Atlantic Sessions is proud to announce Paddy Casey will perform at a special closing concert for Atlantic Sessions 2015 at Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart on Sunday 15^th November at 7.30pm.

Atlantic Sessions, organised by Causeway Coast and Glens Council Tourism Department, is a music festival which showcases different genres of original music, with almost 50 FREE gigs in various bars, coffee shops and hotels throughout Portrush, Portstewart and Portballintrae between Thursday 12^th and Sunday 15^th November.

The event will feature a number of ticketed showcase events, including; ‘A Celebration of Female Singer Songwriters’, ‘Hannah McPhillimy in Concert’, ‘The Sunday Brunch Session’ and ‘Paddy Casey’ in Concert.

Other artists on this year’s line-up include; ‘Wyvern Lingo’, who have just announced they will tour with Hozier in 2016 and ‘The Vals’ who toured with Paul Weller earlier this year.

Following a tour of his third album ‘Addicted To Company’ in 2009, Paddy decided that it was time to make his own album, without a label. He spent the next few years recording new tracks and finally settle on 11 tracks. He released his fourth album in 2014, following the five year hiatus titled, ‘The Secret Life Of’.

Tickets for the Paddy Casey gig are priced at £12, available from Flowerfield Arts Centre Telephone 028 7083 1400 for further details.

For details on the full programme visit www.atlanticsessions.com. Alternatively, you can follow @AtlanticSess on Twitter or like www.facebook.com/AtlanticSessions on Facebook for regular updates. For details on events and accommodation throughout the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough visit www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com/.

One of Northern Ireland’s leading amateur theatre companies, the Armagh Theatre Group, are returning to The Market Place Theatre in Armagh with Joseph O’Connor’s debut stage play, ‘Red Roses & Petrol’. This play was first performed in Dublin by The Pig’s Back Theatre Company in 1995.

In her home in Dublin, Moya Doyle is preparing for the funeral mass of her husband Enda. From England and America her children are returning for the sombre occasion. But as the ghosts of the Doyle’s past begin to materialise, the consequences are both profoundly disturbing and memorably comic.

‘Red Roses And Petrol’ won the In Dublin Magazine Award for best new play. It has been performed in Dublin, London and New York and has been filmed starring Malcolm McDowell.

‘Red Roses & Petrol’ will be staged from Thursday 12^th to Saturday 14^th November at 8pm each evening. Tickets are priced £10 and £8 (concession).

Details of all events can be found online at www.marketplacearmagh.com, and tickets 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.

Feeling brave? This Hallowe’en half term, visitors to Castle Espie Wetland Centre can enjoy a whole host of Hallowe’en activities for little monsters at the Spellbound Festival from Saturday 24th to Saturday 31st October.

For the seven days of the Spellbound Festival there’s the chance to get crafty making spooky spiders, have a go at the hilarious games such as lob the ghost, catch the witch or traditional apple games and concoct a witch’s potion on the Recipe for Disaster Trail around the reserve.

Extra spellbinding activities over the weekend of Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October include face painting to add the finishing touches to fancy dress costumes and spooky owls will be swooping in for Mantella Environmental’s Owl Display. On Sunday 25th, show off your monster moves at Jump Jiggle and Jive’s Hallowe’en Hooley, four fun-filled, interactive dance parties between 2pm and 4pm with plenty of Hallowe’en themed props for children and adults too.

The frighteningly good fun continues on Friday 30^th and Saturday 31^st October with Hallowe’en treats including face painting, giant creepy crawlies with Mantella Environmental and Monster Mash Discos packed with spooky hits and fireside storytelling in the roundhouse.

Throughout the Spellbound Festival week there’ll be spot prizes for the best dressed little monsters and visitors to Castle Espie can enter into a prize draw to win a family pass to meet the GIANT LEGO Brick Animals and LEGO Brick Workshop tickets in February and March 2016.

Entrance to the Spellbound Festival is included in the cost of admission and free to WWT members and under 4’s. For a full event programme including timings for individual activities go to wwt.org.uk/castleespie/spellbound or contact Castle Espie on 028 9187 4146. WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre is open every day from 10am to 5.00pm, parking is free of charge.

Alpha Fund Makes Children’s Literary Trail Possible

What better way to get more families and children into the great outdoors than to introduce one of the most popular children’s characters of the last generation? Colin Glen Trust supported by funding from Alpha and with the kind permission of Magic Light Pictures Ltd unveiled one of the sculptures that will take up residence in Colin Glen Forest Park in November.  Based on the much loved picture book, The Gruffalo, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the Mouse character is the first of seven sculptures that are currently being created by Andrew McIntyre.  The Gruffalo Trail is due to open in late November and while the finishing touches are applied to the little mouse’s adversaries, he will remain in the Colin Glen Visitor Centre for anyone to visit.

Colin Glen Trust have been supported by Magic Light Pictures, license holders for the Gruffalo, throughout the development of the idea and it was only when they successfully applied to the Alpha Programme, managed and administered by Groundwork NI, that the idea started to become a reality.

Unveiling the first sculpture, Colin Glen Trust Chief Executive, Colin O’Neill stated, “this is an exciting day for the Trust and for me personally.  I have been reading The Gruffalo story, and indeed other Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler books, to my two daughters for a few years now and that is where the idea came from.  Since we started talking about it as an attraction for the Forest Park the support has been amazing.  Daryl Shute from Magic Light Pictures and Mel Waddell from Alpha have both been incredibly supportive.  We were delighted when Andrew McIntyre agreed to take on the challenge of recreating the characters for the Forest Park and he has really captured the essence of the story.  Children and their parents will just love the opportunity to ‘take a stroll through the deep dark wood’ and follow the journey of the very clever mouse”.

Daryl Shute, Brand Director at Magic Light Pictures added, “It’s fantastic to be bringing the first Gruffalo character trail to Northern Ireland and what better location in which to do so. We’re delighted to be working with the Colin Glen Trust encouraging families to venture outdoors, enjoy the local landscape and get active with this special picture book character. Imagination, adventure and creative play are at the heart of every initiative we run for The Gruffalo brand and we’re looking forward to developing this partnership further.”

“The Alpha Programme is delighted to be involved with this project,” said Warren Bell, representing the Alpha Programme Steering Group.  He continued, “The Alpha Programme has supported a wide variety of environmental projects through the Landfill tax scheme and the Colin Glen Forest Park Gruffalo Trail is one that certainly captures the imagination.  Undoubtedly it will get more people actively involved in the environment and more people using Colin Glen Forest Park.”

Over the past few years Colin Glen Forest Park has become a hive of activity for all different types of people.  It was always known as a stunning park for local people but in recent times it has also become an attraction for families and groups from all over Northern Ireland as a “must see” location.  Having introduced SKYTrek, which incorporates a double zip line, power fan descender, climbing wall and high and low ropes course, the Trust continued to introduce more activities including Kayaking, Rafting, Laser Tag, Archery, Orienteering and just last month began to offer Mountain Biking.

“We manage and promote a magnificent resource and we want to get as many people active in Colin Glen Forest Park and our other site Colin Park.  We believe in developing as many attractions as possible in order to ensure that as many people as possible can come and enjoy this stunning location. The Gruffalo Trail is just one of the latest projects that will help get more people active and learning about the environment.  Colin Glen Trust has been hit hard by the sizeable government cuts over the past few years but we are determined to continually improve the facilities for local people, offer education and training and protect this beautiful facility forever.  In order to achieve this we need to create a range of appealing facilities such as this exciting and unique Gruffalo Trail and make it so that people will feel that they must come here”, added the Chief Executive.

Since 2007 the Alpha Programme has provided nearly £3m in funding to 90+ projects for biodiversity and community based schemes within a ten-mile radius of the Mullaghglass Landfill Site. The programme is managed by Groundwork NI and redistributes the landfill tax credits to support great projects and initiatives to create biodiversity or positively impact local communities.

HALLOWEEN is just around the corner and to celebrate the spookiest time of year, Tourism Northern Ireland is encouraging everyone to have a bewitching time and explore the frightfully haunted places and skin crawling events that are available all over NI.

Whether you are planning a short break or dress-up days away with your little wizards and witches there are lots of great happenings to choose from including fireworks displays, spooky tours and fancy dress competitions.

There is something for everyone and thrill seekers are sure to find something that’s spine-tinglingly good explained Tourism Northern Ireland’s Destination PR Officer Pauline Gormley.
“Halloween is celebrated all over Northern Ireland and is the perfect time of year to dress up and explore all the wickedly wonderful spooky goings on that are happening with friends and family,” said Pauline.

“Whether it’s creepy castles or haunted hotels that you would like to visit or perhaps something a little less spooky and more suited to families, there is something to suit everyone this Halloween.

“We’ve put together a terrifyingly good list of just some of the events and would encourage everyone to check out what’s happening in their local areas for some guaranteed fun,” added Pauline.

To help get you started, Tourism Northern Ireland has put together a list of spooky events to make sure you get into the Halloween spirit:

Co Antrim

The Dark, Dark Room, The Mac, Belfast, October 24 – November 1. Bring your little ghouls, ghosts and goblins along to The Mac in their best fancy dress to explore this Halloween sound installation.

Halloween Monster Mash, Titanic Slipways, Belfast, October 31, FREE event. Head along to Belfast’s biggest Halloween celebration featuring haunting street theatre, fire jugglers, music and an impressive fireworks display.

Paranormal Tours at Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast, 15-31 October. This special edition 60 minute tour will take you to the various hot spots of the Gaol where Paranormal Activity has been reported and the guide will tell you of the harrowing stories associated with these areas. There have been sighting, noises and unexplained happenings within the walls that have seen 17 men executed over its 150 year history.

Broomstick Belle Steam Train, Belfast, October 31. Ghosts and ghouls of all ages are invited to come along in seasonal costume to sample the unique steamy atmosphere aboard this Steam Trains Ireland trip from Belfast Central Station to Whitehead and back. Children with a ticket receive a Halloween themed Spooky goody bag from the Wicked Witch.

Co Armagh

Little Spooks at the Navan Centre, Armagh, October 29 – November 1. Have spooktacular fun as you meet with Hansel and Gretel at the witch’s house in the woods. Visitors should beware of what could be lurking in the trees and enjoy the interactive ‘Billy Bones’ games and activities.

Halloween Arts and Crafts Club, Palace Stables, Armagh, October 29. Children can unleash their creative side at the Palace Stables by experiencing hair raising fun with arts and crafts workshops as well as action packed games and entertainment.

Co Down

Hallowtides Festival, Newcastle, October 31, FREE event. The popular seaside town will host a jam-packed calendar of frightful events as part of its annual Halloween celebrations. Go along to experience live music, a fancy dress competition, themed float parade and one of the area’s largest

fireworks displays.

Rowallane Garden, Saintfield, every weekend throughout October (excluding 17 and 18). Visitors can pop along and enjoy some autumnal fun with their ‘little spooks’ such as popping into the café to dunk apples in molten chocolate before playing conkers.

Pumpkinfest, Castle Ward, Downpatrick, October 24 and 25. Kick your half term holidays off with a bang at this year’s Pumpkinfest where families can choose their favourite pumpkins, scoop out the insides and draw on their own unique designs before handing them to expert carvers to complete before taking home. Visitors can also create their own spooky scarecrow to enter into the scarecrow pageant with some fantastic prizes. Other activities running across the weekend include organic pumpkin soup sampling, an autumn trail and horse and carriage rides.

Halloween at the Outlet, Banbridge, October 30. Come along to The Outlet in Banbridge for a spine-tingling Halloween. Enjoy a fun filled evening packed with creepy characters, fair rides, costumes and spot prizes.

Scary Newry Halloween Festival, Newry, October 26 – November 1. Discover Newry’s most famous ghosts and grisly history with Newry City Tours. Choose between a Pyschic Ghost Walk which ends in the haunted tunnels beneath the city streets and the kid-friendly Children’s Ghost Walk, which follows a ghost buster on an adventure through Olde Newry in search of ghouls and ghosts.

The Dark Side of Ballycultra, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, October 28 – 29, 6.30pm and 8pm. This is a rare and unique opportunity to visit the museum at night and hear lots of spooky stories from members of staff who will take participants through their experiences of ghostly happenings. Children must be over 12 years.

Visitors should also come along on October 31 for the Halloween Family Festival where they can embark on a mysterious adventure through the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum Cultra’s misty rural dwellings and dark train carriages.

Co Fermanagh

Share Halloween Howler, Lisnaskea, October 29 – 31. This spectacular event promises to entertain the whole family with lots of frightful fun and hair raising activities. One of the highlights of the experience will be a Ghost Ship where there will be storytelling, games and ghoulish snacks on board.

Halloween Fest and Craft Fair, Florence Court, Demesne, Enniskillen, October 25. Come along for a hair raising, fun filled afternoon where families can meet the gardener to discover what it takes to grow the perfect pumpkin or even take a spooky house tour to meet the ghosts and ghouls of Florence Court.

Co Londonderry

Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival, Derry~Londonderry, 29 October – 1 November. This world famous celebration of Halloween will allow revellers to experience creepy GhostBus tours, night-time markets, thrills and spills galore, with a week-long hive of devilish activities that everyone will adore.

Attractions include the Trail of terror, Awakening of the Walls, Hall of Horror and a Family Funday with fortune telling, scary storytelling, dance performance, arts and crafts, games, apple bobbing, gunge dipping and much more. Key highlights of this festival include the world famous spooktacular carnival parade- the biggest in Europe, culminating in the explosive fireworks cascade.

The Rise of the Ghostly River Gods will also offer a packed programme of events which includes the Chateau le Fear which will bring a trail of terror to Ebrington from October 16^th to November 1^st.

Halloween Day Tours to Derry~Londonderry, October 30 and 31. Ulsterbus Tours have teamed up with Visit Derry to offer exciting days out to celebrate the spooky season taking revellers straight to the heart of the action on one of their luxury coaches.  For further details go to www.translink.co.uk/Special-Offers/halloween-daytours-to-derry~londonderry.

Haunted House on the Hill, Springhill, Moneymore, 29-31 October. Not for the faint hearted, this is for people brave enough to visit one of Ireland’s most haunted houses. Aimed at adults, this event allows people to experience the spooky story behind the house and encounter witnesses of the headless horseman and will be tasked with navigating their way through ancient woodlands amidst freshly dug graves.

Co Tyrone

Halloween Torchlight Tours at the Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, October 29-31. Take your friends and family along to a tour of the outdoor museum where you can listen to ghost stories as the darkness falls.

Pumpkins and Potions, The Argory, Dungannon, October 24 – 25. Come dressed in your most frightening costume and enjoy a weekend of family fun. Go along with your family to enter the spooky shed for ghoulish tales and a creepy Halloween trail.

Fright Night at the Courthouse, Cookstown, 22-31 October. This Halloween, the Old Courthouse, located on Chapel Street, Cookstown will be opening its doors from October 22nd for a frightful fear fest. The team behind the popular Crumlin Road Gaol, is bringing Belfast’s number one scare attraction to Cookstown for the first time. The special event will also give visitors a chance to see inside the Old Courthouse building – but be warned to expect some scares along the way.

There are lots of places all over NI which are rumoured to be haunted and Tourism NI has put together a list of these below:

Haunted Hotels and Castles

Ballygally Castle Hotel on the North Coast is one of Northern Ireland’s most famous haunted hotels. A ghost called Isabel Shaw is said to wander the corridors at night knocking on guests doors and giving them a fright. Visitors who are feeling particularly brave can request to stay in the ghost room.

The White Horse Hotel in Derry/Londonderry is rumoured to be haunted by a mail stage coach whose driver pulls up and enters the hotel only to then mysteriously disappear.

Dunluce Castle was once the scene of a tragic accident as a few centuries ago the kitchens slipped into the sea below and took some members of staff fell to their deaths. It is reported that on certain nights you can still hear the screams of the people as they fell to their watery graves.

Carrickfergus Castle is said to be haunted by Button Cap who carries his head under his arms as he walks through the battlements. Dobbins Inn, also in Carrickfergus, is said to be haunted by his girlfriend.

Spooky Locations

In Mullanakill, Co Armagh, there is said to be the ghost of a headless horse. It is claimed that Sir William Verner took his trusty steed Constantine to battle in the Napoleonic Wars and when it was killed in action, he brought it home to bury in the family graveyard.

Tollymore Forest Park is haunted by the Blue Lady, a former resident in the seat of the Roden family at Tollymore House. Visitors have reported spotting the ghostly vision wandering through the forest park and along the tree lined avenue.

Beware if you are taking a walk through the Mourne Mountains as legend says that the Slieve Binnian light will block the path of unsuspecting walkers to steer them away from the haunted trees near Spelga Dam where it is claimed that an Irish Chieftan is buried.

Coastal creepiness

There have been reports of ghostly sightings at Bogey Hill which overlooks Newcastle Harbour. A fishing disaster occurred in 1843 and since then, sightings have been reported of a grieving woman dressed completely in black, sobbing and looking out to sea in the hope of seeing her loved ones.

Sightings of a huge black dog have been seen at St John’s Church, Newcastle and the dog is said to have eyes of blazing fire and gleaming white teeth.

Mussenden Temple which is situated on the Downhill estate on the Causeway Coastal Route is said to have blood appear on the floor only to mysteriously disappear within minutes.

Newcastle Harbour is the location of many spooky legends including a banshee which has been seen walking silently among the tied up boats and lobster pots. Locals have described the banshee as a small woman with a high pitched voice.

For more details on these and other events click on www.discovernorthernireland.com/events, visit your local tourist information centre or log onto www.facebook.com/discovernorthernireland.

New Council launches festival of food, entertainment and special offers across more than 40 eateries

pLocal food lovers are in for a treat this month as the inaugural Lisburn & Castlereagh Restaurant Week kicks off with eight days of events and special offers across some of the district’s finest eateries from Saturday 31^st October to Saturday 7^th November.

There are more than 40 bars and restaurants signed up and together they are offering a wide range of deals and unique events including family fun days, pub quizzes, gin tasting sessions, fancy dress parties and Irish theme nights.

Promoted by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Restaurant Week 2015 aims to support the local hospitality sector and with less than two weeks to go keen diners have already been given a taste of what’s in store.

At special launch events in Forestside Shopping Centre on the 10^th October and Lisburn City Centre on the 17^th October shoppers were treated to cookery demos by local participating restaurants and food-sampling sessions.

Alderman Allan Ewart, Chairman of the Development Committee at Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council said: “We are delighted that so many great eateries have signed up to take part in Restaurant Week 2015. There is certainly something for every taste, every budget and every age, and the list of special offers and events is almost endless.

“We’re building on what was achieved during Lisburn Restaurant Week in 2014 and in the first year of the new council we really wanted to highlight the quality of the food and hospitality on offer across Lisburn & Castlereagh – we believe it rivals that of anywhere in Northern Ireland.

“There are some fantastic money saving offers and discounts available throughout the week, which is great for consumers, but the ultimate goal is to increase visitor footfall at restaurants, bistros pubs and cafes.

“We want the event to have a lasting impact not just during Restaurant Week but year round, which is important for our local economy.

“The response has already been fantastic and it helps to bring people together as restaurateurs, funders, sponsors and local suppliers have all united to deliver a varied and entertaining week.

“We’d like to thank everyone who has got involved and shown their support, it is shaping up to be a fantastic event.”

Full event listings for Restaurant Week are available now at www.lcrestaurantweek.com

You can also find all of the latest deals, news and competitions on our Facebook page including the chance to win a brilliant trip for two to Paris, courtesy of Oasis Travel.  Don’t forget to use our hashtag #eatyourheartout

Lisburn’s Market Square will be transformed on Saturday 31st October from 12-4pm into a spooky extravaganza of fun when the annual Purple Turnip event takes place.

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council is pleased to host this free event, which will have something to offer the whole family, with fun filled activities and workshops to suit all ages.

From 12 noon there will be a range of activities available which will include a team of face painters guaranteed to complete any costume with some spooky designs. There will be a sand art workshop for those who fancy trying their hand at something a little scarier than a classic sand castle. Of course, no turnip event would be complete without a turnip hunt, where participants will have the chance to win some spooky prizes by putting their investigative skills to the test and trying to find some of the cleverly hidden turnips around the City Centre.

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has recently invested in and completed the installation of an interactive light floor within the public realm space in Market Square. The state of the art glass floor is lit with LED lights to make it a truly magical experience for aspiring performers of all ages. Throughout the afternoon those in attendance can participate in dance classes hosted by local community dance groups on the new floor, which provides a very unique stage to practice your latest dance moves.

At the event, Mantella mobile zoo will also be in attendance and guests will have the chance to get up close and personal with some of their favourite creatures, with a few spooky additions to keep us in the Halloween spirit. This is a unique experience to learn more about the animals as well as the opportunity to hold them…if you dare!

Speaking about the event, Chairman of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s Economic Development Committee, Alderman Allan Ewart, said: “Lisburn is the city for life and this event presents a perfect opportunity to build community spirit, with a host of fun filled activities for everyone to enjoy. The new interactive floor is a great addition to the City Centre and in fact, the new public realm space has been designed to enable us to have more of these events throughout the year.  We invite everyone to come along and visit the local shops to see what’s on offer.  Also with it being the first day of Restaurant Week then why not stop in for a bite to eat in one of our excellent coffee shops or restaurants before calling by and joining in the fun.

Whether you want to get involved with the dancing or simply watch the kids’ excitement as they explore the different creatures at the zoo or get their face painted, the day is sure to be full of delights for all.”

For further details about the Purple Turnip Event in Market Square, Lisburn City Centre, please visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/enjoylisburn or contact the Council’s City Centre Management team on 07724586934.

Tourism NI has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland next week (October 26 – November 1).

• Halloween Howler 3 for 2 Activities, Carrowmena Activity Centre, Limavady, Co. Londonderry, October 26. Gather up a few friends or family members and experience some of the best activities Northern Ireland has to offer. You can take part in Zip Lining, Archery, Orienteering, Kayaking and much more. Various packages available.

• Twilight Night by Fairy Light, Wallace Park, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, October 30. Dress up and enjoy an evening of magical enchantment with a host of theatrical attractions all culminating in a superb fireworks display. From 7- 9pm.

• Creepy Elements of Horror: Halloween Family Day, Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, October 30. Join in for a Halloween extravaganza inspired by some of the sinister, dangerous and deadly elements lurking in the periodic table. There will be scary science experiments. Do you dare create a poisonous stench with ammonium sulphide or an eerie noise with a creepy element? Remember to get your face painted on arrival and to take the Halloween trail if you want to make a very special witch’s brew. From 11am to 4pm.

• Halloween Arts and Crafts Club at Palace Stables, Palace Demesne, Armagh, Co. Armagh, October 29-30. Under the guidance of staff children can experience some hair-raising fun with arts and crafts workshops. Children will work with a variety of art materials to create their own Halloween craft and of course there will be action packed games to keep them entertained. Event is suitable for 5-12 year olds. Open 10am – 4pm.

• Halloween Howler, Share Discovery Village, Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh, October 29. Join in for a spookily spectacular Halloween which promises to be frighteningly fun and packed with hair-raising activities. You can take an eerie walk in the fearsome forest which is full of gruesome surprises, try pumpkin carving and enjoy the fireworks display along with much more.

• Lisburn & Castlereagh Restaurant Week, various locations, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, October 31-November 7. Enjoy a week-long celebration of the variety and quality of the local produce in the area. Local restaurants in the Lisburn and Castlereagh area will be opening their doors for a mix of speciality themed evenings with great discounts and offers.

• The Forbidden Forest Wail, Tanderagee Road, Pomeroy, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, October 28-31. Set in the atmospheric, eerie forest of Pomeroy on the edges of the local village it is the perfect location for a proper Halloween experience. It is not for the faint-hearted but a fantastic experience for all. Book now for guaranteed thrills. Children aged 12-16 should be accompanied by an adult. Performance times from 6pm -10pm.

• Spellbound Festival, Castle Espie Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre, Ballydrain Road, Co. Down, until October 31. Feeling brave? Bring your little monsters along for a whole host of Hallowe’en events including storytelling, arts and crafts, face painting, spooky spell trail, monster mash dance party, reptiles and creepy crawlies, fancy dress and much, much more.

• The Dark Side of Ballycultra, Folk Museum, Cultra, Belfast, October 28-29. Take a tour of the village at night and hear the stories of strange happenings. A rare opportunity to visit the Museum at night and hear the stories that visitors do not usually hear. Not for the faint hearted! Children over 12 years and above are welcome if not easily scared. Begins at 6.30pm and 8.00pm.

• Belfast City’fright’seeing presents: The Ghost Boat, Belfast City Sightseeing Tour, Belfast, October 24-31. Join in on Belfast’s most haunted boat as the Captain of the ship invites you to meet his ghost crew and experience the frights of the sea. They might also tell you tales of the ghosts that haunt the sea and even Belfast city. It will be a frighteningly fun filled evening of activities, storytelling, and shocking delights.

Planning permission has been granted to convert one of Belfast’s tallest buildings into a four-star luxury hotel.

Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee last night approved the application from Hastings Hotel Group for the refurbishment and extension of Windsor House in Bedford Street into a 200-bedroom hotel with restaurant and bar facilities.

The Belfast Grand Central Hotel will also include 16 serviced apartments and new ground floor retail units, as well as refurbished office space on the upper floors of the 24-storey building.

It is the third major hotel application that the committee has approved since the council became responsible for planning in April, under Local Government Reform.

Committee chair Councillor Matt Garrett said the approval reflected the growing demand for hotel bed space, made possible by recent investments in the city centre.

“From next year, there will be a huge increase in the number of business delegates travelling to Belfast to use the expanded conference facilities at Belfast Waterfront, and potentially returning again as leisure visitors,” he said.

“It’s vital that we provide enough high quality accommodation to meet this demand. This latest development will help plug that gap, while also regenerating one of the main thoroughfares into the city and bringing increased vitality to this historic part of Belfast.”

At 80 metres high and over 122,000 sq ft in size, Windsor House is the second highest building in Belfast, and was built in 1975. Under the proposals, the ground to 15^th floors of the landmark structure will be converted into new hotel accommodation, with the serviced apartments taking up the 16^th and 17^th floors.

Existing office units on the 18^th to 22^nd floors will be retained and extended, while part of the ground floor podium at the front and side of the existing building will be demolished and rebuilt to form a new entrance to the hotel.

It is understood the Belfast Grand Central Hotel development could create up to 150 new jobs in the hospitality sector when it opens in 2018.

Among the other applications approved at last night’s meeting is a new six-storey office development for All-State NI, adjacent to Maysfield Leisure Centre and Central Station.

The scheme will create a further 200 new jobs for the city, this time in the IT sector, and bring over £100,000 of community benefits, including a new Belfast Bikes docking station.

Little Sparks Toddler Sessions at W5!

Bring along your youngest scientists for W5’s next Little Sparks toddler sessions on Wednesday 4 November! Visit our under 8s area, the town of Discovery, and take part in a 25 minute ‘Bubble Bonanza’ workshop as part of your visit!

Children are born natural scientists so why not bring them to W5 to let them imagine, explore, play and have fun? The town of Discovery is a place where children can learn about themselves and the world around them. Get hands-on with its interactive exhibits, play animal sounds in the farmyard, paddle in a virtual rock pool at the beach or flick through digital storybooks in the castle.

Little Sparks will be held one morning a month in W5. (Term time only) Your special Little Sparks ticket allows you entry into W5 from 10 am – 11:30am (unless otherwise stated) and sessions are aimed at children aged between 18 months and 4 years. Each session will be themed and will include a 25 minute workshop at 11am with one of W5’s education team. Places are limited and must be pre booked by calling 028 90467790 or 02890467793.

Costs:

• Children 4 and under: FREE
• Adults: £5.50
• Additional (non-participating) children over 4: £4.50

Details of up and coming sessions

Bubble Bonanza – 4th November 2015

There is something magical about bubbles- no matter what age you are! Come along and learn how to make bubbles of all sizes, see the rainbow in a bubble and even learn about shapes- all in one blow!

For further information visit www.w5online.co.uk.