Author: Tina Calder

A local artisan drinks manufacturer is set to open a second location of its successful Gin School in the trendy Cathedral Quarter bar, The Thirsty Goat next month, after receiving support from Mallusk Enterprise Park to grow and diversify their business.

Belfast Artisan Distillery Gin is a refreshing and smooth Premium London Dry Gin with a local twist stocked in over 140 outlets across Northern Ireland including leading convenience stores and popular city centre bars. It has recently launched two sister companies, Belfast Artisan Gin School and Belfast Artisan Distillery Tours.

Founders Robert Borne and Jo Davison set up their business in the busy Newtownabbey based Enterprise Park in 2017 and have since developed the downstairs space into a manufacturing and bottling zone and a private bar upstairs to welcome both new and existing customers in.

Set up in 1992 to support new and established entrepreneurs, Mallusk Enterprise Park has enabled the passionate team behind Belfast Artisan Distillery to expand their network and receive essential funding.

Jo Davison, Co-Founder of Belfast Artisan Distillery, said: “Mallusk Enterprise Park provides us with work space for our new distillery in an ideal location. It offers support to tenants and other local businesses with networking and partnership opportunities. 

“The support from the MEP team has been great and we have benefitted from both workshops and mentoring which has helped us improve many aspects of our business and has kept us informed about funding opportunities.. 

“The park is very well managed and offers ongoing support to tenants. Their charitable status as a social enterprise meaning any surplus profits made through their property rental and funded programmes are reinvested back into the local community via free advice and support to individuals considering self-employment.”

Emma Garrett, Chief Executive, Mallusk Enterprise Park added: “Jo, Robert and Ian Perry the distiller are passionate about their products, and this is transparent through their continued success.  

“The Enterprise Park offers much more than bricks and mortar to start-up companies like this, we pride ourselves in providing wrap-around support to our small business community.” 

In November 2021 the company opened its doors to its first edition of their Gin School venture located above the Crown & Shamrock Inn in Newtownabbey, offering guests the opportunity to make and distil their own bespoke gin choosing from over 80 botanicals.

“The Gin School at the Crown & Shamrock is an immersive visitor experience in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough that will attract visitors from the local area, across NI, ROI and hopefully as travel restrictions lift, the whole of the UK and beyond,” explained Jo.

Their great tasting premium gin and vodka range features two fruit based flavours of gin liqueur and charcoal filtered Irish potato vodka that have taken the local drink awards by storm receiving a series of prestigious titles including 2019 Best Irish Newcomer, 2020 & 2021 Gin Masters Silver Award and 2021 Best Northern Irish London Dry Gin World Gin Awards.

Through additional funding from the Antrim and Newtownabbey Business Growth Programme OPTIMAL, the business owners received one-to-one mentoring which accelerated the business’ trajectory.

“Mallusk Enterprise Park’s focus is on supporting indigenous businesses” said Iain Patterson, Chairman, Mallusk Enterprise Park, adding: “Our extensive property waiting list is testament to the support provided by Emma and her team in MEP.  

“It really is the location of choice to start and grow a business in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough.” 

Jo said that working on the Optimal programme has been “fantastic” for Belfast Artisan Distillery Gin.

She added: “I worked with Miriam Stevenson as a mentor and have learned so many new skills and techniques that have moved our business forward.  

“We have designed new websites, vastly improved our online presence and social media and now have an online shop which allows us to sell our products across NI, ROI and the UK. I cannot praise the Optimal programme enough and would highly recommend it,” said Jo.

Browse the full range at belfastartisandistillery.comFor more information on how Mallusk Enterprise can help grow your business visit mallusk.org, email business@mallusk.org or call 028 90838860.

What started out as a hobby for Dawn Demain, owner of Carnlough-based Antrim Rain Natural Soap Co., has turned into a successful  brand, gift shop and tourist experience.

Initially making soap to pass the time and give them out as gifts, Dawn has steadily built up a client base for her product including the Giant’s Causeway visitor centre and the 5-star Water’s Edge bed and breakfast in Glenarm, as well as numerous visitors to the County Antrim town.

Opening her shop Ebb & Flow in Carnlough at the harbour has meant Dawn has been able to support other crafters.

“Our range is exceedingly high quality,” she explained. “What is stocked is very much design led artisan goods, my handmade soap and quirky unusual things. 

“I suppose you could say it is an eclectic mix of quality crafts and gifts mostly by local artists and makers. We have ceramics, jewellery, books, and candles. There are all sorts of glassware, handmade purses and bags, scarves, artwork, sandblasted slate work – gifts that people can take away – from small things like keyrings right up to £400-£500 paintings.”

As well as making her soaps Dawn has been running workshops from Ebb & Flow, for beginners to learn how to make their own soap.

“It is a fun and educational activity that the weather won’t spoil,” Dawn said. ‘Participants in my classes create their own product to use themselves or to gift. 

The classes are suitable for groups of 4 to 6 people, held  on shop close days or evenings to suit different groups. Partakers can enjoy the refreshments provided while they learn about theory followed by a demonstration. After lunch participants make their own batch of soap, using 100% natural ingredients which is theirs to keep and has a retail value of £50.

As well as the workshops she hosts demonstrations of how she goes about making soap. These demos can be as short as 15 to 20minutes or longer depending on the groups’ requirements.

“You can see the soap being made in the shop which attracts attention in that it is made and sold on the premises. I am able to tell purchasers what’s in it and what it does.”

All Dawn’s soaps are made using the traditional cold process method and the water content is locally collected rainwater from high in the County Antrim hills, which is filtered, to provide a completely natural product. 

“Each soap is scented using a unique blend of essential oils, which unlike artificial fragrances, give a soft subtle scent and in themselves have therapeutic properties,” she explained. “The soaps are gentle on the skin and suitable for all skin types with no artificial hardeners, preservatives, colourings or perfumes. 

“Some of the soaps have colour or texture, which is achieved by adding natural herbs, spices or skin nourishing botanicals. The soaps cure for about four to six weeks before each bar is hand cut, trimmed and hand wrapped.”

In keeping with her own principles of her eco-friendly soaps Dawn sources stock for the shop in the same way, with mostly products that are plastic free, and fair trade produced.

Antrim Rain Natural Soap Co. has also launched a new range of solid shampoo bar to complement the existing range of handmade soaps already on sale.

The new product range is solidly based on her ecological principles.

“My new range of solid shampoo bars are formulated with lots of hair loving oils with added Rhassoul clay and a touch of tussah silk,” she explained. Introducing the new product range means a natural way of hair care with no plastic waste. Find out more about Antrim Rain soaps at facebook.com/antrimrainsoap or order soaps online at www.etsy.com/uk/shop/AntrimRainSoap

A centuries old crofter’s cottage in Islandmagee has been given a new lease of life thanks to a loving restoration and sensitive modernisation, making it the perfect retreat and launching pad to explore the best of the Causeway Coastal Route.

Cloghfin Cottage dates back more than 250 years, steeped in maritime history and has been converted to feature a stunning double bedroom, with a sofa bed providing an option for two children.

Although completely renovating the existing building was not going to be the cheapest or easiest road to go down, it was an easy decision for owner Janice Bisp to make.

“The cheapest option would have been to flatten it,” she explained. “But I just couldn’t entertain that idea, as it had so much history. We know that almost 300 years ago the building would have been a two-room cottage with a barn at the side of it and a home to proud islanders.

“We did a lot of the work ourselves – it took all our energy for most of a year but my husband and I loved working on it together – we had such fun.”

Whilst bringing the cottage up to date Janice tried to always have the history of the building in mind and to incorporate it into the new build as much as she could. She loves to explain to guests about the original features of the building. 

Nestled on Muldersleigh Hill in scenic Islandmagee, Cloghfin Cottage overlooks Larne Lough and offers guests stunning views of the surrounding area. The name Cloghfin actually comes from the original name of the townland as identified in one of the oldest maps of the area. 

The restoration was undertaken to retain the building’s charm whilst installing modern features such as electric roof windows and underfloor heating, in order to retain as much space as possible.

Janice, who previously travelled the world as a nurse, pulled on her own experiences to bring guests a unique and memorable holiday.

“I travelled in New Zealand and stayed in batches – like little holiday homes on the coast. I loved it and it was the best experience. It’s that sense of fun and adventure that I want to create here for people to enjoy.”

The cottage is located on a smallholding with sheep and lambs (when in season) as well as free range hens and beehives and guests are encouraged to collect their own eggs for breakfast and cuddle the lambs.

Janice is always happy to share her knowledge on bee keeping and can provide extra suits if people want to get a little closer and learn more about the process. She is extremely passionate about sustainability and would welcome the opportunity to share this with guests. 

Guests also have access to a shared country flower garden complete with a hammock, BBQ facilities, picnic table and a large purpose-built fire pit. Janice and her husband have also found the perfect spot on higher ground to watch the sunset and have utilised this vantage point by placing a sun seat there. 

“We call it the beer seat; you can go up there with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses and the sunsets are right opposite you and are just beautiful. They really are awesome, and you can see them reflect on Larne Lough. It’s worth taking a picture of.”

The cottage provides an excellent base from which to explore the local area. 

Cloghfin Cottage is within walking distance to the Gobbins Visitor Centre which takes tours to the famous Gobbins Cliff Path. Visitors can also enjoy an ice cream at the famous Rinkha Ice-cream Parlour and the cottage is about a 10 minute walk to Port Road Beach, a pebble beach perfect for kids to skim stones. 

Located within an easy drive of Browns Bay beach and Portmuck harbour, it is also about a five-minute drive to the Victorian town of Whitehead with a choice of places to eat and shop, Whitehead Railway Museum and the impressive Blackhead Coastal Path.

Janice’s love for the local area is clear and she hopes to pass on the knowledge and joy she experiences living in her special smallholding to her guests.

“I just want people to come and enjoy themselves.” says Janice, “It feels like it’s all still new to me as well. I didn’t grow up here, but I love it. It’s just great fun and I think everyone should experience it.” For more information visit www.facebook.com/cloghfincottage/.

Northern Ireland’s business community is coming together to support the delivery of industry-led careers inspiration events across the province, engaging almost 7,500 Year 9 pupils in June 2022. 

4C UR Future LIVE is an innovative and fast-paced event that uses skills games and work-based challenges, designed and delivered in collaboration with local employers, to help young people get an insight into the future world of work.

The initiative, which aims to help every participant make more informed education and career choices, is the brainchild of 4C UR Future’s Founder, Rose Mary Stalker. Following a successful pilot in June 2019, the social enterprise is taking the show on the road this year, delivering an at-scale pilot of one event in every council area in June.

Managing Director of 4C UR Future, Rachel Doherty, acknowledges the support of the local business community in enabling the events to scale: “Our work would not be possible without the support of our member companies, who recognise the significant opportunities that come from working together collaboratively, and at-scale, to tackle systemic problems; helping our young people discover their own attributes, strengths, and interests, and exploring how these might align with their future opportunities.

“The careers landscape has become increasingly complex for young people and parents to navigate, with new in-demand skills, new types of jobs, and entirely new sectors emerging, resulting in major bottlenecks in the skills pipeline; inhibiting our local businesses from growing.

“By working across all of the key employment sectors in Northern Ireland, 4C UR Future leverage and mobilise the skills and industry expertise available on our doorstep.”

The LIVE events are funded and resourced by the Northern Ireland business community and are hosted with support from ten councils. The events are free to schools, including free transport, which is being supported by Translink.

Charlotte Richardson, PR Manager at Translink, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support this fantastic series of events, which are taking place across Northern Ireland; investing in our young people and building confidence, skills, and knowledge to help them identify the many opportunities and the wide variety of career paths and industries open to them. Access to events like this is vital to the next generation and to the workforce of the future and we’re proud to be a member of 4C UR Future.”

‘Race To Net Zero’ is just one of the games featured at LIVE events, which is being co-designed and delivered by NI Water and NIE Networks. With sustainability high on the agenda, the game focuses on the importance of the production of green energy and clean water.  

Edel Creery, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement at NIE Networks, said: “Energy is a huge part of our daily lives, and for the younger generation in particular, understanding how our everyday decisions and energy choices impact the world around us has become a priority.  NIE Networks’ vision is to deliver a sustainable energy system for all and we need young, creative thinkers and innovative problem-solvers to help us achieve that.”

“The Race To Net Zero game is a dynamic and fun way to demonstrate to young people how they can get involved, showing that by collaborating with each other on the future of our energy systems, we can tackle climate change in a meaningful way. We are looking forward to meeting the engineers, designers, and innovators of the future at the 4C UR Future LIVE events in June.”

Learning & Development Manager at NI Water, Alan Moore, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with NIE Networks to bring forward our important environmental messages and highlight the role that energy and water play in creating a healthy society for us all in Northern Ireland. As a key utility provider, we are in a unique and privileged position to help our ‘stars of tomorrow’ consciously create a better future for our community, economy, and environment as part of what is sure to be a fun and energetic event.” It’s not too late for local businesses to get involved. For more information on 4C UR Future, go to: www.4curfuture.com, or email info@4curfuture.com.

Northern Ireland specialist recruitment company, Tyson Wilson Recruitment is the first recruitment agency to be awarded a gold level innovator award from Innovate NI, on behalf of the Department for the Economy.

The government backed scheme helps businesses across Northern Ireland bring their ideas to the market to help drive innovation in their industry by recognising each business who applies as either silver, gold or platinum standard.

Tyson Wilson’s 2022 award comes off the back of their success two years ago when they won the silver standard for innovation as they embarked on a journey to become the first paperless recruitment agency in Belfast in 2020.

CEO and founder, Michelle Tyson believes this is a step in the right direction for other recruitment agencies to take inspiration from.

“Over the last year, we commercially launched our 2020 silver innovation idea of implementing app and video interviewing technology into the business. After testing it out, we recognised its success and applied for the Innovate NI awards again and were awarded the gold standard.

“Becoming paperless brings so many benefits to the recruitment process from both the candidates and recruiter point of view. For example, a candidate coming for a role with Tyson Wilson has a quicker journey as they receive applications faster which in turn speeds up the recruitment process. 

“Investing in paperless technology also helps reduce harmful co2 emissions and helps us do our bit for the environment too” she said.

For those seeking employment, registering on the Tyson Wilson website has never been easier thanks to their new style which involves all interviews being conducted by telephone or video technology and if you’re a temporary worker then accessing payroll is done via an app.

Michelle says this virtual process is a result of how the pandemic has streamlined traditional processes and shaped how businesses recruit staff.

“The industry is changing, especially now that a lot of recruitment consultants are working remotely. So, you have to put these adaptations into place to be able to do that and it saves us a lot of time.”

If you’re a business looking for new staff, visit tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk/jobs to gain access to a wide range of candidates.
For more information on what Tyson Wilson can do for your business contact Michelle at info@tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk

Milliken Tours Ireland have taken the tour market to new heights with their bespoke experiences that take visitors to well known attractions, alongside lesser known sites and scenery. 

Husband and wife team, Seamus and Bridie Milliken, are both qualified tour guides, and as locals they have an intimate, deep knowledge of The Causeway Coastal Route and The Antrim Glens area having lived in the area all their life.

“We were volunteer walk leaders with Glenarm Tourism’s walking group for 20 years and it was always something my husband wanted to pursue full time.” explained Bridie. “We did a level two tour guiding course and established the business in 2016. We both enjoy what we do – showcasing this beautiful part of the world to visitors from further afield.”

With their own vehicle they can escort up to six people, but can also offer a hire service minibus for up to 16 but always with the customer’s needs and wishes in mind.

“When somebody books us, we won’t take anyone else – it’s their own private tour,” explained Seamus. “First thing I always say is ‘it’s your day’ – you tell me when you want to stop or if there’s anything you really want to see or do – then I do my best to make it happen.”

As well as visitors from across the island their reach goes much further.

“A lot of people from North America have connections, especially here in County Antrim,” said Seamus “I’ve had people from the east coast of America – whose ancestors’ families left east Antrim way back in the 1700s and they are now coming back to trace where their family came from. 

“They’re really wanting to discover their family’s story here as well as the tourist sights. A lot of people are definitely interested in their Irish and their Ulster-Scots roots.”

Milliken Tours Ireland can also accommodate lone walkers and groups on private guided walking tours.

“We have a great relationship with landowners and farmers with permission to walk on their land in The Antrim Glens, which isn’t normally accessible to the public so we can offer our guests special walks,” said Bridie.

“This adds to the current Ulster Way and Antrim Hills walks available for hikers. And we also follow ‘Leave no Trace’ principles”.

Seamus is a qualified Mountain leader and so is skilled to deal with all emergencies and is also first aid trained.

 “We’re proud of where we live and really want to show off the places and things that make it special,” said Bridie. We get so much out of what we do, and we love explaining what life here is really like, covering both the past and present. Seamus is very interested in history and geography and he would have been soaking up knowledge even before we started the tours. You will always find him reading books about the area.”

As the business name suggests, Seamus can pick up guests from across Ireland, whether it is from airports or hotels to make sure that customers get the most out of their experience. Milliken Tours Ireland can also whisk guests away for a few days across the island, whether it’s coasting along the Wild Atlantic Way, or tailoring the route to feel a deeper connection with their Irish heritage.

And, of course as a local he knows the best places to stop for something to eat, a coffee, or maybe even a pint of the black stuff.

Milliken Tours Ireland also carries out a calendar of monthly community guided walks on the third Sunday of each month, organised in association with Glenarm Tourism to various locations from coast to surrounding hills, of different length and duration. Monthly walks are always publicised on Facebook, or locals can pick up the annual leaflet with all guided walks advertised.

Find out more at millikentoursireland.com.

It was a pack of cards and an encounter with a famous comedian and magician that turned the young Steve Wilson from curious teenager into budding child magician. Little did he know then that these experiences would lead to a 25 year relationship with Circusful, formerly Belfast Community Circus School. 

“My fondest memory was meeting Tommy Cooper at a magic convention in London. I was a wee nipper of 13 and he was a giant.”

“I bought some cards in Hamleys toy store in London in the 70s and this pack of cards got me into magic,” he explained.

After establishing his career as a professional magician, performing at the likes of the Royal Silver Jubilee Celebrations in London and at children’s parties, Steve moved to Ireland permanently in 2000.

His connections with the Belfast Circus School via fellow Circusful performer, Bucky The Clown, led to Steve creating the building blocks of his original character, “Wonderful World of Mr Wizzy”.

“I wasn’t very academically good so I was always going to be a performer. I did workshops, and some shadowing for the first month to get up to a certain skill level”

“It’s all Bucky’s fault but I’ve never looked back.”

Originally, Mr Wizzy performed as a double act around Ireland showcasing highly visual and entertaining mobile performances.

During his early career, Steve took part in the Special Olympics ceremony held in Dublin where he brushed shoulders with U2, The Corrs and Bon Jovi.

“Back in the day we did the Special Olympics at Croke Park. We were there for three days and Nelson Mandela was there but hadn’t arrived yet so someone was invited to get up on stage to be him for the camera angles. So I went up.

“We did a big finish for 30K people in 7 minutes.” he explained.

When he isn’t performing, Steve enjoys his role as a Circusful trainer where he teaches workshops to enthusiastic participants who have the opportunity to learn new skills, gain confidence, build resilience and make long lasting friendships. 

“We’ve got them all wired. It helps to build their self-esteem for school or a whole range of things. Circus breaks down all the barriers. It’s not like rugby at school where if you don’t fit in, you’ll be singled out. It’s not competitive at all”.

Over the years, Mr Wizzy has led classes for disabled people and people who are recovering from strokes, he finds this work the most fulfilling. 

“One of the things we have been doing over the years are workshops with disabled people which I love with a passion, I must say. When we come back from the workshops, we can’t believe that we’ve had the privilege to work in this way – it’s very rewarding.”

Steve worked with a woman who had had a stroke a few years ago. “This lady was blind and I used juggling balls with her and she held a juggling ball and burst into tears as her carers had all told her she couldn’t feel anything in her hand.”

Although his colourful career has meant he’s travelled far and wide and performed to a variety of people, Steve believes that Belfast is the perfect place to do what he loves.

“My favourite place to perform is undoubtedly Belfast because we know everybody from the school, so we don’t have to try too hard to get an audience.

“We already know the people in the audience and with the Festival of Fools, we have theatre on our doorsteps here – it’s brilliant.” he said.

Steve continues to move forward with the tight knit Circusful family to connect, empower and inspire the people of Northern Ireland and beyond through high-quality circus tuition and performance.

“It’s a family. It’s the circus family.”To find out how you can get involved with Circusful, visit https://circusful.org

The self-proclaimed Jack of all trades, Hillas Smith aka Mr H, is a popular circus and street performer for Circusful, formerly known as Belfast Community Circus School. As well as performing, Hillas plays an active role in leading outreach programmes that engage young people across the country. 

Joining the Circus wasn’t the obvious career path for Hillas. As a young boy he engaged in traditional sports like rugby until he had a chance encounter with someone at university who sparked his interest in all things circus and performing.

“At university, I met someone who taught me to juggle and then taught me to stilt walk. It all snowballed from there.” 

From here Hillas started performing in acrobatic shows which he took to ‘like a fish to water’. 

Following a brief stint in Europe, where Hillas joined forces with two Erasmus students from Germany, he returned to Ireland where he regularly juggled on street corners in Galway.

Dubliner Hillas, 49, believes there is a ‘special kind of character’ that likes to perform in the street. 

“I love the random nature of it. It can be something as small as what somebody says in reaction to what you’ve done, which just fires your imagination and takes you to a new place.” he said. 

As the arts and culture scene took off in Belfast in the early 2000’s, Hillas decided to leave his much-loved home in Copenhagen to ‘catch the wave’ of the upcoming Northern Irish scene.

“I came to Belfast to visit a friend in 2001 and fell into work very quickly after having a dry patch in Copenhagen.”

“I was very tied into the air of positivity in Belfast. There was a real feeling of change, like something had shifted from the late 90s as the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival had begun and Festival of the Fools was taking shape.

“I actually deferred my return to Copenhagen a couple of times and then decided to relocate to Belfast, which took everyone in Copenhagen by surprise as they knew I had started to feel at home there.” he explained.

Hillas combines his various juggling disciplines with acrobatic skills, as well as dramatic fire performances under his clown character ‘Mr H’.

“The clown character was something that developed slowly as I got to know my own abilities, and I was heavily influenced by silent movie stars like Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Laurel and Hardy.

“There’s a kind of timelessness to it.” he said.

Watching the audience’s faces light up inspires Hilas to keep performing centre stage. 

“By doing the physical comedy you give the audience permission to laugh at another human being’s carelessness, stupidity, clumsiness, mishaps.

“It’s a really joyous thing to get a group of people to laugh together. There’s a gorgeous sense of community.”

When he’s not being laughed at, Hillas teaches circus skills to adults and families as well as children and young people, a role which he finds immensely rewarding.

“The ethos in the circus world is meeting people where they are, whatever age. My job as a trainer is to see what type of skill that person will enjoy, how they learn, and how I can help them to get the most out of what they’re doing. 

“Our teaching method is very much an open conversation and we don’t have a fixed endpoint as we believe the process of learning is far more important,” he explained.

Alongside this, he is an integral part of the Circusful’s outreach programmes in communities all over Northern Ireland.

These projects include the Prison Arts Foundation where Hillas worked with inmates of Hydebank Young Offenders’ Centre. 

“We brought a group of untrusting, suspicious young men on a journey of self-exploration and self-expression where they learned to trust us, the circus tutors, as well as each other, and to gain in confidence sufficiently to get up in front of their peers and perform slapstick and comedy in an environment where being laughed at is a big cultural taboo.”

Hillas believes the social circus mission is the most important element of Circusful’s work within the community,

 “We provide an environment where children and young people are free to be themselves, without judgement, and can learn through the process of ‘try, fail and grow’ in a supportive atmosphere where everyone’s successes are celebrated.”

To find out how you can get involved with Circusful, go to circusful.org

‘Carved at the Castle’ offers a variety of unique traditional craft courses, giving you the chance to learn how to create something distinctive in limestone that is 74 million years old.

Run by The Rock Stone Masonry in the picturesque Glenarm Castle estate, ‘Carved at the Castle’ have a variety of courses for people wanting to learn a new skill and leave with a love for this heritage craft.

Nathan Morrow, founder of The Rock Stone Masonry explained that beginners will get to hand carve a v-cut letter in local ancient limestone.

“If you are feeling eager you can carve your own house number and proudly display it at your front door,” he said. “This is a great hands-on insight for those with an interest in traditional skills or to develop skills further in a controlled environment.

“Participants are taught by fully qualified stonemasons.”

“Every step of the process is included from correctly stencilling to learning how to use the tools and carving out the letters. You are guaranteed to have fun and leave having learnt a new skill and love for this special heritage craft.”

From learning the principles, through to the process of making a rough-cut, participants then pick a piece of stone, already selected for size and work, to carve letters or numbers. These pieces of stone are local to Glenarm, having been quarried there since the late 18th Century.

Experienced tutors will then guide participants through the various processes involved in a hands-on, small ground setting.

Those taking part vary from those wanting to learn a new craft skill through those with some experience, but it is pitched at a level for everyone.

On the beginners course, Nathan explains that participants will learn the precise nature of ‘V-cut’ lettering.

“To give you an example of how precise it is, it is like working with a sharp pencil,” he said. “Once you make a pencil sharp with a long lead you can press too hard and break the lead, but you don’t want to carve without understanding how to apply pressure to a pencil line itself.

“The chisel has to split that pencil line. The precision of cutting a letter is halving a pencil line.

“Participants initially don’t think too much about it but when they start into it, they realise you’re actually taking the stone down to halve a pencil line.”

Alongside the beginners course there are additional opportunities at a beginner level to branch further including lime pointing, random rubble building and drystone walling whilst practicing maintenance and repairs throughout the Glenarm Estate, alongside Nathan and his team of stonemasons. More advanced courses delve further into high/low relief carving and three-dimensional sculptures.

The courses are held at Glenarm Castle Estate and run on alternative Saturdays, from 9am to 3pm, with up to 14 participants, with a low level bench for accessibility.

We intend to release further weekday dates and increase to every weekend. Further dates will be added as required. Private group bookings and tailored classes/demonstrations can be requested via email therockstonemasonry@gmail.com

Find out more at therockstonemasonry.co.uk

Exclusive NI Tours new fleet of Range Rovers and XJ Jaguars is offering visitors tours and chauffeur services that transport them in the lap of luxury and deliver special bespoke experiences.

Owner, Trevor Patterson believes that personal service and luxury cars are what makes his company appeal to those who want to see the best of Northern Ireland in style.

“The cars are high-end and that is part of where we set the standard by providing a top quality service,” he explained. “It’s not just like taking a taxi to the Giant’s Causeway for a quick look round or a stop to grab pictures at the Dark Hedges. We provide much more than that.”

Exclusive NI Tours offer a range of bespoke chauffeur driven tour itineraries to locations such as the Causeway Coastal Route featuring the Antrim Glens, the Mountains of Mourne, Derry / Londonderry through to Donegal and Belfast.

Those who want something tailored for their own needs can be accommodated, as can those who want to explore their family roots with genealogy trips available. Chauffeured transfers are offered to and from the airport with the option for guests to take in some sights along the way. Equally, for those guests who are on a tight schedule, direct transfers can be offered, 

With 10 years-experience in delivering high level driving services, Trevor has been able to tailor the Exclusive NI Tours experience to customers with high expectations.

“While we operate at a very professional level, we offer relaxed tours,” he explained. “We are not about to rush our clients. If they want to have an hour or two for afternoon tea at the Ballygally Castle hotel or stop off for a pint of Guinness at The Crosskeys Inn, that’s not a problem.

“It’s all about making sure they have an enjoyable time and exceeding their expectations.”
In developing the business Trevor was keen to make sure he could show off the best of the country.

“I enjoy showing people the best of Northern Ireland, especially the history I’m really interested in that” he said. “That’s my favourite bit of the job, I’m a person who likes to please a guest. I like when someone comes here, and they’ve enjoyed the day and they’ve had a good time.”

And, one thing that always exceeds what they expect, is Northern Ireland itself.

“They love the scenery,” Trevor said. “They find the Glens mystical and very engaging. They go through the nine Glens and then suddenly they’re on the Antrim plateau. It seems to them that it changes very quickly, and they love that diversity.”

With both the XJ Jaguar and the Range Rover there is flexibility, with each having their benefits.

“Americans are very familiar with Range Rovers and with the space and increased visibility they can enjoy a better view,” he said. “In addition if they are being collected, for example from Dublin Airport there Is tonnes of space, even if they have a lot of luggage.

“On other occasions they prefer the Jaguar, such as when they are going to an evening do, or a black tie event.”

In addition Exclusive NI Tours has links with Slemish private airfield so can arrange Flexifly private aircraft hire from London City and other airports. 

“It is the flexibility that we offer in delivering a unique Northern Ireland experience, with security and safety,” Trevor explained. “And, with a maximum of four for each tour we want every client to feel that they are being pampered and to ensure they have no hassle or worries throughout their time with us.

“They want the Northern Ireland experience in luxury and we make sure they can explore our heritage, folklore, culture and scenery. Of course, they are never short of dramatic photo opportunities.”

For those with specific interest in genealogy, Trevor has linked up with Natalie Bodle of Roots Revealed. Exclusive NI Tours can curate Natalie’s genealogy research into bespoke, one-of-a-kind tours through their family lineage.

To learn more about Exclusive NI Tours pre-planned tours or enquire about a bespoke tour go to exclusivenitours.com