Monday 25 February 2008

BLOG By Andrea McVeigh

IT'S official. I hate winter. On my reckoning, it has already lasted for around 36 months this year, and I've had enough. I hate everything about it. I hate the rain and the cold weather, the rain, feeling cold, the grey skies, dark nights and the rain. I really, really hate the rain. What's worse, I hate it when people say they love winter. As soon as August eases into September, they start rhapsodising about wrapping up warm in woolly jumpers, knitted scarves, hats, boots and proper coats. Smothered in around 40 layers of hot, itchy clothing everytime I leave the house, I look and feel less like Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago and more like the Michelin Man. Roll on summer!

The only good(ish) thing about dark nights is going to the cinema. There's something very weird about going to the flicks in summer, then, after a couple of hours of being thrilled in the dark, emerging into bright sunshine. It's just wrong. People should pour out of the cinema only in darkness. So far though, I've only managed to catch Sweeney Todd, which I liked apart from the singing and the gore, which pretty much sums up everything about the film. It was only around half-an-hour into it before I remembered that I don't like gory things or Steven Sondheim's music. I just never 'got' his dramatic, overblown style. I mean, imagine singing Sondheim-style in everyday life. "Have you put the bin out tonight?" "Yes, I have, yes I have, yes I have. I have, I have. The bin, the dark and terrible bin. Oh the bin. It is out."
So I sat with my hands over my eyes for most of it. Apart from that I thought it was really good, in a dark, almost cartoonish, way. Almost as cartoonish as Johnny Depp's singing style, which bears an uncanny similarity to David Bowie. I was waiting for him to break into The Laughing Gnome at any second.
With my outing to the pictures not exactly a huge success, I really looked forward to Ashes To Ashes, the follow up to Life on Mars, starting on BBC1. I loved DCI Gene Hunt (actor Philip Glenister) on Life on Mars and Ashes To Ashes didn’t disappoint. Set in 1981, the music and fashion was fabulous and, even though I'd hate to live with the sexist, racist, bullying cop in real life, on TV he's my new hero. I'm not answering the phone, replying to texts or even talking to the hubby when next week's episode is on. During the opening show I sat glued to the screen, dreaming of careering around corners and doing high-speed handbrake turns in Hunt's Audi Quattro with him. A girl can dream, can’t she?

One thing I must do before the winter is out is go up on the Big Wheel at Belfast's City Hall, or the Belfast Aye as it's been dubbed. One of the many things I love about Belfast is the irrepressible humour of us locals and our ability to bestow a nickname on just about anything. In addition to the Belfast Aye, I've also heard it called the 'Ball at the Hall', the 'polo mint' and 'the big ring thing'. They're all definitely much funnier than just calling it the Belfast Wheel. I love the way you can see it peeking above the skyline when you're driving around the city and I hope they keep it there permanently. It's great for tourists and great for the people of Northern Ireland. I've been on the London Eye and the big wheel in Manchester city centre but, naturally, once there's one on my very doorstep, I put off going. People tell me the best way to try it is to go at night so you can see the city all lit up. If I could get Gene Hunt in one with me I'd be there like a shot!

Changing all the time

Walter Love talks to journalist and broadcaster Sarah Travers.

When did the idea of a career in journalism first occur to you?

“I think probably back in secondary school. I’d always fancied being a journalist. I’d chosen subjects which would take me either to a legal career or a journalism one. They were the two things I thought I’d try out. Then when I was in Lower Sixth I was looking through prospectuses for various universities and I came across one for the Nottingham Trent University which at the time was the Nottingham Polytechnic. They had this course on broadcast journalism and I’d never seen anything as specific before. I thought that it was what I’d wanted to do. I didn’t particularly want to go into print, I was more interested in radio and television. I couldn’t believe that this was a course for me so I applied, got the grades and that was it.”

Going back a little bit, you were a pupil of Dominican College in Portstewart. Did you enjoy your schooldays?

“I had my happiest times there and I know they always say that, but they really were for me. I was back there again just recently because my son was doing his 11 plus and we were looking at various schools in the area. I went round again and saw some of my old teachers who are still there. I had a wonderful time and it hasn’t changed apart from a few more modern twists.”

Did your schooling give you a lot of confidence in yourself?

“I think it did. The school had a lovely ethos. There was a real sense of togetherness and being a team. So they maybe didn’t encourage individual strengths. Yes you were encouraged but it was always for the good of the school and what you could bring to a group of people. And you were very much allowed to just be yourself and there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere with the teachers and the pupils. So I do think it did give me confidence and I did a lot of music and drama and that kind of thing. Getting up there on stage kind of prepared me for what I do now.”

Is the north coast your home territory, is that where you’re from?

“It is indeed. My father’s actually English originally and my mother’s from Cork. My grandfather moved over from England to set up a textiles factory in Coleraine so that’s how my father ended up being on the north coast. He brought my mother up and they settled very happily there. It’s where my sister and I were brought up and now I’m bringing my family up there. I do feel really blessed. Having had three years going to university in England in the most land-locked part of the UK in Nottingham, I really did miss the sea so much. I hadn’t realised what it meant having the sea always there – the smell, the noise and all that scenery along the north Antrim coast. You just can’t beat it. Watching the sunset you can see why Jimmy Kennedy penned the famous Red Sails in the Sunset just looking out there. It can be pretty wild in the winter months but even that has an attraction.”

So going to Nottingham was quite a different experience, but what was the course like? What did it focus on?

“It was pretty unique at that stage. It was very much in its infancy. We were the first years and I think they were trying to make it academic enough so that it would be an Honours degree but would also deliver the practical side that would enable you to become a journalist as you left. So it was very much a practical course with placements in the local media. You would be two months at a time in places like the BBC’s Midlands Today or the local commercial radio station. We were really lucky to have John Snow as our honorary lecturer so he would come from Channel 4 News a couple of times a year and we would all get very excited. We also had to do media law and writing. I actually specialised in radio at that time when offered the choice of that or television.”

In broadcast journalism everything moves at a very quick pace. Was it easy to step into that on those attachments?
“I think because my course prepared me for that, I never had the shock of moving from print journalism to dealing with cameras and recording equipment and the like. That’s what we were trained to do. I wouldn’t say I was particularly good at it but you try your best. It’s changing all the time still. We’re looking at more new equipment for the newsroom. Gone are the days when you were a one trick pony. You need to be able to do lots of different things, to use lots of different editing equipment. Eventually we will all be able to go out, film our own stuff, bring it back to a central server where everybody will be able to access bits from their desktop. The future is technology.”

When you complete your course and have your degree, how easy is it to get your foot in the first door?

“I think I was particularly lucky and I think that’s often the case with so many in this business. There’s no hard rule about how you get in. I hadn’t quite finished my course, I hadn’t graduated. I was in the process of doing my final exams. But I was also in the process of spending a lot of money while I was away! My mother was asking me what I was going to do, and she was on the lookout all the time, going through all the newspapers looking for jobs in journalism back in Northern Ireland for me. So she came across an advert for BBC Radio Foyle for their freelance journalism register. Initially I though I didn’t want to do that, but she told me that I would and that I would come back as she had applied for me.

“So I flew back just on the off chance and thinking that it would be something to fall back on, to keep me going if I was called and that I could gain a bit of experience. I was just so lucky. I went in and did the interview. I don’t think I particularly shone but that night I had a call from the station manager to say that they had a round table discussion programme starting up in a couple of weeks over the summer months. Their presenter had dropped out and had I ever considered presenting? The next week I had my bags packed and I was home sitting in Derry. When I think about that now I just wouldn’t have the confidence, that would really frighten me, but back then when you’re young, at 21, thought ‘great, fantastic.’ And it was a great experience at Radio Foyle.
In local radio you have to go out and gather your own material. With the small work force you were doing everything. You could be presenting one minute and then you were out with the radio car learning how to work the equipment. And that was in the days of tape recording, editing with a razor blade. You might be working in the newsroom or on the general programmes side of things. I answered Gerry Anderson’s phones. It was a very exciting team and great fun, and when I came back and moved to Derry I just felt that I was coming home.”

How did the move to Belfast come about?

“It was probably about a year or a year and a half down the line. I was just freelancing on Radio Foyle and the then news editor Tony Maddox had visited Foyle and suggested I do a bit of freelancing in Belfast. So I did and found a much bigger operation, a much more frightening operation than the nice little staff in Foyle where we all had our lunch together in the kitchen and washed the dishes together. In Belfast there was this huge, busy 24 hour newsroom. It was the time News 24 was starting, bi-media radio and television, the development of the web. It really was a daunting place to come into but very soon, like anything else, you settle in.”

What gave you your entry into television?

“That again was just one of those things. I didn’t go looking for it. I’d been doing the radio news for about a year, Radio Ulster bulletins, through the busy times of the nineties. One of the television presenters was going off on maternity leave and my boss asked me if I’d like to have a go. So you get one trial and you’re on! And that was very scary – very different from radio, having to have your hair nice and makeup done and your clothes. All these things to think about.”

Does doing the early morning news make you hate your alarm clock?

“No because I’m a naturally early riser which I suppose is very good, and I tend not to sleep very well before my early shift. Then my day starts at about a quarter past four in the morning when the alarm goes off but I’ve usually woken up a bit before it anyway. A quick get ready. I don’t even have a cup of tea any more so that I can stay in bed as long as possible. I’ve left everything out the night before so I have little or nothing to do in the morning. Tiptoe so as not to wake Stephen or the children, drive from Portstewart to Belfast in all sorts of weather. In the winter months you’re overtaking the gritter, and you’d be surprised at the amount of traffic there is at that time of the morning. It takes me just over an hour to get in just before six o’clock. You’re there on your own, turning the lights on, there’s no glamour. People think it’s lovely to get your makeup and your hair done but you have to do it all yourself.

“Then the first bulletin is about twenty five past six. It’s a quick turn around. The news has been left for you the night before. I work with a journalist who updates the stories. He or she would have been in before me and then we just do the bulletins throughout the morning until 9 o’clock. Then I would stay on and do the lunchtime news at half past one.”

You do a lot of other things like Family Focus, haven’t you?
“Well Family Focus is a regular slot and has been for almost four years now on BBC Newsline every Thursday. It stated of as just a week long series of reports that I would be fronting to do with family issues, all ages. It was felt that so many family issues crop up on a daily basis but we never get time to explore them further within the news programme. So this little slot was created, four and a half minutes every Thursday, and I produce and deliver that every week.”

From the outside I’m sure some people think that four and a half minutes isn’t very much, that it must be very easy to do. But I imagine there’s a lot involved?

“You know you’ve a half hour news programme and you’ve maybe got about six or seven minutes of sport, a couple of minutes of weather. The average news report would be about two or two and a half minutes, so four and a half would usually involve a lot of filming and setting up through the week. Wednesday would be my day to go out reporting, gathering my material and then editing it. Then we might have a live guest or I might go out live on location wrapping around the report. Yes a lot goes into it and it’s over in a flash.”

How easy is it to manage the home and work balance?

“It’s getting easier now. My daughter, my youngest, is almost five now so we’ve moved out of the sleepless nights. That was quite a difficult time especially doing early shifts. It was all a bit hectic. Nowadays it’s great. Stephen, my partner, is a teacher so he finishes about 3.00 p.m. or 3.30 p.m. and can do a lot of the child minding. My mother’s there. She’s great, fantastic, and my dad I have to say, but mum would really help me out and she’s a great child minder too. So there’s a lot of people I have around to allow me to do this and I’m grateful to them.”

How do you like to relax?

“With the family, on the north coast, getting out for walks. Summer months packing a picnic. Friday is my day off and all my free time is spent with the kids, I keep my weekends for them.”

Do you enjoy music?

“Yes I do, I enjoy all kinds of music. I actually studied music for A level. I used to play piano and sing, but I don’t do anything now except sing nursery rhymes or the latest pop songs when we’re having a mini disco with the kids in the kitchen. The piano just sits there and looks at me forlornly some days and I think I must start again because it’s terrible to let it slip. I wasn’t very good but I think it’s a nice thing to do and to pass on.”

State Side

Walter Love talks to SUSAN M. ELLIOTT, UNITED STATES CONSUL GENERAL in BELFAST.

Susan Elliott took up her appointment here last September having just
completed a Washington assignment as Deputy Executive Secretary, with main areas of responsibility including Europe, and South and Central Asia. We met at the United States Consulate in Belfast to discuss aspects of her role in Northern Ireland. I asked her first to define the role of the Consul General.

“I think the role of the Consul General in Northern Ireland is probably a little different than in our other Consulates around the world. I say that because usually there’s a Consulate established because there’s either a large number of American citizens present or we do a lot of consular visa work. So, if you think about a large country like Mexico, if I were a Consul General in Monterey, Mexico, my main focus would be consular work.

“In Northern Ireland, while our top priority anywhere is to serve US citizens, one of my main focuses is to be the US government’s representative here. In the past it’s been in helping move forward on the peace process because we’ve been so interested in that. Now, while we still want to maintain the peace process, it’s helping the current government and the people of Northern Ireland to take the next step in whatever it is that they want to do. I think the focus of the government, of course, has been on economic development. So I see my role as supplementing the ambassador in London as someone who can be a conduit to the people here. And then, because we have a special envoy, we are a little bit different. I report directly to Washington as well.”

Do you have contacts with the Embassy in Dublin too?

“I do have contacts with them. If you recall Ambassador Foley has come up here several times. He’s been here once since I arrived and brought a delegation of US businessmen who are doing business in the Republic of Ireland to look at business opportunities here, and at the same time in October, Ambassador Tuttle from London brought US companies here and they met with the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister, Minister Dodds and others from Invest Northern Ireland to look at Northern Ireland as a place to do business.”

So in a sense it’s a two-way process?

“Yes it is. While I report to London I do have a lot of contact with Dublin. We keep in close contact not only with the ambassador but with others in the embassy there. I’ve been to Dublin once since I’ve been here at the invitation of the ambassador to go to an event that he had.

“We have very strong presidential links with America here in Northern Ireland. So many of the former presidents had roots here. I didn’t realise until President Clinton started to come here that he had even traced his roots back to Northern Ireland, and has come here several times since he’s been president. The first time I ever came to Northern Ireland was in 1995 and I was part of the advance team preparing for President Clinton’s visit.”

You have been in a very interesting position witnessing all the changes which have happened in the last few years.

“The Northern Ireland of 1995 is completely different from the Northern Ireland that I see today. When I first came and stayed at the Europa hotel I didn’t venture far from the hotel especially by myself. You really had the feeling that this was kind of a conflict zone. And then I came back in 2000 and found a completely different feeling, more of a feeling of hope, of moving forward even though there wasn’t a government formed. And now I’ve just seen further progress. It’s incredible what change has happened here in the last fifteen years.”


There are still a few problems to be ironed out obviously, but there’s a much more positive feeling. You would share that, would you?

“I definitely would share that and I’ve met since I’ve been here with Minister Paisley and Minister McGuinness together and I felt a positive atmosphere from them. But also from others in the government that I’ve met. I think it’s a remarkable move forward that the people of Northern Ireland should be very proud of. And as I talk with you, the meeting of the First and Deputy First Ministers with President Bush is about to take place.

“I think that this is also a historic event because while President Bush and President Clinton have visited here, both of the ministers while they’ve been to Washington or elsewhere in the United States separately, they’ve never been together as part of a shared government of Northern Ireland. I think their focus is going to be on economic development, but I also think they’re going to meet with people in the Congess, with the President and the Secretary of Commerce. They’re going to have a very full schedule and I think it will be a very productive visit for them and for us as well.”

Many American people, including all those presidents I referred to, have Irish connections. Do you have any Irish blood in you?

“I don’t think so although I think that what I need to do is to try to trace my roots because my predecessor Dean Pitman wasn’t aware of all the Irish roots he had until he came here. But I don’t think that I do. I think that on my father’s side I have actually English and Scottish roots, and on my mother’s side as well. But I’m going to look into it while I’m here.

“There are certainly plenty of Elliotts here. I have already met some and we’ve tried to decide if we’re related, but so far I haven’t met any relatives. That’s one thing on my agenda to look into.”

What was it that led you into the work that you do?

“I came into the diplomatic service in a circuitous route. My husband’s also in the foreign service. He joined first. I don’t have a foreign affairs background to be honest. I was a professor in a school of nursing so I was a college professor and taught nursing until my husband joined the foreign service. Once I began to see the job and see the kinds of things we could do as diplomats overseas, I decided to join as well. So I don’t have your typical diplomatic background although I think the educational background and the things that I learned in my previous profession have really helped me because I think that diplomacy is all about trying to understand other people’s points of view. And I think I’m pretty good at that.”

I’d be interested to hear about some of the other countries in which you’ve served your country.
“My last overseas posting was in Greece where I was stationed for four years. I did some economic and consular work there. In fact we were there in the run up to the Olympics and I was involved in helping get prepared for that. Prior to that overseas posting I served in Moscow right after the fall of the Soviet Union, and I’ve served in Honduras and in Lima, Peru. I’ve been in the foreign service about seventeen years and in between times I’ve had Washington postings.”

The world changes very fast nowadays and you’ve been in a position to witness that increasing rate of change.

“Probably the biggest change that I have seen since I’ve been in the foreign service is the fall of the Soviet Union, and having served in Moscow just after the fall, and seeing the changes that have happened there over the last fifteen years, has been very interesting for me. When I went back to Washington when I left Moscow I worked on regional conflict within the Soviet Union. That was my portfolio. I’ve been very interested in seeing the progress of the former republics of the Soviet Union and seeing the different things that have happened whether it’s Central Asia, the Caucusus or the Baltic countries.”

And having seen all the changes in Northern Ireland, would you say that it’s a good place to be posted?

“I’d say it’s a phenomenal place to be posted. There was a lot of competition to get the job and, as I mentioned before, it’s just a very interesting place because people in Washington care about what goes on here. They’re interested in political and economic issues. We also have American citizen’s service and visa issues and I’ve been very well received by the people of Northern Ireland. More well received than any other posting I’ve had overseas.”

Are you an optimist about the future here?

“I’d say I am an optimist and some of my optimism comes from what I’m hearing from the people that I meet with because I not only meet with people from the government. I’ve met with people who are working in the community and I’ve been amazed at how much is going on behind the scenes which, I think has contributed to the overall peace process. People trying to bring those of different backgrounds together at the community level.

“When I was in the former Soviet Union sometimes you would hear people talking about a longing to go back to the old days, but I haven’t heard anyone with a longing to go back to the way things were here. People are looking forward and asking how can we make Northern Ireland a better place to live.”

This is particularly true for younger people here. Have you had much contact with younger people in Northern Ireland?

“We work with Boston College on their exchange programmes and I’ve been to an integrated school and I’d like to visit more. I do think that there is an optimism and in talking with students at Queen’s University and the University of Ulster I find that instead of looking outward to leave to find gainful employment and a career, people are looking to stay here and seeing bright opportunities for the future.”

You’ve travelled a lot in the world, but if I ask you where you regard as home, where would that be?

“I would say that my home is probably now in Northern Virginia in the suburbs of Washington DC because I’ve lived there on and off for the last twenty years. I grew up in upstate New York outside of the capital Albany, but I was born in Pennsylvania. We moved two or three times for my father’s work when I was young, but more recently I’d say it’s Northern Virginia. It’s where I own a home and it’s where I talked my parents into moving there so that they would be there when we were there as well.”

And there are strong links with Northern Ireland in that part of the United States and elsewhere aren’t there?

“Definitely. I’ve been amazed at how many links there are to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the US. People usually think of Boston, New York and Chicago possibly as where people of Irish descent live. But really in the Washington DC area and all over the US there are strong links to Ireland.”
Your job would create many pressures on you, so how do you relax when off duty?

“Well I would say that my staff here haven’t allowed me to have much time to relax. There are so many interesting invitations to visit places. I enjoy exercising and hiking. I haven’t had a lot of time to do fun things, but I do try to keep fit while I’m here because the food is good and people invite me out. So I try to keep in shape.”

When you are overseas do you still feel it important to celebrate Thanksgiving each year?

“I’d say it’s extremely important. And for me last November I was here without my sons and my husband, so I had a Thanksgiving dinner at my home and invited people that I’d met from Northern Ireland most of whom had never had a Thanksgiving dinner before, although our Thanksgiving dinner is similar to what Christmas dinner is here. But it’s very important and on almost every posting that I’ve had overseas, even if I had my family with me, we always would invite people from the country to come and celebrate a holiday that’s truly American.

Friday 22 February 2008

Angela Mullan

Professional Make-Up Artist
Clarins NI

My perfect restaurant...
I haven't got a particular one - anything oriental but I do enjoy Zen and Indian Ocean.

My perfect cd...
Anything that has soul. I really like Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black.

My perfect book...
The Wasted Years by Mary Larkin.

My perfect movie...
I enjoy thrillers with a great twist in the story but one of my favourite films would be The Shawshank Redemption.

My perfect quotation...
“To do more, to do better and to enjoy what you do.”

My perfect play...
A trip to London to see Phantom of the Opera is on the agenda for 2008.

My perfect night out...
Relaxing in good company over a bottle of wine.

My perfect celebrity to date...
Matthew McConaughey.

My perfect item of jewellery...
My engagement ring and now my matching wedding ring!

My perfect beauty treatment...
An Indian head massage is great for relieving tension.
 
My perfect accessory...
A good stylish coat.

My perfect outfit...
Every season I will invest in a well fitted, tailored black suit. A different outfit can be created with funky accessories.

My perfect holiday...
I will have to say my recent honeymoon to Florida and Clearwater.


My perfect weekend break...
I was at Galgorm Manor recently so my perfect weekend would be keeping it local - somewhere that you can relax with good food, an open fire and fine wine.

My perfect car...
A Mercedes-Benz Sports Coupé.

My perfect Shopping Destination...
It would have to be New York - although I still have to squeeze in a visit to Galeries Lafayette the next time I am in Paris at Clarins Headquarters.

Joanne Graham

Area Manager
Benetton, Hobbs and Murphy & Nye.

My perfect restaurant...
Le Baioli, Cannes. The atmosphere
is amazing.

My perfect cd...
Budda Bar Remix.    

My perfect book...
I always make time every month for a flick through Vogue.
 
My perfect movie...
I love the 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Michael Kors designed the outfits when he was creative director for Celine. Rene Russo epitomises glamour in that film.

My perfect quotation...
Contrary to popular opinion, when
it comes to fashion my motto is 'More
is more.'
 
My perfect night out...
A lovely meal out with my husband and friends. Food needs to come into the occasion in order for me to really enjoy a  night out. I am a real foodie.   

My perfect celebrity to date...
Front row of a Chanel fashion show at Paris fashion week and afterwards a tour of the Chanel headquarters with Karl himself. I have a weird notion of Bradley Walsh that played Danny Baldwin in Coronation Street. I have a weakness for cheeky men in suits.

My perfect item of jewellery...
My wedding ring. The most important piece of jewellery that I will ever own. I also have a weakness for David Yurman.

My perfect accessory...
A good bag and high heels.

My perfect outfit...
I always love quirky Sisley dresses.

My perfect beauty treatment...
I DIY my St. Tropez at home - even my friends and family wouldn't recognise me without a few layers!
MY PERFECT Holiday...
The best holiday I've ever had was Las Vegas where I got married at the Bellagio hotel in 2004.
 
My perfect weekend break...
Needs to include good shops, restaurants, coffee shops and buzz.
 
My perfect car...
My silver VW beetle. It is fun to drive around in the bug.

My perfect shopping destination...
The market in Puerto Banus to source all my beads and bangles. I store them for years.

Ryan Hoy

Media Planner/Buyer
LyleBailie International

My perfect restaurant...
Unsicht-Bar, Berlin – eating a 3 course meal completely in the dark with amazingly friendly, blind and partially sighted staff. A real experience for the senses and lots of fun too!

My perfect cd...
Anything from the Ministry of Sound label. There’s nothing better to get you in the mood for a great night out.

My perfect book...
The hilarious and quirky E by Matt Beaumont. Written completely as a series of emails between staff in a London ad agency. It’s a real change from the norm.

My perfect movie...
The darker the better! Frailty starring Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey. Gripping stuff.

My perfect quotation...
“A hug is the perfect gift; one size fits all, and nobody minds if you exchange it.”

My perfect play...
Rocky Horror Picture Show – what’s not to like? Audience participation and there’s the Time Warp too!

My perfect Night out...
One of the best nights out ever has to be G-A-Y in London with the lovely Victeea (and Gareth Gates).

My perfect celebrity to date...
The one and only, pint-size princess of pop of course. Ms Kylie Minogue.

My perfect item of jewellery...
My Diesel watch. Practical and stylish.

My perfect beauty treatment...
A full body tension massage at Jason Shankey, Ballyhackamore. A great way to de-stress after a busy week.

My perfect accessory...
My iPod – music and style to go with everything!

My perfect outfit...
My D&G jeans and an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt.

My perfect holiday...
A “big old American adventure”! Travelling across the USA with no itinerary and cramming in as many sights as possible.

My perfect weekend break...
A trip to Manchester with friends. Loads of shops, great restaurants, and not to forget the abundance of bars, pubs and clubs.

My perfect car...
The super-sleek Audi R8.

My perfect Shopping Destination...
London baby! – Such a great variety of shops and I really love Covent Garden and Camden Market.

The Singing Politician

Kellie Chambers reviews All Kinds of Everything, the newly published book, which recounts the life of Eurovision winner and political figure, Dana.

Who is Dana? If Eurovision song-winner immediately springs to mind, you are partly right. However, All Kinds of Everything, an autobiography of her life, illustrates that there are so many aspects to Rosemary ‘Dana’ Scallon. Her career began as a singer but overtime she evolved into the first woman elected to represent the constituency of Connaught/Ulster in the European Parliament.

LITTLE GIRL, BIG VOICE

Dana, which means ‘bold in Irish’, had a rich musical ancestry. Her grandfather played bass drum and euphonium in the local brass band, whilst it was music, which brought her parents together. From the age of six, Dana too was exhibiting her own musical talents when she began to learn piano, violin and the art of ballet. Alongside her sisters, Dana made quite a name for herself in the various Feiseanna, with competitions in Irish dancing, singing and music. Whilst studying for her O-Levels, Dana began studying singing under the tutelage of local teacher Tony Johnston. Before long demo tapes she had made caught the attention of Michael Geoghegan, head of Rex Records in Dublin.

In 1968 Dana’s name was put forward for the Eurovision song contest, for which she was placed runner-up. After great persuasion she entered the competition again in 1970, and won with her song All Kinds of Everything. Consequently she enjoyed a singing career, which featured several highlights, such as setting up her own record label, as well as co-writing the anthem for the Northern Ireland football team after they qualified for the 1982 World Cup finals. During her career she also recorded a range of Christian material and in 1987 she sang before Pope John Paul II.

A COUNTRY IN TURMOIL

Though born in London, Dana was raised in the Creggan estate in Londonderry. After the North’s first civil right’s march passed off peacefully on the 24 August, another one had been planned to take place in Dana’s hometown of Derry on 5 October. The outcome was to be very different. William Craig banned the march on 3 October as an Apprentice Boys march had been scheduled for that date. Though some feared that to continue would be inflammatory, the organisers decided direct action was needed and the march went ahead. As a result a bloody riot broke out in the Bogside area, which resulted in petrol bombs being thrown. The unease in Derry raged into the New Year culminating with the Battle of the Bogside on 12 August 1969.

MAKING HISTORY

Although enjoying great success in show business across the world as well as making a name for herself in America with the Christian recordings she made during her stay in Alabama in the early ‘90s, it is possible the memories of the troubles, that haunted the Province throughout her childhood convinced her to run in the Irish Presidential elections. Although missing out on the Presidency, Dana decided to put her name forward to become a member of the European Parliament. After a tense campaign, where Dana received a great deal of contempt from her contemporaries, she made history by being the first woman elected to represent the constituency of Connaught/Ulster.

During her time as an MEP she targeted many areas of improvement for the Connaught/Ulster region, including economic security, greater investment in the area and the development of better road networks and airports Although her time as an MEP allowed her to make certain advancements for the area her experience was not all positive. Dana experienced several conflicts with her peers, particularly the European Women’s Lobby, who felt Dana was trying to undermine them, as well as with her own Government when it came to the negotiations over the Nice Treaty. One other argument, which over-shadowed Dana’s time in Parliament was the abortion debate, which culminated in an Irish referendum in March 2002. This was a topic which Dana felt very passionately about, however her views were not always favourably looked upon by her fellow members of Parliament or indeed the Irish public.

Throughout All Kinds of Everything, one thing that is extremely evident is that Dana is unashamed of the decisions she made in both her singing and political career. She details the harsh criticism she received and how it made her more determined in her political battles and against all odds she polled well in her battle for Irish President and succeeded all expectations when she was voted an MEP. What is also apparent throughout the book, is that regardless of pressure from those around her, Dana refused to compromise on her morals and beliefs, which although making her journey into politics more difficult, is something, she looks proudly upon.

THE EVOLUTION OF WOMEN

During her memoirs, Dana openly discusses how her ambition meant that she could not spend as much time with her family as she would have liked. In the height of her show business career, she was often on the road, and when she was elected an MEP, a lot of her time was spent in Brussels. However she also reflects how she had a strong network of support, which greatly assisted her in raising her children whilst pursuing a career in the public eye. Dana illustrates how the opinion towards working women has evolved. Once a working mother was frowned upon, but Dana successfully balanced being a mother and a wife with a demanding career.

Whilst revealing how the attitude to women has been turned on its head, so much so that they are openly elected into Government now, the book also shows how Northern Ireland has changed during this period. When only a schoolgirl, Dana’s home town of Derry was blighted with The Battle of the Bogside in the ‘70s. The rest of the Province fared no better and was equally hit by Troubles. However when Dana returned from America, she returned to a much more stable country and by the time the book ends, the new devolved Northern Ireland Assembly has opened in Stormont and Dana remarks that 2007 was “an historic year, because we have, at last, a real opportunity for enduring peace in the North.”

With a colourful past, including winning the hotly contested Eurovision, performing on Top of the Pops with the likes of David Bowie, befriending Daniel O’Donnell, emigrating to America, becoming a household name in Christian music, singing before the Pope, hosting her own TV series, making history in Irish politics, as well as being a wife and mother, it is safe to say Dana is more than a one-hit wonder. The story of her life combined with her frank and candid tone, makes All Kind of Everything both an interesting and inspirational read.

All Kinds of Everything by Dana Rosemary Scallon is published by Gill & Macmillan and is available from a range of bookshops.
www.gillmacmillan.ie

Monday 11 February 2008

Brain or Brawn

Emma-Louise Johnston decides against a trip to the slopes this year and indulges in a different sweet easter treat. 


Easter seems to be upon us so quickly this year - I know it is an important time in the Christian calendar, so I don’t mean to sound flippant but I always remember as a kid getting a new dress or new outfit for Easter Sunday, so not to break with tradition, I’ve opted for a fabulous pair of Anita Flavin shoes. Anita, who’s based in Garvagh has attracted a huge amount of interest recently and will be a popular guest during Belfast Fashion Week.
Normally, I’d be forking out for ski-wear this time of year but alas, no - not after a traumatic time in Courcheval 1850 last year. Steep icy slope, end of the day and not being as experienced or as skilled as my friends thought, I ended up with tears, snot and a very wet behind, from having to take my skis off and go down on my butt. The humiliation, not to mention being gripped by total and utter fear, was enough to put me off ‘going on the piste’ this year. My husband however, will be grabbing his board and hitting the slopes in Switzerland. He is sickeningly good at snowboarding and makes it look completely effortless. I know I should be proud and yet I feel jealous and slightly bitter and twisted when I watch him jump and twist and skim at high speeds down the mountains, laughing all the while, while I on the other hand, am struggling with my stupid skis and poles, eyes streaming, nose too, with a grimace more than a grin. Even though it’s my choice, not going skiing rather enrages me - I don’t like being one of those women who can’t do things. I’m normally pretty capable. I can bleed a boiler, change a tyre and re-wire a plug! Anyway, to counteract these feelings of utter uselessness, I am going on a bit of a literary tour round Ireland with some acclaimed American women writers - friends of my relatives out there. Maybe I’ll just pretend to be the brain in our house and he can be the brawn!

Speaking of houses, we’re currently building a house in the country. It’s the whole rage in England at the moment, I’ve been informed. An exciting and overwhelming task. So far my input has been limited. “What slates do we want?” “Dunno”, “What fascia and soffetts do we want?”, “Don't care”, “Where do we want our U.S.B. ports?”, “I’m hungry”. I hate to bring those age-old, outdated ‘difference of the sexes’ arguments out, but if you ask most men, “should I wear sheer tights or opaque, kitten heel or block boots, shoes or shoe-boots?” Most are not going to have a clue and will be totally uninterested. Naturally, I am interested in our house. I just don’t think I can contribute in a useful fashion at this stage. Now, when it gets to the interior, I will be in my element. Gosh that will be fun. In fact ‘Gosh’ Belfast is where I’ve spent a lot of time recently, sorting out our ‘tunnel’ fire for the house. I don’t like to boast…ok, maybe just a little, but these fires make you feel like you’re on the set of a James Bond movie - very cool…well, hot actually!
I don’t often treat myself to massages or spa breaks unless I’m on holiday but when I heard that holistic therapist Elizabeth Murray, formerly of Framar on the Ormeau Road, had set up on her own, I wanted to check her out. I’d never had an Indian head massage before, but I’d been experiencing a few stress headaches, possibly from my short lived detox plan and thought this might help. It is absolutely brilliant - a relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable treat and all for the price of a couple of large Easter eggs!

In another effort to slow down the wheels of time in our ‘youth obsessed’ culture, I invested in my first ever expensive eye-cream! I know that healthy diet, exercise, not smoking and staying out of the sun, all help towards reducing the formation of lines round the eyes and those rotten black circles, but as a chronic insomniac, sometimes I need a bit of extra help. I was getting my spray-tan done with the lovely Claire McIntyre in Stranmillis and asked her advice. She recommended Carita, an effective, if fairly expensive line of Parisian beauty products. I invested in their ‘perle de jeunesse yeux’ firming micro-gel and have received quite a few compliments since using it.

Cinemagic’s mega success here, has led Chief Executive Joan Burney-Keating to launch the award winning charity down South. An organisation, with M/S Burney’s contacts, that educates and inspires young people will surely be equally successful in Dublin. 

Congrats to Paddy Kielty on his nomination for best Solo Performer in the What’s On Stage West End theatre awards. He had a triumphant return to the Grand Opera House and was brilliant in Marie Jones’ smash hit comedy, A Night in November. That woman is a national treasure!

It's All In The Game

Andrea McVeigh finds some of her favourite food in Hillsborough


While driving along the motorway towards Hillsborough one cold, dark Tuesday night in January, I was beginning to have reservations about our reservation at Bar Retro Bistro.

"You realise that we'll probably be the only people there?" I said to my husband Patric. "Who's going to be going for a meal in the middle of nowhere on a night like this?"

Happily I was wrong on both counts - Hillsborough is probably one of the prettiest towns in Ulster, even on a winter's night and, given that it's only twenty minutes from Belfast, it's certainly not the middle of nowhere!

We got a warm welcome, both from the staff and from the cosiness of the surroundings when we arrived at The Bistro, which is accessed by stairs at the back of the Plough Inn, located on the town's main square.

There were plenty of diners already tucking in just after 7pm, and we were shown to a table for two in the middle of the large L-shaped dining room.

Sitting by the window, I looked out over the magnificent Georgian terraces and dreamed of the day when I could afford to buy one and pop over to Bar Retro and eat good food every night for the rest of my life - oh well, back to reality, I suppose!

The decor is a clever blend of traditional and ultra modern, with wooden panelling complemented by some particularly space-age-looking lighting and there is a nice mix of open tables and more private dining booths in the room.

It wasn't long before the restaurant was almost at capacity, with a real mix of customers ranging from the obviously well-heeled locals of all ages to  glamorous young couples and several 'girly' groups.

The menus appeared and our drinks order was taken almost immediately and to say I was pleasantly surprised by the food selection would be something of an under-statement.

'Pheasantly' surprised would be more appropriate, as my favourite food at the moment is game, which, apart from the obligatory duck and occasional venison dishes, I find is something of a rarity on many menus nowadays.

I was actually spoilt for choice for a starter, with Tempura of Tayto Castle Pheasant, a Three-way Game Skewer or Japanese Marinated Venison all featured as first course options.

I eventually selected the skewer, which turned out to be a grilled kebab of pigeon, partridge and duck meat, served with an oriental chilli dip.

Delicious, of course, and my husband had a less-exotic, but no less appetising, dish of melted brie on a slice of lightly toasted bread, served with roasted beetroot and a salad of rocket, walnut and sunflower seeds.

Another dilemma with the main course selection awaited - in addition to the many game dishes, there were plenty of delicious-sounding steaks, fish dishes and vegetarian options, such as Thai Veggie Curry, Spanish Omelette and Tempura of Vegetables.

I almost chose the Fresh Fish Parcel, salmon and sea bream with Asian-style veg and steamed coconut rice, but no - it was either going to be the Venison Cutlet, Larchfield Pheasant or the house special, Chinese Red Duck.

Finally, the decision was made - I had the pheasant, which was plump and very tasty and came served with tender root vegetables and a delicious jus made from cranberry and redcurrants, and my glass of Merlot proved to be an ideal accompaniment to it.

Luckily, my other half chose the duck, which he pronounced to be amongst the best he had eaten for quite some time and I, after having several mouthfuls, was in full agreement.

Two succulent legs were served on a bed of noodles and he reckoned the skin, which he usually discards as it can be flabby and fatty, was divine - crispy and flavoured with honey, ginger and mandarin syrup.

The portions were such that the side order of garlic fries remained almost untouched and the selection of breads, which I always insist on in case I still feel like a nibble after my plate has been cleared, were certainly not required, although the tapanade dip which accompanied them was superb.

There was a short break in proceedings while the dessert menu was produced - true to form, I could barely even look at it but hubby was eager to fill his stomach to the brim.

He's not a fan of chocolate puddings, of which there were several to choose from, but a Trio Of Asian Brulees - mango and ginger, passion fruit and lychee and pear and cardamom and a Warm, Forced-Rhubarb Crumble emerged as front runners.

He decided that something warm was required to set him up for the homeward journey and the crumble, served with a sweet dollop of custard was just the ticket.

THE LOWDOWN
Our meal, with soft drinks and a glass of wine, came to £59.90

FACT FILE 
Bar Retro at The Plough Inn
3 The Square
Hillsborough 
Co. Down
028 9268 0939

Website: www.barretro.com
 
RATING 
4 out of 5