - Adult reading group (1st Mon of the month) 7pm. Knit & Natter 2-4pm. Bedtime Stories 7pm. Womens Book Club (Last Mon of the month) 7pm. Creative Writers (3rd Mon of the month) 6.45pm. Ballyhackamore Crime Reading Group (2nd Mon of the month) 7pm. Bean Blessed Bloomfield Ave Congregational Church Tea/ coffee, scones, pastries. 10.30-12 Belmont Tower nationaltrust.org.uk/belmont-tower The Programme 6.30-8.30pm. Tel Helen 028 9076 1172 Cregagh Cricket Club Gibson Park Avenue, 028 9045 9440 6.30pm Under 9 & Under 11 cricket training. Cregagh Presbyterian Cub Scouts. 6.30pm. Tel John 07809 205579 102-104 Cregagh Road Harding Memorial Rainbows 4-7yrs Mon 6pm Brownies 7-10yrs Monday 7pm Guides 10-14yrs Mondays 7pm. Clare 07905 556825. Orangefield Baptist Ladies Coffee Morning 1st Mon of month 10.30am 37 North Rd 028 9065 7876 Skainos Building skainos.org Turas Irish Language Upper Intermediate Class 10 -12. Irish Language Singing Class from 6 – 7pm. Contact Linda Ervine. EBM Homework Club (P7 only) f3.30–5.30pm. Contact Hannah Ferguson028 9045 8560. Female Bodycamp from 7-8pm. FREE Trial. Sara Eaches on 07919146434 Strand Cinema & NI Stars Holywood Rd, BT4 .nistars.com. Singing & dancing 7-8pm Wandsworth Community 028 9065 1668. Children’s Drama Academy 5-6pm. Children & Teens carnival drumming 6.30pm-7.30pm. Aerobics 7-8pm. Combat 8.15-9.30pm

TUESDAY 15th NI Girls Brigade Cregagh Methodist 23-30 Cregagh Road Tinies (3-4) 6.15-7.15pm Explorers (5-7) 6.15-7.30pm Juniors (8-10) 7.00-9.00pm Company (11-19) 7.30-9.30pm Telephone 07783 408609 Ardenlee Ladies Bowling Club Warm and friendly Club welcoming new members. Experience not necessary, bowls supplied. Ravenhill Green, Ormeau Park, opposite Ravenhill Avenue All enquiries to 90586446. Also meet on Thursdays. Belmont Tower nationaltrust.org.uk/belmont-tower Childrens dance classes 4-7pm. Pregnancy Yoga 8pm10pm. Belfast Wine Makers 8pm-10pm. Samantha Meditation 7pm-9pm. Mount Merrion Parish Church Junior puppet club. 3.30pm. P1-P3. Tel 07443 334690 Senior puppet club. 4.30pm. P4-P7. Tel 07443 334690 Learn to dance. 7.30pm, Ballroom, sequence & Latin. Tel 07547 801383. Mount Merrion Ave, BT6.

Skainos Building skainos.org EBM Women’s Group 7pm. Sandie Gallagher 028 9045 8560. EBM Homework Club (P4 – P6) from 3.30–5.30pm. Hannah Ferguson 028 9045 8560. EBM Choir practice (age 17+) from 5.45 – 6.45pm. Contact Sandie Gallagher on 028 9045 8560. Turas Irish Language Total Beginners Classes 7-9pm at EBM and also at Dundonald High School Turas Irish Language Upper Intermediate class from 7-9pm Turas set dancing class from 7-8.30pm. For all Turas classes contact Linda Ervine on 028 9045 8560 Wandsworth Community Playclub 3-4 yr olds 10am-12. Painting for Pleasure 11am-1pm. Kids Irish dancing 5-6.30pm, Aerobics 7-8pm. Appreciation of Art 7-9pm. Wasps seniors group last Tues of month 2-3.30pm. Belfast Boxing Fitness. Male & female 18+ 8.15pm.

WEDNESDAY 29th NI Girls Brigade Cregagh Congregational. Explorers (3-7) 6:45-8:15pm. Company Section (8-18) 6:45-10pm. Helen 07938 521823. Avoniel Community Garden Beside Avoniel Leisure Centre. Open to public 1pm - 3pm. T: 028 9046 7925 Belmont Tower nationaltrust.org.uk/belmont-tower Baby massage 10am-1pm. PlayBall NI 9am-1pm. 39th Old Boys Flute Ensemble 7-9pm. Belfast Soroptimists 7.30pm9. NI Orchid Society 6pm-8pm. Mindfullness 6.30pm-8.30 Cregagh Cricket Club Gibson Park Avenue, 028 9045 9440 6.30pm Under 13 & Under 15 cricket training. Cregagh Presbyterian For seniors - “Evergreens’. 2.30pm. Tel Barbara 028 9045 3829. Beavers. 6.30pm. Tel Carolyn 07816 658507 Squirrels. 6.30pm. Tel Laura 07597 684104 102-104 Cregagh Road Gilnahirk Mens Group For retired men. 10.30am-12. Runs until 4th May 2016. Tea/ Coffee/Chat/Fellowship & an interesting Speaker Gilnahirk Horticultural & Civic Group Stye Brae Centre - Gilnahirk Presbyterian. Gardening talk, tea & biscuits. 1st Weds of the month until April. 8pm. Girls Brigade Bloomfield Ave Congregational. 3 yrs - P4 6.15pm. P5 upwards 7.30pm Luncheon Club For senior citizens. Cregagh Methodist. 12 noon. £1.50. Pre book on 028 9045 7564. Mount Merrion Parish Church Homework club. 3pm. P1-P3. Tel 07443 334690 Homework club. 4pm. P4-P7. Tel 07443 334690 Ladies craft club. T: 028 9058 9149. Mount Merrion Ave Over 60’s Lunch Club Bloomfield Methodist Church. 12.30pm. 3 courses for £3. Grand Parade. Tel: 028 9065 2314 to book. Skainos Building skainos.org Kidz GAP - Young children with their Parents/Guardians 10am-12pm. Contact Sandie Gallagher on 028 9045 8560. Senior Friendship Club from 2pm-3.30pm. Contact EBM on 028 9045 8560. Street Soccer five-a-side in the EBM community hall from 1-3pm. Contact Justin on 028 9046 3482. Turas Irish Language Family Class form 5.30 – 7pm. Turas Irish Language Post Beginners class from 7-9pm. Turas Irish Language Intermediate exam class from 7-9pm. Strand Arts Centre “Wacky Wednesdays” All shows, all day for £3. Wandsworth Community Sewing Group 10am-12noon. Flower Arranging 1.303.30pm. Yoga 7-8.30pm

THURSDAY Ardenlee Ladies Bowling Club Warm and friendly Club welcoming new members. Experience not necessary, bowls supplied. Ravenhill Green, Ormeau Park, opposite Ravenhill Avenue All enquiries to 90586446. Also meet on Tuesdays. Ballyhackamore Library 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204 Rhythm & Rhyme (1st & 3rd Thurs of the month) 11.15am. Booking essential on the morning of event.

Belmont Tower nationaltrust.org.uk/belmont-tower Art classes 10am-1pm. Baby Sensory Classes 10am-1pm. Yoga 6-9pm. E Belfast Historical Society 7.15pm-10.15. Cregagh Presbyterian Girl Guides. 6.30pm. Tel Gillian 028 9187 4687 Brownies. 6.30pm. Tel Vicki 028 9045 8208 Rainbow Guides. 6pm. Tel Claire 07598 866895 102-104 Cregagh Road Mount Merrion Parish Church Diamontes Dance Group. Tel 07880 880829. Senior Citizens Luncheon Club Midday @ Ballymac Centre. Hot lunch & social time. alison@ballymac.org Skainos Building skainos.org Over’s Luncheon Club from 12.30-2pm. Sandie Gallagher 028 9045 8560. Art Group from 1-2pm for Over 50’s. Painting, crafts and marquetry. Arlene Megaw 028 9045 8560. EBM homework club (P4-P6) 3.30 – 5.30pm. Contact Hannah Ferguson on 028 9045 8560. Turas Tin Whistle beginners class form 2-3pm. Linda Ervine on 028 9045 8560 Wandsworth Community 028 9065 1668. Needlework 10am-12pm. Spanish mums & tots 11am-12pm. Spanish for preschoolers 2.15-3pm. Spanish for children 3.15-4pm. Boot Camp 7-8pm. Core Combat 8.30-10pm.

FRIDAY Albertbridge Congregational 6 Woodstock Link 028 9045 7434 Friday Friendship. 10.30am-12.30pm. Ballyhackamore Library 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204. Chill Out Family Story Time. 3.30pm. Relax & Read 1am-12pm. Belmont Tower nationaltrust.org.uk/belmont-tower Art Classes 10-1pm. East End Baptist Children’s Meeting (Westbourne street). Every Friday night. 7-8pm. Quizzes, choruses, Bible lessons & lots of fun each week. Mount Merrion Parish Church 3rd Fri of the month - Messy Church. Tel 07880 880829 Skainos Building skainos.org Turas Irish Language Intermediate class 10-12noon. Linda Ervine 028 9045 8560. Friday Fusion - arts, crafts, play for P1-P7 6:30pm-8pm. Mark Savage 028 9045 8560. Street Soccer NI 1.30 – 4pm. Free 5 a-side football in Shaftesbury Recreation Centre. Justin on 90463482. Wandsworth Community Painting for Pleasure 11am-1pm. Kids Ju Jitsu 6-8pm. Shiloh Hall 6 The Mount, Coffee Morning. 10:30-12.

SATURDAY Avoniel Community Garden Beside Avoniel Leisure Centre. Open to public 1pm to 3pm. T: 028 9046 7925 Mount Merrion Parish Church SunshineFit Kids - keep fit. Mount Merrion Ave, BT6. Orangefield Baptist Church 37 North Road, Searchlight Club p1-p7. 10.30-12. Skainos Building skainos.org Walking Group on selected Saturdays at 10am. Contact Gary Allen on 028 9045 8560. Strand Cinema & NI Stars Stage school. 10-1pm nistars.com Wandsworth Community 028 9065 1668. STX/Kickboxing 10am-11.30am

SUNDAY Kingdom Harvest Church, Belfast Sunday Worship 11am / Tea & Coffee. Plus "Superchurch" for Children 6-12yrs @ the Inverary Community Centre For more info: www.kingdomharvest.co.uk Mount Merrion Parish Church KIC (Birth upwards). 10.30am. Tel 07443 334690 Youth Club. P4-P7. 6pm. Tel 07443 334690 Youth Club. Yr 8 upwards. 7pm. Tel 07926 6383 Skainos.org Sunday Worship 11am. Tea & Coffe @ 10.30am. Creche and Sunday school available for children Strand Cinema & NI Stars Singling & dancing 1.30-3.30pm

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36 T he Lo o p | D ecember 201 5 | LOCAL SPORT & CL U BS

WOMEN’S RUGBY GAINS MOMENTUM WITH HELP OF BCSDN! With the Women’s Rugby World Cup due to be hosted by Ireland in 2017, preparations are in full swing ingspan Stadium, Belfast, home of Ulster Rugby will host the final showing just how women’s rugby is growing rapidly in Northern Ireland. With the sport going from strength to strength, Belfast Community Sports Development Network is offering its support. BCSDN organises a number of coaching sessions and programmes across the city in all areas of sport, with rugby proving to be very popular. Recently, Jonathan Mc Quigley, rugby coach for BCSDN visited a number of schools in Belfast including, St. Louise’s Comprehensive College, Ashfield Girls, Wellington College and Aquinas Grammar to deliver coaching sessions for the pupils. The aim of these sessions is to give the schools some assistance and direct the school to take park in the 2016 Girls Schools Cup run by the Ulster Rugby (IRFU Ulster Branch). The Girls School Cup Rugby will consist of regional qualifying events; play off events and then the school cup final which will also take place at Kingspan Stadium Feb/March time 2016. These coaching sessions have proved to be successful with positive feedback from both the pupils and the teachers, and hopefully creating our future stars in women’s rugby.

PICTURED:

Girls from Aquinas Grammar School taking part in BCSDN coaching session.

EAST BELFAST GROUPS SHARE IN GRANTS BOOST FROM AWARDS FOR ALL

ast Belfast Football Club has received a £4,550 grant from Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All programme. It is part of a Big Lottery Fund grants roll out of £743,207 to 95 groups across Northern Ireland. (See separate attachment for a full list of awards) including four groups in the east Belfast area sharing in a total of £26,255 from Awards for All. East Belfast Football Club increases community activity and provides opportunities for people to build skills in east Belfast. They are using the £4,550 grant to run a number of community training programmes in partnership with other local community organisations. These include training in first aid, IT and media for young people, child protection, good relations, autism awareness and IFA coaching. Paul Ellis is a children’s coach at the

Community workers are receiving training to better support people in east Belfast, thanks to a grant from Big Lottery Fund. Other East Belfast Organisations to receive Awards for All funding: Nettlefield Primary School in east Belfast also received an Awards for All grant of £9,870 for a craft project in association with the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum to address the mental health and wellbeing issues of parents who receive or are in need of support from the school’s parent support worker. The project will teach the parents’ traditional craft based skills, develop volunteer roles for them at the museum and develop a support network outside of the school. FunDays, an east Belfast self help group, works to support families with special needs children to enjoy activities as a family. They received a grant of £1,840 to provide a programme of social, educational and wellbeing activities and events throughout the year. Mount Masonic Hall Co. Limited manages the Mount Masonic Hall in east Belfast. They received a grant of £9,995 to make improvements to the hall so it can be used for more community activities.

club. He started coaching recently after taking part in a series of training courses, funded by Awards for All. “The training programmes are a great boost to the east Belfast community,” said Paul. “I have lived in east Belfast all my life so I have grown up knowing the good and the not-so-good times in my community. The plans the club has for the future and what they want to achieve for the people and the area of east Belfast got me interested. I have been around other clubs but the vision this club has - to try and regenerate the area and to build stronger relations within the community - appealed to me so I jumped at the chance to become a coach. Now, after three or four months of being a coach I want even more to help these young kids succeed as people as well as footballers. The club started offering a number of courses to enhance our ability to help the

boys and girls within our club and that also give us the confidence to take these skills into the wider community. We already have a couple of children at the club with autism. The autism awareness course gave us an insight on how to support with children with this condition and develop them to their full potential. The IT and media course is important in that it gives the community the skills to promote the club and the area in a way that young people can relate to. We want to get the message out that east Belfast is a safe, educational and most of all fun place to live. The values we teach at the football club will be taken with these kids into their adult life. We hope they will pass on this message and show respect to others regardless of race or religion. I know we are making a small difference to the community of east Belfast and further afield.”

COUNCIL RECOGNISES LOCAL SPORTING TALENT Lisburn & Castlereagh has paid tribute to local sporting talent during the 2015 Draynes Farm Sports Awards held at a prestigious ceremony at Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn. he event, which was attended by over 200 guests, was hosted by Sports Journalist, Graham Little and included an appearance from special guest Stephen Ferris, Ulster and Irish Lion. The Sports Awards recognise individuals and teams from Lisburn & Castlereagh who have excelled within their chosen sport or contributed to sport through coaching. The aim of the event is to celebrate the immense sporting talent within the Council area and encourage greater participation in sport. Taekwondo Champion, Peter Stewart was named as Sports Personality of the Year. Peter who marked his 20th anniversary coaching and competing for Lisburn Taekwondo Club, achieved gold and bronze medals in the British Internationals, gold in both Copenhagen and Irish Internationals and silver in the Taekwondo Commonwealth Games. Fell runner, Diane Wilson was awarded second place and fencer, Phillip Slater third place in this category. Junior Sports Personality of the Year was won by swimmer Rachel Bethel who competed at the European Games in the 100 metre and 200 metres freestyle and 4 x 100 metre relay, breaking Irish Junior and Ulster Senior records. Rachel also competed at the World Junior Championships in Singapore and the Junior Commonwealth Games. Second place in the category was Taekwondo champion James Nicholson and third place was athlete Ben Fisher. Attending the awards ceremony, Alderman Paul Porter, Chairman of the Council’s Leisure & Community Development

Committee said, “The Sports Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the sporting talent across the Council area. Any achievement in sport is testimony to years of hard work, training and dedication therefore it is important to publicly recognise the accomplishments of all our nominees here tonight. “Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council firmly believes that sport matters – not just to those teams and individuals who aspire to reach the highest levels of performance and competition but also to the wider community who take part for the fun and enjoyment of sport. We have a proud history of sporting successes across the Council area and it gives me great pleasure to recognise the wealth of talent at this year’s Sports Awards. I would like to congratulate all the award and bursary winners for their achievements in sport and to everyone behind the scenes for their commitment to sport within our local communities.” Club of the Year was won by Salto Gymnastics Club with Hazama Judo Club taking second place and Lisburn Taekwondo Club third place. School Team of the Year was awarded to Wallace High School 1st XI Hockey Team with Friends’ School U13 Hockey Team taking second place and Laurelhill Community College U13 Football Team taking third place. 19 year old, Dempsey Andrews was presented with the Coach of the Year Award for her dedication to ice skating through her work at her Ice Skating Academy at Dundonald International Ice Bowl. Second prize was awarded to Mark Spence from Hazama Judo Club and third place Wayne Hughes from Derriaghy

Cricket Club. The Senior Team of the Year was won by Lisburn Golf Club Fourball Team with South Antrim Hockey Club 1st XI taking second place and Lisburn City Athletics Club Women’s Relay Team third place. Lisburn Golf Club Junior Team was awarded first prize in the Junior Team of the Year. Lisburn Gladiators Fencing Team achieved second place and Lisburn City Swimming Club Girls U12 Medley Relay Team third place in this category. The Merit Award was presented to joint winners Don McMahon and Carmel Quinn. Don has helped hundreds of young people and adults train and enjoy football through The Don’s Football Club. Carmel Quinn is secretary for Townland Boxing Club but often goes above and beyond for the members and club itself. Phillip Baxter from Lagan Valley Orienteering came a close third. During the evening, Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh also awarded a number of bursaries to athletes and winners. Jimmy Walker, Chairman of Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh added his support for the event. He said, “The Sports Awards is definitely one of the highlights of the year for Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh as it gives us the opportunity to recognise, honour and congratulate athletes, teams and coaches for their hard work and dedication to their chosen sport. We hope our nominees will inspire others to participate in sport and help develop sporting talent and healthier lifestyles in Lisburn & Castlereagh Finally I would like to thank Draynes Farm for kindly supporting tonight’s event.”

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38 T he L o o p | D e cem ber 201 5 | PITCH SIDE

Lo cal FOOTBALL By AL A N HA L L

DARREN LOCKS DUNS DOOR DARREN Lockhart has resigned as manager of Dundela, just a few short months after taking over from Mark Snodden, who stepped down at THE end of last season. he Duns, remember, had been relegated down to Championship 2. Yet they looked set for a swift return to Championship 1, after opening the campaign with three wins out of their first four. However, since then, they’ve only managed four points out a possible 24 and, now fourth from bottom, are fighting for their lives, in a championship 2 that is going to be reduced in number at the end of the season. Former Crusaders and Glentoran midfielder Darren Lockhart came to the club, having cut his managerial teeth with Sirocco Works and admits “Dundela was my ideal job, a great club, and right on my door step!”

However, Darren’s circumstances had changed since his appointment in May, as he told the Loop, “I changed job in September and because if this, I was just too stretched. Much as I would have liked to, I just couldn’t manage the two. I also had family commitments. I decided two weeks ago, and win, lose or draw against Banbridge, I was going anyway! It was just becoming too much. “I wanted to be fair to the club and I thought it was better going now, so that someone new could be in for the transfer window in January, where they could get the chance to freshen things up. “We needed to get bodies in. I had ear marked a few to come in January, but to get 7 or 8 in, you need to maybe talk to

GLENTORAN 2 | GLENAVON 2 GOALS from Jonathan Smith and Steven Gordon gave Alan Kernaghan his first win as Glentoran manager, in Saturday’s tussle with Gary Hamilton’s Glenavon at storm tossed Oval. THE GLENS kicked off with the raging wind at their backs and understandably had the lion’s share of possession. The first meaningful pot on goal came on nine minutes when Fra McCaffrey and Gordon linked up well down the right, but Gordon’s half baked effort was blocked by Simon Kelly. That was the first of three corners in quick succession, where a combination of Smith’s teasing deliveries plus the gusting wind caused visiting keeper Jonathon Tuffey all sorts of problems. Tuffey, too, was almost caught out on 23 minutes when a Smith free kick cannoned off the crossbar. The ball was then swung back over by McCaffrey for Smith, whose diving header was well saved. At the other end, Glenavon had a loud penalty appeal turned down when Eoin Bradley went down under Jonny Addis’s challenge. Referee Andrew Davey, however, wasn’t impressed and fuelled Glenavon’s anger by cautioning Bradley for simulation in the box. Yet it was the wakeup call the Glens perhaps needed. They knew they had to make use of the considerable wind advantage and sure enough, they finally breezed into the lead on 33 minutes; Smith, playing in a more advanced role under Kernaghan, glancing home Steven McCullough’s right wing free kick. Nevertheless, the old adage about a side being at its most vulnerable after its score was almost reinforced but the hitherto redundant

Scott Dornan battles for the ball

PHOTO BY ANDY GRAY

BANBRIDGE TOWN 2 | DUNDELA 0 THE Darren Lockhart reign came to an end with this disappointing defeat away to Banbridge Town at Crystal Park, leaving Dundela in a relegation battle, just four off the bottom of Championship 2.. It was Town who had the first real offering; a volley slung high over James Taylor’s goal. It was the home side, too, who looked the more threatening, with the best the Duns could muster were long range strikes from Adam Neale, Ryan Bickerstaff and Scott Dornan – none of which troubled Tuda Murphy in the Banbridge goal. It was no real surprise then when the Bannsiders broke the stalemate right on half time; Ryan Gormley breaking the offside trap to give the stranded Taylor no

chance. The rain thundered down during the half time break and it was Banbridge who seemed to adapt better on the resumption, being rewarded when Gourley smacked in his second of the match, after an unfortunate slip by Scott Collins. As the rain turned into hail, chances became even more limited, though the introduction of Jack McCullough from the under 19s, in place of Matty Burrows, and the replacement of Bickerstaff by West seemed to give the Duns some

around 30. I would have so many people to meet and I didn’t have the time as it was. My assistant Wayne McMeekin was a great help to me, but it was getting to the stage where it was a rush, even to get to training to time. I couldn’t give all I wanted to give, through no fault of my own!” Dundela have been in something of a downward spiral, ever since beating Immaculata to capture the Steel and Sons Cup just two short years ago. As Lockhart agreed, “In football, you can get into a rut and that’s one of the things I was trying to stop. It maybe means a case of players having to work that bit harder to get out of it, but the prospect of coming in three nights a week is a big commitment for Amateur players. The heart was pulled out of the team last season and it’s hard getting players in, after going down a league. The worry I had going into January was that I was going to lose my better players, to higher Divisions. “The players that are there are good enough, but the problem is getting them all fit. At one stage out of a 24 man squad,

I had something like 12 or 13 injured! And not only was it a case of not being able to play my best team, due to injuries, I wasn’t able to field a consistent side.” Badly missed were the likes of Jamie Jackson, out with a cruciate injury, Gary Irwin, Michael Herron, while Stephen Shaw and Collie Smith have only been able to play a handful of games, although Shaw is back in training. Darren’s miserable luck with injuries was summed up in his Dundela swansong at Banbridge where Michael Edgar, just back from injury, pulled up with a thigh injury in the warm up; Ethan Knipe having already dropped out of the squad with a throat infection. The defensive injuries, though, have meant a change in role for Mark McClelland, from poacher to gamekeeper and as Darren points out, “He has been an outstanding success since we moved him from centre forward to centre half. He’s as good as you’ll see in our league, and he’s so committed and has a great attitude – if only we had another ten of him!” Lockhart is also full of praise for everyone

Elliott Morris pulled off an excellent save, as Joel Cooper fired through a congested box. At the other end, Tuffey was swift off his line, as Gordon and Ciaran Caldwell tried to fasten onto a McCaffrey lob. One-nil looked a precarious enough interval lead, bearing in mind that the Glens would have to play into the teeth of the howling gale in the second half. And true to form, after a break towards the end of the first session, the wind and rain returned with a vengeance at the start of the second half. It was a case of battening the hatches and just three minutes in, Morris protected that one goal advantage, superbly clawing away a curling effort from ex Glens winger Andy Hall. On 53 minutes. Glenavon went even closer; Morris’s attempted punch from a corner careering off the back of McCullough’s head and the ball looked set to drop over the line, until hooked clear by captain Barry Holland. With the EastEnders restricted to the sporadic breakaway, Hall, Cooper and Daniel Kearns swung in threatening crosses but the back four of Holland, Addis, Magee and McCullough along with ‘keeper Morris stood firm to weather the storm. As the game drew to a close, an increasingly frustrated Glenavon were throwing caution to the wind, and the inevitable gaps at the back were exposed just four minutes from time when Glentoran cemented those first three points for Kernaghan, courtesy of a shot from Gordon which took a deflection off Conor Dillon on its way over a helpless Tuffey. Glentoran – Morris – Holland, Addis, Magee, McCullough – Henderson (Hamill), Caldwell, Gordon, McCaffrey – Smith, Allen. Subs (unused) Hogg, Cafolla, Fearon, O’Hanlon much needed impetus. West’s presence at the back afforded full backs Collins and Thompson greater freedom to roam and they began to pepper balls into the Banbridge box; Thompson coming close with a wind assisted long ranger that just whizzed past the upright. There were other offerings, as Collins bobbled one wide while Stephen Gourley had an effort blocked by the home defence. Dornan, also tried his luck, but to no avail. In the final analysis, though, another disappointing display by a Dundela side, clearly suffering from a lack of confidence. As manager Darren Lockhart concluded, “We had plenty of possession but just no cutting edge; the final balls into the box were poor. There’s a tendency to overplay and some time you just need to get the ball into the box!” And it will hardly get any easier on Saturday in the Irish Cup where the visitors to Wilgar are Immaculata FC, although the Duns could be understandably perked up by that Steel and Sons Cup success over the same opposition, just two short years ago. Dundela: Taylor, Thompson, Gourley (c), McClelland, Collins, Bickerstaff (West), Dornan, Kerr, Lenaghan, Burrows (McCullough), Neale. Subs: Sergeant, Edgar, Murphy.

WELLINGTON REC 3, BLOOMFIELD 5 MANAGER Clinton McCreery had been maintaining that for weeks Bloomfield had been playing better than the results suggested; they were just hampered by a failure to take their chances – but on Saturday, it did all come good as they rattled in five away to Wellington Rec, the side who hadn’t been beaten in 1b all season, in this their 11th fixture at Brookvale Park. McCreery afterwards agreed,“It was well deserved. We had been playing all the football but not getting the goals but after beating Fivemiletown 3-0 in the Intermediate the week before, it looks as though the goals are starting to come - and hopefully that’s the start of us pulling ourselves up the league table!”Bloomfield are currently 11th in 1b, but with more games played than the three teams below them.

SHORTS 1, BANGOR SWIFTS 1 Second successive one-all draw on home turf for Shorts, as they had to settle for a point in this tussle with Bangor Swifts at Aircraft Park. As Shorts manager Alan McClelland reflected afterwards,“Over the course of the 90 minutes, we deserved to get the three points, so I’m disappointed, but that’s football. We’ll pick ourselves up and go again next week!”

at the club, adding “It’s a great club. For players coming in, they want for nothing, even the small things, like their boots being polished. They are really well catered for, the best of training equipment, the best of facilities; they’re all made to feel so welcome. There’s a good way about the club, a good social club, good people about the place and they all want to do well. They’ve had great success in the past and that was one of my frustrations, how downbeat they had become and I wasn’t able to raise the spirits again. The long term future of the club also looks good, with some great prospects in the under 19s. “It’s a great club to manage – but unfortunately with my work commitments changing since I took over, I wasn’t able to do it the way I would have liked. At least going now gives them a chance to get someone new in, and I wish them all the best!” A Dundela spokesperson said, “We wish Darren all the best with his future projects and thank him for his time at the club.”

CRUSADERS RESERVES 1 H&W WELDERS 2 HARLAND and Wolff Welders are through to a second successive Christmas Special, with victory in this Steel and Sons semi final against Crusaders Reserves at Seaview. THE WELDERS almost sailed into a second minute lead but Reserves netminder Graeme McKibben distinguished himself, keeping out Michael McLellan’s angled effort. However, it was only a temporary respite for the Crues, as from the resultant corner, Josh Cahoon found himself in space amid a crowded box, to head the ball past McKibben at the near post. The Reserves almost cancelled it out on six minutes when Salou Jallow and Vauls linked up well down the left, hatching out an opening for Jamie Peoples whose 10 yard effort was kept out by Michael Dougherty. On 24 minutes, however, Crusaders were level, capitalising on a calamity between defender Scott McMillan and keeper Dougherty – the defender’s undercooked backpass being charged down by Jallow who duly slipped the ball into the unguarded net. Back came the Welders, nonetheless, 8 minutes later; Chris Middleton, nicely fed by William Armstrong, played a lovely ball across goal where hot shot McLellan had the simple task of providing the finish, from inside the six yard box. The East Belfast side had the better of the second session and could and probably should have put the game to bed, with Ryan Deans, Scott Davidson, McLellan and McMillan all missing half chances. And those misses could have proved costly, when the Crues had two late penalty appeals turned down, both for alleged handling indiscretions and then, right at the death, Ross Holden almost took the semi into extra time but his 30 yard effort was off target, after catching Dougherty outside his area. H&W Welders; Dougherty, Devine, McMillan, McMurray, Armstrong – Middleton, Deans, Harris, Davidson – Cahoon, McLellan (Dougan). Subs (unused) Galbraith, Bowers, Spence, Rainey.

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