Many babies have celebrated their first Christmas due to the fabulous support available from TinyLife, Northern Ireland’s only premature baby charity. Now TinyLife are holding a jumbo Santa event with a difference, to raise vital funds to help future premature babies celebrate their first Christmases’.

A two-centre bumper festive event has been planned, which includes a Snowstorm Christmas Colour Run in Lurgan Park on Sunday 10 December and a train ride to visit Santa in his wooded-cabin at Peatlands Park (Exit 13 M1 at Loughgall). 9/10 and 16/17 December. Both events have the same cover charge £10 Adult and £5 child.

The festive experience brings something for everyone of all ages, as the colour run offers up a festive drenching by Santa’s elves, a visit to the man in red, snow glasses for every participant and a medal for all finishers; while the Peatlands event package has reserved a special train service to chug along the Park’s narrow-gauge railway to see Santa, which includes a gift, a free make and take craft and refreshments as part of the ticket price.

A bundle-booking system is available if both events are reserved. The Lurgan Park Colour Run remains at full price, but for every ticket purchased for the run (adult/child matched) tickets for the Peatlands event will be eligible for a 10% refund.

For visitors preferring to make the takeaway Christmas craft, a pay on the day charge of £4 is applicable. A timed ticketing system is in place to keep Santa’s nerves intact! Visitors are asked to book where possible online and to arrive 15 minutes before the visit.

Peatlands Park Warden, Martin Hampton said, “Our train is always a huge draw throughout the year bringing visitors face to face with nature. Christmas is a wonderful time for children and families, so it is especially poignant that we can take this opportunity to support the work of such a worthwhile charity, who help transform lives every day. As our train turns into the magical Peatlands Santa Express, we would encourage visitors to hop aboard and escape to the great outdoors while supporting TinyLife – a double feel-good factor!”

Over 1900 babies are born too soon (six babies every day), too small or too sick in Northern Ireland. Some arrive as early as 24 weeks, weighing as little as 1lb/454 grams, the same weight as half a bag of sugar! At this understandably very stressful time for parents, TinyLife is there to provide practical advice, emotional support and to give a helping hand to families who have a baby in a neonatal intensive care unit, with their network of Family Support Officers in every neonatal unit across Northern Ireland, ensuring parents receive optimum support in hospital, at home and within the community, all ably supported by a dedicated team of active volunteers.

Nicola Orlick from Newmills, County Tyrone, is mum to 5-year-old Jacob and more recently gave birth to twins, Emma and Matthew, born on 21 August 2015, at 4lb 10 and 5lb 1oz respectively said, “TinyLife was the only charity that could help me. I had a really good job as a senior manager before the twins were. My husband works 12-hour shifts which include weekends, so although we were delighted with the news that we were expecting twins, the reality of the situation soon hit home.”

“With family members working throughout the day, I tried various charities to find a volunteer but to no avail. They I found out about TinyLife and my world changed.  Janice my local TinyLife Support Officer advised me on the many practicalities, including much-needed financial advice as having given up my job I realised that reduced income was yet another pressure I had to deal with.”

“Former nurse, TinyLife Family Support volunteer, Sylvia is without hesitation on my part, is my rock. From the day and hour, she stepped through the front door, she has become not just a volunteer but family. My twins know her as aunty Sylvia. I was at my wits’ end, depressed, lonely and at one point, fearing for my sanity, too frightened and ashamed to reach out for help. For other families in this situation, my advice is to contact TinyLife today. Don’t wait a second longer. Help is at hand. I haven’t looked back since. TinyLife is a local charity for local people. All fundraising money goes directly back to help premature babies and their families. That’s why I’m supporting the Peatlands Park Santa visit event.”

For more information on fundraising, volunteering or this and forthcoming events, visit tinylife.org.uk, buy tickets at buytickets.at/tinylife or connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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Come and explore the magic of Christmas in the Antrim Forum on Saturday 9 December at 3.30pm.

 

The annual Christmas Carol Service, hosted by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, will be compered by Claire McCollum.

The Education Authority Youth Concert Band will add musical magic to the voices of the children from primary schools throughout the Borough, capturing the true spirit of Christmas through readings and song.

Admission is free however there will be a door collection with all proceeds donated to the Mayor’s nominated charities: Tiny Life, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and Sandes.

For more information on the Christmas Carol Concert please T. 028 9034 0073 or carol.shane@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk

Local families, whose lives have been impacted by dementia, had the chance to enjoy some festive cheer at the exclusive launch of Titanic Belfast’s Magical Christmas Experience.

Families were invited by the Alzheimer’s Society to the World’s Leading Visitor Attraction to see Father Christmas arrive and launch the Magical Christmas Experience. Aware that Christmas can often be a challenging time for families living with dementia, with heightened emotions and feelings of isolation, the event enabled families to kick off the festive season together.

The families had the chance to step through the Old Curiosity Shop to enter into the Elves’ Workshop, join Mrs Claus at her cosy kitchen, hear Christmas tales, enjoy festive games, badge making, look up their names in the naughty or nice list and meet Father Christmas.

Mingling with a host of well-known Northern Ireland faces from the entertainment industry, the families were first to preview this year’s event.

Titanic Belfast’s Director of Operations Judith Owens, commented: “Christmas is a truly magical time of year and our Experience is all about embracing festive cheer and creating unique memories. With over 20,000 individuals and families living with Dementia in Northern Ireland and one in three children knowing someone living with Dementia, we are delighted to be able to support the Alzheimer’s Society to give the gift the joy to its very deserving service users this festive season.”

Bernadine McCrory, Northern Ireland Director at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We are so grateful to Titanic Belfast for inviting our families to be involved in the Magical Christmas Experience. Some of the best Christmas gifts can’t be wrapped, and hosting a Dementia Friendly event so that families can enjoy Christmas together is a present that will not just build new memories for future generations, but will also allow families to remember and reminisce about Christmases gone by.

“With someone developing dementia every three minutes and no cure in sight, the need to unite in the fight against dementia has never been more pressing , so this Christmas Alzheimer’s Society is celebrating the thousands of people who have united against dementia this year by fundraising, campaigning and volunteering for Alzheimer’s Society, and we are pleased to see some of our amazing volunteers with personal experience of dementia in their family here enjoying the magic of Christmas at Titanic Belfast.”

If you are hosting a family member living with dementia this Christmas, here are a few tips to help you make the day special for everyone:

• Put your decorations up early and slowly
  Introduce Christmas decorations gradually, over the course of a few days or even a week, so that it doesn’t come as a big change to the person’s usual setting.
• Spread out family visits

A large number of guests can be noisy and overwhelming, so spread out visits over the festive period.

• Create a quiet room

If things do get busy, designate one room in your house a ‘quiet room’ where one can relax without loud noise and consider scheduling periods of rest throughout the day.

• Keep the routine

Try to keep meals at the same time and in familiar surroundings so your loved one can relax. Be mindful of food, although people tend to over indulge during the festive season, a full plate can be quite daunting so try not to overload your loved one’s plate.

• Play some familiar Christmas music or reminisce over old photos

This can help your loved one relax and will add a nice touch to the festivities. Or why not try one of Alzheimer’s Society’s Carols by Candlelight taking place from 3rd – 21st December across Northern Ireland.

Titanic Belfast’s Magical Christmas Experience runs until 23 December. To book, visit www.titanicbelfast.com.

As the countdown to the festive season begins, Belfast’s 5* Merchant Hotel has Christmas all wrapped up.

The Merchant’s iconic Christmas tree, now standing tall in all its festive finery amidst the splendour of The Great Room Restaurant, is already drawing crowds. The impressive 25ft tree, which took over six hours to erect, has been inspired by the classic nativity scene with a midnight blue and gold colour scheme and has been embellished with 150 metres of fairy lights and over 300 baubles.
Rachael Lindsay from Blue Moon Design, who developed the theme for this year’s tree, said; “The inspiration for The Merchant’s Christmas décor goes right back to the classic nativity scene.  I based it on the skies above Bethlehem with midnight blue and gold used as the main colours.  Enhanced by the idea of the treasure from the three kings, the look is quite rich with traces of the exotic east and lots of jewels.

“Some details of the décor that you might see throughout the hotel, and on the spectacular tree in The Great Room, include golden palm trees, star bursts, jewelled pineapples, peacock feather baubles, oversized filigree baubles and golden orbs.”

Right across the hotel, The Merchant’s luxurious Christmas celebrations have kicked off with a superb selection of seasonal activities to share with loved ones this year, including festive menus, winter drinks, and pampering spa treatments for the party season.

From Friday 1^st December, guests can enjoy a special festive afternoon tea in the elegance of The Great Room.  Served on a three-tiered silver stand, this year’s festive tea will include turkey, chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce finger sandwiches, traditional Christmas cake and seasonal macarons, alongside scones with clotted cream and delicious patisseries and live music from 12.30pm to 4.20pm daily throughout December.

For those searching for a Christmas gift that will make a big impression without breaking the bank, The Merchant has an array of gifts and experiences to suit a range of budgets. In addition to the hotel’s popular gift cards, for the first time, a range of exclusive Merchant experiences are now available to purchase as online e-vouchers, taking the hassle out of Christmas shopping.  The experiences include luxurious overnight stays, spa treatments and a nine-course tasting menu with wine pairings.

For savvy shoppers looking to grab a little luxury for less, The Merchant’s winter sale is now on, with an array of irresistible offers for the New Year, including dinner, bed and breakfast overnight packages from £99 per person sharing, to treat yourself or your loved one.

To find out more or to book your Merchant Christmas experience or to purchase gifts, visit www.themerchanthotel.com

‘The Little Snow Globe’, located in the Diamond, is an exciting addition to the town’s Christmas countdown.

Young people aged from 5 – 11 will have the opportunity to make their own special Christmas decorations at the Winter Wonderland themed workshops ran by Lorna Kyle from local craft company Just Jemima. 

The initiative has been organised by Coleraine Town Team, with support from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

Town Team Chairperson Ian Donaghey: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Council and Just Jemima to spread a little bit of Christmas magic in Coleraine. The workshops are already proving popular, and I would encourage people to make their bookings well in advance to ensure they don’t miss out.”

‘The Little Snow Globe’ will be open on four consecutive Saturdays beginning this weekend on November 25^th until December 16^th with a different theme every week.

A new class will begin on the hour every hour and last for 45minutes. Bookings can be made online at www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/Christmas where you will also find full details and information about special drop in sessions.

On Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December Market Square, Antrim will be filled with Christmas spirit.

An artisan food, drink and craft market is taking place from 12noon to 10pm on Saturday and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday. The free family event is being organised by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and everyone is welcome.

Antrim’s Market in the Square is back with some festive fever. A little bit of the North Pole will be coming to the historical Barbican gate and Toby Pine Cone is hoping to see you all.  There will be plenty of artisan food and craft stalls, so come down to pick up that last minute gift before Christmas. Top of the Town will be at the bottom of the town with live music and tribute acts.  Bring the whole family along for a great festive weekend.

Free car parking will be available for this event at Central Car Park. Parking is also available at Railway Street and Castle Street, however charges will apply. For more information about the event please contact Karen Uprichard on 028 9446 3113 ext 31344 or visit www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/christmas

 

In every woman’s wardrobe, the little black dress is a fashion icon. From Queen Victoria to Audrey Hepburn, the LBD has been a fashion staple for women through the ages.

North Down Museum’s Little Black Dress exhibition is opening on 29 November and will explore this fashion favourite and how it has evolved through history.

Come along and see a variety of shapes and styles from the decades of the 20^th century from flappers to mini-dresses alongside pieces on loan from local women as well as Down County Museum.

On display will be a dress that belonged to Emily Ann Rebeck from Kildare who died in 1914. The gorgeous black velvet Edwardian evening gown is fully-lined, fastens at the front with hooks and eyes and has a train at the back.

Earlier in the year, the Museum made a call to women across Ards and North Down to lend their own little black dresses.  There was a fantastic response and the exhibition includes these local garments, each with their own story attached.

Speaking about the exhibition, North Down Museum’s Manager Heather McGuicken said: “This is a fun exhibition just in time to get you ready for the Christmas party season!  We have dresses from across the decades showing the rise of the little black dress from an item worn for mourning purposes only to the staple item that every woman has in her wardrobe’.

The Little Black Dress Exhibition opens on 29 November and runs until 18 March – admission is free. For more information visit www.northdownmuseum.com