Blog by Andrea McVeigh

I made my catwalk modelling debut recently, not that I think Kate Moss would lose any sleep if she knew! It was for a charity event, the Uber Chic Look Good Feel Better fashion show, held in Belfast's Ramada hotel at Shaw's Bridge and organised by the fabulous Marcus Hunter Neill. Marcus is a local entrepreneur and fashionista who stole the show from Noel Edmonds when he appeared, a few years back, as a contestant on Deal Or No Deal. He's also been on UTV's L8 and Live series and has his own radio show on Feile FM.
He's also behind the local launch of a new beauty brand called Uber, which is a favourite with celebs such as Charlotte Church and Coleen McLoughlin, and he recently took over the local running of a brilliant charity called Look Good Feel Better. It's a cancer support charity that provides free makeover sessions for groups of women affected by cancer and its visible side-effects, such as hair loss. As well as getting a goodie bag filled with free products, women can come together and enjoying a pampering day filled with make-up tips.
So that was the reason for the fashion show, which featured eight 'real women' as models, including me! There were tall and short, young and mature, skinny and plus-size women in our group, and that was the whole point - to show that real woman are beautiful and special, each in their own way, and that we don’t all need to fit in with some random idea of what's attractive.
Unlike the reputation that supermodels have, there was no cattiness backstage - in fact, we all bonded brilliantly and had a real laugh doing the show, even though our hearts there thumping and we were filled with nerves before we took to the catwalk. Once we mastered our walking, we were fine. Yes, you read that right - walking! It's not as easy as it looks, not when you're on a catwalk, walking in front of 350 people. It's all to do with sashaying, turning, pausing - and trying not to trip!
Once we got past our initial nerves we all had a great time - and we made new friends into the bargain and helped raise money for a brilliant charity that really does make a practical difference to women's lives. Not a bad night's work - and it was great fun too!
One of the boutiques which lent clothes for the show was Beverly Hills on Belfast's Bloomfield Avenue. I've also made a friend in its owner, Sheila. It's funny how fate and fashion can throw people together! Anyway, she sells amazingly beautiful ball gowns and 'occasionwear' dresses for women going to formals, weddings, cruises and days at the races. It's a little piece of Hollywood in the heart of east Belfast and without the La La Land price tags!
With the weather being so bad and no prospect of any holidays on the horizon, I'm making the most of Belfast's newest cinema, the Odeon in the Victoria Square complex. With a cinema, shops, restaurants and even apartments, the development is like a mini city in its own right.
The screening room I was in to see The Dark Knight, the new Batman movie, was huge, and accommodated hundreds of people. Being there felt like the old days when I used to go to the Curzon on Belfast's Ormeau Road with my mum, dad and big brother and you had the choice of sitting upstairs or down! The Odeon isn’t quite that big, but the sheer size of it was impressive.
I loved the movie too, even though I'm a girl who usually prefers romantic comedies! The late Heath Ledger was brilliant in it and even though it's a bit of a lads movie, specialising in special effects and sci-fi technology, the cinema was filled with women. Come to think of it, the film did star the gorgeous Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart. Maybe that's why so many women had turned out to see it!

Blog by Andrea McVeigh

July has arrived. But can we really call this summer? Today alone, there's been rain, sunshine, clouds and strong winds. That's all four seasons in one afternoon! The only thing missing was snow! Hopefully, the weather will improve over the coming months because it's not just getting me down, but everyone I know too. We're all grumbling about the miserable weather. Like the old joke says, my two favourite days in Northern Ireland are Christmas and summer!
Even though the temperature isn’t hotting up that much, my social life is. It's been the season of concerts recently, with some huge names hitting Ireland, north and south, and I've been lucky enough to see not one, but five, musical legends in action. First up was Leonard Cohen, who played an open air gig in the grounds of Dublin's 17th century Royal Hospital Kilmainham (now home to the Irish Museum of Modern Art). It was the 1960s folk scene survivor's first tour in 15 years and it was a magical night, even if it did pour with rain!
Back in Belfast I caught another living legend and another artist whose music defined the 1960s. Lou Reed was in town to perform his entire album, Berlin, from start to finish. I've been into Reed's music since I was a teenager, and I'm glad to say it was a fantastic gig. The subject matter is a bit dour and serious, but the show was like a piece of theatre.

The following night's concert couldn’t have been more different - Dolly Parton! The Backwoods Barbie put on a brilliant show, and I was up and dancing to all the big hits, including Jolene and 9 to 5. I didn’t know I knew so many words to Islands in the Stream, until I caught myself singing along to all the verses!
I also caught The Police at Stormont - an arresting performance if ever there was one (pardon the pun!) and most recently, I caught Kylie in action. The Aussie pop princess's show was an amazing spectacle, filled with dramatic stage sets and elaborate costume changes.
Summer is when Belfast really seems to come alive, rain or no rain. The Gourmet Burger Bank on Belfast's Malone Road hosted its official launch recently, and the wine and burgers were flowing. It's a fab spot and the weather, for once, was quite nice, so lots of people chomped down on their free mini burgers while they chatted outside.
Another celebration came in the form of the first birthday party of The House bar on the Stranmillis Road, where the champagne and Guinness flowed and guests enjoyed an outside bar and barbecue, along with cocktails and canapés.
The House, which is renowned for its delicious cocktails and expert mixologists behind the bar, recently launched its new cocktail menu and I must admit, I'm enjoying working my way through it.
The House is regular haunt for me, because I'm lucky enough to have bagged a job DJing there every Saturday night, and have been doing so for the past year now. The music is a mix of soul, funk, Motown, disco, R&B, chart and 80s - and whatever else gets the party started! Next time you're out and about call in and say hi - one of the nicest parts of working the decks is getting to meet so many of the chatty, friendly people who go there. And feel free to ask for a request. Unlike some DJs who insist on doing their own thing, even if no-one is appreciating their playlist as much as they are, if I have it, I'll play it!