To mark 60 years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s reign, North Down Borough Council are planning some special Diamond Jubilee events, taking place at The Town Hall and Bangor Town Centre over an extended weekend in June.

As part of the vintage-themed celebrations, on June 3^rd & 4^th, in the beautiful surroundings Bangor’s Town Hall – a special Jubilee version of the popular Frock Around The Clock Vintage Fair will be taking place. Guaranteed to delight the vintage lover and the shopaholic alike, the fair will feature a fabulous line up of around 50 handpicked local vintage dealers and creative designers offering a huge array of vintage and handmade fashion, jewellery, furniture, homewares, collectables, gifts, sweet treats and much more. This vintage shopping extravaganza is the perfect place to find something truly unique and beautiful that you won’t find on the High Street. Recent recessionary times have brought vintage to the forefront of fashion and this event will be a pure vintage shopping experience and a fabulous celebration of timeless glamour, reminiscence and nostalgia.

Frock Around The Clock has been a favourite on the Belfast event calendar for a number of years, attracting visitors from all over Ireland, the UK and further afield. Commenting on the event, the Fair’s co-ordinator, Rebecca Moore of Decadence Events said:  “I am delighted to be bringing Frock Around The Clock to Bangor and working with North Down Borough Council at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Bangor is my hometown so I am very happy to have this chance to showcase Ireland’s longest running vintage fair in a town that means so much to me and to bring our fantastic vintage sellers and creative designers to a new and wider audience. We have been delighting vintage lovers from all over the country since 2008 but to be part of such a huge and nostalgic event as this is both fitting and very exciting.”

As well as the vintage fair, there will also be a Vintage Car display, a Kid’s Wonderland, live music from internationally renowned Jazz acts and the Ulster Orchestra, as well as events at The Museum, The Big Lunch and lots more.

So come down to Bangor this June 3^rd and 4^th and be part of the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations!

For further information, please phone our Tourist Information Centre on: 028 9127 0069 or visit www.northdowntourism.com

National Trust launches campaign to get children outdoors with Elite Rangers

The National Trust has today launched a nationwide campaign to encourage sofa-bound children to take to the outdoors and enjoy classic adventures from skimming stones to building dens.

The charity’s ‘50 Things To Do Before You’re 11¾’ campaign provides a checklist for under-12s (and those who are young at heart) including everything from running around in the rain and bug hunting, to setting up a snail race, damming a stream, flying a kite and making a (delicious) mud pie.

To help bring to life these simple pleasures, the Trust has formed a group of Elite Rangers who will share their expert tips on enjoying outdoor adventures and their enthusiasm for encouraging children to play alfresco.

The five rangers, all Trust staff, come from across the UK and range in age from 29 to 49. They include a 6ft 3” tree climbing expert, who has scaled 50 metre-high trees, (a.k.a. Tree Man), Captain Skim who can skim a stone over 26 times and Midas the treasure hunter.  The other rangers are Den-Boy, an outdoor hideaway-building champion, and a minibeast expert (aka The Bug Catcher) who can name over 300 varieties of moth.

The fantastic five will be offering top tips on their chosen skill to the nation’s children over a Free Weekend (21 and 22 April) when the National Trust will open up over 200 of its houses and gardens for free over the weekend, as well as all the countryside spaces it cares for, which are always free access. Properties across Northern Ireland including Mount Stewart, The Argory and Florence Court will be free to the public to explore – just download your free entry voucher from the National Trust website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/freeweekend

The ‘50 Things To Do Before You’re 11¾’ initiative is in response to a report commissioned by the National Trust which reveals fewer than one in ten children regularly play in wild places; compared to almost half a generation ago, a third have never climbed a tree, one in ten can’t ride a bike, and three times as many are taken to hospital after falling out of bed, as from falling out of a tree.*

Kids can pick up a free 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11¾ scrapbook from participating properties – and start ticking off their outdoor adventures to do list. Plus, the fun can continue at home by visiting nationaltrust.org.uk/50things where children can fill in their completed activities and earn points towards their very own explorer badge.

National Trust Ranger for South Down properties in Northern Ireland, David Thompson, commented:

“Childhood experiences such as building a den, rolling down a hill, hunting bugs and pond dipping are an essential part of growing up. And to help children enjoy the simple pleasures of being outdoors we’ve compiled a list of some of the easiest and fun outdoor experiences we think all children should be able to do before their twelfth birthday.  50 things to do before you’re 11¾ will take you into the woods and onto water, up huge hills and down to the beach.”

Tony Berry, Visitor Experience Director of the National Trust, comments:

“Our Elite Rangers are a fantastic bunch, with bags of enthusiasm for the outdoors and what it can offer kids. We’re hoping that the nation’s children will embrace the 50 things and start having their very own outdoor adventures with their family, with our Free Weekend the perfect opportunity to get outside in the fresh air.”

In conjunction with the recent 2012 release of her new album The Plum Tree and The Rose (currently charting at No. 3 on the Folk Radio Chart, No. 4 on the UK Roots Radio Airplay Chart and No. 5 on the Euro Americana chart), Sarah McQuaid sets out on tour across Ireland and Northern Ireland — see details of dates below.

The Plum Tree and The Rose is the third album by this gifted and captivating performer whose warm, haunting alto is delicately cradled by her “sparkling guitar” (Sing Out!). She is both song crafter and song collector, equally at home with traditional Irish and Appalachian folk songs, Elizabethan ballads and 1930s jazz numbers.

Her musical output is a direct and unfolding reflection of her own eclectic background: Sarah was born in Spain, raised in Chicago, holds dual US and Irish citizenship, and currently lives in rural England. While the genre, era and geographical location of her songs may change, at their core is a musician who has soaked it all in – and, luckily for us, is able to eloquently express the stories she’s gathered.

Produced by Gerry O’Beirne (Midnight Well, Patrick Street, Sharon Shannon Band), engineered by Trevor Hutchinson (Waterboys, Lúnasa) and released on the Chicago-based Waterbug Records label, The Plum Tree and The Rose represents a departure from Sarah’s previous albums, which focused on her arrangements of traditional material, in that nine of its thirteen tracks are originals.

Although a thread of personal experience is woven into the material, Sarah truly shines as a teller of parables. Whether she’s recounting the life of 16th century businesswoman Bess of Hardwick or standing in a cathedral and pondering the immortality of the soul, the specific detail subtly manifests a universal truth. These are songs that linger in the listener’s imagination.

Tour Dates

Thurs 19 April. An Creagán, Creggan, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland BT79 9AF
Tel 028 80 761112 — Tickets £10 advance £12 door From 9.00 p.m. Doors 8:30 p.m.
http://www.an-creagan.com

Sat 21 April. Whelan’s, Wexford Street, Dublin 2, Ireland – Album Launch Concert
Tel 01 478 0766 — Tickets €13.00 – From 8.00 p.m.
http://www.whelanslive.com

Sarah will also be giving a guitar workshop at 2:30pm at Walton’s New School of Music, 69 South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2, Tel 01 478 1884 Tickets €20.00, http://www.newschool.ie

Sun 22 April. McCarthy’s Bar, Goat Street, Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Tel: 066 915 1205 — Tickets €10.00 — From 8.00 p.m.
http://www.facebook.com/people/McCarthys-Bar/100000478657802

Mon 23 April. The Village Arts Centre, The Square, Kilworth, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Tel: 025 32227 — Tickets €15.00 (€12.50 conc) — From 8:15 p.m. (Doors 8.00 p.m.)
http://www.avondhupress.ie/village_arts.html

Tue 24 April. The Local, 10 Grattan Square, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland
Tel: 058 41854 — From 9.30 p.m.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Local/147593278627577

Wed 25 April. The Market House, Market Street, Monaghan Town, Ireland
Tel 047 38162 — Tickets €5.00 — From 8:30 p.m.
http://www.facebook.com/themarkethouse

Thurs 26 April. Roots Fifty Six, The Fifty Six, Main Street, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
Tel 087 640 4067 — Tickets €10.00 — From 8.30 p.m.

Fri 27 April. Crusoe’s Coffee Shop — First Floor, 29 Sea Road, Castlerock BT51 4TN
Tel 028 70 849618 — Tickets £40 includes dinner and wine — From 9pm (Doors 8pm)
http://www.crusoescoffeeshop.co.uk

Sat 28 April. New Music Club @ Moran’s Bar, 7 Parnell Street, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland
Tel 087 291 3484 — Tickets €5.00 – From 9.30 p.m.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Music-Club/135848069759632

Sun 29 April. The Blackbird, Main Street, Ballycotton, Co. Cork, Ireland
Tel 021 464 7884 — From 6:30 p.m. (Doors 6pm)
http://www.blackbirdballycotton.com

Belfast Zoological Gardens is getting ready for another “eggciting” Easter, with many fun filled activities for all to enjoy!

Whether you’re shaking hands with one of the animal characters, watching the sea lions at feeding time or taking part in Belfast Zoo’s Easter egg hunt, you are sure to have an amazing day out.

This Easter is set to be very exciting for all involved explains Zoo manager, Mark Challis, “Easter is a fabulous time at Belfast Zoo. This Easter is very special indeed as we have already welcomed a number of new arrivals in 2012, including Marjorie the Malayan tapir calf, Georgie the Vicuna calf, Bo and Bert the Eastern bongos and visitors can also visit our 40 ‘holidaying’ gentoo penguins from Edinburgh Zoo.”

This event will run from 6 April to 10 April.  During the Easter period, the zoo is very busy the car park is usually full by 12pm. To check alternative car parking facilities and shuttle bus times, call the zoo on 028 9077 6277 or email info@belfastzoo.co.uk.

Stendhal Festival of Art is proud to announce the first raft of artists who will be taking to the Stage at Ballymully Cottage Farm on August 17 and 18, 2012.

Staying in line with our ethos of providing a varied and eclectic line-up Stendhal will be promoting more musical genres than you can shake a stick at including Rock, pop, funk, jazz and blues, indie, acoustic, folk, Reggae, country, hip-hop, punk, metal, classical, choral and Bluegrass. We will also have poetry, comedy and theatre on the bill, to add to an excellent selection of music.

On top of this we will have a much fuller family entertainment schedule, our art gallery will return bigger and better and will this year include some state of the art digital installations along with sculpture, canvas paintings by local artists and many more wee artistic adventures in the beautiful surroundings of Karma Valley.

In addition we will once again have a craft market full of wonderfully original nick-knacks, top class food and drink at high street prices, a fun fair, a secret garden area and many more little surprises to be discovered.

We are delighted to announce that Silhouette will be appearing at this year’s event. Fronted by the immensely talented Shauna Tohill, Silhouette have recently been riding a crest of a wave having their song ‘Can’t keep up’ selected to front the current advertising campaign by the Northern Irish Tourist Board.
Shauna herself has also been very busy recently, accompanying Snow Patrol to sing with them during their recent European Tour.
Silhouette are a high energy alternative pop act with catchy tunes and bags of talent and they are sure to go down a storm at Stendhal this year.

The line-up this year includes several stand-out local acts including Limavady’s own Furlo, Alternative Rock act Axis of, Irish Reggae revolutionaries The Barley Mob, the sublime Innishowen Gospel Choir, The Gorgeous Colours, The Steve Experiment, the 20 piece collaboration The Crimson Piper Sonic Orchestra, Paddy Nash and the Happy Enchiladas, Exit Pursued by bear and North Coast Hardcore outfit Lantern For a Gale.
Also taking the stage will be Master and Dog, metal legends Triggerman, Mojo Gogo, Best Boy Grip, Owl Parliament, Wookalily, and gypsy folk outfit Balkan Alien Sound.

Over 20 more acts will be announced in the coming weeks so stay tuned to www.stendhalfestival.com, our Facebook page and Twitter @stendhalireland for details as they emerge.
Tickets for the event will be on sale at Ticketmaster and numerous high street outlets at the start of May priced at £20 for a Saturday day Ticket, £25 for a weekend camping pass and £35 for a family weekend camping pass (2 adults and up to 4 kids under 18).

Tickets for Titanic Lockdown are now on general release – and in great demand – for the Friday and Saturday night gigs.

Belfast’s only boutique festival announced ticket prices and line up details earlier this week at www.titanic-lockdown.com and over the counter tickets sales are already going strong at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Titanic Lockdown, dubbed a boutique music festival for Belfast’s music lovers, will take place at T13 in the Titanic Quarter on the double bank holiday Diamond Jubilee weekend – June the 1^st and 2^nd 2012.  New Order, making their first appearance in Belfast for 26 years, has been confirmed as the headline act at Titanic Lockdown on Saturday June 2^nd 2012, supported by BRIT Award and Mercury Music Prize nominee Anna Calvi, legendary reggae producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Ghostpoet.  Manchester legends Happy Mondays headline the Friday night line up on June 1^st 2012 supported by Ghostpoet, Factory Floor and Glasgow based band Errors  – with more bands to be announced.

Hydroponic founder and resident DJ Michael McKeown stated: “We had a phenomenal response to the Titanic Lockdown launch event, with over 4,000 people sampling the festival atmosphere at T13, and demand is already high for the main event on 1^st & 2^nd June. As Titanic Lockdown is a boutique festival, availability is limited. We would therefore advise people to snap up advance tickets to avoid missing out on what will be one of the most memorable music events of 2012.”

Weekend festival tickets are available for the discounted price of £66 plus booking fee at www.titanic-lockdown.com and all ticketmaster outlets.  Tickets for Friday 1^st June are priced at £33 plus booking fee – whilst Saturday 2^nd June is priced at £39 plus booking fee.  All tickets are available online from www.titanic-lockdown.com and over the counter from Ticketmaster outlets.  Online transactions are subject to an additional service charge from Ticketmaster, which can be avoided by purchasing over the counter.  Go to www.titanic-lockdown.com to find out more.

To find out more log onto www.titanic-lockdown.com, follow us on twitter @TitanicLockdown (#titaniclockdown) or like us on facebook at Titanic Lockdown

The cast and crew of the new BBC comedy series ‘Blandings’ descended upon the tranquil setting of Crom Castle earlier this week to start filming.

Blandings, based on the celebrated stories by PG Wodehouse, will star Timothy Spall as the amiable and befuddled Lord Emsworth (Clarence to his friends), with Jennifer Saunders as his indomitable sister Connie.

The series is set in 1929, and will be filmed on location at Crom Castle, Co. Fermanagh with the support of Northern Ireland Screen.

Crom Castle stands on elevated parkland amidst an archipelago of wooded islands and peninsulae in tranquil Upper Lough Erne. Built for the Third Earl of Erne in the 1830s it was designed by the English architect Edward Blore who was responsible for sections of Buckingham Palace, and has been the home to the Crichton family, Earls of Erne for centuries.

The Earl of Erne and staff at Crom Castle are “honored” that Crom has been selected for such a pretigious production. Producers had originally viewed the Castle last June and fell in love with it and its surroundings.

Manager of Crom Castle, Noel Johnston, says “From a tourism point of view this is brilliant for Fermanagh…It takes a lot of money to keep the Castle going so to get something like this is a big boost, not just to us, but to the local area.”

A crew of 100+ have now arrived in Fermanagh and work has begun. With over 40 days scheduled for filming, the crew are staying at Crom but hope to make time to check the local area and all it has to offer. We hope they enjoy our beautiful County!

Four representatives of the Langkawi Global Geopark in Malaysia visited Fermanagh and Cavan this week to see how the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark is managed and operated.

The Malaysian visitors work for the University Kebangsaan Malaysia – the National University of Malaysia – and visited the Marble Arch Caves Global geopark and the North Pennines Geopark in England as part of their research into preparing a management plan for the Langkawi Global Geopark.

They discussed geopark management issues and procedures relating to tourism, the environment, education and community involvement with members of the Management Team of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark and also visited a number of geopark sites.

The group stayed at the Arch House farm guesthouse in Florencecourt, County Fermanagh where they were able to see a successful example of farmhouse tourism and were able to discuss farm conservation techniques with the owners, Rosemary and Geoffrey Armstrong.

Sarah Aziz, one of the Malaysian visitors said “We have been overwhelmed by the warm, friendly greetings we have had from people here in Ireland. We all hope to come back and I will be bringing my family here on holiday later this year.”

Professor Ong Puay Liu said “The Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark is well known and respected as an excellent example of a successful geopark. We are here because we want to build on our own successes in Langkawi by picking up on the best practice demonstrated by leading geoparks.”

The Langkawi Global Geopark is Malaysia’s first UNESCO Global Geopark and is situated in the beautiful Langkawi islands off the northwest coast of Malaysia close to the border with Thailand. The University Kebangsaan Malaysia actively supports the development of the geopark in Langkawi in conjunction with the Langkawi Development Association, local authorities and the government of the Malaysian State of Kedah.

There are 99 islands in the Langkawi archipelago with a wide range of geology such as sandstone, limestone, granite and marble. The islands are a popular tourist destination for visitors from Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia and have a dramatic, rugged landscape that contains a range of striking features including mountains, ridges, waterfalls, caves, inaccessible limestone pinnacles, and golden sandy beaches. Many of the smaller islands rise steeply out of the sea and are covered in dense jungle vegetation.

General Fiasco
“Unfaithfully Yours” Album Launch Shows

Friday June 15 – The Stiff Kitten, Belfast (18+ Show, 8pm Doors)
Saturday June 16 – Mandela Hall, Belfast (14+ Show, 7pm Doors)

General Fiasco return to Belfast this June for two very special live shows! They play an intimate 18+ show at The Stiff Kitten on Friday June 15th, followed by a 14+ show in Mandela Hall the following night (June 16th) to officially launch their brand new LP “Unfaithfully Yours”, which comes out on Monday June 18th on Dirty Hit Records. Tickets for both shows are priced just £12 + Booking Fee, and go onsale Thursday April 5th at Midday, from www.shine.net, The Stiff Kitten and Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide.

From Bellaghy, Co.Derry, N.Ireland, General Fiasco are Owen Strathern on bass, brother Enda on guitar, Stephen Leacock on drums and new guitarist / keyboard player Stuart Bell. The band’s debut album ‘Buildings’ released on Infectious Music in 2010 saw the N.Irish band play festivals and dates around the world including Japan, New Zealand & the USA as well as festivals such Reading & Leeds, Glastonbury, Oxegen and T-In the Park. They also played support to Snow Patrol at the biggest concert ever to happen in N.Ireland at Bangor’s Ward Park to 45,000 people.

They toured relentlessly for months, picking up supports with the Enemy, Kids in Glass Houses, One Night Only and Fighting with Wire amongst others and found themselves with a Kerrang! Magazine ‘Best Newcomer’ award nomination too. The band have been writing and recording for most of 2011, but came back with an EP ‘Waves’  from which ‘The Age You Start Losing Friends’ won ‘Best Song’ at the NI Music Awards held as part of the prestigious Belfast Music Week which saw the MTV awards come to town.

‘The Age You Start Losing Friends’ also picked up another Hottest Record in the World on BBC Radio 1 and the following EP ‘Don’t You Ever’ has already picked up plays on BBC Radio 1 and beyond including several local and college radio stations in the USA.

The band has been selected as Future Flames ambassadors for Coca-Cola’s London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. They helped to select the best of British youth to run with the Olympic torch in the lead up to the games. The band will be playing at the Olympic Torch Relay Celebration in Glasgow on 8th June

The band’s 2nd album, ’Unfaithfully Yours’ is due for release in June 2012 on Dirty Hit.

Tickets for both shows are priced just £12 + Booking Fee, and go onsale Thursday April 5th at Midday, from www.shine.net, The Stiff Kitten and Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide.

www.generalfiasco.co.uk <http://www.generalfiasco.co.uk>
www.shine.net <http://www.shine.net>

This April sees the launch of British Heart Foundation (BHF) Northern Ireland’s ‘Be Heart Healthy and Volunteer’ campaign.

Volunteers play a vital role in the work of your heart charity and their dedication helps save and improve the lives of those affected by heart disease locally.

Volunteering can do wonders for a sense of wellbeing. People who volunteer report an experience known as the ‘helpers high’. This is a rush of euphoria, similar to the one experienced after physical activity and, once the initial rush is over, people are left with a lasting sense of calm. This feeling can return hours or even days later when volunteers think about what they have done.

For anyone recovering from a heart attack or heart surgery, volunteering is a good way of slowly getting back into activity before returning to work and BHF Northern Ireland will have a role to suit everyone.

In Northern Ireland there are many local volunteer opportunities available. Your heart charity has lots of different roles to suit the time people can give, from a few hours in a local BHF Northern Ireland Shop to putting on a fundraising event to raise some money for the charity. But don’t take our word for it; meet Heather Patterson, our Comms and Fundraising office volunteer from Donaghadee, Co. Down.

BHF Northern Ireland’s Fundraising Volunteer Manager, Gary Wilson says: “Our volunteers give a contribution of time that accounts for £40m of our overall income every year. But their impact goes far beyond money. Without their support we simply wouldn’t be able to do the life-saving work that helps thousands of people living with heart and circulatory disease each year.”

To find out more about volunteering with BHF Northern Ireland contact Gary Wilson, Fundraising Volunteer Manager on 028 6863 3113 or email wilsong@bhf.org.uk or visit bhf.org.uk/volunteer or pop into your local BHF Northern Ireland Shop.