GIRL ABOUT TOWN

from Ulster Tatler June 2021

STYLE RULES

EDITED BY

NUALA MEENEHAN

BLOOMING MARVELLOUS

You can imagine the excitement when I received my first invitation to attend my first event since lockdown! Girl about Town has been Girl about the House for the last 12 months. The joy! The anticipation! And what an event! The award-winning floral and plant emporium, Memento on Belfast’s bustling Ormeau Road has just had the most fabulous store refurb and to celebrate re-opening, yours truly was invited for a sneak peek.

The smell of beautiful blooms, the sight of terrific terrariums, and fabulous foliage at every point in this gorgeous shop will lift your heart. The award-winning, family-run flower and plant store, founded in 2005 is led by the multi-talented husband duo Gary and Nigel Connolly-Close, who’ve been busy over lockdown. A World Skills UK Gold Medal Winner in Floristry and a Chelsea Flower Show Finalist, Nigel knows a thing or two about delightful dahlias and marvellous monsteras.

The Memento mission is clear! Delivering premium luxury flowers, and plants at affordable prices. They offer the most fabulous floristry and plant workshops in their new creative hub in East Belfast so you and your friends can learn how to properly propagate, make your own terrariums and learn clever tips on how to style your home with plants. But there’s so much more to Memento than fabulous flowers that set them apart. The Memento annual random act of kindness event saw the team take to the streets of Belfast to give unsuspecting strangers a gift of roses. During lockdown, they launched a campaign to nominate an NHS Frontline Worker to receive a bouquet. A staggering 10,000 nominations were received and 350 bouquets were hand-delivered as gifts across Northern Ireland. Now that’s something to celebrate!

Visit www.mementofloraldesign.com

Gary Connolly-Close and Nuala.

BORN UNDER A LUCKY STAR

LATEST LIFESTYLE BRAND

Born Under a Lucky Star is a lifestyle brand handmade & designed in Donaghadee by Interior Designer Andrea Graham.

Born Under a Lucky Star will create a piece of art for your home and transform your interiors in one quick move.

All the designs are based on ancient astrology with four different collections: - The Elements collection: Fire, Earth, Air & Water - The Star Sign Collection - The Planets & Moon collection - The Day you were born collection.

A beautiful range of lifestyle products including luxury cushions, throws, scarves and robes. So you can look fabulous while lounging on your super soft sumptuous cushion. The orange & teal colour palette is the perfect combination for autumn 2021.

Each Element has its own story Are you Air Girl? Do Cherry Blossom trees make you smile? Do you love to curl up with a good book? Do you dance like no one is watching? Are beach walks & exercise your down time? Then our Air girl cushion is for you. What about water girls they are the life of the party and they love to entertain. Music is their passion but they know how to relax. Happy with a paintbrush in their hand or watching their favourite box set. They are equally happy having a good scroll on social media.

Maybe you are Earth girl. Do you love being outdoors? Do you love listening to bird song? Does music just make you feel good? Is family time your favourite time?

Fire Girl is happiest being active. Sport of any description is her bag. After an active day she loves to unwind lighting her favourite candle and soaking in a warm bath. She likes the finer things and can be seen enjoying great food and great company.

Transform your sofa and liven up your bed with these hand drawn pencil designs. Your home should reflect your personality and be filled with designs you love.

In your Element Robe £225, handmade to order.

Air Girl Cushion, from £39 Mondays Child, from £39 Star Sign Cushion, from £39 Earth Girl Cushion, from £39

Pictured at the musical extravaganza Night of 1000 Voices are Lorna McStay, Dee Lewis, Carmel McCann and Jacqui Watson.

Pictured at DVLNI charity ball are Lyndsey Smyth, Gillian Faulkner, Stephanie McCutheon, Lynn Carson and Jenna Bell.

Pictured at The Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster Arts Festival Gala are Robin Swann, Alyn Hicks and Joy Scottt.

Pictured at the Titanic Anniversary Dinner are Chris Power and Jasmine Edgar.

Pictured at the Institution of Electrical Engineers annual dinner are Colm Kelly, Christine Hill, Joan McAleerand Mark Breen.

Throughout 2021, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is hosting a number of events under the #NI100MEA umbrella as part of its Northern Ireland Centennial Programme, which is being co-ordinated by Council’s Centenary Working Group. To mark the Centenary of Northern Ireland, Council held a tree planting and flag raising ceremony in the towns of Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne. In addition, three beacons were lit to mark this historic milestone. Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough, Councillor Peter Johnston said: “A century ago, the people of Mid and East Antrim witnessed the establishment of Northern Ireland as a result of the Government of Ireland Act 1920. “To contribute to that history, we planted a tree in each of our three main towns. This will be a living and lasting legacy of this centenary year and as we look back to the roots of Northern Ireland 100 years ago, we can look forward to the growth of this tree and earnestly hope that it will symbolise our borough as a place of continued growth, development and prosperity. Chair of the Council’s Centenary Working Group, Councillor Cheryl Johnston added: “It was a pleasure to welcome Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell KStJ to officially hoist Mid and East Antrim’s Centenary Flag at the Braid Town Hall in Ballymena with two further flags placed at the Town Hall, Carrickfergus and Smiley Buildings, Larne.” As Monday 3 May marked 100 years since the formation of Northern Ireland, Council lit three beacons in each of its towns, to mark this centenary year here in Mid and East Antrim Borough.

For the latest information on Council’s Northern Ireland Centennial plans, visit: www. midandeastantrim.gov.uk/ni100

NI100 centenary celebrations take root in Mid and East Antrim

Margot and Tom Craig.

Ernie Ritchie and Irene Malseed.

ORMEAU PARK

Belfast’s oldest municipal park was originally home to the Donegall family who moved to the park in 1807, setting up home in Ormeau Cottage until they sold the estate to the Belfast Corporation in 1869.

The city’s largest park now boasts a variety of horticulture, woodland, wildlife and sporting facilities, is popular with walkers and joggers with eco trails, orienteering routes and sports facilities.