Ballymena retailers come together to show off town

SHOPPERS bound for Ballymena on Saturday 8^th April are in for a real treat as an exciting day of fabulous fashion has been planned across a number of key town centre venues.

The local retailers and managers of eateries have lots of great offers on as part of a fantastic Ballymena Means Fashion event, which will be hosted by town traders from the Ballymena Business Improvement District (BID).

The dedicated day of fashion will include numerous exciting offers in the town’s popular independent boutiques such as 31 at Greenvale Street, Marmalade and Primrose, a fashion show at Fairhill Shopping Centre, discounts and spot prizes in McKillens Shoe Shop, as well as fashionista cocktails in the Front Page Bar and an afternoon tea with a fashionable twist in the Adair Arms Hotel.

In addition, Camerons, The Tower Centre, Wallace’s, Bluebird, Peacocks, David Bellingham Menswear, Ultimate in Fashion and Outdoor Adventure will also be offering fashion tips and great offers throughout the day for the whole family.

To get you ready for the big fashion event, Chocoa is hosting a Friday evening Fashion Tea on the 7^th April 2017.  Keep an eye on the Facebook page for further details.

Ballymena BID manager Alison Moore commented; “Ballymena Means Fashion is gearing up to be a very special event.  The town has so much to offer in the way of fabulous fashion through its various range of independent retailers and high street brands, which really do cater for everyone.

“The fashion event is a great way to involve as many retailers and businesses as possible and will be a fun day out for those who want to see what’s in store in the local shops for the coming season as well as supporting your local town.  Ballymena is certainly becoming a fashion hot spot and the day promises to be filled with events and offers that should appeal to all ages.”

So whether you wish to purchase something special for a particular occasion or need a few additions to your wardrobe, or chill with a Grace Kelly cocktail in The Front Page, come along to what will be an exciting and unique event in Ballymena’s town centre.

Check out Ballymena Means on Facebook and www.ballymenameans.com for full details.

Ballymena Means Fashion Events:

Friday 7^th April 2017

Chocoa, Friday Night Fashion Tea

 

Saturday 8^th April 2017

Fairhill Shopping Centre Fashion Show 1pm – 3pm

Remus Uomo, Fairhill, Buy two shirts and receive a third free

Tommy Hilfiger, Fairhill, Discounts throughout the day

Marmalade, Dresses and Daiquiris

Adair Arms, Afternoon Tea with a Fashionable Twist, booking essential £12.50 per person 2pm – 5pm

Primrose Boutique, Exclusive discount on the day including lucky dip with up to 30% off, pink fizz too.

Tower Centre, £100 gift voucher for winner of Best Dressed Shopper social media competition

Sam’s Yard, Tower Centre, Buy any suit and receive a shirt and tie for free

Ultimate in Fashion, In house models from 1pm – 3pm, soft drinks and prosecco served, spot prizes, 10% discount all day

David Bellingham Menswear, Discounts throughout the store, including a suit event with a selection of suits starting at £99

Camerons, Free scarf on all fashion purchases over £40; free prize draw; £10 voucher when you spend more than £60 on fashions; free refreshments

Bluebird, Discount throughout the day on children’s and babies’ clothing

Wallace’s, Free shoes with every man’s suit purchased (excludes suits already discounted), Plus 10% off all Ladies fashions and footwear when you spend £60 or more

McKillens Shoe Shop, £500 worth of vouchers in spot prizes throughout the day

Front Page Bar, Fashionista Cocktails from 11.30am to close

Middletown Coffee, 10% off Bradley Mountain range for any customer

31 at Greenvale Street, a glass of Prosecco

Peacocks, spend over £35 on full price items and receive £5 off

McKillens Fashions, Free scarf on all fashion purchases over £40, free prize draw, £10 voucher when you spend more than £60 on fashions, free refreshments

Just Boutique, Free scarf on all fashion purchases over £40, £10 voucher when you spend over £60

W5’s brand-new multi-sensory activity zone for 3-11 year olds opened to the public on 1 April 2017. This amazing new space themed area forms part of W5’s exciting redevelopment and renewal programme.

The Spacebase adventure begins at the base of the giant rocket on the Launchpad. To get to the top children can make their way up through the launch gantry or take the challenge of climbing the through spider tower webbing inside the Rocket. From there they can make their way through the tunnels to Spacebase itself or zip back down to earth inside the spiral slide. Spacebase houses a wide range of equipment such as tube slides, foam hills, horizontal and vertical rolls, web step stones and much more.

Exploration is key at Spacebase. Children are encouraged to find out about the universe with state of the art wrist band technology that turns them into space explorers, encouraging them to discover fun facts about our solar system within the activity zone to complete their mission!

Adults can relax in a dedicated seating area and treat themselves to a hot beverage from our Spacebase coffee dock while watching their children play and have fun. Free WiFi is also available throughout the building.

Spacebase is open 7 days a week and is also available for group visits, school trips and birthday parties! Spacebase is a new add on experience only available to W5 visitors and costs an additional £3.50 per child.

 For further information about Spacebase, visit www.w5online.co.uk.

 

It features exhibitions, events and programming from all five accredited museums in the Causeway Coast and Glens area from April – August.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Alderman Maura Hickey, said: “The Museums Service has put together another packed programme which takes us right through the summer season.

“There is a fantastic variety of events on offer across the Borough, with plenty of opportunity for practical involvement. One of the key strengths of our Museums Service is its geographical spread, with outlets right across the area making the programme accessible to all. I would encourage everyone to visit their local Museum, and discover more about the rich history of our area.”

Highlights over the coming months include the NW200 Faces and Places exhibition which runs from 27^th April to 28^th August in Ballymoney Museum. Enter the ‘Capture the Moment’ photographic competition to win some great prizes and come along to our NW200 ‘Make and Take’ day on Saturday 6^th May at Ballymoney Museum for some fun crafty activities suitable for all the family.

‘Irish History Starts Here’ opens in Coleraine Museum at Coleraine Town Hall on 1^st August and will run until 21^st September. Discover more about the fascinating history of Coleraine, from the earliest known settlement in Ireland at Mountsandel to the first planted town of the official County Londonderry plantation. You’ll also be able to explore some of our famous characters such as Hugh Thomson and Sam Henry.

Ballycastle Museum with its wonderful arts and crafts collection and Green Lane Museum with artefacts telling the story of the Roe Valley in the 19^th and 20^th century will re-open for the season at Easter. Garvagh Museum’s exhibition ‘Images of a Lost World’ will open in Garvagh and District Development Association Building on 19^th May. Limavady Museum at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre will be hosting the fabulous ‘Sanskriti’ exhibition between July and September with associated art workshops.

To find out more, please pick up a brochure at one of the Museum venues or visit www.niarchive.org to download a copy.

 

Known as the home of the legendary road racing brothers Joey and Robert Dunlop, Ballymoney is pulling out all the stops to attract new visitors to the town with its first ever Spring Fair in April.

Vintage cars, family fun, mouth-watering delights, intricate crafts and traditional music! These are just some of the activities in store at the action packed one-day event on Saturday 15^th April.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has lined up a packed programme of events and activities that will take place at Ballymoney’s Castlecroft Square, Megaw Park, The Diamond area in the town centre and the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre.

From an Easter Egg Hunt Challenge, to Punch and Judy Shows, children’s craft workshops, and much free family entertainment to participate in throughout the day.

Visitors can take in the daredevil manoeuvres of the Trialstar stunt team at Megaw Park, get a chance to get up close and personal with a variety of owls, lizards, spiders and other creepy crawlies, or try their hand at have a go Archery.

There will be a vast array of music with every taste catered for and a vintage motor show that will conclude with a cavalcade and parade through the town, sponsored by Smyth’s Eurospar.

The Naturally North Coast & Glens Artisan Market will be on hand at Castlecroft Square to offer exceptional locally grown and produced food and drink and high quality hand-crafted goods created by the very best the Causeway Coast and Glens has to offer. Many of Ballymoney town centre’s retailers will be participating in a promotional event offering discounts throughout the event, supported by Ballymoney Chamber of Commerce.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Alderman Maura Hickey, said; “Ballymoney Spring Fair coincides with the completion of a £220,000 Revitalise project, funded by the Department for Communities and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, to help transform the town centre. We hope this event, coupled with the enhanced presentation of the town and the warm welcome of the local people, will attract new visitors to the area.

“Council’s Events team have really pulled out all the stops to ensure an action-packed day, with a number of fantastic family friendly events and attractions across all our sites. There really will be something for everyone with a vast array of children’s activities, live music, craft market, artisan foods and a vintage motor show.”

“With so much on offer, we are looking forward to making Ballymoney Spring Fair an annual signature event for the town.”

Christine McKee, Events Manager at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s said: “Ballymoney has a unique offering when it comes to shopping and eating out, with many independent and family run businesses. The Spring Fair is designed to complement this, and the event provides the perfect reason to come and explore what the town has to offer. I would encourage everyone to visit on Easter Saturday and avail of a packed day of free family fun and festivities.”

For more information on the Ballymoney Spring Fair visit: www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com/

A new exhibition exploring the complex issue of identity through the use of painting, drawing, glass and photography opens at Flowerfield Arts Centre this month.

‘Faultlines and Fractures’ features the work of artists Rosie McClelland and Pamela Greene.

Both artists are drawn to imperfections in the human body and nature, and through their work, they try to communicate that it is through these ‘faultlines’ that we find our own ‘DNA’.

Rosie McClelland was born in Belfast. For over 17 years she had a career in design and fashion illustration in London and Germany. Since her return to Belfast, Rosie has been painting and exhibiting her work widely throughout Ireland and abroad. She is renowned for her big, beautiful pastel portraits, and one was recently selected for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London.  She is a member of both The Arts Society of Ulster and The Pastel Society of Ireland 

Pamela Greene is an artist and published poet who works in the media of kiln-formed glass and photography. Her work for this exhibition includes kiln formed glass inspired by the cold blues and grey greens of Icelandic landscape. 

The exhibition opens in The Main Gallery at Flowerfield Arts Centre on Saturday 8th April at noon. It continues until 29^th April.

For further information, please contact Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart by ringing 028 7083 1400 or go to www.flowerfield.org.

From rolling Easter eggs downhill to cuddling fluffy newborn animals, families keen to get out and about this Easter need look no further than their own doorstep.

This April will be jam-packed with spring fairs and Easter events taking place right across Northern Ireland and the school holidays are the perfect time for families to enjoy some time outdoors and explore the many tourist attractions on offer.

Tourism Northern Ireland’s Destination PR Officer, Claire Cromie, says there will be something to suit everyone this Easter.

“There is so much going on this year to celebrate Easter including egg trails, craft days, a scenic boat ride, the chance to meet and feed newborn animals and even the opportunity to help create some Lego masterpieces,” said Claire.

“As well as the wide range of events there are also lots of places to visit and sights to see all over Northern Ireland.  With the brighter weather and the children off school, Easter is a great time of year to plan a family day experiencing all the fantastic events and attractions that are on offer,” she added.

To help you have a fun time in the run-up and during the Easter holidays, Tourism NI has highlighted a range of events taking place.

Belfast

 Hop on over to Belfast Zoo this Easter as they host an Easter Extravagan-zoo event from 14 – 18 April.  As well as visiting your favourite animal at feeding time, little explorers can follow the Easter egg trail around the zoo.  Don’t forget to search high and low for the Easter egg signs hidden around the zoo, to be in with the chance of winning a special prize before posting a selfie with the mascot characters, who will be out and about the park.

Join Titanic Belfast from 16 – 18 April for some Easter family fun. Challenge the kids with the special Easter Explorer Trail throughout Titanic Belfast over the weekend.  All those who successfully complete the trail will receive a special treat at the end.

For those families who love seeing and cuddling newborn spring animals, a visit to the Easter Petting Zoo at the MAC from 17 – 18 April is perfect. Get up close to all your favourite farm animals at the petting zoo. With lambs, chicks, bunnies and lots more, cuddle, feed and stroke your farmyard favourites to your heart’s content.

Co. Tyrone

Easter Celebrations are taking place at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh from 16 – 18 April. If you’re looking for a place where the whole family can work off those chocolate Easter eggs, then our range of traditional Easter activities is just the ticket. Bring your own decorated egg and take part in the great egg-rolling experience down Bleach Green Hill and don’t forget to wear your Easter Bonnet to enter the Easter Bonnet Competition to win a prize.

Co. Antrim

 Easter marks the opening of Watertop Farm, Ballycastle. The farm will have its annual Egg Rolling competitions on Easter Sunday and Monday at approx. 3pm. There will be lots of prizes for all age groups including mums and dads. As well as the many prizes on offer, other available activities include pony rides, assaults course, pedal karts and much more.

Join Batman and Emmet for a Lego Extravaganza in Market Square, Lisburn this Easter Saturday on 15 April. Get involved in the superhero themed Lego building workshop from Bricks 4 Kidz, Lego racing and a Lego clay workshop from Jumping Clay. Enjoy other free activities including face painting, balloon modelling, a carousel and meet the chicks and rabbits at the mini mobile farm.

Ballymoney’s Castlecroft Square on 15 April will see the return of the ever popular Artisan Market with a diverse mix of local produce, intricate gifts and exquisite art. The Ballymoney Old Vehicle Club will also be holding a Motor Show at Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre grounds concluding with a Cavalcade through the town.
There will also be a fantastic fun day off live entertainment and Children’s Activities in Megaw Park, including stunt displays, Punch and Judy shows, face painting, live music and much more.

Co. Armagh

Armagh gets in on the action this Easter too with the exciting The Wheels on the Bus at Navan Centre & Fort on 15 April. Bus Conductor ‘Charlie Smiles’ is waiting to click your ticket as you go on a ‘sing-along-a-along’ journey but like all adventures something gets in the way!  What could it be, well only one way to find out, hop on board and join in the fun! This is a fun and interactive play with lots of audience participation, you’ll be moving and singing in your seats.

Don’t miss A View of the Cross: Concert for Palm Sunday on 9 April. Cappella Caeciliana, one of Northern Ireland’s leading choirs, is delighted to be joined by guest conductor Eamonn Dougan for this spectacular evening of music.  The choir will present a special concert of music for Palm Sunday and Holy Week, in the magnificent setting of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. The programme includes the Irish premiere of Stabat Mater by Alissa Firsova and Miserere by James MacMillan.
 

Co. Londonderry

Looking for something a little more adventurous? There are lots of activities taking place this Easter at Carrowmena with Easter glamping, an Easter egg canoe hunt and glamping trail. Visitors can book an action packed Activity Adventure Day and receive 20% of full and half-day activities. Available dates are 16 – 19 April.

Children young and old can celebrate this Easter at Downhill Demesne between 15 – 18 April with the Cadbury Egg Hunt. Children will have the opportunity to play detective by hunting high and low for clues, around the beautiful surroundings of Mussenden Temple, which will lead them to a delicious chocolate surprise.

 Co Down

Bangor town centre will be bustling with activity on 17 April at the Spring Street Carnival. The McKee Clock Arena will transform to become a competitive zone for World famous trail bike master Adam Raga who will demonstrate his jaw dropping skills in the Trial Bikes Show. As well as this, more family fun will take place throughout the town including a land train, street theatre and much more.

You’ll need to use all your special detective skills and search high and low around the beautiful nature reserve of WWT Castle Espie between 8 – 26 April to find all the missing ducks in Dusty’s GIANT Easter Egg Hunt to be in with a chance of winning a yummy chocolate treat. As well as completing the duck hunt challenge, children can also take part in cute Easter bunny themed craft activities.

Visit the picturesque setting of Cockle Cottage and enjoy some free family Easter Fun from 2 – 4pm on 16 April.  Activities include Plant and Play Garden Workshops, Easter crafts, archery and the ‘Tales of the Wild’ Animal Roadshow.

Or why not hop along to Rowallane Garden in Saintfield between 15 – 17 April from 10.30 – 3.30pm for the Easter Egg Hunt and explore the nooks and crannies around the beautiful garden while following the clues to find an Easter surprise.  Egg trails costs £1 per child.

Co. Fermanagh

Are you ready for an Easter Extravaganza? Castle Archdale invite you and your little ones to the caravan park for a fun filled afternoon on 15 April.  At noon there will be a Treasure Hunt around the site with the winner going home with a bumper basket of Easter eggs followed by a Comedy Variety Show at 3pm.  There will also be evening entertainment supplied by The Treblemakers.

Join in the Easter Madness at Castle Coole in Enniskillen between 15 – 18 April for a day of treats and fun for all the family.

Also on in Enniskillen between 15 – 21 April is the Share Centre’s Easter Activity Extravaganza.  Over the Easter holidays, kids and adults can enjoy a variety of outdoor and indoor activities at fantastic prices! Activities include climbing, banana boating, stand up paddle boarding, circus skills, t-shirt printing and much more.

Or why not soak up the beautiful Co. Fermanagh scenery with a cruise around Upper Lough Erne with an Easter Cot Trip at Crom on April 17 between 1 and 5pm – the Cot is Crom’s 100-year-old traditional craft.

To find out more about events and places to see over Easter click on www.discovernorthernireland.com or visit your local tourist information centre.

 

ANTHONY TONER ” INK ”
Lyric Theatre Belfast 23rd April 2017

Anthony Toner makes his solo debut on the Lyric Theatre stage to celebrate the release of his seventh album. This new collection, Ink, finds the Belfast-based songwriter in top form on a series of stripped back, acoustic-based songs dealing with the big themes of love, loss and happiness.
It’s been almost a decade since Anthony sprang onto the Northern Ireland music scene with his much-loved song ‘Sailortown’, and since then he has continued to move forward, releasing a string of albums packed with radio-friendly, insightful songs that lodge themselves in the heart and won’t leave, like ‘East of Louise’, ‘Well Well Well’, ‘The Road to Fivemiletown’, ‘The Duke of Oklahoma’ and more.

As always, expect all of these songs with selections from the new album, some beautiful guitar playing and singing and some great stories from the road.

Find out more at www.anthonytoner.net

Today, James Arthur announced he will be performing a headline show at the SSE Arena, BELFAST on November 20^th, supporting his new album “Back from the edge”.

 On sale this Friday at 9am from Ticketmaster!

 

In December 2012, James Arthur’s debut single “Impossible” became the biggest X Factor winner’s song of all time, achieving over three million downloads and staying at No.1 for three weeks. However, months after his debut single and album was finally usurped from the top spot, the struggles of the limelight became too much for the singer and in his own words, he “cracked”. The people’s winner, the musicians’ winner, seemed to have had lost support thanks to a well documented and self-admitted public breakdown.

Fast Forward 2 years, James is now able to meet the challenges of the spotlight with a good slice of know-how: “Those two years have benefitted me a lot. I’ve used the time well and actively participated in my new album a lot more than I did on the first one.” That way, James’ reboot draws on the creative collaboration on “Back from the Edge”. “There’s a lot of my personality in the album. It’s about love, hope, and the challenge of having your own back. However, this time, I wasn’t only songwriter but co-producer as well, working up to eight hours in the studio every day. I put my own ideas into effect and got involved in great detail.”

The album blends different influences: “I grew up with my mother’s soul music, but my father loves hard rock like AC/DC and Thin Lizzy. You get a little bit of everything on this album – but in essence, it’s very consciously a pop album.”

James is simply looking forward to focus on his music completely – no matter how it’s going to be received. “I’m absolutely happy with the album I’ve made. I’ve enjoyed every minute in the studio, and I’m ready for this new chapter everything that’s going to happen with it.”

Special guest Ella Henderson will join him on this tour, Ella is currently working on her second album. Ella’s Debut album went platinum in first week of the release and reached numbed 1 in the UK album charts in 2014.

 

The Millennium Forum has announced that hugely popular singer/songwriter, George Ezra will bring his ‘TOP SECRET Tour’ to the cityside venue next month.

The ‘Budapest’ singer will perform on Saturday 27^th May and tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 7^th April from www.ticketmaster.ie and are priced £24.00 (standing) and £26.00 (seated) – booking fees may apply.

The ‘Top Secret Tour’ sees George make his Forum debut in a jaunt around Ireland which kicks off in Belfast before travelling to Dublin and Limerick.

He will debut brand new songs for the first time across gigs at intimate venues. Pre-sale begins 9am, 5 April (sign up by 12pm, 4 April for access via http://www.ticketmaster.ie/promo/y5k7f8).  General sale from 9am, 7 April. Visit www.georgeezra.com  & www.ticketmaster.ie  for full ticket information.

 

“There is no need for me to point out the fact that I’ve been fairly quiet over the last year,” says George. “But I’d like to reassure you all that I’ve been beavering away at what will one day be my second record. It took a second to work out what it was that I wanted to write about, and then how to approach the writing and recording process.”

“I don’t want to give too much away regarding the record, but I do want to invite you all to join me on my first tour back. This tour will be like no other that I have done before for many reasons, but mostly because it will be the first time that a lot of brand new songs are played live. There will be a few new band members and we will be working out what the best set list is and what the best way to present the songs will be. We will focus less on smoke and mirrors and more on building the best show that we possibly can. We will of course be playing all of the classic George Ezra singalong numbers too!”

“COME AND JOIN US! But don’t let the cat out of the bag, this tour is top secret…”

George Ezra will perform at the Millennium Forum on Saturday 27^th May.  Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 7^th April from www.ticketmaster.ie

 

Summer is on the way and The Market Place Theatre in Armagh is getting ready with a range of workshops to get you prepared for the summer season.

On Saturday 8^th April, you can advance your photography skills to take advantage of the lighter evenings, with the Advanced SLR Photography workshop. This course is suitable for participants who have a good understanding of their camera but who would like to develop their skills further. Tutor Vanessa Treanor will cover topics including composition, understanding ISO, shutter speed and aperture, exploring the use of lenses and moving away from the automatic settings in your camera. This workshop will take place at the AmmA Centre.

Planning a holiday to Spain this summer or simply interested in the language and the culture? Then come along and learn Spanish in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere with native teacher Maria Lema Moreira in the Spanish For Beginners workshop. In this course you will learn how to introduce yourself, order food and drinks, buy bus and train tickets, ask for directions, shop for food and clothes, book a table at a restaurant and much more!  Spanish For Beginners will run on Saturdays from 29 April until 17 June.

What about getting glamourous nails for holidays and a chance to play with new season colours? Save money and learn how to achieve salon looking nail art yourself and experiment with on trend designs and colours at the Nail Art workshop on 29 April. In this workshop you will be taught how to blend colours, apply nail accessories and learn simple art techniques that will result in stunning looking designer nails. This workshop is suitable for beginners and all materials will be provided.

The list of workshops on offer is endless. Visit the website at www.marketplacearmagh.com for full details and places can be booked by contacting the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821.

 

And to keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.