Bangor’s Aspects Festival kicks off this week with an eclectic programme of events to inspire the reader and writer in you.

With 37 events taking place over 10 days, the celebration of Irish writing has something for everyone with top authors, poetry, exhibitions, history, theatre, kids’ events, food and music all on offer. The Ards and North Down Borough Council Festival runs until 24 September at various venues around the town.

“Abandoned; Not Forgotten?” is a multidisciplinary arts installation by visual artiste Lise McGreevy, artist and composer Marie Therese Davis, poet Jim Johnston and film maker Paul Whittaker. The installation examines the culture, heritage and language of our joint Irish and Ulster Scots history, answering the question; is it abandoned; forgotten? The exhibition launches as part of Aspects on Wednesday September 13 at 7pm at Sync Space, Dufferin Avenue, Bangor and is open to the public until mid-October. Admission is free.

Don’t miss the wonderful series of events taking place at Clandeboye Estate on September 14 with Clandeboye Reading Party and Lady Dufferin remembering the wars and examining the Estate’s role in both WW1 and WW2. The events aim to promote deeper cultural awareness and understanding of issues around war, commemoration, history and place.

Playwright and author Frank McGuinness will be at Bangor Castle on Friday 15 September at 7pm. Frank will be in conversation with broadcaster Marie-Louise Muir about his life, work and inspirations. Kevin Doherty from Four Men and a Dog will play the music he wrote for ‘Donegal’ after the interview, adding a very special element to this unique event. Tickets cost £10.

Young readers are invited to come along to North Down Museum on Saturday 16 September for workshops with Myra Zepf – Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland. The first lively interactive workshop will be based on Myra’s book Don’t Go To School! and the second workshop will revolve around a massive brain-storming session using quirky props! Tickets cost £5.

For all the family, Stephen Begs will perform My Father’s Chair at Studio 1A on Saturday 16 September at 4pm. This performance will explore the nature of fatherhood, exploring what it’s like to be a dad, have a dad and the relationship between children and their fathers. This funny and emotional journey will touch and entertain the audience. Age guidance 6 years +. Tickets £8 / £5.

Renowned artist Neil Shawcross’ Penguin Book Cover exhibition will be at Bangor Carnegie Library until 30 September. Don’t miss this opportunity to view this collection of paintings, being exhibited together for the very first time. Join Neil at Bangor Library on Monday 18 September at 7pm, when he will be in conversation with David Torrens, discussing his work and “book finding missions!” Both events are free.

Nutritionist Jane McClenaghan will be at North Down Museum on Saturday 16 September at 5pm chatting to BBC’s Kerry McLean about her upcoming book ‘Vital Nutrition.’ Come and listen to Jane’s philosophy on health and well-being and how your life can be transformed with healthy eating and a balanced diet. This is a free event.

Poetry NI presents the North Down Heat of the All Ulster Poetry Slam at The Space, SERC Theatre on Saturday 16 September at 7pm. Bring your poems from page to stage and be in with a chance to be crowned ‘Aspects Poetry Champion.’ Register on the night – you have 3 minutes to compete and judges will score who gets into the next round! Tickets cost £5

For the more energetic festival-goer, a Sketch Walk inspired by the words of local author Ian Sansom will take place on Sunday 17 September, 1 – 3pm. Meeting at the Hamilton Road entrance to Ward Park, the walk will go to Luke’s Point, stopping at some local landmarks to visually document the places highlighted in Ian’s essay ‘Walk to the Sea.’ The walk will be facilitated by local artist Marianne Kennerley from Boom Studios and tickets cost £5.

Make the most of your weekend at Aspects Festival!

For more information on the full programme and to book tickets, visit aspectsfestival.com or phone 028 9127 1200

Foodies, families and friends alike can prepare to have their taste buds tantalised when the Loaves and Fishes Food Fair returns to Ballywalter Park on Sunday 8 October (2017).

The private estate of Lord and Lady Dunleath, which is not normally open to the public, will play host to over 20 local artisan food and drink producers – including the new addition of a pop-up bar showcasing local cask ales, craft beers and spirits from Copeland Gin and Harland Wines – with top chefs Stevie Toman of Michelin starred ‘OX’ in Belfast and Danny Millar, Executive Chef for The Parson’s Nose, Hillsborough, Balloo House, Killinchy, and The Poacher’s Pocket in Lisbane, will be amongst those providing cooking demonstrations.

Worshipful Master fishmonger, Hal Dawson will also provide a class in how to perfectly fillet a fish while Dearbhla Reynolds, one of Ireland’s foremost fermentistas and the healthy gut activist and published author behind The Cultured Club, will also give a demonstration and Lady Dunleath will teach visitors how to make Sourdough bread made using home-grown wheat crop.

Fun, food-themed activities will keep children entertained and guided tours of the estate’s Victorian walled garden will also be available.

Loaves and Fishes is organised by Ards and North Down Borough Council in partnership with Seafish and with support from Food NI.

It is part of Seafood Week – an annual campaign aimed at promoting the consumption of seafood.

Speaking about the upcoming event, Chief Executive of Ards and North Down Borough Council, Stephen Reid, commented:

“After the resounding success of last year’s premiere event, the Council is proud to bring it back for a second year.  Loaves and Fishes celebrates the fantastic range of foods and drinks produced in Ards and North Down – many of which have won prestigious awards – and supports these valuable local businesses.”

Dr Lynn Gilmore, Seafish Northern Ireland Manager, said:

“We are delighted to work with Ards and North Down Borough Council and FoodNI to celebrate local food and in particular seafood at the Loaves and Fishes. The Loaves and Fishes is one of a number of exciting things taking place across the UK during Seafood Week and we’d encourage everyone to get involved. The aim Seafood Week is to get more people, to eat more seafood, more often and is being promoted by Fish is the Dish, our Seafish consumer campaign.”

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Aged 13 ¾), Sue Townsend’s best-selling novel, will take to the MAC stage in Belfast this September.

Chronicling the life of Adrian Mole and his adolescent years in the 1980’s, this classic comedy is a nostalgic blast from the past jam-packed with fun and laughter.

The MAC is the first stop for the touring adaptation of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Aged 13 ¾) which is brought to life by Bruiser Theatre Company in their signature boisterous style at the MAC from 22 Sep – 7 Oct 2017, celebrating their 20^th anniversary production.

Hilariously captured in Adrian’s secret diary the show charts the highs and lows of being a teenager during the Thatcher period including dealing with dysfunctional parents, the school bully and teenage crushes. Adrian’s troubles with spots, height and clothes still hold their relevance and will resonate with teenagers today.

Made up of an entirely local cast, Belfast actor Adam Dougal will take on the role as the infamous Adrian Mole and Colette Lennon, from Belfast, portraying Adrian’s love interest Pandora. In fact, Adrian and Colette will be celebrating the successful run of the production by getting married a week after the tour ends. The NI-based cast gives this much-loved story a new lease of life for today’s generation, making it a fun night out for those familiar with and new to Adrian Mole.

Simon Magill, Creative Director at the MAC, said: “Following the success of The Importance of Being Earnest earlier this year, we are delighted to host another vibrant production by Bruiser Theatre Company and to be the first stop on its tour. With an infectious musical score arranged by Musical Director Matthew Reeve, this hilarious adaptation by Bruiser in their signature style will bring Adrian’s story to life once more.”

Lisa May, Director at Bruiser Theatre Company, said: “As our 20th anniversary production, we’ll be giving Adrian the typical Bruiser treatment. We will be bringing our fast paced, and physical style to The MAC and beyond, throwing in an extra helping of 80s nostalgia on the way. Sue Townsend’s story perfectly encapsulates adolescent life in the 1980’s, encompassing all its ups and downs, with hilarious situations and issues that teens today will absolutely relate to.

Our fantastic all local cast will retell the hilarity of this cult classic to audiences that are familiar with Adrian, and to those who are meeting him for the first time.”

Tickets for The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Aged 13 ¾) are now on-sale at themaclive.com.

Supported by National Lottery funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Fans of Game of Thrones will have the opportunity to meet a Knight of the Kingsguard and a member of the Night’s Watch as actors from the show attending Winterfell Festival on 24 September are revealed.

The festival, which is being hosted by the National Trust, invites visitors to step into the world of the Stark family at Castle Ward, the iconic filming location for Winterfell, House of Stark, in the popular HBO series.

Ian Beattie aka Meryn Trant, Knight of the Kingsguard and Michael Condron, aka Bowen Marsh, First Steward of the Knight’s Watch will be hosting a series of ‘walk and talks’ during the one-day festival.

Festival goers will be able to meet the actors and learn about their experiences on set filming Game of Thrones.

Visitors will also get to see Grey Wind and Summer, two of the Direwolves raised by the Stark family. Known as Odin and Thor in the real world, these Northern inuit dogs are the closest thing to real wolves you’ll ever meet!

Thronies will also recognise armourer Boyd Rankin as Mikken, the blacksmith at Winterfell in Game of Thrones. Find him in the medieval courtyard where Boyd will be showcasing a selection of the swords and weapons he forged for the series, alongside live blacksmith demonstrations.

Winterfell Festival will be an unmissable spectacle centred round the King’s Tournament Games. Historical reproduction company Irish Arms will perform a series of medieval jousting performances on horseback throughout the day.  Sword sparring, jesters and falcon flights will add to the atmosphere in the tournament ring where visitors will be able to feast on roast hog washed down with local cider.

Travellers will be encouraged to walk down the King’s Road to the Inn at the Crossroads where they can pull up a pew and listen to stories from A Song of Ice and Fire being performed by actors, while dining on venison pie and ale.

Running from 11 am until 5 pm, there’s a full line-up of interactive entertainment for all ages to enjoy. Join a skirmish to Audley’s Castle; explore inside the iconic Winterfell Tower House or watch a Game of Thrones theme Shadow Puppet show. Children especially will enjoy the ‘King’s mini tournament’ with hobby horses and jousting games.

Tickets for the festival are proving hugely popular with visitors travelling to County Down from as far as Dubai for an insight into George R. R. Martin’s mythical world of Westeros.

For local travellers, Translink will be offering a return bus serve from Belfast to Castle Ward for anyone wanting to enjoy the local craft beer. See Translink’s website for details.

Tickets cost £22.50 for an adult, £10.88 for a child and £60 for a family (2 adults & 2 children between 10 – 16year). To book visit https://getinvited.to/castleward/winterfell-festival/

For full festival details visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-ward/features/winterfell-festival-2017-

Planning a wedding and looking for something a little different – or very different? The Quirky Weddings Alternative Wedding Fair was created with you in mind! The fair returns to the Waterfront Hall on Sunday September 24th(12-5pm).

What’s so different about the Alternative Wedding Fair? Saima Akram of Quirky Weddings says

“For a start we hand pick our exhibitors! We have always sold out all the spaces at our fairs so we started taking applications and choosing who best suited the personality of the event. We generally get over 200 applications for the approx 120 spaces. We look for creativity, quality and people who love what they do.”

Cate Conway, the other half of Quirky Weddings says

“Visitors can expect to see a fantastic range of vendors. There will be slick suits, creative photography, massive light up letters, a choo choo train barbecue, dreamy dresses, jewellers who can help you make your own rings, incredible cakes, unusual venues and much more. We’ve chosen vendors who are on trend, friendly and excellent at what they do. Expect Insta-worthy ideas for your day!

We have just announced our exhibitor list on our website, quirkyweddings.co.uk, so couples can get a head start on their research! We find lots of couples are quite strategic and make a list of who they want to speak to and come ready to make a bee-line for the companies they are particularly keen to meet! You can feel free to browse at your leisure too though, it’s a ‘no pressure’ event. We don’t like hard sell.”

Doors open at 12 noon and the Quirky Weddings girls suggest you get there early. Not only is there a lot to see but also the first 500 visitors will get in half price. (Regular admission is £7)

There will also be copies of the new edition of the  Quirky Weddings free Alternative Wedding Directory ‘The Book’ available so don’t forget to look for it as you leave!

Antrim Castle Gardens Team scooped the Best Service Team prize at the prestigious APSE awards ceremony which took place in the Kings Centre Oxford last night.

The awards were presented by Louisa Preston, broadcast journalist for BBC London and BBC Breakfast. No stranger to these awards The Antrim Castle Gardens Team were finalists in the same category in 2016.

Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) is a not for profit local government body, working with over 300 councils throughout the UK promoting excellence in public service. This year’s awards attracted over 300 submissions from over 100 organisations across the UK.

Deputy Mayor, Councillor Vera McWilliam who attended last night’s awards commented” We are delighted to receive this award after being piped at the post last year. The team have turned Antrim Castle Gardens from a Local Gem to a National Treasure” Head of Arts & Culture, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Ursula Fay added “I am over the moon for the team who work tirelessly to maintain the Majestic Antrim Castle Gardens, we faced tough competition and were up against six other UK Councils. I am thrilled that all the hard work has paid off”.

Antrim Castles Gardens is a unique setting which has over 500,000 visitors a year. The Gardens are also the venue for high status events such as Garden Show Ireland, Ulster Pipe Band Championships and Enchanted Winter Gardens.

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There’ll be laughter in the aisles this Autumn at Armagh’s Market Place Theatre with a host of superb comedy talent.

Teresa Livingstone is delighted: delighted that things are going so well for everyone else; delighted with her ever-fluctuating weight; delighted for the well-meaning women in her life; she’s even delighted for you, well done on all you’ve achieved. With a piano, a gin, and the voice of a woman who has reached the point of no return, Teresa is ready to share. One of the stars of BBCNI comedy show ‘Late Licence’, Teresa is a musical comedian whose original and hilarious songs cover everything from sleazebags in bars, to workplace hatred, with a bit of cake and wine thrown in for good measure. Teresa Livingstone: Delighted is recommended for age 16+ as it may contain material that some people could find offensive. The show will take place on Saturday 16 September at 8.30pm.

Cork comedian Chris Kent presents his 5^th solo show, Moving On on Saturday 30 September at 8.30pm. Returning with his charming and surreal style, Chris has a new perspective on life. Having moved to the UK and recently becoming a dad for the first time, adult life is leaving him more confused than ever…

Reginald D Hunter returns to The Market Place on Wednesday 25 October, with his highly anticipated brand new show, Some People V. Reginald D Hunter, following a hugely successful year performing across Europe. In the years that he has been living and performing in the UK, Reginald’s searingly honest material has garnered him a popular fan base that spans the generations. In the past twelve months he has appeared in a critically acclaimed tour of the UK as well as performing across Europe. His appearances on television have included ‘8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown’, ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’ and ‘QI’ and is a frequent guest on ‘Have I Got News For You’.

Both Chris Kent and Reginald D Hunter are recommended for age 18+ as the events may contain material that some people could find offensive.

Visit the website at www.marketplacearmagh.com for full details and bookings, or contact the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821. And to keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.