Spring has sprung. Or has it? It's hard to tell with the schizophrenic weather we've been having. Some days, the sun is shining and I'm full of the joys of spring, while other days it's blowing a gale, pouring with rain and the sky is looking thunderous, as is my face. On my reckoning, winter has already lasted for around 36 months (given that we totally missed out on a decent summer last year), and I've had enough. I hate the rain and the cold weather, the rain, 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. I've had enough! Bring on summer!
The best place to be when it's miserable and wet outside is tucked up in the cinema with a jumbo carton of popcorn. So far though, I've only made it to see three films this year. I started off my cinema going this year with Sweeney Todd, which I liked apart from the singing and the gore, which pretty much sums up everything about the film. Then I caught The Other Boleyn Girl and I loved it, mostly because I never thought I'd fall in lust with Henry VIII - until I saw him being played on the big screen by Eric Bana! Most recently, I saw 27 Dresses, a total chick flick with a predictable story line, but filmed with wit and style, and a huge wardrobe budget! Of course, the film I can’t wait to see is the Sex And The City movie. I was given the DVD box set for Christmas and I've been working my way through all the episodes since then (even though I saw them all the first time around), so I'll have got myself up-to-date again by the time the film opens in May. Who cares what the script is like? It's set to have everything a movie should have - shoes, clothes, cocktails, a fabulous New York setting and yet more shoes and clothes! I've got a date with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha and I can't wait.
With my outings to the cinema being few and far between, I've been glued to the small screen, mostly watching Ashes To Ashes, the follow up to Life on Mars, on BBC1. Sadly, the series has now finished, so my Thursday night dates with DCI Gene Hunt (actor Philip Glenister) have come to an end. Set in 1981, the music and fashion is fabulous and, even though I'd hate to live with the sexist, rude, racist, bullying cop in real life, on TV he's my absolute hero. The weird thing is, I'm not the only woman who thinks so. At a recent party a group of us 'Gene genies' confessed that there's something about the big Neanderthal brute that we just love! It seems we've all been imagining ourselves careering around corners and doing high-speed handbrake turns in Hunt's Audi Quattro with him. Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?
One thing I must do soon 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 somehow don’t get around to 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!
Wednesday 26 March 2008
ITALY UNCOVERED
In a first of a two part series frank McGreevey investigates the wealth of wines available in italy.
After years in the doldrums, Italy as a supplier of tasty wines seems to have turned the corner. Italy as a holiday destination is a very attractive proposition.
From Sorrento and the off-shore Capri in the south, to Rome and its historic sites in the middle and then Tuscany on the knee and on to Piemonte in the North West and Veneto in the North East. Include a benevolent climate and all the attractions and Italy is a holidaymaker’s paradise and a virtual vineyard from end to end.
With its sexy leg and high heeled boot Italy must be the best known map outline in the world, so I am attempting to use that outline (from toe to thigh) or South to North for the purpose of illustrating Italy’s lesser known wines and where they originate.
Sicily
Sicily is not one of Italy’s quallity wine regions but is nevertheless a large producer and exporter of tasty reds and whites, to cities like London and New York, where there are large populations of Italian ex-pats. Possibly Sicily’s best known wine product is Marsala (a fortified wine) much loved by chefs as a base for sauces.
In my young days (just a few years ago) Pork Marsala would have featured on every hotel menu in the country.
Puglia (on the heel). This is hot Italy, home of grape varieties Negromara and Primitivo, also known as Zinfandel in California where it is currently all the rage. Primitivo, or Zinfandel, produces a huge full bodied high alchohol red wine but, because of the heat and very ripe fruit, it can produce tasty wines similar to high quality Shiraz from South Australia. Winemark, our local off-licence chain, have these two Puglia grapes in a very tasty blend
Canti- Negroamaro/Zinfandel IGT Alc 12.5% £3.99.
Lazio
Lazio (with Rome as its centre). Back in the 60/70s this region was supplier of bland Frascati to the Trattorie of Rome, but is now on the up again with fresh clean Trebbiano/Malvasia blends.
Abruzzo
This is the region behind the knee of Italy - home of the grape variety Montepulciano, which produces a soft easy drinking red wine. Montepulciano is also a town in Tuscany but there the grape variety would be Sangiovese.
Saint Orsolo Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo DOC is currently on offer at Winemark for £4.59.
Marche. If you like your white wine in fancy bottles this is the region to look out for. Verdicchiodei Castelli di Jesi is the most famous wine of this region. Produced in the attractive green amphora shaped bottle, it is a dry white wine well worth seeking out.
Tuscany
Tuscany, the best known region for holidays and wine - Chianti. Now readily accessable from Ireland by Ryanair- Dublin /Pisa in just a couple of hours. Chianti is probably Italy’s best known (least loved) wine.
Everybody of pre 70s vintage will have had at some stage a Chianti wicker flask bottle as a decoration or doubling as a home made light holder. Present day Chianti is a modern red wine -grape variety Sangiovese.
The heart of the region is Chianti Classico, between the cities of Sienna and Florence. Medium bodied red wines with good tannins are the trademark of the Classico centre.
Winemark- Chianti Classico Castelani 2005 £7.99
See our May issue for part two of this feature.
Go West
Ulster Tatler’s Catherine Corr dines at the Quaywest Wine Bar & Restaurant in Londonderry.
Quaywest Bar & Restaurant is situated alongside the river offering panoramic views (if you get a seat beside the window) of the Foyle and the east bank of the river. As my companion and I hadn’t been to Derry for a few years we decided to stay the night in a hotel just around the corner from the restaurant. I was amazed at how many other eateries have sprung up in this part of the town centre - a real sign of a city on the rise. The waterfront walk is a real asset to the maiden city - although it was a little cold in early March!
On our arrival in Quaywest we were warmly greeted and offered the option to sit in the bar area and enjoy a pre-dinner drink or go straight to our pre-booked table. We decided on the latter and were escorted up the stairs and handed over to the waiting staff for the evening. The interior of the restaurant had a warm and welcoming feel and the presence of a mirrored wall behind the bar gave a feeling of vastness and allowed us to keep an eye on everything that was happening in the restaurant!
As it was a Friday night the restaurant attracted couples, families and groups of people who all seemed to be having a great time and preparing for the weekend. The atmosphere was warm and friendly with the staff doing there upmost to make customers relax and enjoy their dining experience.
When the menus were delivered, we were informed of the specials that evening and left to peruse at our leisure. A short time later our waitress returned and asked for the drinks choice. Myself, being a big fan of the red wine, was delighted to see a vast choice and after some time and advice I settled on the Casa Silva Reserva Shiraz from Chile, this choice was packed full of spice and black pepper flavours and accompanied by soft sweet tannins offering a beautifully balanced wine.
One thing that did preturb me about The Quaywest menu was the limited choice of starters on offer (but after asking I believe that is about to change in the next few weeks, with more choice being offered).
The three choices were soup, garlic bread or the Quaywest platter to start. We opted for one platter and one soup. The platter offered a choice of garlic mushrooms, chicken drumsticks, nachos and king prawns. This proved a good choice to nibble on with the prawns coming out on top closely followed by the garlic mushrooms. The soup was very tasty also and the accompanying fresh bread was a great compliment.
Onto mains, the selection here is quite vast offering a great choice of chicken, fish, steak and vegetarian choices. My partner opted for the Quaywest 12oz Sirloin Steak with choice of sauce and the chunky fries. The steak was a little tough and lacked in flavour. It was requested well done but my friend felt it may have been over-cooked slightly, although the fries and the peppered sauce were excellent. I decided on the Crispy Half Roasted Duck with caramelized orange sauce along with champ. What a good choice, the duck was succulent and fell off the bone, the sauce was most enjoyable and the champ was soft and fluffy. A delightful main course and a great combination!
Other main courses to choose from were marinated lamb with mustard seed, saute potatoes, mint pesto and roast gravy, the Quaywest Thai Chicken Curry with coconut milk & basmati boiled rice or Seabass with roast garlic and sweet pea cream sauce.
The dessert menu was a little too much for me after my main but my partner was tempted by several of them; the Classic Italian Tiramisu served with Espresso Syrup, the locally made Profiteroles with chocolate and anglaise sauces or the Vanilla Ice Cream served in a tuille basket with fresh fruit coulis and chocolate stick. After much deliberation he finally settled on the classic Banoffee Pie served with fresh cream, which he described as beautiful. The consistency of the dessert suited his palate very well and that was testament to the little left on his plate!
All in all our visit to Quaywest was very enjoyable. It has something for everyone including coeliac and vegetarian options. The ambience created led to a very comfortable relaxed dining in the heart of an exciting up and coming city. The staff were excellent and had great knowledge of the menu. If you’re in the north-west see what this great eatery has to offer.
Our meal of two starters, two mains, one dessert and wine came to £54.35.
Fact File
Quaywest Restaurant & Wine Bar
Boating Club Lane
Londonderry
Tel: 028 7137 0977
4 star rating
Unparalleled beauty and performance
Bob Hume reviews the Maserati Quattroporte executive.
Maserati has a strong tradition of sports car building and has fused their technology and sporting pedigree into a luxury saloon. The Executive GT Automatic is the flagship variant of the luxury four-door five-seater Quattroporte.
Styled by the famous Italian automotive designer Pininfarina, this car takes design cues from the ‘70s. There is a retrospective and nostalgic look to the rear quarter of the Quattroporte; the ‘C’ pillars and boot area are reminiscent of some of the sports saloons of thirty years ago. The front end and grille are aggressively styled and the combination of all of the curves and muscular lines, combine to make the entire car a boldly styled and achingly handsome form; this was further accentuated by the dark grey metallic finish of the Maserati press car.
Austere
The photo shoot took place in the austere setting of Newbridge Demesne, County Dublin with kind permission from the Dublin City Council’s Michael Ryan; a location which truly befitted such a beautiful and luxurious marque. During my stay in Dublin, the big Maserati drew admiring stares from pedestrians and fellow road users alike; one wide-eyed taxi driver even drew me into a conversation about the Quattroporte when I stopped beside him at a set of ‘lights – even jokingly offering me a swap!
The Maserati was astonishingly quick from standstill and through the automatic gears, especially on the tighter-geared and more throttle-sensitive ‘sport’ mode, roaring to the national speed limit with incredible urgency accompanied by a spine-tingling roar. On back roads, the car belied its size and seemed to be ‘on its toes’ and quick to react; this is mostly thanks to a remarkably good multi-link ‘Skyhook’ suspension set-up and highly developed geometry.
Fantastic
The 4244cc V8 multi-valve engine will propel almost two tonnes of Italian luxury from rest to 60 MPH in 5.6 seconds, beating several of its direct rivals. Keep you right foot down and the Quattroporte will reach a maximum speed of 167 MPH. Under heavy acceleration there is a spine-tingling symphony from the big V8, it’s almost a melodic sound to car fanatics like me. Whilst other luxury saloon manufacturers seem to have tried their best to hide the sound of the big, high-performance ‘V’ format engines, Maserati seem to celebrate and accentuate this inspiring sound.
This is a luxury car from a famous super-car car manufacturer; a beautifully finished, comfortable and beautiful luxury saloon. It will deliver you to your destination deftly and quietly but if you choose to you can make the Quattroporte bark and roar and it will cover a lot of ground with all the drama and excitement of a super-car.
The new luxury car market in Northern Ireland has developed dynamically in the last few years and demand for the luxury car segment has grown disproportionately to the rest of the market. This is an obvious indicator of the growing economy, however one effect is that certain luxury cars have become more common than you would imagine - to the extent that hardly any of them fail to turn heads any more. For the same money, or even slightly less, you can get yourself something very different and something that shows you’ve actually put a bit of thought into your choice.
Fact File
Sole Maserati dealership in Ireland:
Ian Sinnamon
Charles Hurst Specialist Cars
Boucher Road
BELFAST
Tel: 028 9038 3511
MAKING THE NEWS
Walter Love talks to radio and television journalist, mark carruthers.
Where did your interest in politics come from?
“I suppose I’ve always been interested in politics. I studied politics for A-level when I was at Coleraine Inst and I was always interested in Irish history. So I ended up studying politics at Queen’s. I suppose that whole current affairs thing was something I was always aware of. It was always there and I suppose too that my family was always aware of what was happening in the world and that it rubbed off. I was certainly aware of what was happening in Northern Ireland when I was growing up.
“When I started studying the subject then I became much more aware of British politics and I was particularly interested in American politics as well. That curiosity has always stayed with me and I’m very fortunate that I earn a living from something that I probably would have as a hobby anyway.”
At any point at school had you ever considered anything else as
a career?
“I really did want to be an actor. I was very enthusiastic and successful up to a point. I did a lot of drama at the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine and at school. My dad did a lot of directing as well so I’ve been involved in his shows. I really did want to do that but I suppose I was advised by my careers teachers and my father that I should probably get a proper job. But I also quite fancied the idea of becoming a barrister and that didn’t quite happen. So I suppose I kind of fell in this direction and it seemed a very obvious thing to do.
“My primary degree was in politics at Queen’s and then I decided that I did want to go into journalism and I stayed on to do a Masters in Irish Politics for two years and really when I was finishing that off in my second year I started to do some work with the BBC. I had been very much involved in the Politics Society at Queens’ and we would bring in guest speakers, which gave me the chance to chair discussions and debates and I suppose that I started to do free gratis what I’m now doing professionally. So it just evolved over the years. I suppose I was quite persistent and determined. I was keen to do it but you have to be lucky as well.”
You’ve covered quite a lot of the output of the BBC here in both radio and television. What have been the key areas to date?
“People always ask me if I prefer radio or television. There is no answer to that question because I feel really at home on the radio. I love radio, I love the depth of radio and the fact that it’s quite a small team and as a presenter you’re a very big part in that team. I quite like that and I also like the fact that in radio you can speak to anybody straight away, instantly. If something happens in America you can phone them and you’re speaking about the incident. It’s much more difficult to do that in television. But television I’m very lucky with as well because I get to do Newsline, of course, Let’s Talk which is one of those big programmes that’s enjoyable to do, and, as we speak, this week when Paisley announced his resignation, it fell with Spotlight’s time.
“I got an e mail at six o’clock when I was sitting on air for Evening Extra telling me that we were doing a Spotlight programme on that story and asking if I was OK for that. So bang went my tea with the kids and I had to stay on to do that. But again you wouldn’t want to be off on a day like that.”
It’s a very fast moving
business, isn’t it?
“It is. There are quiet days but on a busy day it’s fantastic. On that occasion we took the decision to extend Evening Extra while we were on air and we did that with a huge effort, but seamlessly. It’s fast moving. It’s a test and I suppose I like the challenge. I don’t so much enjoy the days where everything is pre-prepared and you know what’s coming. It’s in the diary and it’s planned with everything perfectly scripted, the interviews prepared. I really think I thrive on the seat of the pants stuff where there is no running order and there are no scripts. In fact last Tuesday there was no guest. There was an empty chair. I think that’s great, that’s a real challenge. And if you come through that you have a tremendous sense of satisfaction.”
Is it, in a sense, a bit like being in theatre where you need to have a good supply of adrenalin?
“Yes it kicks in. I think that’s exactly what has happened. I am able to fulfil all of the things I wanted out of being an actor in doing what I’m doing. Maybe with a little bit more as well and without having to learn the lines as well because that was the thing I was always uncomfortable about. It is a performance and particularly when you’re in a television studio because of the cameras and the lights. There is that element of the spectacle with television particularly with a programme like Let’s Talk.”
What for you is the importance of a programme like Let’s Talk?
“Well I think it’s important because it’s the only programme in Northern Ireland where members of the public get an opportunity to hold their elected representatives to account. There are lots of other ways in which we can question MLAs and there are lots of other programmes where members of the public can give their opinions. But Let’s Talk is the only programme where, on a regular basis, we would have at least two members of the Executive facing members of the public directly, asking their questions, giving their opinions and sharing in the debate. I think that’s very important and very healthy for a democracy.
“It’s important for those politicians to be questioned by professional broadcasters, but it’s also important that voters get a chance to have their say and sometimes that can be quite revealing. Sometimes people say what you don’t expect them to say and where perhaps a politician might duck a question from me, it’s much more difficult to duck a question from a voter. There are certainly incidents where I can recall politicians who have been under an awful lot of pressure finding it hard to deal with an eighteen year old A-level student who just keeps asking the same question over and over again, or keeps coming back. Because they can’t lose their temper with them as they would with another politician, or get smart alecky as they would with me. They have to treat that voter with respect. So it can be quite an interesting exercise.”
We don’t have a hugely close contact with the audience on Evening Extra because it’s one of those very fast paced drive time programmes where there’s not a lot of interaction through phone-ins, but people do text Evening Extra. On Newsline we do have a viewers panel and we would certainly make an effort to go out as we did to Ballymena for the Paisley story, to hear what people there thought about Ian Paisley’s decision to resign. I think it’s very important that access to the media isn’t controlled entirely by the media and by those of us who are professionals. We have to facilitate as broad a debate as possible. I suppose it’s about a balance. I think that the BBC is very fortunate because of its range in that it can allow people to do that. Our on-line services too have a role. If you look at the Let’s Talk website, people are encouraged after the programme to begin a debate. It’s fascinating a couple of days after the programme to go in and see people on the message board talking to each other about what some politicians have said. I wouldn’t want to over play the importance of what we do, but it’s nonetheless valuable.”
Everything’s changing very fast in broadcasting, isn’t it? Is it easy to keep up with the changes in technology?
“I’m a bit of a technophobe to be absolutely honest. I still struggle with the remote at home. I started here something like 19 years ago when it was the typewriter and the multi-copy yellow paper. You’ll remember the auto-cue when it was bits of paper stuck together with cellotape. We’ve come an awfully long way from that and certainly we have to be very computer literate, but some of the younger members of staff coming in now are incredibly good at the new technology. We’ve now become digitalised in editing for radio and very soon we’ll be editing digitally on our desktops in Newsline as well. That’s a remarkable change. I couldn’t tell you in all honesty that I’m up to speed on some of those things but increasingly journalists and reporters have to cut their own stories and they have to be able to edit sound and pictures.”
There’s another side to you, away from hard news, and that’s in the arts world. You’ve written on the subject and you are actively involved in the running of the Lyric Theatre. Tell me something about that side of things.
“I edited a book on the arts called Stepping Stones with one of my colleagues here at the BBC. It looked at the arts right across the board between 1971 and 2001 and then I edited another publication of essays after Belfast failed to be short-listed for the Capital of Culture bid a few years ago.”
What are your views on the
Belfast bid?
“It didn’t have a chance. It was too soon, and that’s not to say for a moment that it wasn’t right to have big ideas and that the people involved didn’t do their very best. Jeremy Isaacs chaired the panel and he said afterwards in his feedback that the cultural infrastructure simply wasn’t in place. And he’s right. We were kidding ourselves I think that the cultural infrastructure could be in place for 2008. The interesting thing about that is that it started a debate and our publication Re-imagining Belfast also kicked into that debate. I think that the cultural infrastructure is changing and that’s part of my passion at the moment with the Lyric. We’ve got to get our buildings in place and we have to get the companies in place. And we’ve got to fund them properly. I think government has now realised that. Not enough money is in the arts but more money is definitely being put into the arts.”
If you didn’t become an actor professionally, you did have your interest in theatre. Is the Lyric a good example of that?
“Really at the moment it is not overstating the case to say that I am double jobbing. One as a broadcaster and the other as chairman of the board of the Lyric. And that is virtually a full time job which I do in my spare time. But it takes up a lot of time and we’ve just moved out of Ridgeway street and we’re setting the day for the Minister to come along with the wrecking ball to knock it down. That will happen in May.
“I received my formal letters from the Arts Council yesterday confirming the amount of money we are going to get, nine and a quarter million pounds, please sign on the dotted line. And a further two million from the Lottery. That money has all been very hard earned and it’s taken a huge effort to persuade government that this was a project that could happen. But not just government, the wider community as well – trusts, foundations, philanthropists and high net worth individuals as they are called, successful members of the business community who in some cases have pledged huge sums of money to help that to happen.”
How do you feel about the Lyric’s part in the history of the city from it’s small beginnings thanks to Mary O’Malley?
“She was a remarkable woman. I never met her but I know her sons and they still take a keen interest in the Lyric. She was a visionary who had an idea of what she wanted to do and nobody was going to stop her from doing it. She operated a hugely successful theatre company from her own house and the she was instrumental in getting the new Lyric built on the Ridgeway street site which opened in 1969. The difficulty is that that building is now obsolete. It’s not fit for purpose and what we’ve got to do is share her vision, and what we will have in 2010 is a theatre that will be a proper iconic landmark building twice the size of the old Lyric and the facilities will be state-of-the-art. It will be spectacular and we’ve got the best architects, the best construction company building it.”
In terms of your cultural interests, what about your involvement with Romania?
“Romania is a country which has gone through huge change and I found myself travelling to Romania with an odd group of individuals shortly after the revolution at Christmas 1989. In January 1990 I travelled there with a group of individuals from Northern Ireland which included Jennifer Johnston the novelist, some people from art galleries and I went out to make a documentary. I travelled with a friend of mine, John Fairleigh, who was then a lecturer at Queen’s and John was very friendly with a Romanian actor called Ion Caramitru who was the kind of Olivier of Romania with superstar status. When we arrived at the airport we discovered than Ion had been made Vice-President. Suddenly he arrived with his Presidential entourage and said: ‘I forgot to mention that I am the Vice President actually!’
“So we had the most remarkable week of our lives and Romania had just got rid of Ceausescu. The writers, the actors, the poets had been part of that process. We were watching during the day Caramitru appearing in the Assembly discussing and debating the future of the country and then at night time we were going to his flat for dinner. On one occasion we went into Bucharest because the miners from the north came in because they were concerned that the old guard were going to fight back. The centre of Bucharest was overwhelmed with thousands and thousands of black-faced miners with their pit helmets and the lamps on. It was like the parting of the Red Sea as Caramitru walked through the sea of miners and they were so reverential in their dealings with him. He was trying to persuade them that the revolution had happened, that it was safe and that the country was goping to have a better future. It was spine-tingling stuff to be there in the middle of this. Out of that came the Ireland Romania Cultural Foundation which I was involved with for some time.
“The links between Ireland and Romania culturally are very very strong. Seamus Heaney has worked quite closely with the poets in Romania translating their work, and they have translated his. There is an awful lot of work between the universities as well. It’s all quite quiet low grade stuff but very important. Theatre companies from Northern Ireland and Dublin have travelled out to perform their work at various festivals.”
Street Smart
Ulster Tatler hits Belfast city centre to check out what we’re wearing on the street.
Name:
Iain Neill, Newtownards
Occupation:
Support worker
Where did you get the outfit you’re wearing today?
My jacket (£60) is from Zara and jeans (£30) are from Topman. I picked up my sweater (£10) in M&S, trainers (£60) in Schuh and Beatles t-shirt (£10) on eBay.
How much would you spend on clothes each month?
Between £50 and £60.
Who are the
best and worst
dressed celebrities?
I’m quite a fan of Jarvis Cocker’s retro style. Jodie Marsh is definitely worst!
What are your favourite high street shops and designers?
My favourites are Topman and Cult. Designer-wise, Paul Smith is at the top of my list.
How would you describe your style?
Retro chic, both day and evening. Trainers are my ‘can’t-live-without’ accessory.
What has been
your worst ever
fashion mistake?
A green shell suit!
What has been your
best bargain?
A velvet jacket, which I found in Belfast’s Best Vintage for an amazing £10!
Street Smart
Ulster Tatler hits Belfast city centre to check out what we’re wearing on the street.
Name:
Sara Matchett, Belfast
Occupation:
A-level student, Victoria College
Where did you get
the outfit you’re
wearing today?
I bought my jacket (£25) and skinny jeans (£20) from a|wear and my blouse ($15 in sale) from American Eagle whilst in America. I picked up my shoes (£6) in Primark and my Aldo bag and scarf were both presents.
How much would
you spend on
clothes each month?
Around £50. It depends if I’m going out a lot that month.
Who are the best
and worst dressed
celebrities?
I love Mischa Barton’s bohemian look. Worst? Amy Winehouse is just too much - her style is so messy.
What are your
favourite high street
shops and designers?
On the high street, it would have to be Topshop, Primark or anywhere I can bag a bargain. I would love a pair of Jimmy Choo’s.
How would you describe
your style?
Relaxed although I’m quite girly.
What has been your worst ever fashion mistake?
A pair of huge clumpy Skecher trainers from years ago.
What has been your
best bargain?
A quirky yellow t-shirt I bought when I was in Spain featuring Latin dancers.
The Right Cut
THIS MONTH Andrew Mulvenna explains how to cut it this spring.
Trends always come in waves and like waves you will get some that look ever so promising from afar but as they reach the shore they mysteriously wither into nothing more than a splish at your toes.
Other waves however can be rogue waves, a freakish culmination of two or more small ones that meet from nowhere, join forces and become something greater than the sum of itself– these are the ones that will leave you washed up the beach.
You might be thinking I need a holiday by my analogy and you might be right but fashion and hair can best be described by this. Hair-stylists, make-up artists and fashion designers all push forward with a tidal force of new ideas and concepts that are designed to excite us and satisfy their creative minds; some end up nothing more than a splish - yesterday’s “not such a good idea” yet some trends can arise out of pure accident and end up saturating our very being.
Here are some definite ‘Tsunamis’ I’ve put together for Spring/Summer - they are a result of working [as a salon] on; London Fashion Week, L’Oreal spring/summer collections for men and women, Cosmopolitan and Vogue plus our own salon collections.
Men
Groomed hair with a flick of the sensitive rebel is a great new change - think early John Lennon, Morrissey and James Dean. Keep it tight at the sides, quiffed and messy on top - no more straightening irons and keep it manly. Great for nearly all face shapes except longer ones. It’s like a mini face lift for the over 30’s guys.
Shaggy rock hair is confined to skate boarders and under 18s. It’s still cool but if you are outside the age bracket just give it up along with the combats and flipflops.
The 60’s Presidential cut that has been about for a year or so can look a bit too controlled and up-tight, so be careful that you don’t end up looking 10 years older. George Clooney is the only man to consistently pull this off. Here’s a hint – loosen the tie and your forelock.
The Ron - named after the smooth re-mixer (of Amy Winehouse) Mark Ronson and flavour of the moment. Taper cut the sides and wear the fringe down, then sweep over to achieve that Beatnik cool. It looks great with wrap-around shades.
Top Male Hair Icon - Mark Ronson
Women
Short cuts – This one will grow and grow (pardon the pun) as a trend. Agnes D the über London model is a prime example of how short hair can be sexy and feminine on a woman. She is worth all the attention. There is no excuse not to go shorter.
Very long hair – only on the under 21s. This is gorgeous “Girlie chic” and only looks great on super healthy young hair so a lot of preening is necessary. Think prom queen meets Fame the movie.
Fringes – Kate Moss gave every girl who tried it bad eyesight with her “Kringe” so be careful you don’t trip up. Give the whole cut more layers and wear the fringe shorter. Don’t straighten, wear it sexy and fluffy.
The Kitchen Sink Do – Influenced by the gritty British 50’s films this up-style can be made to look sexy and glam as well as looking urban and edgy. Try giving it a little “bouffing” at the crown then pull back at the sides with a tight and low pony tail. Smokey eyes and nude lip colour finish it off to perfection.
Top Female Hair Icon – Agnes Dean
Andrew Mulvenna
16-18 Montgomery Street, Belfast. Tel: 028 9024 9191
Giving it 100%
deaglan O’Hagan, general manager, edenmore golf & country club
What is your job title?
General Manager
What time does your typical
day begin?
I like to think 9.00 a.m. It just depends on
the business.
Provide a break-down of a
typical working day? How
would you spend the morning, afternoon and evenings? Does this vary greatly?
Generally when I get into work, I walk round each department to ensure cleanliness and to check that all our conference users are happy. I then click on the dreaded ‘send receive’ button to tackle a few emails.
Each day I have advertising work pending; may it be next month’s radio ad, a new flier or Tatler ad. As the day progresses, I’m usually faced with some HR and management issues from the departmental managers. The afternoon and early evenings are usually jam packed with appointments for new business, golf membership or sales people trying to eat into the advertising budget. But once again the day can vary so much.
What are your typical working hours, 9-5 or do they vary daily?
Typical hours would be 9.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m. Monday - Friday then possibly a few late shifts thrown in to keep in touch with the hospitality end of the business.
How to you feel about your ‘job’?
Most of the time I enjoy what I do… I enjoy generating new business, increasing sales, developing new corporate relationships, dreaming up the next successful offer etc. Like any job there are more stressful periods but I feel through good management and a great team around me we can get through anything!
Do you work as part of a team, or mainly on your own?
I work on my own for the majority of the role. There are parts of the job that require team work and organisation precision; for that I have an excellent management team.
How do you prepare for your working day?
More recently I have had to really prioritise my time due to the amount of projects on the go. So the night before, I try to write down a few bullet points that have to be achieved for the following day. If those points are achieved I feel like I’ve covered ground.
Do you work to tight deadlines?
With the speed that Edenmore is growing it is hard to keep all the balls juggling at the one time but with a bit of delegation and extra effort I always deliver on time.
How did you get to where you
are now?
I started my career at Gleneagles in Scotland and I think it gave me a real eye opener as to what is expected in order to be successful. I always give 100% to everything I put my hand to and I feel my time there put me a few years ahead of my peers. I had the good fortune to assist in managing the Belfast based Arena Yorkgate Fitness Club. My time in Arena was quite brief until I met one of the Edenmore directors at a corporate event.
I was persuaded to come down and see Edenmore and well that was it. I was totally taken by the warmth and prosperity of the company and haven’t looked back since.
How do your relax in your
spare time?
By the time this goes to print I will be a happily married man so maybe I’ll answer this question in a few month’s time
Interview with Felicity Jordon
Felicity Jordon
Home and Children’s
Floor Manager
House of Fraser, Belfast
My perfect restaurant...
Any Italian. Villa Italia is a beautiful restaurant but my husband’s braised Italian meatballs are hard to beat.
My perfect cd...
Robbie Williams: Swing When You’re Winning.
My perfect book...
Jane Eyre - The first book to make me cry!
My perfect movie...
Definitely Dirty Dancing. I’ve watched it over and over and never tire of it!
MY PERFECT quotation...
‘If you always do what you’ve always done - you always get what you’ve always got!’
My perfect play...
Billy Elliot in London. It made me laugh and cry at the same time!
MY PERFECT NIGHT OUT...
Drinks with friends followed by a
good boogie!
MY PERFECT celebrity to date...
Strangely, Jack Nicholson. There’s something attractive about his voice.
MY PERFECT item of jewellery...
My six stone ring given to me by a special friend on a special birthday!
MY PERFECT beauty treatment...
I’ve promised myself a Turkish bath on holiday this year. Rumour has it, it really boosts your tan.
MY PERFECT accessory...
My watch. I’m useless without it!
MY PERFECT outfit...
Anything black! It hides a multitude!
MY PERFECT holiday...
I’m planning to travel to Turkey by motorbike in a couple of years’ time with my husband.
MY PERFECT weekend break...
A group of friends and I spent a weekend in Edinburgh - great craic!
MY PERFECT car...
Anything is better than my beat-up Fiesta!
MY PERFECT Shopping Destination...
House of Fraser with its perfect mix of designer labels and own brands - it has something for everyone!
Interview with Wendy McWilliams
Wendy McWilliams
Media Targeting Manager
LyleBailie International
My perfect restaurant...
The Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris, Las Vegas. Total luxury, fantastic views and very romantic.
My perfect cd...
I’m torn between Forever Faithless: The Greatest Hits and Beyoncé’s Dangerously in Love.
My perfect book...
Serial Killers (The Methods and Madness of Monsters). I love this kind of stuff, very creepy but fascinating.
My perfect movie...
The Silence of the Lambs or Red Dragon - yes, my psycho tendencies take
over again!
MY PERFECT quotation...
“What goes around comes around.”
My perfect play...
The Phantom of the Opera. Totally dramatic, quite eerie, very sad...
MY PERFECT NIGHT OUT...
Dancing with my buddies. I still like to go to Lush but I think I’m getting too old for it now, best to stick to the Kremlin – best music in town!
MY PERFECT celebrity to date...
Matthew McConaughey (hey-hey-hey!), Daniel Meade from Ugly Betty or
David Beckham.
MY PERFECT item of jewellery...
My fabulous new engagement ring.
MY PERFECT beauty treatment...
The De-Stress Muscle Release body massage at Aura Day Spa. I feel like a new woman afterwards.
MY PERFECT outfit...
Abercrombie & Fitch track bottoms and hoodie, comfort wins everytime.
MY PERFECT holiday...
I’m actually in the process of booking my honeymoon so at the moment a two centre break to Jamaica and Miami is on the cards.
MY PERFECT weekend break...
Every February I go to Galway with Ballyclare Badminton Club to play in the Junior Cup. It’s always great craic.
MY PERFECT car...
Aston Martin DBS.
MY PERFECT Shopping Destination...
Viva Las Vegas! The Forum Shops and Fashion Show Mall are fantastic.
Interview with Geoff Wilson
Geoff Wilson, Head of Marketing and Communication at the IFA.
My perfect restaurant...
Viscounts, Dungannon, because it has nice surroundings and the steak is fabulous.
My perfect cd...
Anything that’s easy listening like The Eagles. I saw them in concert and they were brilliant.
My perfect book...
Historical books because I love anything from the past.
My perfect movie...
Anything action like Braveheart.
MY PERFECT quotation...
‘Make hay while the sun shines.’
MY PERFECT PLAY...
Cats on Broadway.
MY PERFECT NIGHT OUT...
A night in with my friends with board games because it’s great craic.
MY PERFECT celebrity to date...
Fearne Cotton.
MY PERFECT item of jewellery...
A neck chain.
MY PERFECT ACCESSORY...
A pen and yellow stickies as I’m always writing stuff down.
MY PERFECT outfit...
Jeans and a t-shirt as it’s casual. Because I have to wear a shirt and tie to work everyday, it’s nice to relax.
MY PERFECT beauty treatment...
A massage.
MY PERFECT Holiday...
New York or Florida because they’re both fabulous locations and the weather is good.
MY PERFECT weekend break...
Donegal because there’s this lovely hotel called ‘Holiday’s Point’ and the scenery is beautiful.
MY PERFECT CAR...
An Audi A8.
Put your best foot forward
From cute pumps to sky-high heels, the Ulster Tatler reveals what is hot in footwear this spring.
It is that time of year when the warm boots are to be put back in the wardrobe and the flip flops and pumps are to come out.
This season, stores throughout the province have a range of cute and stylish shoes that will make any shoe lover’s dreams become reality.
From classic kitten heels and funky wedges to cute pumps and fashionable platforms, shoes really are a girl’s best friend.
However, shoes are not just for the women. With a range of footwear from leather to suede, the male of the species can look suave and sophisticated, and get excited about shoes.
When it comes to choosing footwear, it is important to keep in mind that the shoe is a good fit. No matter how much you fall in love with a pair of shoes there is nothing worse than your night being ruined by sore feet. You must ensure the shoes conform to the shape of your feet, otherwise blisters, soreness and callouses could ensue.
If your shoes offer a comfortable fit you will not only look good but you will feel great. Here are some tops tips for finding the right shoe for you.
• Your feet size may vary depending on the shop. Ask the sales assistant to measure the length and width of your feet to ensure a perfect fit.
• Stand whilst your feet are being sized as this will ensure the most accurate foot measurements.
• Have your feet measured at the end of the day as feet have a tendency to swell during the day.
• Remember to try before you buy with shoes. Have a walk around in the shoes whilst in the shop to ensure your toes do not slide about into the toe box or your heel slips out. If this is the case try a different size until you find a pair that offer a good fit and are comfortable.
• A very important point to take note of is that a size in one brand or style may be smaller or larger than the same size in another brand or style. Don’t buy by size alone!
• It is important to select a shoe that conforms as closely as possible to the shape of your foot. If the shoes feel too tight, don’t buy them as they will rub and cause blisters.
By following these tips your feet will thank you for being comfy in even the most fashionable shoes.
For some of the province’s best footwear collections, why not read on as the Ulster Tatler provides the ultimate shoe guide for spring.
Spectacular Strangford and Luminous Lecale
Paul Harron discovers two recently published
books featuring County Down’s natural and historical treasures.
Travel east, travel west … County Down can be as magical and beautiful as anywhere on the planet, and you don’t need to get on a budget airline to go there. Now, thanks to the Ulster Tatler’s own arts contributor, well-known journalist and broadcaster Ian Hill, not just one but two excellent new publications have arrived to help persuade both Ulster residents and visitors alike of this truth.
Well informed
When abroad, it’s always a pleasure to discover a locally written and well informed guidebook of an area beyond the kind of standard tourist offering with its hyperbole and superlative language. These alternative publications usually follow a pattern of a personally guided, enthusiastic tour of significant places – usually going well beyond the main tourist spots – by a person with a real passion for and connection with the place; they are usually liberally sprinkled with idiosyncratic observation and snippets of local myth and legend. The tour guide can’t help themselves from sharing their favourite places and stories with you. They lend a richer experience to the visitor who goes on a journey round the place in question.
Hill knows all about the romance, mystery and heritage of both Strangford Lough and its hinterland and the Lecale area, which takes in Downpatrick, Greyabbey, Killinchy. Ardglass and Strangford Village among other places all close to the story of Ireland’s patron saint, Patrick. The writer is a resident of picturesque Strangford (indeed, he can be seen in one of the photographs enjoying a lazy morning reading the papers overlooking Horseferry Slip in the Strangford book) and his maternal and paternal ancestors hale from the Lecale. His text in both books provides exactly the kind of enthusiastic insight only found in those good local guidebooks usually found elsewhere.
For instance, in the Strangford book, Hill gives us this on the well-know landmark that is Scrabo Tower: ‘Her English coal mines, plus lands inherited from her mother the Countess of Antrim, were amongst bounties brought by Frances Anne Vane-Tempest to her marriage with a Londonderry. She protested but a chaste intimacy with Tsar Alexander of Russia and was a confidante of Prime Minister Disraeli. She funded schools and raised follies, including Scrabo Tower – built in 1858 over what was locally called the house of “the king of the fairies”, with its silver Viking hoard, and designed by Sir Charles Lanyon – to her spouse Frederick, the third Marquess. Their son, named “Young Rapid” for his antics, went mad. Below, downhill, from the ancient earthworks, in the sandstone which yielded the friable Scrabo building stone, were the footprints of reptiles from Triassic times, 200 million years ago, who walked the earth long before the Jurassic dinosaurs.’
Built and natural heritage
As evident from this extract, Strangford: Portrait of an Irish Lough not only reveals the stories and anecdotes connected with the place but is rich in its coverage of both the built and natural environments. The author – a longstanding member of the Historic Buildings and Historic Monuments Councils – is knowledgeable on the historic built environment, so he is a good guide in this regard and includes notable structures such as Mount Stewart, Grey Abbey, Nendrum, Killyleagh Castle, Inch Abbey, Down Cathedral, Castle Ward and perhaps slightly less well appreciated Kilclief Castle and Newtownards’ Dominican Priory; but on the natural environment front it is the co-creator of the book, photographer Alain Le Garsmeur, that we owe special thanks. His photographs of the natural world reproduced here are truly delightful. From seals at Bar Hall Bay to pale-bellied brent geese on the lough to a mass of golden plovers on the sand to an exquisite mass of frost-covered bladder-wrack in winter, the beauty of Strangford’s shoreline, landscape and animal life is fittingly served. Le Garsmeur – a resident of Portaferry who won a World Press Award for his photographs – is clearly both talented and just as passionate about Strangford Lough as his writer colleague.
Outstanding Beauty
The collaboration by the two has brought about a superlative publication. Praise must also be given to the Environment & Heritage Service for its support in realising such an informative and attractive publication on the area (there is a foreword by Environment Minister Arlene Foster MLA which outlines its status as both an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Special Area of Conservation, fitting for the largest Marine Nature Reserve in the UK) and to the publishers, Blackstaff, which has done a nice job on the design and print (and it’s great to have such a good index and bibliography included too). It is, as its back cover strapline – set across a photograph of the lush grounds of Castle Ward with the famous Portaferry boat in the foreground – says, a glorious celebration of one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland.
In Patrick’s footsteps
Lecale: St Patrick’s County Down, meanwhile, is a collaboration between Hill and Minerstown-based artist, storyteller and singer/songwriter James G. Miles, whose colourful paintings in a charming, somewhat naïf style complement the text and bring picturesque places such as Saul church, Struell Wells, Down Cathedral, Ballyduggan Mill and Ardglass’s harbour and castle to life. The book is one of Cottage Publications’ enjoyable series of local books, which have included, for example, South Belfast and East Belfast and Omagh, Cookstown and Fermanagh.
This is a bit of a dander around the Lecale area, in the footsteps of St. Patrick and perhaps a few of Van Morrison’s too, Coney Island getting a special feature spread. The text is jaunty and anecdotal, good on both information on the natural world and wildlife and the people of the area, especially the cultural luminaries over the years who are listed on the spread about Downpatrick’s distinctive Venetian Gothic-style Arts Centre dating from 1882 originally and rebuilt in the 1990s with the patronage of Henry, Lord Dunleath. We learn that painter Colin Middleton lived in Ardglass and that Leslie Montgomery came from the area – that’s Leslie Montgomery who took the pen name Lynne C. Doyle … ‘from the successful cricket club where linseed oils the bats’.
Lecale is a nice and worthy addition to this series of books and it will especially appeal to people from around County Down for whom it would make a welcome gift. Even better than that, though, the quality of information and the lively way it is presented in both word and image (and, again, congratulations to the publishers for including a useful bibliography) means that, as with Strangford, it offers visitors a guidebook to a rich and beautiful part of Ireland that is well worth having and, even better, keeping.
Strangford: Portrait of an Irish Lough is published in association with the Environment and Heritage Service by Blackstaff Press. Available in hardback it is priced at £20, and is available from all major bookshops (ISBN 978-0-85640-805-2) www.blackstaffpress.com
Lecale: St Patrick’s County Down is published by Cottage Publications and is available from all major bookshops (ISBN 978 1900935 58 6)
www.cottage-publications.com.
Thursday 20 March 2008
Rising Star
Mary Johnston chats to coleraine actress jayne wisener, who had a starring role in the recent hollywood blockbuster sweeney todd.
Jayne Wisener’s parents Margaret and John could bottle and sell the formula they used for producing such a delightful daughter, they’d make a fortune. The twenty year old actress from Coleraine, who recently had a starring role in Sweeney Todd, is quite simply a reassuring and shining example of how wonderful young people today can be. Blonde, green-eyed Jayne was plucked almost from obscurity to play the part of Johanna, the ingénue daughter of Johnny Depp’s gruesome character in the Warner Brothers multi-million pound blockbuster movie and it couldn’t have come at a better time for her. A hectic round of press interviews followed four world-wide premieres where young Jayne attracted her fair share of the spotlight. ‘Surreal’ is how the former Coleraine schoolgirl and former Antrim Rose of Tralee, describes what it’s been like. Currently based in London, she’s doing the rounds of auditions there, loving every minute of it and is grounded enough to realise that in her chosen career, rejection is part of the job. “You just have to get on with it and accept that when you don’t land a part, maybe it’s not meant to be. I hope and pray that if it’s for me, it won’t go past me.”
Receiving a standing ovation for her London stage debut in Parade, must go some way towards reassuring her; particularly when acclaimed American actor Kevin Spacey was in the audience, up on his feet and clapping. Jayne had just flown back from Dublin when I caught up with her for Ulster Tatler.
I bet your feet haven’t touched the ground since the movie was released. What’s it been like?
Surreal is the only word to describe it. I can’t believe it at times that all this is happening to me. I was invited to the Irish Film & Television Awards and that too was great fun. I was chatting away to the taxi man on the way to the airport and we were just saying that Irish people from the north and the south really are very level-headed and friendly. But, I have to say that I’ve also found the people here (in London) very nice too.
Where was Sweeney Todd filmed and how long did it take?
It was at Pinewood Studios and lasted from February until May last year.
Describe your first day on the set?
Omigod. It was amazing. I arrived there at ridiculous o’clock and was taken into make-up where they did my hair and put on my face for the period and I loved that, seeing myself change into this other girl. Then came trying on the big dress, so all in all we spent the whole day doing all that. The director, Tim Burton came to my dressing room and said, “You’re gonna be fine Jayne. You’ll be great. Don’t worry if we have to shoot some things several times. It could be for any number of reasons, like sound, light etc; but it won’t be because you’re doing anything wrong, so don’t worry.” He was so gentle and so nice and just called there to reassure me.
I realise you’ve been asked a thousand times already, but what was it like acting with the magnificent Johnny Depp?
I can’t describe it. Again, it was unbelievable. I always was a big fan and here was me actually working with the guy. He has it all. He’s so good looking and he can sing and is the most amazing actor. He was friendly enough but you’re not together that much. I had a couple of days working alongside.
Was he helpful?
In so far as watching him work and observing; that was beneficial. Honestly, the cast were all nice.
You’ve a lot to be thankful to Jenny Cooke, Executive Director and Founder of Musical Theatre 4 Uth. for, haven’t you?
I certainly have and I can’t repeat enough, how useful and beneficial my time with MT4Uth was. It gave me enormous experience and the confidence I needed and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was through Jenny inviting the casting scout for the film over to Ireland, that I got this fantastic opportunity.
Explain what happened.
I was appearing in West Side Story in the Millennium Forum in Londonderry and Jenny invited Jeremy James Taylor over and as a result, I was asked to audition for the part of Johanna.
Is it true that at first they thought that at 19, you might be too old to play a fifteen year old?
Yes, but once they saw the photos of me without any make-up, they were
happy enough.
You also played a thirteen-year-old in your UK stage debut in Parade in London’s West End. What was that?
It’s a musical. It played on Broadway in 1998 but this was done in a different way here by director Rob Ashford. This production was in a more intimate space at the Donmar Warehouse. It went down very well. It was very strong. It was about the trial of Leo Frank accused of rape and I played his thirteen-year-old victim. A lot of people came to see it and one night Kevin Spacey was in the audience and I saw him up on his feet afterwards. Imagine.
Have you any brothers or sisters Jayne? What do they make of your new- found fame?
One brother John who’s 18 and one sister Gillian who’s 17. Parade was their favourite. We’re very close and I love them. They think it’s a bit strange but they take it in their stride.
Were you always interested
in acting?
Yes. When I was at school, D.H. Memorial Primary, I was in all the plays and after, when I was at Coleraine High, I took part in all the musical productions. I was both influenced and helped very much by my great-aunt Heather Wisener. I later studied for my Diploma in Music Theatre with my singing coach Peter Wilson.
How did you enjoy your time at the Royal Scottish Academy?
My first year was brilliant. It was great fun. The facilities were fantastic. They had a whole library full of accent tapes alone and two great studios. I loved it. Loads of good actors came out of it including James McAvoy. I liked the students and the teachers. I enjoyed Glasgow too, but in my second year, I somehow lost confidence. I don’t know why. It was a real crisis for me. I was the youngest student in my year. I wanted to come home. Mum made me watch tapes of myself as a kid, all smiling and happy and I started questioning myself. To tell you the truth, Sweeney Todd was a real blessing for me. It happened at the right time. It allowed me to find myself.
How do you like London?
I love it. It’s great. I was a wee bit intimidated at first and I’d phone home at least twice a day. I’m looking for a flat in the city ‘cos I’m living in the outskirts at the minute. It’s very exciting.
Do you ever feel frightened? There was a lot in the news recently about women being afraid to walk alone on the streets there.
No, not really. I think you have to be sensible and aware. I had my purse stolen already. It was taken from my bag in Starbucks. A guy spilled his coffee and I was worried in case he’d burned himself and while I was checking if he was OK, he was removing my purse!
Have you been recognised in
the streets?
No, not yet, but I was buying myself a ring when I was in Dublin and the girl asked if I was that girl from the movie. I said yes and we both just started laughing. It was weird.
Which designer did you wear to the movie premieres?
I wore Armani to the New York one and a different Armani to the London screening. The NY one was green and a fifties style and the second one was next season’s in lilac, sequinned and very fashionable. Not that I know anything about Armani, but they lent them to me. I’d be more of a Top Shop girl or River Island or Warehouse. I bought my own shoes for the premieres. Mum and I had the best time shopping in Macey’s in New York It was magical. The guy, Douglas was so helpful. I’m hard to find shoes for as I’m only a size 3, but he managed and the prices were great. For the London premiere, I was told to get something sparkly to wear, so I went to Accessorise.
Which actors do you admire?
There are so many…….Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, Emma Thompson, Nicole Kidman, Jake Gyllenhaal and of course Kevin Spacey and loads of others.
Is there a particular role you’d love to play?
Not really. I like to show versatility and I like a challenge. I’m young. I love period dramas. I was raging when Sense & Sensibility ended.
With what’s been in the press about stars and the temptations they’re faced
with, does that concern you?
I’m talking about drugs.
No. I don’t know anybody who takes drugs. They don’t interest me in any way. Life’s so good. It’s full of natural highs as far as I’m concerned.
Finally Jayne, do you have a boyfriend and what would be your ideal night out?
Yes I do. He’s English and he’s called Fergus and he graduates from Drama School this year. He’s lovely. My ideal night out is probably having a nice meal in a restaurant with him or else maybe with friends or family and I love the Ramore Wine Bar in Portrush.
MT4Uth was established by its founder and Executive Director Jenny Cooke to give young people from across Ireland access to the very best quality musical theatre tuition, along with the chance to perform on the stages of various regional theatre venues across the country.
MT4Uth Contact: Tel: 028 93 340871 Mob: 07879 077 800
website: www.mt4uth.com
Jayne Wisener’s parents Margaret and John could bottle and sell the formula they used for producing such a delightful daughter, they’d make a fortune. The twenty year old actress from Coleraine, who recently had a starring role in Sweeney Todd, is quite simply a reassuring and shining example of how wonderful young people today can be. Blonde, green-eyed Jayne was plucked almost from obscurity to play the part of Johanna, the ingénue daughter of Johnny Depp’s gruesome character in the Warner Brothers multi-million pound blockbuster movie and it couldn’t have come at a better time for her. A hectic round of press interviews followed four world-wide premieres where young Jayne attracted her fair share of the spotlight. ‘Surreal’ is how the former Coleraine schoolgirl and former Antrim Rose of Tralee, describes what it’s been like. Currently based in London, she’s doing the rounds of auditions there, loving every minute of it and is grounded enough to realise that in her chosen career, rejection is part of the job. “You just have to get on with it and accept that when you don’t land a part, maybe it’s not meant to be. I hope and pray that if it’s for me, it won’t go past me.”
Receiving a standing ovation for her London stage debut in Parade, must go some way towards reassuring her; particularly when acclaimed American actor Kevin Spacey was in the audience, up on his feet and clapping. Jayne had just flown back from Dublin when I caught up with her for Ulster Tatler.
I bet your feet haven’t touched the ground since the movie was released. What’s it been like?
Surreal is the only word to describe it. I can’t believe it at times that all this is happening to me. I was invited to the Irish Film & Television Awards and that too was great fun. I was chatting away to the taxi man on the way to the airport and we were just saying that Irish people from the north and the south really are very level-headed and friendly. But, I have to say that I’ve also found the people here (in London) very nice too.
Where was Sweeney Todd filmed and how long did it take?
It was at Pinewood Studios and lasted from February until May last year.
Describe your first day on the set?
Omigod. It was amazing. I arrived there at ridiculous o’clock and was taken into make-up where they did my hair and put on my face for the period and I loved that, seeing myself change into this other girl. Then came trying on the big dress, so all in all we spent the whole day doing all that. The director, Tim Burton came to my dressing room and said, “You’re gonna be fine Jayne. You’ll be great. Don’t worry if we have to shoot some things several times. It could be for any number of reasons, like sound, light etc; but it won’t be because you’re doing anything wrong, so don’t worry.” He was so gentle and so nice and just called there to reassure me.
I realise you’ve been asked a thousand times already, but what was it like acting with the magnificent Johnny Depp?
I can’t describe it. Again, it was unbelievable. I always was a big fan and here was me actually working with the guy. He has it all. He’s so good looking and he can sing and is the most amazing actor. He was friendly enough but you’re not together that much. I had a couple of days working alongside.
Was he helpful?
In so far as watching him work and observing; that was beneficial. Honestly, the cast were all nice.
You’ve a lot to be thankful to Jenny Cooke, Executive Director and Founder of Musical Theatre 4 Uth. for, haven’t you?
I certainly have and I can’t repeat enough, how useful and beneficial my time with MT4Uth was. It gave me enormous experience and the confidence I needed and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was through Jenny inviting the casting scout for the film over to Ireland, that I got this fantastic opportunity.
Explain what happened.
I was appearing in West Side Story in the Millennium Forum in Londonderry and Jenny invited Jeremy James Taylor over and as a result, I was asked to audition for the part of Johanna.
Is it true that at first they thought that at 19, you might be too old to play a fifteen year old?
Yes, but once they saw the photos of me without any make-up, they were
happy enough.
You also played a thirteen-year-old in your UK stage debut in Parade in London’s West End. What was that?
It’s a musical. It played on Broadway in 1998 but this was done in a different way here by director Rob Ashford. This production was in a more intimate space at the Donmar Warehouse. It went down very well. It was very strong. It was about the trial of Leo Frank accused of rape and I played his thirteen-year-old victim. A lot of people came to see it and one night Kevin Spacey was in the audience and I saw him up on his feet afterwards. Imagine.
Have you any brothers or sisters Jayne? What do they make of your new- found fame?
One brother John who’s 18 and one sister Gillian who’s 17. Parade was their favourite. We’re very close and I love them. They think it’s a bit strange but they take it in their stride.
Were you always interested
in acting?
Yes. When I was at school, D.H. Memorial Primary, I was in all the plays and after, when I was at Coleraine High, I took part in all the musical productions. I was both influenced and helped very much by my great-aunt Heather Wisener. I later studied for my Diploma in Music Theatre with my singing coach Peter Wilson.
How did you enjoy your time at the Royal Scottish Academy?
My first year was brilliant. It was great fun. The facilities were fantastic. They had a whole library full of accent tapes alone and two great studios. I loved it. Loads of good actors came out of it including James McAvoy. I liked the students and the teachers. I enjoyed Glasgow too, but in my second year, I somehow lost confidence. I don’t know why. It was a real crisis for me. I was the youngest student in my year. I wanted to come home. Mum made me watch tapes of myself as a kid, all smiling and happy and I started questioning myself. To tell you the truth, Sweeney Todd was a real blessing for me. It happened at the right time. It allowed me to find myself.
How do you like London?
I love it. It’s great. I was a wee bit intimidated at first and I’d phone home at least twice a day. I’m looking for a flat in the city ‘cos I’m living in the outskirts at the minute. It’s very exciting.
Do you ever feel frightened? There was a lot in the news recently about women being afraid to walk alone on the streets there.
No, not really. I think you have to be sensible and aware. I had my purse stolen already. It was taken from my bag in Starbucks. A guy spilled his coffee and I was worried in case he’d burned himself and while I was checking if he was OK, he was removing my purse!
Have you been recognised in
the streets?
No, not yet, but I was buying myself a ring when I was in Dublin and the girl asked if I was that girl from the movie. I said yes and we both just started laughing. It was weird.
Which designer did you wear to the movie premieres?
I wore Armani to the New York one and a different Armani to the London screening. The NY one was green and a fifties style and the second one was next season’s in lilac, sequinned and very fashionable. Not that I know anything about Armani, but they lent them to me. I’d be more of a Top Shop girl or River Island or Warehouse. I bought my own shoes for the premieres. Mum and I had the best time shopping in Macey’s in New York It was magical. The guy, Douglas was so helpful. I’m hard to find shoes for as I’m only a size 3, but he managed and the prices were great. For the London premiere, I was told to get something sparkly to wear, so I went to Accessorise.
Which actors do you admire?
There are so many…….Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, Emma Thompson, Nicole Kidman, Jake Gyllenhaal and of course Kevin Spacey and loads of others.
Is there a particular role you’d love to play?
Not really. I like to show versatility and I like a challenge. I’m young. I love period dramas. I was raging when Sense & Sensibility ended.
With what’s been in the press about stars and the temptations they’re faced
with, does that concern you?
I’m talking about drugs.
No. I don’t know anybody who takes drugs. They don’t interest me in any way. Life’s so good. It’s full of natural highs as far as I’m concerned.
Finally Jayne, do you have a boyfriend and what would be your ideal night out?
Yes I do. He’s English and he’s called Fergus and he graduates from Drama School this year. He’s lovely. My ideal night out is probably having a nice meal in a restaurant with him or else maybe with friends or family and I love the Ramore Wine Bar in Portrush.
MT4Uth was established by its founder and Executive Director Jenny Cooke to give young people from across Ireland access to the very best quality musical theatre tuition, along with the chance to perform on the stages of various regional theatre venues across the country.
MT4Uth Contact: Tel: 028 93 340871 Mob: 07879 077 800
website: www.mt4uth.com
Wednesday 19 March 2008
This time it’s for you
Ulster Tatler in association with Carolans Irish Cream focuses on our local ‘Yummy Mummies’ who bring pure style to the art of balancing family life and career! This month we chat to karen marshall and rachael harriott.
Karen Marshall is Manager of Bangor’s Flagship Centre on Main Street. Karen, who is 37, lives in Newtownabbey and is married to Stuart. They have two beautiful children, Claudia (aged 8) and Jack (aged 4).
How do you feel about being chosen as Carolans Yummy Mummy of the month?
I was thrilled at being chosen for this, it’s a little bit embarrassing but you can’t help but feel a tiny bit chuffed too. My husband and brother found it quite amusing.
Describe a typical day at the office -
if that’s possible!
Every day at the Flagship is different, which is why I enjoy my work so much. It usually starts off with a ‘to do’ list, and by the time lunchtime comes the list is pushed aside because there are always so many different people and issues to deal with. The days’ activities can include marketing and promotional activities, personnel issues, cleaning, security and maintenance issues, organising events and on-mall activities and also a lot of administrative work. We aim to please so it is vital that the centre and car park are presented to the highest standards at all times.
As a Yummy Mummy, what’s your daily
routine at home?
It is more like daily chaos! The routine starts the night before with getting uniforms ready, making packed lunches, sorting out what is needed for any after-school and homework club activities and then packing a bag with a change of clothes for when they get home from school. Getting the kids out of bed is getting to be a daily struggle as they love their sleep. I am very lucky that my mother and mother-in-law both help out with the childcare, so depending on what day it is I either drop them off to my mum or my mother-in-law comes to our house to collect them.
Balancing your career with family life must sometimes be quite a challenge! Any tips on the art of multi-tasking?
For me getting the balance right is all about pre-planning, making lists, setting reminders on my phone and computer calendars (and synchronizing them daily!) and getting as much help as possible from family or friends. Another important thing is to make time for yourself, which I do once a week on a Tuesday night with the girls.
Do you have a well-favoured beauty routine you’d like to share with other mums?
I used to sell cosmetics as a hobby and that was when I got into a cleanse-tone-moisturise routine, but I have to say that my real secret to staying young (apart from good genes – thanks gran!) is a good night’s sleep – eight hours if I can manage it.
Dining out! What’s your favourite restaurant?
This varies between Barnaby’s in Ballyrobert for a nice family meal and for a special occasion it would be either Cayenne or Aldens – delicious!
Describe your fashion style. Where do you like to shop?
I normally wear suits to work so when I am not at work I like to dress down in nice comfy jeans and a casual top. My style is very much high street fashion, which I am surrounded by daily in the shopping centre, but my favourite shops at present are Jane Norman and Principles.
How would you spend a yummy weekend?
This may sound strange but for me it is all about staying well away from shops (after having spent all week in a shopping centre) and having a family night every weekend where we all do something together like minigolf or ten-pin bowling and then have a nice meal. I also love to try out some of my favourite cooking recipes from one of my many cookery books.
How do you like to spend your time with the girls?
Myself and a few girlfriends have what we call the ‘Tuesday Club’ so every Tuesday night is our time. We usually go to see a good movie, or out for a bite to eat and a few drinks and a good catch up.
Taking time out, how would you spend a yummy ‘me-time’ session?
Towards the end of last summer myself and my girlfriends took a few golf lessons so I hope to spend some time golfing this year if I can squeeze it in.
Finally, as a yummy mummy, where’s planned for holidays this year?
This year we will be spending 2 weeks in Lanzarote in August. I am also hoping to squeeze in a girlie trip to France.
Rachael Harriott from Belfast has been with partner Craig Bishop for eight years. They have been married for 2 years. Rachael is Account Director at Juice Consumer PR and mum to Jake (5) and Evvie (6 months).
How do you feel about being chosen as Carolans Yummy Mummy of the month?
Extremely flattered. I remember reading about the other yummy mummys in Ulster Tatler and thinking how amazing they all were – I never imagined that anybody would consider me to be like them and it’s lovely.
Describe a typical day at the office -
if that’s possible!
I have just returned to work after maternity leave, I had my daughter Evvie in August, and I have also started a new job as Account Director with Juice Consumer PR, which is a division of MX Brandcom. It’s been very busy and as you can imagine I am also going through a settling in period - meeting clients, planning campaigns, training staff and getting to grips with new systems.
As a Yummy Mummy, what’s your daily routine at home?
It’s really manic in our house weekday mornings. My husband Craig gets off to work around 5 a.m. I am up around 6.30 a.m. and have a few minutes to myself to catch up on the morning news with a bowl of porridge, then I have to try and get Jake out of bed – he loves his bed and it’s hard to get him out of it. Once Jake is eating breakfast it’s time to wake Evvie, we have been blessed with a baby that sleeps! Then everyone is washed and ready and then packed into the car. Evvie is dropped at nursery and Jake at school and then last but not least I get myself to work
Balancing your career with family life must sometimes be quite a challenge! Any tips on the art of multi-tasking?
That’s a good question! Perhaps the best thing is to think calm thoughts and don’t try to do everything at once– break it down into manageable pieces and don’t panic, it all works itself out.
Do you have a well-favoured beauty routine you’d like to share with other mums?
I found that each pregnancy brought its own set of skin problems and the way I look after my skin has had to change each time. My skin became really bad while I was pregnant with Evvie it seemed like everything I used irritated it and still does. At the moment it’s just very basic cleanse and moisturise.
Dining out! What’s your favourite restaurant?
That’s a hard one… if it’s just myself and Craig we love to go to Clenaghans on the old Soldiertown Road, Moira – cosy wee pub with a gorgeous restaurant attached. Steeped in history and you learn a lot about Sir John Lavery.
How would you spend a yummy weekend?
I just had a yummy weekend. It was just the four of us. Bowling, dinner and cinema – yes, we took Evvie to the cinema and she slept while Jake cried because he thought the hero of the film had been killed – it was a PG so he wasn’t and he sailed into the sunset.
Describe your fashion style. Where do you like to shop?
To be honest my style mantra is wear what suits your body, your colouring and, most importantly, wear what makes you feel good. I tend to shop at all the most popular high street stores including Oasis, Warehouse and Topshop.
How do you like to spend your time with the girls?
Just getting time to spend time with the girls is great – it would be mainly catching up, so a lot of talking and if it’s not talking it’s eating or drinking… a bit of wine.
Taking time out, how would you spend a yummy ‘me-time’ session?
Being the centre of some fantastic pampering attention, which takes all day – things like massages, facials, hair and nail treatments – pure indulgence.
Finally, as a yummy mummy, where’s planned for holidays this year?
My grandfather lives in Brighton and he has not seen the kids yet so we might visit there first and then perhaps hire out a cottage near the Cotswolds and spend a lot of time doing things as a family.
Karen Marshall is Manager of Bangor’s Flagship Centre on Main Street. Karen, who is 37, lives in Newtownabbey and is married to Stuart. They have two beautiful children, Claudia (aged 8) and Jack (aged 4).
How do you feel about being chosen as Carolans Yummy Mummy of the month?
I was thrilled at being chosen for this, it’s a little bit embarrassing but you can’t help but feel a tiny bit chuffed too. My husband and brother found it quite amusing.
Describe a typical day at the office -
if that’s possible!
Every day at the Flagship is different, which is why I enjoy my work so much. It usually starts off with a ‘to do’ list, and by the time lunchtime comes the list is pushed aside because there are always so many different people and issues to deal with. The days’ activities can include marketing and promotional activities, personnel issues, cleaning, security and maintenance issues, organising events and on-mall activities and also a lot of administrative work. We aim to please so it is vital that the centre and car park are presented to the highest standards at all times.
As a Yummy Mummy, what’s your daily
routine at home?
It is more like daily chaos! The routine starts the night before with getting uniforms ready, making packed lunches, sorting out what is needed for any after-school and homework club activities and then packing a bag with a change of clothes for when they get home from school. Getting the kids out of bed is getting to be a daily struggle as they love their sleep. I am very lucky that my mother and mother-in-law both help out with the childcare, so depending on what day it is I either drop them off to my mum or my mother-in-law comes to our house to collect them.
Balancing your career with family life must sometimes be quite a challenge! Any tips on the art of multi-tasking?
For me getting the balance right is all about pre-planning, making lists, setting reminders on my phone and computer calendars (and synchronizing them daily!) and getting as much help as possible from family or friends. Another important thing is to make time for yourself, which I do once a week on a Tuesday night with the girls.
Do you have a well-favoured beauty routine you’d like to share with other mums?
I used to sell cosmetics as a hobby and that was when I got into a cleanse-tone-moisturise routine, but I have to say that my real secret to staying young (apart from good genes – thanks gran!) is a good night’s sleep – eight hours if I can manage it.
Dining out! What’s your favourite restaurant?
This varies between Barnaby’s in Ballyrobert for a nice family meal and for a special occasion it would be either Cayenne or Aldens – delicious!
Describe your fashion style. Where do you like to shop?
I normally wear suits to work so when I am not at work I like to dress down in nice comfy jeans and a casual top. My style is very much high street fashion, which I am surrounded by daily in the shopping centre, but my favourite shops at present are Jane Norman and Principles.
How would you spend a yummy weekend?
This may sound strange but for me it is all about staying well away from shops (after having spent all week in a shopping centre) and having a family night every weekend where we all do something together like minigolf or ten-pin bowling and then have a nice meal. I also love to try out some of my favourite cooking recipes from one of my many cookery books.
How do you like to spend your time with the girls?
Myself and a few girlfriends have what we call the ‘Tuesday Club’ so every Tuesday night is our time. We usually go to see a good movie, or out for a bite to eat and a few drinks and a good catch up.
Taking time out, how would you spend a yummy ‘me-time’ session?
Towards the end of last summer myself and my girlfriends took a few golf lessons so I hope to spend some time golfing this year if I can squeeze it in.
Finally, as a yummy mummy, where’s planned for holidays this year?
This year we will be spending 2 weeks in Lanzarote in August. I am also hoping to squeeze in a girlie trip to France.
Rachael Harriott from Belfast has been with partner Craig Bishop for eight years. They have been married for 2 years. Rachael is Account Director at Juice Consumer PR and mum to Jake (5) and Evvie (6 months).
How do you feel about being chosen as Carolans Yummy Mummy of the month?
Extremely flattered. I remember reading about the other yummy mummys in Ulster Tatler and thinking how amazing they all were – I never imagined that anybody would consider me to be like them and it’s lovely.
Describe a typical day at the office -
if that’s possible!
I have just returned to work after maternity leave, I had my daughter Evvie in August, and I have also started a new job as Account Director with Juice Consumer PR, which is a division of MX Brandcom. It’s been very busy and as you can imagine I am also going through a settling in period - meeting clients, planning campaigns, training staff and getting to grips with new systems.
As a Yummy Mummy, what’s your daily routine at home?
It’s really manic in our house weekday mornings. My husband Craig gets off to work around 5 a.m. I am up around 6.30 a.m. and have a few minutes to myself to catch up on the morning news with a bowl of porridge, then I have to try and get Jake out of bed – he loves his bed and it’s hard to get him out of it. Once Jake is eating breakfast it’s time to wake Evvie, we have been blessed with a baby that sleeps! Then everyone is washed and ready and then packed into the car. Evvie is dropped at nursery and Jake at school and then last but not least I get myself to work
Balancing your career with family life must sometimes be quite a challenge! Any tips on the art of multi-tasking?
That’s a good question! Perhaps the best thing is to think calm thoughts and don’t try to do everything at once– break it down into manageable pieces and don’t panic, it all works itself out.
Do you have a well-favoured beauty routine you’d like to share with other mums?
I found that each pregnancy brought its own set of skin problems and the way I look after my skin has had to change each time. My skin became really bad while I was pregnant with Evvie it seemed like everything I used irritated it and still does. At the moment it’s just very basic cleanse and moisturise.
Dining out! What’s your favourite restaurant?
That’s a hard one… if it’s just myself and Craig we love to go to Clenaghans on the old Soldiertown Road, Moira – cosy wee pub with a gorgeous restaurant attached. Steeped in history and you learn a lot about Sir John Lavery.
How would you spend a yummy weekend?
I just had a yummy weekend. It was just the four of us. Bowling, dinner and cinema – yes, we took Evvie to the cinema and she slept while Jake cried because he thought the hero of the film had been killed – it was a PG so he wasn’t and he sailed into the sunset.
Describe your fashion style. Where do you like to shop?
To be honest my style mantra is wear what suits your body, your colouring and, most importantly, wear what makes you feel good. I tend to shop at all the most popular high street stores including Oasis, Warehouse and Topshop.
How do you like to spend your time with the girls?
Just getting time to spend time with the girls is great – it would be mainly catching up, so a lot of talking and if it’s not talking it’s eating or drinking… a bit of wine.
Taking time out, how would you spend a yummy ‘me-time’ session?
Being the centre of some fantastic pampering attention, which takes all day – things like massages, facials, hair and nail treatments – pure indulgence.
Finally, as a yummy mummy, where’s planned for holidays this year?
My grandfather lives in Brighton and he has not seen the kids yet so we might visit there first and then perhaps hire out a cottage near the Cotswolds and spend a lot of time doing things as a family.
circus circus
Emma-Louise Johnston takes up the challenge of being bridesmaid and gets back into tie-dye.
Oooh I am seriously excited about Cirque du Soleil coming to Belfast this month. Founded in Quebec almost 25 years ago, the Cirque du Soleil, French for the “Circus of the Sun,” is a travelling circus that mixes circus arts, street theatre and features amazing special effects, music and spectacular costumes while incorporating metaphors, social and political themes, acrobatics and aquatic! Phewww-that’s all a mouthful! Whilst I always had this vision of seeing them in the glamorous setting of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, I reckon the Odyssey in Belfast will do rightly.
I spent a really pleasant evening in the new restaurant 27, Talbot Street. Friends recently got engaged, so we took them there for dinner. I’ve even been asked to be bridesmaid and the dresses, much to my delight are gorgeous. How often do you see bridesmaids looking really uncomfortable in some disgusting colour that happens to match the flowers the bride’s mother wanted! I should count myself lucky that my friend’s not asking us to sign a prenup. A recent survey shows that brides-to-be are becoming much more businesslike about picking their wedding day companions-more than one in five women planning their wedding would ask their bridesmaid to sign a written pre-nuptial agreement. Get pregnant, put on weight or even change your hairdo and you could be sacked!
I suppose I’m actually not a bridesmaid. I’m a matron of honour - blurghhh! I always get visions of the big matron from Carry On films when I hear the term ‘Matron of Honour’. Although, my friend Debbie (the bride) says we’re neither bridesmaids nor matrons of honour-we are actually bride-slaves! Long live the ‘Brivas’ (Bride/Divas)!
I read a scathing attack on Botox recently in one of the broadsheets. Describing it as, “the kind of procedure which carries no benefit and would never attract the most rigorous medics.” I beg to differ, in fact the latter, is absolute nonsense. Some of you may know that I had several beauty treatments in the run up to my wedding. Well, is there ever a better time? These included Botox with the brilliant, Ashok Songra at Cosmetech in Holywood. Ashok is one of Northern Ireland’s leading surgeons, specialising in facial aesthetic treatments. He’s also a consultant in head and neck reconstructive surgery and facial plastic surgery at the Regional Plastic and Maxillofacial Unit, Ulster Hospital.
He’s a pioneer in establishing training standards and injection techniques for aesthetic companies and he is ‘calm’ personified and the letters after his name read like the alphabet! It was relatively painless and the result was extremely natural looking and will reduce deep-seated lines from forming. So there!
It’s official - ‘It’ handbags are so out now that only those who feel the real need to try to impress, spend silly money on an ‘It’ bag. Phew! Thank heavens I didn't send away for that must-have £13,000 Burberry number (seriously £13,000 for the Burberry Warrior-made from, wait for it, Alligator skin!) The most I’ve ever spent on a bag is £250! 4 figures is ludicrous and 5 figures - potential owners should be certified!
I first wore Burberry when I was about 4 years old and starting Prep. Probably like many of you, I had a little Burberry coat for school. Well actually mine wasn’t so little-my mum wanted to see if she could get me one to do me until P.4 so mine dragged along in the puddles!
Apparently tie-dye’s back. Not only do I remember spending Saturday afternoons in Fresh Garbage, searching through the rails with painstaking precision for just the right tie-dye hippy top but I also did a tie-dye Batik piece for my GCSE art. Whilst clearing out cupboards last week I just couldn’t bring myself to throw it out. Thank goodness - my ‘work’ could now be worth something….if I can handle lobbing off one of my ears I could strike gold!
Chic boutique, Atelier, hosted its fantastic spring fashion show in Queen’s Arcade – it’s tipped for the top this year by fashion journalists across Ireland. Boasting such labels as the multi award winning, Gorgeous Couture (much coveted by loads of celebrities) there’s also Goldie and Ducie – two designers recently featured in Vogue, and as seen in the new West Coast Cooler Belfast Fashion Week campaign. Also, Millau, Pink Soda Boutique and the ultimate denim brand – Paige Premium Denim. Another exciting exclusive in Atelier is the full spring/summer collection of Minette Shoes.
As a real ‘foody’ I await with anticipation the opening of ‘Made in Belfast’ this month. The brainchild of Emma Bricknell who is an interior designer and her brother, who’s a chef. I hear it’s very SoHo House with a mix of contemporary and classic furniture and a menu which uses the best of local produce including organic vegetables grown within a low carbon mileage from the city.
Lastly, I just want to say Good Luck and Bon Voyage to Debby and Gerry Armstrong who head off to start a new life abroad this month. Their leaving bash is in Bourbon where Linda Coulter will doubtless lay on one fantastic spread.
Oooh I am seriously excited about Cirque du Soleil coming to Belfast this month. Founded in Quebec almost 25 years ago, the Cirque du Soleil, French for the “Circus of the Sun,” is a travelling circus that mixes circus arts, street theatre and features amazing special effects, music and spectacular costumes while incorporating metaphors, social and political themes, acrobatics and aquatic! Phewww-that’s all a mouthful! Whilst I always had this vision of seeing them in the glamorous setting of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, I reckon the Odyssey in Belfast will do rightly.
I spent a really pleasant evening in the new restaurant 27, Talbot Street. Friends recently got engaged, so we took them there for dinner. I’ve even been asked to be bridesmaid and the dresses, much to my delight are gorgeous. How often do you see bridesmaids looking really uncomfortable in some disgusting colour that happens to match the flowers the bride’s mother wanted! I should count myself lucky that my friend’s not asking us to sign a prenup. A recent survey shows that brides-to-be are becoming much more businesslike about picking their wedding day companions-more than one in five women planning their wedding would ask their bridesmaid to sign a written pre-nuptial agreement. Get pregnant, put on weight or even change your hairdo and you could be sacked!
I suppose I’m actually not a bridesmaid. I’m a matron of honour - blurghhh! I always get visions of the big matron from Carry On films when I hear the term ‘Matron of Honour’. Although, my friend Debbie (the bride) says we’re neither bridesmaids nor matrons of honour-we are actually bride-slaves! Long live the ‘Brivas’ (Bride/Divas)!
I read a scathing attack on Botox recently in one of the broadsheets. Describing it as, “the kind of procedure which carries no benefit and would never attract the most rigorous medics.” I beg to differ, in fact the latter, is absolute nonsense. Some of you may know that I had several beauty treatments in the run up to my wedding. Well, is there ever a better time? These included Botox with the brilliant, Ashok Songra at Cosmetech in Holywood. Ashok is one of Northern Ireland’s leading surgeons, specialising in facial aesthetic treatments. He’s also a consultant in head and neck reconstructive surgery and facial plastic surgery at the Regional Plastic and Maxillofacial Unit, Ulster Hospital.
He’s a pioneer in establishing training standards and injection techniques for aesthetic companies and he is ‘calm’ personified and the letters after his name read like the alphabet! It was relatively painless and the result was extremely natural looking and will reduce deep-seated lines from forming. So there!
It’s official - ‘It’ handbags are so out now that only those who feel the real need to try to impress, spend silly money on an ‘It’ bag. Phew! Thank heavens I didn't send away for that must-have £13,000 Burberry number (seriously £13,000 for the Burberry Warrior-made from, wait for it, Alligator skin!) The most I’ve ever spent on a bag is £250! 4 figures is ludicrous and 5 figures - potential owners should be certified!
I first wore Burberry when I was about 4 years old and starting Prep. Probably like many of you, I had a little Burberry coat for school. Well actually mine wasn’t so little-my mum wanted to see if she could get me one to do me until P.4 so mine dragged along in the puddles!
Apparently tie-dye’s back. Not only do I remember spending Saturday afternoons in Fresh Garbage, searching through the rails with painstaking precision for just the right tie-dye hippy top but I also did a tie-dye Batik piece for my GCSE art. Whilst clearing out cupboards last week I just couldn’t bring myself to throw it out. Thank goodness - my ‘work’ could now be worth something….if I can handle lobbing off one of my ears I could strike gold!
Chic boutique, Atelier, hosted its fantastic spring fashion show in Queen’s Arcade – it’s tipped for the top this year by fashion journalists across Ireland. Boasting such labels as the multi award winning, Gorgeous Couture (much coveted by loads of celebrities) there’s also Goldie and Ducie – two designers recently featured in Vogue, and as seen in the new West Coast Cooler Belfast Fashion Week campaign. Also, Millau, Pink Soda Boutique and the ultimate denim brand – Paige Premium Denim. Another exciting exclusive in Atelier is the full spring/summer collection of Minette Shoes.
As a real ‘foody’ I await with anticipation the opening of ‘Made in Belfast’ this month. The brainchild of Emma Bricknell who is an interior designer and her brother, who’s a chef. I hear it’s very SoHo House with a mix of contemporary and classic furniture and a menu which uses the best of local produce including organic vegetables grown within a low carbon mileage from the city.
Lastly, I just want to say Good Luck and Bon Voyage to Debby and Gerry Armstrong who head off to start a new life abroad this month. Their leaving bash is in Bourbon where Linda Coulter will doubtless lay on one fantastic spread.
Monday 3 March 2008
The shape of things to come
Andrew Mulvenna explains the importance of where we get our hair cut, the service we receive and the price.
Hair is first and foremost what this article is all about but I’d like to go on a wee bit of a tangent for a change. I would like to dip into the world of the interior; that is the space in which our much valued locks are snipped and shaped.
I’d like to touch on a great professional change that we are all witnessing across our land -from the rural salons to city ones. I’d also like to throw open for discussion the level of friendliness and service we expect to get and indeed are given and dare I say it, oh to heck with it I will, pricing.
In the next few months I will be moving my salon around the corner to a fantastic new site, so it has given me an opportunity to reassess a lot of things that are going on in the industry. All this relates directly to you because we, as hairdressers and business owners, must keep one step ahead of the rest to ensure our very survival.
You only have to look upon any commercial street and you’ll no doubt see “a shop here one minute then gone the next”. It’s a scary thing and as anyone who owns their own business knows, a tragedy for all the effort, passion and not to mention money put in. Then again, when we are in an establishment and are given bad service or poor professionalism or both, we wonder how some have survived at all.
Let me just say, a visit to the salon should be much, much more than just a hurried, confusing and sometimes disappointing experience. It should be friendly yet professional, relaxing and comforting, stimulating and believe it or not, educational. Times have changed within the industry and salons across the UK and beyond realise they must also give the same training in customer service as any department store or restaurant. There is no excuse for rudeness or snootiness in any salon or business and I think we, the Northern Irish, are pretty reluctant to complain but it is changing.
Excellent customer service requires training and this is on top of the fundamental and creative training needed to be given to each person. Any salon that doesn’t take this seriously will not survive, not in the long term that’s for sure.
Salons now also understand that time is the most valuable thing and we cannot waste it. It doesn’t matter if you are in the country or in the city it is all the same, we need more of it! Many salons are picking up on this and are incorporating other services such as; beauty, male grooming, spa, café area and so on. Earlier opening times and later finishing times are beginning to be offered to accommodate our busy lives. “Xpress services” (fast tracking at an extra cost) are definitely beginning to catch on too. As a result staffing and training in any salon is now where the cost is mostly (and unfortunately) transferred on to you, next to location, services and then fit-out. Can I say fitting out any salon today will cost the earth, especially as we all are now used to a much higher standard of design, just look at any restaurant, bar, supermarket or clothes shop? This is what we now demand and rightly so!
Once again, all of this boils down to you the customer and what it is you really want, or are prepared to pay for and as my granny used to say in her Ulster Scots accent, “tis’all hurses for ceurses” or is that the other way around but you get my drift. Like most things in life you do get what you pay for but also there can be good and bad exceptions so always keep your eyes open.
16-18 Montgomery Street, Belfast. Tel: 028 9024 9191
Hair is first and foremost what this article is all about but I’d like to go on a wee bit of a tangent for a change. I would like to dip into the world of the interior; that is the space in which our much valued locks are snipped and shaped.
I’d like to touch on a great professional change that we are all witnessing across our land -from the rural salons to city ones. I’d also like to throw open for discussion the level of friendliness and service we expect to get and indeed are given and dare I say it, oh to heck with it I will, pricing.
In the next few months I will be moving my salon around the corner to a fantastic new site, so it has given me an opportunity to reassess a lot of things that are going on in the industry. All this relates directly to you because we, as hairdressers and business owners, must keep one step ahead of the rest to ensure our very survival.
You only have to look upon any commercial street and you’ll no doubt see “a shop here one minute then gone the next”. It’s a scary thing and as anyone who owns their own business knows, a tragedy for all the effort, passion and not to mention money put in. Then again, when we are in an establishment and are given bad service or poor professionalism or both, we wonder how some have survived at all.
Let me just say, a visit to the salon should be much, much more than just a hurried, confusing and sometimes disappointing experience. It should be friendly yet professional, relaxing and comforting, stimulating and believe it or not, educational. Times have changed within the industry and salons across the UK and beyond realise they must also give the same training in customer service as any department store or restaurant. There is no excuse for rudeness or snootiness in any salon or business and I think we, the Northern Irish, are pretty reluctant to complain but it is changing.
Excellent customer service requires training and this is on top of the fundamental and creative training needed to be given to each person. Any salon that doesn’t take this seriously will not survive, not in the long term that’s for sure.
Salons now also understand that time is the most valuable thing and we cannot waste it. It doesn’t matter if you are in the country or in the city it is all the same, we need more of it! Many salons are picking up on this and are incorporating other services such as; beauty, male grooming, spa, café area and so on. Earlier opening times and later finishing times are beginning to be offered to accommodate our busy lives. “Xpress services” (fast tracking at an extra cost) are definitely beginning to catch on too. As a result staffing and training in any salon is now where the cost is mostly (and unfortunately) transferred on to you, next to location, services and then fit-out. Can I say fitting out any salon today will cost the earth, especially as we all are now used to a much higher standard of design, just look at any restaurant, bar, supermarket or clothes shop? This is what we now demand and rightly so!
Once again, all of this boils down to you the customer and what it is you really want, or are prepared to pay for and as my granny used to say in her Ulster Scots accent, “tis’all hurses for ceurses” or is that the other way around but you get my drift. Like most things in life you do get what you pay for but also there can be good and bad exceptions so always keep your eyes open.
16-18 Montgomery Street, Belfast. Tel: 028 9024 9191
The Mill at Pale
POEM By Chris Agee
His industrial stuff was prodigious, from Hungary and Serbia,
Italy, Germany and Switzerland, though not a lick in sight
of the Anglo-Saxon: chutes, vacuums, pumps,
filters, crushers, grinders, sorters, sifters, baggers.
It ranged from concrete pharaonic storerooms
to silken micron-meshes, like pinhead souls, within
immense wooden Swiss sieve-machines
that one push-of-the-hand could rock
buoyant as a cradle or boat suspended on itself
by its sidebar stabilizers, for which (he said)
only bamboo would do. The premises had been renovated
and downstairs was like a fairytale prison
of low arches and stuccoed vaults. Everything was heavy,
big, organized, dynamic, post-communist – a monster network
spanning three floors and onto the bays outside where
the trucks arrived with their orient wheat. Then the kitchens:
tiles, ovens, tray-racks, bread-moulds, woodpiles
for the stone-baked doughs. In total, forty employees;
but it was all for little or naught since no one now
wanted his bread in Sarajevo, and no one in Bosnia
thought of flour, or basic production, in a land
overrun by imports. Next door was his orchard
of new apple trees, their bright red fruit scarred
by worm-marks of no pesticides. The house itself was pure
wood beauty, with a wrap-around veranda and a stream behindgurgling pristine from the pine-clad hills. At the crossroads nearby, one of Tito’s ruined guesthouses, all turrets and follies, seemed an Austrian fantasia set down in the Balkans: each arched window a different size;
each framing arch, a window’s self-conscious perspectives.
Pale: a village near Sarajevo, where Radovan Karadzic had his headquarters during the Bosnian War.
His industrial stuff was prodigious, from Hungary and Serbia,
Italy, Germany and Switzerland, though not a lick in sight
of the Anglo-Saxon: chutes, vacuums, pumps,
filters, crushers, grinders, sorters, sifters, baggers.
It ranged from concrete pharaonic storerooms
to silken micron-meshes, like pinhead souls, within
immense wooden Swiss sieve-machines
that one push-of-the-hand could rock
buoyant as a cradle or boat suspended on itself
by its sidebar stabilizers, for which (he said)
only bamboo would do. The premises had been renovated
and downstairs was like a fairytale prison
of low arches and stuccoed vaults. Everything was heavy,
big, organized, dynamic, post-communist – a monster network
spanning three floors and onto the bays outside where
the trucks arrived with their orient wheat. Then the kitchens:
tiles, ovens, tray-racks, bread-moulds, woodpiles
for the stone-baked doughs. In total, forty employees;
but it was all for little or naught since no one now
wanted his bread in Sarajevo, and no one in Bosnia
thought of flour, or basic production, in a land
overrun by imports. Next door was his orchard
of new apple trees, their bright red fruit scarred
by worm-marks of no pesticides. The house itself was pure
wood beauty, with a wrap-around veranda and a stream behindgurgling pristine from the pine-clad hills. At the crossroads nearby, one of Tito’s ruined guesthouses, all turrets and follies, seemed an Austrian fantasia set down in the Balkans: each arched window a different size;
each framing arch, a window’s self-conscious perspectives.
Pale: a village near Sarajevo, where Radovan Karadzic had his headquarters during the Bosnian War.
AMAZING GRACE
short story
By Nuala Ni Chonchuir
Early McIntyre had a badger-stripe of silver flashing through her hair from root to tip. My mother said she should dye it black, to give herself a more youthful appearance. She only said that to us, though, not to Early herself. They had been at school together but were never friends. My mother told us that people said old Mr McIntyre had built a circular house – a place without angles – so that the Devil couldn’t lurk in the corners and tempt his daughter.
‘The Devil can hide as easily in the human heart as in a corner,’ my father said.
My mother humphed. ‘Shut bloody up. What do you know about the human heart?’
My father disappeared back into watching the television.
‘She looks like a witch,’ my brother Ian said.
‘Turn your gossipy mind to higher things, Ian, and stop making assumptions,’ I said.
He kicked the leg of my chair. ‘Get a life, Grace. You’re a gock.’
She’d left our village before I was born but, when old Mr McIntyre died, Early turned up and moved back into her childhood home. When I saw her, my skin spurred with excitement. Early was scarily magnificent: she had a silent face, waist-length hair, and a black bike that she teetered around on. Anytime I saw her in the greengrocer’s or Horgan’s bakery, I took in all about her. I was fascinated by the poppy-seed loaves and garlic bulbs she bought, as much as by her flowing clothes, and the head-up way she carried herself. I was sure she never saw me – a gangly eejit with frizzy hair – hovering. And what I wanted most in those weeks was for Early McIntyre to notice me.
My fourteenth birthday came that August. We had a sponge-cake for tea. Ian crowed, ‘You look like a monkey and you are one too’, when they sang Happy Birthday. I spent those end-of-summer days on the tyre-swing in our garden, holding my face up to the clouds. I squinted through the tree-branches, imagining a far-off version of myself, where I was comfortable in my own skin and famous for doing something-or-other. It made my gut warm. When I wasn’t dreaming on the swing, I cycled in front of the round, limed house on the rise, hoping to find Early on her way in or out.
The road cleaved, poker-straight, from the McIntyre house to the church at the bottom of the village. I would cruise down to the church-gates on my bike and pump back up the hill, my thighs screaming, trying to look like I was just passing by. Early never seemed to be around and I thought that she must have gone away again. One afternoon, I lifted the gate-latch and walked up to her front window. As I hooshed myself forward to look inside, the window opened and Early’s face loomed in front of mine.
‘Can I help you?’ she whispered, her nose almost touching mine. I jumped.
‘Oh, I…I was looking…’
‘Would you like to step inside?’ I wasn’t sure if it was an invitation or a summons.
‘Yes. Please.’
She opened the front door; the whole of the downstairs was one circular, many-windowed room. I smelt a peppery smell, like orchids; it was overlaid with the warm musk of spices. Early took my sweaty hand between her large fingers.
‘You’re welcome here,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen you about.’
I nodded, feeling suddenly small and protected. Up close, I saw that Early’s face was raddled but fresh; her cheeks as firm-looking as unripe tomatoes. She had a caramel tan and moved her voluptuous, animal body easily; Early was more beautiful than she’d seemed at a distance.
‘What’s your name?’ she said.
‘Grace.’
‘Ah, a beautiful name. One to live up to. I’m Early McIntyre.’ Her voice came slow, like warm honey.
‘I know.’
She pointed to a sofa and I sat. The room was marked out into territories: the kitchen had units curved to fit the walls; the dining-room was bright with road-kill-red wallpaper; her sitting-room took up the central floor space. A scatter of marble elephants pointed their up-turned trunks at the door and a huge, age-pocked mirror stood against one wall.
‘I like to collect things,’ Early said, handing me a mug of tea. ‘What do you like to do, Grace?’
My tongue felt tangled; I couldn’t think of one thing that sounded interesting enough to say to her.
‘I love my bike,’ I said, eventually. ‘Cycling.’
‘We’ll have to take a bicycle ride together sometime soon, while this warm weather lasts.’
‘Cool.’
My mother prepared the picnic; she seemed to want to impress Early.
‘Early’s been around,’ she said. ‘Been all over, I mean. What sort of food does she have in that house of hers?’
‘Spicy food, curries, that sort of thing. But, you know, a few sandwiches will do fine.’
‘Sandwiches? Have a bit of imagination, Gracie, for pity’s sake.’ My mother hung in front of the fridge, frowning.
I left the house the next morning, lugging enough food for seven people. My mother shouted after me that I was to send her best regards to Miz McIntyre. Ian shadowed her in the doorway, sniggering. Wishing they’d go back inside, I heaved the food-bag into the basket on my bike. It was one of those fresh, not-too-sunny days. We took the main road out of the village; the ditches overflowed with montbretia and red haws. Cycling side-by-side along Icehouse Lane, Early told me she used to play there as a girl with the green slabs of ice. She told me things and asked my opinion, as if what I thought mattered. I watched Early cycle ahead of me, her hair a winding helix down her back, her bum cushioning both sides of the saddle like an overstuffed pillow. She kept herself erect and sang strings of tuneless gobbledy-gook; it was hard to believe she was the same age as my mother.
We stopped under a sycamore; I was sweaty all over and threw myself onto the blanket that Early spread out. She lay beside me and I listened to our breathing become less of a fight.
‘Beautiful,’ Early said.
‘What is?’ I propped on one elbow to look at her.
‘This. Here. Home. The air is so clear, so breathable.’ She flicked a daddy-long-legs from her nose. ‘India was smothering at times.’
‘What were you doing there?’
‘This and that. Travelling. Working mostly.’
‘Did you like it?’ I looked at the band of silver that flowed from her crown through her thick plait. She sat up.
‘Yes. The people are warm, inquisitive, generous. Despite their poverty. The women are kept down, though, even the wealthier ones.’ Early frowned. ‘My friend Sabitha, who was married to a politician, didn’t wear lipstick because her husband didn’t like it.’ She shrugged and started to unpack the picnic. ‘Do you plan to travel, Grace?’ I had never thought about it but, wanting to please her, I said that I did. ‘Travel broadens the heart as much as the mind. It should be de rigueur for every young person.’
Early opened the food-packets delicately and made a mini-buffet. We ate my mother’s egg and parsley rolls, heavy slices of date loaf, mandarin oranges; we drank apple juice from cartons. Early consumed everything robustly and said to thank my mother very much. She broke dark chocolate into a silver dish and sucked on the pieces, the chocolate browning her lips. Swinging two wet-beaded bottles from her bag, she snapped off the caps with her fingers.
‘Kingfisher beer. It’s Indian.’ She handed a bottle to me. ‘Most thrilling chilled!’ she read from the label and laughed.
The hoppy beer warmed my throat; after a few gulps, my stomach felt hot. I grinned at Early and she clinked her bottle to mine and said, ‘Chin-chin’. I lay back, puckering my mouth over the neck of the bottle to take awkward swigs. Listening to Early sipping hers, I imagined her mouth wet. She half-sat and leaned over me; I scrunched my eyes to focus on her – she seemed to be swaying.
‘I love these little kiss-curls you have, Grace.’ She wrapped her finger into the hair over my forehead. ‘You look like Goya’s Maja, lying back like that – the clothed version. Do you know the painting?’ I shook my head. ‘Goya was Spanish. He painted two portraits of the same girl: in one she’s nude; in the other she’s dressed. They are absolute masterpieces. The maja has tendrils around her face. Like yours.’
I smiled and my eyes fixed on the plumpness of Early’s lips; I could smell the sweet fug of her breath and see her small teeth, perfect inside her mouth. Leaning up, I closed my eyes and let my lips touch hers. She flicked the tip of her tongue between my teeth, pressed her mouth to mine, then drew away. We stared at each other, then Early lay back and I flumped alongside her.
‘Have I told you how I got my name?’ she said, after a
few minutes.
‘No.’
‘It’s kind of obvious really.’ She giggled. ‘I was born seven months after my parents’ wedding: I was a strapping bouncer – hitting ten pounds.’ She paused and my ears filled with countryside sounds: a far-off tractor-whirr, clicking insects, the tussle of leaves. ‘My mother insisted that I was premature and, to reinforce the point, she christened me “Early”.’
‘I love your name.’
‘Thank you, Grace.’
She touched my hand; I wound my fingers into hers, listened to the soft buzz of insects and closed my eyes. I fell into a light sleep, still holding on to her.
My parents huddled on the end of my bed; she poked him, trying to get him to speak but all that came out of his mouth were small grunts. I sat with my arms tucked around my knees, staring at my father’s nostrils, the bend of his ears. My mother’s breasts were low and lumpy under a T-shirt and her mouth was tugged sideways from the constant scowl she wore. I picked sleep-grit from my eyes, wanting and not-wanting them to get on with what they’d come
to say.
‘What?’ I said.
My father fiddled with the eiderdown.
‘Well, Grace, the thing is, your mother feels,’ – prod-poke with one finger from her – ‘that is, we feel that you’re spending too much time with Ms McIntyre. With Early. She’s a grown woman and you’re probably bothering her. I’m sure she has things to do.’ He looked at my mother. ‘We’re sure.’
I stuck out my bottom lip, rolled it back and forth – it was something Early did when she was thinking about what she wanted to say next.
‘Early likes my company.’ I eye-balled them. ‘She says that I’m refreshing.’
‘Pfffff.’ My mother shook her head.
‘What?’ I said.
‘Refreshing,’ she sneered.
‘And what would you know about it?’ I poked her shoulder to emphasise my words: ‘You. Stupid. Old. Bag.’
I saw my father’s hand and twisted away but his palm slammed into my jaw; I careened backwards, knocking my head off the wall.
‘Jesus,’ my mother yelped, jumping up. My father’s breath puffed through his nose in short spurts, like a horse. I crouched on the bed and they stood for a few moments before backing out of the room.
‘It smells like dung.’
I was sitting on Early’s sofa; she was holding a poultice to my face: muslin packed with a mish-mash of who-knew-what.
‘It smells perfectly fine.’
She lifted it away, looked, winced, then replaced it. My jaw felt puffed out and sore.
‘I suppose I look like a toad.’
‘Yes, you do, Miss Toad of Toad Hall.’
The length of her thigh was pressed to mine; I looked up at her face, the steep arch of her eyebrows, her thin lashes. She flashed a grin at me.
‘Thanks,’ I muttered, and she nodded, pouting her lip.
‘So, are you going to tell me why he hit you?’
‘Oh, bless me Father for I have sinned, I called my mother a bad name…’
‘You didn’t, did you?’ Early lifted the poultice away. ‘I’m surprised, Grace. Why did you do that?’
I pussed, but she urged me on, so I told her they’d said I was to keep away from her. Early plopped the sopping muslin into a bowl. She sighed and said maybe they were right; maybe it wasn’t OK for us to be together so much.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You have your school work to think of now, with the new term starting. It’s probably time to concentrate on that.’
‘But Early, I –’
‘No buts, Grace. How can I go against your parents?’
She slid off the sofa and went to the sink. I watched while she cleaned out the bowl with a spray of water: I could see her bra-strap through the material of her blouse, the violin-curve of her waist and hips. Going to where she stood, I slid my arms around her from behind.
‘Have I ever told you how I got my name?’ I whispered into her shoulder, starting to cry. She turned and took me in her arms, wiping at my tears and snots with her sleeve.
‘No, you haven’t.’
I dropped my head onto her chest and she twisted one hand through my hair and rubbed the small of my back with the other.
‘Ian is six years older than me. My mother always wanted lots of kids so, after him, she kept trying for another baby, but nothing happened. She had tests done but they didn’t find anything. Three years after having Ian, she got pregnant again and was thrilled. But after four months, she lost the baby. She had three more miscarriages after that, one on top of another. My father didn’t want to try anymore – my mother was so sad each time another baby didn’t live. Her doctor said to stop too.’ Early took my hand and led me back to the sofa. ‘My mother knew she could have a baby, so she just kept on trying. When everyone else had given up, she got pregnant with me. And I stuck.’ I squeezed Early’s hand. ‘If I was a girl and if I lived, my mother swore she’d call me Grace: Latin for ‘the loved’, ‘the favoured’, ‘the honoured’. So she did.’
‘That’s a beautiful story,’ Early said. ‘And I adore your name. Grace, the loved. Grace, the favoured. Grace, the honoured.’ She bent low, took my face in her hands and kissed my nose. ‘Amazing Grace.’
I put my arms around her neck. Early hugged me tight and we held each other, both sobbing, until the round room grew dusk-dark and all I could see were shadows fingering towards the ceiling. I breathed in the yeasty smell of her hair and felt the slack heat of her weight against me; my eyes were heavy from crying. When she fell asleep, I pulled myself from her arms and made my way home.
By Nuala Ni Chonchuir
Early McIntyre had a badger-stripe of silver flashing through her hair from root to tip. My mother said she should dye it black, to give herself a more youthful appearance. She only said that to us, though, not to Early herself. They had been at school together but were never friends. My mother told us that people said old Mr McIntyre had built a circular house – a place without angles – so that the Devil couldn’t lurk in the corners and tempt his daughter.
‘The Devil can hide as easily in the human heart as in a corner,’ my father said.
My mother humphed. ‘Shut bloody up. What do you know about the human heart?’
My father disappeared back into watching the television.
‘She looks like a witch,’ my brother Ian said.
‘Turn your gossipy mind to higher things, Ian, and stop making assumptions,’ I said.
He kicked the leg of my chair. ‘Get a life, Grace. You’re a gock.’
She’d left our village before I was born but, when old Mr McIntyre died, Early turned up and moved back into her childhood home. When I saw her, my skin spurred with excitement. Early was scarily magnificent: she had a silent face, waist-length hair, and a black bike that she teetered around on. Anytime I saw her in the greengrocer’s or Horgan’s bakery, I took in all about her. I was fascinated by the poppy-seed loaves and garlic bulbs she bought, as much as by her flowing clothes, and the head-up way she carried herself. I was sure she never saw me – a gangly eejit with frizzy hair – hovering. And what I wanted most in those weeks was for Early McIntyre to notice me.
My fourteenth birthday came that August. We had a sponge-cake for tea. Ian crowed, ‘You look like a monkey and you are one too’, when they sang Happy Birthday. I spent those end-of-summer days on the tyre-swing in our garden, holding my face up to the clouds. I squinted through the tree-branches, imagining a far-off version of myself, where I was comfortable in my own skin and famous for doing something-or-other. It made my gut warm. When I wasn’t dreaming on the swing, I cycled in front of the round, limed house on the rise, hoping to find Early on her way in or out.
The road cleaved, poker-straight, from the McIntyre house to the church at the bottom of the village. I would cruise down to the church-gates on my bike and pump back up the hill, my thighs screaming, trying to look like I was just passing by. Early never seemed to be around and I thought that she must have gone away again. One afternoon, I lifted the gate-latch and walked up to her front window. As I hooshed myself forward to look inside, the window opened and Early’s face loomed in front of mine.
‘Can I help you?’ she whispered, her nose almost touching mine. I jumped.
‘Oh, I…I was looking…’
‘Would you like to step inside?’ I wasn’t sure if it was an invitation or a summons.
‘Yes. Please.’
She opened the front door; the whole of the downstairs was one circular, many-windowed room. I smelt a peppery smell, like orchids; it was overlaid with the warm musk of spices. Early took my sweaty hand between her large fingers.
‘You’re welcome here,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen you about.’
I nodded, feeling suddenly small and protected. Up close, I saw that Early’s face was raddled but fresh; her cheeks as firm-looking as unripe tomatoes. She had a caramel tan and moved her voluptuous, animal body easily; Early was more beautiful than she’d seemed at a distance.
‘What’s your name?’ she said.
‘Grace.’
‘Ah, a beautiful name. One to live up to. I’m Early McIntyre.’ Her voice came slow, like warm honey.
‘I know.’
She pointed to a sofa and I sat. The room was marked out into territories: the kitchen had units curved to fit the walls; the dining-room was bright with road-kill-red wallpaper; her sitting-room took up the central floor space. A scatter of marble elephants pointed their up-turned trunks at the door and a huge, age-pocked mirror stood against one wall.
‘I like to collect things,’ Early said, handing me a mug of tea. ‘What do you like to do, Grace?’
My tongue felt tangled; I couldn’t think of one thing that sounded interesting enough to say to her.
‘I love my bike,’ I said, eventually. ‘Cycling.’
‘We’ll have to take a bicycle ride together sometime soon, while this warm weather lasts.’
‘Cool.’
My mother prepared the picnic; she seemed to want to impress Early.
‘Early’s been around,’ she said. ‘Been all over, I mean. What sort of food does she have in that house of hers?’
‘Spicy food, curries, that sort of thing. But, you know, a few sandwiches will do fine.’
‘Sandwiches? Have a bit of imagination, Gracie, for pity’s sake.’ My mother hung in front of the fridge, frowning.
I left the house the next morning, lugging enough food for seven people. My mother shouted after me that I was to send her best regards to Miz McIntyre. Ian shadowed her in the doorway, sniggering. Wishing they’d go back inside, I heaved the food-bag into the basket on my bike. It was one of those fresh, not-too-sunny days. We took the main road out of the village; the ditches overflowed with montbretia and red haws. Cycling side-by-side along Icehouse Lane, Early told me she used to play there as a girl with the green slabs of ice. She told me things and asked my opinion, as if what I thought mattered. I watched Early cycle ahead of me, her hair a winding helix down her back, her bum cushioning both sides of the saddle like an overstuffed pillow. She kept herself erect and sang strings of tuneless gobbledy-gook; it was hard to believe she was the same age as my mother.
We stopped under a sycamore; I was sweaty all over and threw myself onto the blanket that Early spread out. She lay beside me and I listened to our breathing become less of a fight.
‘Beautiful,’ Early said.
‘What is?’ I propped on one elbow to look at her.
‘This. Here. Home. The air is so clear, so breathable.’ She flicked a daddy-long-legs from her nose. ‘India was smothering at times.’
‘What were you doing there?’
‘This and that. Travelling. Working mostly.’
‘Did you like it?’ I looked at the band of silver that flowed from her crown through her thick plait. She sat up.
‘Yes. The people are warm, inquisitive, generous. Despite their poverty. The women are kept down, though, even the wealthier ones.’ Early frowned. ‘My friend Sabitha, who was married to a politician, didn’t wear lipstick because her husband didn’t like it.’ She shrugged and started to unpack the picnic. ‘Do you plan to travel, Grace?’ I had never thought about it but, wanting to please her, I said that I did. ‘Travel broadens the heart as much as the mind. It should be de rigueur for every young person.’
Early opened the food-packets delicately and made a mini-buffet. We ate my mother’s egg and parsley rolls, heavy slices of date loaf, mandarin oranges; we drank apple juice from cartons. Early consumed everything robustly and said to thank my mother very much. She broke dark chocolate into a silver dish and sucked on the pieces, the chocolate browning her lips. Swinging two wet-beaded bottles from her bag, she snapped off the caps with her fingers.
‘Kingfisher beer. It’s Indian.’ She handed a bottle to me. ‘Most thrilling chilled!’ she read from the label and laughed.
The hoppy beer warmed my throat; after a few gulps, my stomach felt hot. I grinned at Early and she clinked her bottle to mine and said, ‘Chin-chin’. I lay back, puckering my mouth over the neck of the bottle to take awkward swigs. Listening to Early sipping hers, I imagined her mouth wet. She half-sat and leaned over me; I scrunched my eyes to focus on her – she seemed to be swaying.
‘I love these little kiss-curls you have, Grace.’ She wrapped her finger into the hair over my forehead. ‘You look like Goya’s Maja, lying back like that – the clothed version. Do you know the painting?’ I shook my head. ‘Goya was Spanish. He painted two portraits of the same girl: in one she’s nude; in the other she’s dressed. They are absolute masterpieces. The maja has tendrils around her face. Like yours.’
I smiled and my eyes fixed on the plumpness of Early’s lips; I could smell the sweet fug of her breath and see her small teeth, perfect inside her mouth. Leaning up, I closed my eyes and let my lips touch hers. She flicked the tip of her tongue between my teeth, pressed her mouth to mine, then drew away. We stared at each other, then Early lay back and I flumped alongside her.
‘Have I told you how I got my name?’ she said, after a
few minutes.
‘No.’
‘It’s kind of obvious really.’ She giggled. ‘I was born seven months after my parents’ wedding: I was a strapping bouncer – hitting ten pounds.’ She paused and my ears filled with countryside sounds: a far-off tractor-whirr, clicking insects, the tussle of leaves. ‘My mother insisted that I was premature and, to reinforce the point, she christened me “Early”.’
‘I love your name.’
‘Thank you, Grace.’
She touched my hand; I wound my fingers into hers, listened to the soft buzz of insects and closed my eyes. I fell into a light sleep, still holding on to her.
My parents huddled on the end of my bed; she poked him, trying to get him to speak but all that came out of his mouth were small grunts. I sat with my arms tucked around my knees, staring at my father’s nostrils, the bend of his ears. My mother’s breasts were low and lumpy under a T-shirt and her mouth was tugged sideways from the constant scowl she wore. I picked sleep-grit from my eyes, wanting and not-wanting them to get on with what they’d come
to say.
‘What?’ I said.
My father fiddled with the eiderdown.
‘Well, Grace, the thing is, your mother feels,’ – prod-poke with one finger from her – ‘that is, we feel that you’re spending too much time with Ms McIntyre. With Early. She’s a grown woman and you’re probably bothering her. I’m sure she has things to do.’ He looked at my mother. ‘We’re sure.’
I stuck out my bottom lip, rolled it back and forth – it was something Early did when she was thinking about what she wanted to say next.
‘Early likes my company.’ I eye-balled them. ‘She says that I’m refreshing.’
‘Pfffff.’ My mother shook her head.
‘What?’ I said.
‘Refreshing,’ she sneered.
‘And what would you know about it?’ I poked her shoulder to emphasise my words: ‘You. Stupid. Old. Bag.’
I saw my father’s hand and twisted away but his palm slammed into my jaw; I careened backwards, knocking my head off the wall.
‘Jesus,’ my mother yelped, jumping up. My father’s breath puffed through his nose in short spurts, like a horse. I crouched on the bed and they stood for a few moments before backing out of the room.
‘It smells like dung.’
I was sitting on Early’s sofa; she was holding a poultice to my face: muslin packed with a mish-mash of who-knew-what.
‘It smells perfectly fine.’
She lifted it away, looked, winced, then replaced it. My jaw felt puffed out and sore.
‘I suppose I look like a toad.’
‘Yes, you do, Miss Toad of Toad Hall.’
The length of her thigh was pressed to mine; I looked up at her face, the steep arch of her eyebrows, her thin lashes. She flashed a grin at me.
‘Thanks,’ I muttered, and she nodded, pouting her lip.
‘So, are you going to tell me why he hit you?’
‘Oh, bless me Father for I have sinned, I called my mother a bad name…’
‘You didn’t, did you?’ Early lifted the poultice away. ‘I’m surprised, Grace. Why did you do that?’
I pussed, but she urged me on, so I told her they’d said I was to keep away from her. Early plopped the sopping muslin into a bowl. She sighed and said maybe they were right; maybe it wasn’t OK for us to be together so much.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You have your school work to think of now, with the new term starting. It’s probably time to concentrate on that.’
‘But Early, I –’
‘No buts, Grace. How can I go against your parents?’
She slid off the sofa and went to the sink. I watched while she cleaned out the bowl with a spray of water: I could see her bra-strap through the material of her blouse, the violin-curve of her waist and hips. Going to where she stood, I slid my arms around her from behind.
‘Have I ever told you how I got my name?’ I whispered into her shoulder, starting to cry. She turned and took me in her arms, wiping at my tears and snots with her sleeve.
‘No, you haven’t.’
I dropped my head onto her chest and she twisted one hand through my hair and rubbed the small of my back with the other.
‘Ian is six years older than me. My mother always wanted lots of kids so, after him, she kept trying for another baby, but nothing happened. She had tests done but they didn’t find anything. Three years after having Ian, she got pregnant again and was thrilled. But after four months, she lost the baby. She had three more miscarriages after that, one on top of another. My father didn’t want to try anymore – my mother was so sad each time another baby didn’t live. Her doctor said to stop too.’ Early took my hand and led me back to the sofa. ‘My mother knew she could have a baby, so she just kept on trying. When everyone else had given up, she got pregnant with me. And I stuck.’ I squeezed Early’s hand. ‘If I was a girl and if I lived, my mother swore she’d call me Grace: Latin for ‘the loved’, ‘the favoured’, ‘the honoured’. So she did.’
‘That’s a beautiful story,’ Early said. ‘And I adore your name. Grace, the loved. Grace, the favoured. Grace, the honoured.’ She bent low, took my face in her hands and kissed my nose. ‘Amazing Grace.’
I put my arms around her neck. Early hugged me tight and we held each other, both sobbing, until the round room grew dusk-dark and all I could see were shadows fingering towards the ceiling. I breathed in the yeasty smell of her hair and felt the slack heat of her weight against me; my eyes were heavy from crying. When she fell asleep, I pulled myself from her arms and made my way home.
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