Author: whatsonni

FANS of Line of Duty might be missing the action from Superintendent Hastings, Detective Inspector Arnott and DI Fleming, but now we’re sucking diesel, as Hastings Hotels and McComb’s Coach Travel have created the very first tour of filming locations from the hit TV series.

The Line of Duty Experience, begins with lunch in the Grand Café in the Grand Central Hotel, before an action packed guided tour onboard a luxurious coach, taking in some of the most recognisable filming locations and finishing the afternoon with an AC12 cocktail or Wee Donkey mocktail in the Observatory, Ireland’s tallest cocktail bar. Guests will also receive the Hastings’ Line of Duty duck which has been designed with some of Northern Ireland’s best-known sayings.  

Julie Hastings, like the battle, Marketing Director of Hastings Hotels said: “Given our namesake with everyone’s favourite Superintendent, we had to be the first to launch a Line of Duty Experience. We are delighted to team up with McComb’s Coach Travel to create this unique tour which takes in some of the most exciting filming locations across Belfast City Centre, a light lunch and finishing off with Line of Duty inspired cocktails in the Observatory. And while you may not float up the Lagan in a bubble, you will certainly enjoy the best views of Belfast and beyond.”

The tour starts at Belfast’s Grand Central Hotel in Bedford Street which is located beside the Invest NI building – the setting for AC-12 HQ. There will be various stops across the City Centre including ‘Pelbury House’ the headquarters of the Central Police force which provided the backdrop of Ted Hastings famous peaked-cap adjustments; ‘Kingsgate Printing Services’, the building used as a front for members of the OCG (Organised Crime Gang); the Lorry Park where Kate shot Ryan Pilkington before doing a runner with Jo Davidson in Series 6 and of course the iconic Subway location, the favourite meeting point for Steve and Kate to have their secret rendezvous, and perhaps the most striking spot to get that LOD selfie! 

There’ll be the chance to visit the sites of some of the most memorable car chases including the crash from Series 6 when DC Chloe and DI Arnott had been transporting Jimmy Lakewell from prison to AC-12 HQ to interrogate him when the police convoy was attacked by the OCG as well as the bridge where DI Fleming dramatically fired an assault riffle at a fleeing four-wheel drive, killing her dodgy partner and crime gang mole, Dot Cotton.

Other filming locations on the tour include Brentiss Prison which viewers watched prisoners being escorted to, including Detective Superintendent Jo Davidson after her arrest; Tresco Storage, the company used in Series 3 by Danny Waldron to store the decapitated head of Linus Murphy which was later discovered by Steve; and who could forget the incident in the opening episode of Series 6 that first made viewers suspect that DCI Davidson was a bent copper, when enroute to raid the address of a suspect in the murder of Gail Vella Hickies, she redirected the convoy to Hickey’s Bookmakers for what she ‘suspected’ was an armed robbery.

The Line of Duty Experience takes place 3^rd, 17^th & 31^st July; 14^th & 28^th August and 11^th & 25^th September and is £49pp. To book go to www.mccombscoaches.com or call 028 9086 6162.  

Leading ferry company Stena Line has confirmed details that it will be operating a new temporary weekend service between Belfast and Holyhead, starting on Fri 25^th June.  The extra capacity on the new route from Belfast will be available until Sunday 18 July.

Stena Estrid, one of Stena Line’s newest ships, will provide the service which will accommodate a mix of freight and leisure traffic, with an estimated crossing time of approximately 8 hours.

Stena Line is currently experiencing very high demand on its Belfast routes to Cairnryan and Liverpool so the addition of the temporary service will provide much needed additional capacity to and from Northern Ireland. 

Furthermore, with present travel restrictions between Britain and Ireland in place, this new route will provide an additional travel option for people who might be considering ferry travel for the first time or who wish to visit Britain, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Lead in fares on the new service start at £130 for a car and driver with sailings departing Holyhead at 23:30hrs (Friday and Saturday nights) and departing Belfast at 09:30hrs (Saturday and Sunday mornings).

Paul Grant, Stena Line Trade Director (Irish Sea), said: “We are delighted to be able to announce details of our new temporary service between Belfast and Holyhead.  The much-anticipated summer rebound for travel is beginning and we are hugely encouraged by current  booking trends.  The current travel restrictions between Britain and Ireland have created a lot of pent-up travel demand so hopefully the addition of this new route will help provide another option for people visiting friends, relatives or taking a break as well as being an attractive option for our freight customers.”

Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, with the biggest fleet offering the widest choice of routes including, combined passenger and freight services from Belfast to Cairnryan and Liverpool, Dublin to Holyhead, and Rosslare to Fishguard as well as a freight only route from Belfast to Heysham, a total of up to 238 weekly sailing options between Britain and Ireland. Stena Line also offers a direct service from Rosslare to Cherbourg with 12 crossings per week.

Country superstar Brett Eldredge has announced UK tour dates, which includes a show at the Ulster Hall, Belfast on Tuesday 3 May 2022.

Tickets are on sale this Friday, 18 June at: www.ulsterhall.co.uk and www.ticketmaster.ie

Award-winning, platinum selling country music star Brett Eldredge is returning to the UK for a run of headline dates including Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, London and the Ulster Hall, Belfast.

The Good DayTour will feature songs from his critically acclaimed recent album Sunday Drive, as well as fan favorites from his previous albums, which include #1 smash songs like Don’t Ya, Beat of the Music, Wanna Be That Song, Love Someone and more.

Eldredge is playing outdoor festivals and a 21-date US city tour this year before the UK and Europe dates in 2022.

“We’re gonna show the world what it feels like to be alive again, and I’m gonna kiss that stage when I walk on it every night because there’s nothing like it and I’ll never let it go,” said Eldredge “See you on the road!”

TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY AT 10am.

Causeway Coast Dog Rescue, a local dog rescue charity has been experiencing a huge change to both fundraising and an increase in enquiries to rehome dogs since lockdown started in 2020. No longer able to fundraise in their usual way, local businesswoman Thelma Smyton decided to run a competition to fundraise for her two favourite charities, one of which was the CCDR in Coleraine the other was Coleraine Cats Protection.

Seen here donating a cheque for the princely sum of £800.00 to the Chair of the CCDR charity, Maggie Dimsdale-Bobby, Thelma came in, to volunteer during a closed day to customers and discuss what had been achieved by everyone involved. Thelma and her colleague Tina McDaid, a local artist collected a staggering number of prizes which were kindly donated by local individuals and businesses on the north coast.  “we are both passionate about animals and always want to help out where we can. Since Covid-19 hit our community, so many people have forgotten about the animals and the charity’s work to support those animals which is why we both wanted to do our bit”.

Thelma continued, “We had an amazing response, I couldn’t believe how everyone wanted to donate and support the charities which included Paul Thompson solicitors; The Belfry Deli; Ls Gels; Wood turning Wizadry; McCloskey Hardware; TC Grooming; Pets at the Port; Asda, Sainsburys; Moods Hairdressing; Bob & Berts Limavady; Kawasaki; Martin Cole; Gordons Chemist and so many more, twenty-two in total! So, I would like to say Thank you to them all”.

“Both Tina and I were overwhelmed at the response”.  

Tina kindly donated the main prize which was a personalised portrait of whatever the winner requested as a commission.

Accepting the cheque, Chair Mrs Dimsdale-Bobby said, “I would like to thank Thelma and Tina for their support and to everyone who donated, on behalf of the charity I thank you for your kindness.  “The requests for help from our local community, received by the charity is increasing on a weekly basis and as we haven’t been able to fundraise, this donation is gratefully received. 

“The charity continues to provide a valuable service to those in Coleraine and surrounding areas and we are all looking forward to developing our relationships. Our charity shop is open again to the public and encourage shoppers to come along to the Diamond Centre in Coleraine as we are located on the ground floor, as we are raising funds to help as many dogs as possible.”

For more information on the charity and dogs for rehoming, please follow on facebook, twitter or Instagram @causewaycoastdogrescue and thank you for your support.

Tickets on sale this Friday at 10am via www.ticketmaster.ie

(London, Monday 7 June 2021) The world’s most beloved tenor, Andrea Bocelli, has announced a welcome return to the UK and Ireland in September and October 2022.  Bocelli will be visiting Liverpool, Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham and Sheffield and will also be performing rescheduled show dates in Dublin and at The O2 London.

Musically gifted from birth, Andrea Bocelli is one of the most celebrated singers in modern history,performing at major international events including the Olympic Games and the World Cup, as well as his own sell-out arena shows around the world. He has a Golden Globe, seven Classical BRITs and seven World Music Awards under his belt, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His 2018 album release, Si, reached No.1 in both the US and UK charts.

Despite the global pandemic in 2020, Bocelli was able to create new music – his album Believe contains an uplifting personal collection of songs celebrating the power of music to soothe the soul – as well as reaching new audiences around the world through online streams. The Italian multi-instrumentalist performed live in his home nation from the iconic venues of Teatro Regio di Parma and Duomo Cathedral in Milan, the latter with over 3 million concurrent online viewers, making it the largest simultaneous audience for a classical livestream in YouTube history.

With a decorated career spanning more than a quarter of a century, having amassed millions of fans around the world with his emotive and instantly recognisable voice, Bocelli has collaborated with a host of A-list stars including Luciano Pavarotti, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Céline Dion, Alison Krauss, Tony Bennett and many more.

Ultimately, Bocelli understands that all music is good for the soul in a way that taps into the most subtle nuances of humanity, irrespective of individual belief: “Good music brings with it a powerful message of peace and fellowship, teaching us about beauty, and helping us to open our hearts and minds.”

Andrea Bocelli Foundation is proud to partner with PLUS1 ensuring that for every ticket sold, £1 will support “ABF Educational Projects” in Haiti, empowering children from the most vulnerable areas of the Country, offering them the opportunity to express their true potential.www.andreabocellifoundation.org

A New Visitor Experience Bringing The Nobel Laureate’s Literature Into The Landscape

Marie Heaney, together with the Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Cathal Mallaghan, has officially launched a new outdoor visitor experience which for the first time brings Seamus Heaney’s literature into the landscape of South Derry which so inspired him.

Seamus Heaney HomePlace ‘Open Ground’ is a series of 5 locations, all of which held a significance for the poet, from the Strand at Lough Beg to the banks of the Moyola River.

Seamus Heaney’s poetry is not only visible in each place where interpretation panels explain the literary connections, but also audible with the poet’s own voice heard via listening posts on site, as well as via a dedicated Open Ground App, with elements of augmented reality adding a new dimension to the experience.

Open Ground has been developed by Mid Ulster District Council which manages Seamus Heaney HomePlace, with funding from DAERA, and represents an overall investment of £750K.

The Strand at Lough Beg, a place of ‘special memories’ for Seamus Heaney, has been made accessible to visitors for the first time.

A newly constructed boardwalk leads to a woodland pathway which gently opens out into a clearing with uninterrupted views across Lough Beg to ‘Church Island and its soft outline of yew’.

A riverside walk along the Moyola River, where Seamus Heaney walked, fished and thought, is now also more accessible to visitors who can meander alongside those same river banks, retracing the steps of the poet who was ‘at home on the water in all sorts of ways’.

Sculpture is at the heart of the remaining three locations, with a tall, steel structure at the Eelworks in Toome, symbolising the twists and turns of eels as they swim, and reflecting the poet’s fascination with both the lifecycle of eels and the fishermen who trapped them.

An alleyway in Magherafelt is now home to the sculpted silhouettes of people walking towards the town’s bus station which featured in Heaney’s poetry, with the ‘agitated rooks’ from ‘Route 110’, the poem which takes its title from the number of a local bus, flying just above their heads.

The existing Turfman sculpture in Bellaghy has benefited from an extended and freshly landscaped seating area, creating a new space for visitors to contemplate both the art piece and lines from ‘Digging’, one of Seamus Heaney’s most well-known poems.

Speaking at the launch, Chair of the Council, Councillor Cathal Mallaghan, said:

“This is a truly unique development which brings Seamus Heaney’s poetry alive in the places which were so much a part of his formative years and had such an influence on the body of work which brought him literature’s highest accolade – the Nobel Prize.

“If you read Seamus Heaney’s speech from the day on which he became a Nobel Laureate, you will be left in no doubt about his roots being in South Derry and their significance on his journey from his home in the ‘traditional thatched farmstead’ to the stage on Stockholm.

“I consider it an honour to be launching Open Ground and to celebrate further the man, his work and his deep connections to this area”.

Chris Heaney, speaking on behalf of the Heaney family, said:

“The names of the locations that make up this particular open ground – Bellaghy, Magherafelt, Toome, Moyola, Lough Beg – are familiar to people from this locale but they have also become familiar to readers of my father’s poetry throughout the world. The development of five sites linked to different poems was a great idea from the start and there is something special and genuinely powerful hearing the poems read in their own “home places”.

Director of Rural Affairs at DAERA, Paul Donnelly said:

“Tourism has the potential to create jobs and opportunities for our rural communities and economy and I am delighted that we have invested £471k from our Rural Tourism Scheme into the Heaney Open Ground Experience. This project will highlight the literacy significance of the sites in the life story of Seamus Heaney and in doing so will hopefully attract more people to visit the area and stay longer.” 

This project was part funded under Priority 6 (LEADER) of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the European Union, with contributions also via DAERA’s Environmental Challenge Fund, Department for Infrastructure and the Lough Neagh Partnership.

For further information visit www.seamusheaneyhome.com

The first live outdoor concert in Northern Ireland in 15 months took place this past Saturday, June 5^th, at Ballymully Cottage Farm, Limavady, home of Stendhal Festival.

250 invited guests enjoyed sets from ROE, No Oil Paintings, Ports and Jealous Of The Birds, as they observed social distancing guidelines set by the gig organisers.

The social distancing rules saw people watch the gigs from tables and individual audience pens in bubbles of four to six people.

A one-way system, hand sanitizing stations, toilet cleaning, signage and social distancing marshals also added to the safety protocols and ensured that the event could take pace as safely and as socially distantly as possible, without taking away from the atmosphere of the event.

Stendhal Festival Director Ross Parkhill said that it was a huge thrill to be able to host live music at the farm again and that the event went off exactly to plan with no major issues what so ever.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” said Ross. “We’ve missed this so much so to be able to put on a gig again means the world to absolutely everyone involved with Stendhal.”

He added: “We are used to doing much bigger gigs but this one really felt special. It felt like a real release and you could feel that throughout the audience, the performers and the staff here. It felt like hope realised.”

Ross added: “In terms of the numbers, we could have had more people but along with getting a gig on stage this was also about getting a trial run of our social distancing procedures before we welcome larger crowds in July and August. Safety of our visitors is always our number one priority at any edition of Stendhal but it will be our number one, two and three priorities this year.

“We are really pleased with how everything went in that sense, everyone who we spoke to at the end said they felt safe, felt that the covid measures were easy to follow and more importantly, said that it gave them a bit of confidence venturing back into crowds as we hopefully are seeing the back end of this terrible pandemic.”

The Northern Ireland Executive announced on May 20^th that outdoor events for up to 500 people, including concerts could take place from May 24^th and Ross said that once that announcement was made, Stendhal simply had to act.

“When we read that outdoor concerts for 500 people were back on the agenda we sort of had to do a double take to see if we had read it correctly. Then we emailed the Executive office and the Department for Communities to clarify and validate that the press release was correct and when that came back in the affirmative we knew we had to act right away.”

Naomi Hamilton of Jealous of the Birds was one of the performers on the night and following her first live performance to an audience since March 2020 she said it was a night of high emotion.

“What a joy,” she said of getting back to performing live. “ The show was an absolute joy and a testament to the fact that outdoor music and festivals can run safely and smoothly in this time of covid recovery.

“People need the arts and music now more than ever and being able to share that together between artists and audience was pretty stellar.”

Roisin Donald (aka ROE) was also playing her first ever gig with a full band, a direction her live performance was just about to take before the pandemic put the brakes on everything.

“It was the best feeling in the world to be back on a stage in front of an actual crowd again,” she said. “Everyone was in amazing spirits and it felt so right to be there. This is something that N.I. really needed and I think the crew did an incredible job of making everyone feel safe and welcome.”

With this successful trial run under their belts, the team at Stendhal are now preparing for their 10^th anniversary events this July and August and Ross said that he hopes that the overall total of 500 people currently allowed to gather for concerts will have increased by then.

“We are hoping that we can have 2500 people here in July and 5000 here in August. The pilot events in England and around Europe have shown that events of that size can take place safely without social distancing, so what we are planning will be even safer. We need guidance on the overall ‘outdoors summer’ and our place within that as soon as possible. We are good to go, we will do whatever it takes to safely deliver some much needed festivity for artists and audiences this summer.”

Very limited numbers of tickets remain for Stendhal’s July and August Anniversary events. For more information visit www.stendhalfestival.com.

ARMOY Road Races have a bumper entry this year according to Bill Kennedy MBE, Clerk of the Course. 

To date, entries have been received from all over Ireland and the United Kingdom with nearly 30 of them newcomers. It would seem there is a keen interest in racing at Armoy this year and who will turn up at to race in the famous Bayview Hotel Race of Legends.

Wilson Craig’s Team Principal Darren Gilpin has confirmed not just Bolton man Davey Todd, who had a great win at the Spring Cup weekend at Oliver’s Mount, but Chris Burns from Newcastle. He said; “Davey is well known on the roads but Chris has extensive experience on all levels of racing including Moto GP, British Superbike as well as German and Dutch Superbike Championships. Pure road racing is something that Chris has wanted to do for some time now. His father was a former TT competitor and that’s part of his motivation.

“Steven Smith from Antrim will also be part of the team, and he is really looking forward to Armoy and what its 3.03 mile course has to offer.”

Bill Kennedy MBE, Clerk of the Course, said; “Generally at this time of the year I’m visiting the various road races asking guys (and girls) to get their entries in but this year, and I suppose with the pandemic folk just want to race, so our entries at this stage are looking very strong indeed. I’ve yet to confirm some riders but it looks like we’ll have some key road racers at Armoy come the last weekend in July.

“Now we are still working our way through restrictions and what different bodies and government departments are telling us but I’m fairly certain we’ll have to run with some sort of restrictions but like everything it’s a massive and evolving task. 

“With a strong entry it’ll be very interesting. Having the likes of Chris Burns, a former British Superbike championship rider says it all and it shows the sheer love these guys have for road racing.”

The Club has also confirmed Mullingar man Derek McGee and Michael Sweeney from the Skerries will be back along with popular Dominic Herbertson. Local boys and club members Darryl Tweed and Neil Kernohan will be in the mix along with Paul Jordan from Magherafelt.

Bill Kennedy MBE said; “We’ve some top class riders and it’s sure to make for some interesting racing come Race Day. The Classics, which are ever popular, will see Barry Davidson with his numerous Armoy classic wins race alongside Guy Martin. That’s one race that’s sure to grab everyone’s attention this year.

“With two months to go there is much work to be done.”

For more information on Armoy Road Races, visit www.armoyroadraces.com or search for ‘AMRRC’ on Facebook or follow on twitter @ArmoyRoadRaces. 

With summer just around the corner, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has partnered with the Irish Football Association for a series of exciting Summer Camps. 

The Camps, for boys and girls aged 5 to 13, will be held at Scroggy Road, Limavady from July 5^th to 9^th, Quay Road, Ballycastle from July 19^th to 23^rd, Kilrea Sports Complex from August 2^nd to 6^th, Rugby Avenue in Coleraine from August 2^nd to 6^th and the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney from August 9^th to 13^th. 

All Camps will run from 10.30am to 1.30pm and every child taking part will receive a free football. 

To book your place go to www.irishfa.com/footballcamps or for more information contact ronan.odonnell@irishfa.com

Council will also be running its hugely popular Summer Recreation Programme with lots of variety including golf, tennis, hockey, judo, athletics, gymnastics and netball from July 5^th until August 20^th.

Booking will soon be available online and you can find out more by emailing sportsdevelopment@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

The ForM Sculpture Exhibition opened on Tuesday 1 June in Bangor Castle’s Walled Garden.

For the whole month of June, the garden will showcase over 20 beautiful sculptures, created by artists from across the island of Ireland. This unique event gives visitors the opportunity to experience art outside of the traditional gallery setting.

The pieces inspired by the garden, are dotted around the tranquil setting, enhancing the natural space. The whole family will enjoy seeking out sculptures located in the garden’s walkways, shrubbery and flowerbeds.

Speaking about ForM, The Mayor of Ards and North Down Councillor Trevor Cummings said: “It is great to see this wonderful outdoor event return to Bangor Castle’s Walled Garden. The sculptures really add another dimension to the garden during month of June and I would encourage everyone to come along and view it.”

Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Arts Officer, Patricia Hamilton said,

“We are thrilled that we are able to deliver ForM sculpture exhibition this year, one of our first events since restrictions have eased. There have been few opportunities for artists to exhibit their work since early 2020 and I hope visitors will explore the sculptures in this beautiful outdoor setting. It is well-documented that art boosts well-being and we hope that connecting to art in this tranquil space will benefit people.”

ForM will remain open until 30 June and is free to visit.  Some of the sculptures are available to buy. To access a digital exhibition map, visitors are invited to scan a QR code with their smartphone at the entrance to the garden or alternatively, the map can be downloaded in advance from:

www.andculture.org.uk

Bangor Castle Walled Garden is open from 10am – 8pm Monday to Thursday, and 10am – 6pm Friday – Sunday and Bank Holidays.