Private Lessons - Burlesque is Best

Everybody has a secret skill. The party trick. Or that clandestine side to your personality that is reserved for special people, or escapes after one cocktail too many. The highland fling, salsa classes, your perfect karaoke Celine Dion number. Or burlesque.

Yeah, not all skills are acquired at birth. It's probably the reason you have a regular 9 to 5 and are not quite on the stage at Vegas. Some skills need lessons. 

Let's get back to that Burlesque. Ditta Von Teese, I am not. Yet. I'm not sure I could get in or out of that basque. But one step closer to having some professionally trained book-oop-a-doop? That I can own, thanks to the charm, skills and downright fun of a night with the amazing Whistle Bait Babies.

I came across WBB about a year ago, when I hired them for a special milestone party I was organising. Three more beautiful girls you will never find. Glowing with a forties image, flirtatious with flair and finesse and just enough deriving to stir a giggle and never cross the line of distaste. 

Already famed in the local circuit for events, I was delighted at the personalised design WBB made to bespoke their routine to my event. Dance and music from traditional Moulin Rouge risqué to novel airline.

Months later they are still a conversation starter, and I knew I would be calling on them again. You need to, too. Be creative, find a reason why...

Cue the bridal shower of recent months. I mean, how better to inject bachelorette fun without succumbing to the distaste of velcro-trousered police officers, than to empower your ladies with some useful skills of seduction?

I've shared before my horrors of hen nights and the fear of crossing the fine line between taste and tack. My ladies had started their night in fluffy robes and the spa, drinking champagne, they were refreshed and pampered, now they would send off the bride to be and themselves with new tricks to woo and be wooed.

WBB Pixie came armed with music, winks and a box of tricks. We got the hip moves, the shoulder shrugs, we cracked whips and learned the secret to wearing and removing velvet and satin gloves.

Then came the tassels. Yes. Once you learn how to twirl a tassel, your life is never the same. Every girl should have this skill. Every man should want his girl to have this skill. We might have been in jeans and PJs as we had our private lesson from Pixie, but that was only our practice run....

What you do with your new burlesque skills, and where....that is up to you.

'Til next time, Pandora

Hens don't always have to Cluck - Bridal Showering in Style (Part One)

Hen parties. Bachelorette parties. I cringe at the mere concept of the perceived debauchery that accompanies these, UK side, anyway. But, charged with arranging a sibling send off, I was determined to inject class over crass and prove that not all hens have to cluck.

Our evening started early, but relaxed. 10 girls, wrapped in fluffy white robes, VIP in the private Boudoir Spa at the stunning Galgorm Hotel and Spa for a twilight half day spa visit.

Galgorm have refurbished this in the last year to replace the spa gym with this private retreat, and it is a great investment. Perfectly designed in plush pink and champagne, it's everything a girlie spa day needs to feel like. There's a slight Austin Powers purr, but overall it's chic and fun. 

Galgorm didn't necessarily deliver on all the package promises for us in the day. We seemed to bypass the ritual foot cleansing treatment on arrival, which was a shame. But we had pre-ordered bubbles on ice and came armed with mandatory cupcakes and macarons, which bolstered the inclusive canapé selection and got us into instant relaxation mode.

The attention to detail soon restored. Each spa invitee has their own personal welcome notes that outline the itinerary for the session, starting with the preselected mini treatment each one of us had chose. Hot stones for me. The rest is relaxation history.

Suspended Perspex chairs that overlook the acres of countryside and the River Maine is a difficult thing to leave, but we had a date in the thermal spa area - mood-lit pool time, aromatherapy sauna chambers, and the perfect sunny September wind down to sunset, the outdoors plunge pool and jacuzzi. 

These hens, we were positively cooing at this stage. Not an L plate or feather boa in sight. 

It seemed fitting to bypass the bar. Weekends at Galgorm are wedding busy, so this was the antithesis of our serenity. Instead we ordered food to take out from Fratelli's Italian and headed to our log cabin by the river, one of the many accommodation options at Galgorm Manor.

They say log cabins, but they are more mobile homes with an MDF facade. Being honest, the interiors are basic and not maintained to the highest quality, albeit they are designed as self catering I expected a more boutique feel given what I know of the main hotel space. Missing a trick, too, is the fact the cabins adore not serviced by room service, which is the reverse of how they were presented at booking. But we had plentiful stocks and were covered for the night.

Now, we may not have wanted debauchery. But this was still a bridal send off. Cue, my surprise entertainment.... But I think that deserves a whole separate blog!

'Til next time, Pandora

Beautiful Ugly - Scratching the Silver-Plated Surface of Lisbon

This was my first visit to Portugal. For years I have been travelling to neighbouring Spain, always with a mental note to 'must go west', cross border, but it has just never happened. So, the opportunity to do some business in Lisbon, I was excited and delighted.

I guess I expected it to be the same. Similar, at least, to Spain. Same coastline, same peninsula, just an invisible border separating the two. And in many ways it is. I even got by with my Spanish to get around, although my subconscious somehow began pronouncing my 's' with more ssjizzzz. I was fooling nobody, my Portuguese clearly needed work.

My first glance at Lisbon was rainy, at the airport. Everywhere is glum in the rain, but I could still see the Mediterranean flair and the tourist signs and English decorated busses. I taxied to Parque das Nações, once again feeling the Paloma Blanca was flying nearby - ocean side, high rise hotels with shiny silver signs, franchise coffee shops and modern architecture from Vasco da Gama tower, as far as the eye could see.

In the other direction, the beauty of the 25 de Abril bridge, so close to Golden Gate in design it just missed the fog to be an identical twin. Lisbon had a holiday feel, even in this post-Expo business hub of new Lisbon.

I could easily have stayed anywhere along this strip. A business area new-build with all mod cons, it was a sure thing. But I had a feeling I might be missing something, and I took the gamble to head inner city and spend the night in the old part of Lisbon.

This was not what I expected. Vasco da Gama might appear Barceloneta-like but the glitz stops at the sea front and the concrete slabbed roads turn to cobbled pathways and tired tramlines. Grandeur ended and the Lisbon I uncovered, albeit briefly, was crumbled and flaked and yawning in a way I experienced Budapest and Belgrade, for the first time. But I was so glad to see it. Like stripping back wallpaper to find original art or knocking off plater to find old tiles and cornices. 

Staying in Nações I could have been in any tourist city, anywhere in modern Europe. Just 15 minutes in a cab, I was steeped in a history I am now dying to explore, to return and wander through catch clunky trams and climb twisted streets, visit tiny shops that have bells that ring when you open a door, and old men sitting outside with coffee and cigarettes. 

Time hasn't fully caught up with Lisbon. You want to arm yourself with a DIY team, spruce up the broken plaster and give Lisbon a lick of paint. I hope the government does that, in the right way. There is beauty and culture than needs protected for future history. But the city is vast and it will take time.

A new start is spreading, however. My own hotel, opened in June, The Beautique has taken dilapidation to innovative decadent design, the polar opposite of anything else on Praça da Figueira. 

Beautifully restored facades, freshly painted in green, it pops out of the square's grey and cream walls. Inside, walls and surfaces appear like liquid mercury, draping around rooms like Dali cheese clocks, fluid and inviting and bathed in sexy low lights and cool tunes. Upstairs, modern technology takes over and wraps corridors in HD holograms of figs, as a continuum of the fig frescos that dominate the mirror and walnut rooms. A little corner of modern luxury on an imposing plaza of history. It's minutes from the new town, but miles from what I first encountered on the doorstep of the airport, by the sea.

A quick city tour fed my craving for the real thing. Lisbon is statuesque, dark and alluring and full of intrigue. A city now placed firmly in my bucket list to come back, explore and fall in love.

'Til next time, Pandora

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

It's a year on. A year since my first trip to Vegas. Likewise, a year since my last trip to Vegas. I hope.

I'm not sure if I needed a year to be able to physically write about it. Or if I had buried the experience so deep in my subconscious, that it has been lost for the last 12 months.

You can probably already guess that I am not a Vegas fan. This is not a tale of debauchery gone too far and filled with regret. There's no tigers in bathrooms, no crazy monkey stories, no shotgun weddings with Elvis. This is simply the rare tale of one person, ironically underwhelmed by Sin City.

I didn't set out expecting to be impressed.
I was fairly certain before I embarked on the Vegas adventure that this was not my typical voyage du jour and that it was missing from my bucket list for a reason. It was, however, everything I expected it to be. Just not in a good way.

But, I like a party as much as the next person, so off I trekked with my own way too excited company and got ready to get my Vegas on.

Pre-travel disappointment precaution was duly done and I went straight to the top, with luxury rooms booked at the iconic Bellagio.

They were great, despite their ginormous (isn't everything) room capacity, I was greeted by name and had personalised gifts waiting for me in my room. That bit was fab. Had I stayed right there, Vegas might have been right up my street...

Unfortunately I didn't. I battled the Strip and all it's feather flouncing can-can dancers with pert bottoms. I battled the swimming pools of Spring Break weekenders, and their high pitched screams. I battled the gold lamé hotel shops, the boredom of slot machines and lasted 5 minutes trying to learn poker. I battled the wince of a fake Eifel Tower, pretend gondolas and fabricated pyramids. Everyday was a battle, but I battled on and made my best efforts to grin and bear it.

Nothing was going to get me to love Vegas. Big, gaudy, garish, overtly fake, incredulously silly, Vegas. 

Then I got hungry. Finally, the surprise I needed to survive the longest five days of my life. I certainly didn't anticipate the dining, and the surprise was more than pleasant. Surrounded in bling ker-ching, the one good thing that is big in Sin City is the restaurant scene. Top chefs, top restaurants, top food from every region, every taste. By far my best was José Andrés French and Julian Serrano a the Aria.

My nightly dessert, a double serving of the Bellagio fountains. That, I did love. Every dance, every song, I could have taken in the fountains all evening. In fact, I think I did, all to stay out of the mayhem of casinos. 

Ocean's 11 this was not. Claire de Lune, did not engulf my every movement.

What goes on in Vegas, stays in Vegas, they say. I say, keep it all, stories and all. I doubt I will return. That's a fairly safe bet, guaranteed to win.

'Til next time, Pandora.

From High Street to Hotel - my visit to the new Laura Ashley Hotel

There is no shortage of product endorsement these days. The best of the best make no excuse for showcasing their skills, fame and fortune to the viewing public, making a pretty penny as they do. Chefs with restaurants, models with fashion lines, pop stars with perfumes and the latest, high street furniture stores with hotels. 

Laura Ashley is the latest in a long line of success stories to cross pollinate their wares to a new arena, and what better way than a boutique hotel. They only need to lift and shift their window displays to create the perfect room, and that is pretty close to what they have just done. 

Newly acquired in Elstree, The Manor has been reborn with a new luxury boutique birthmark. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was curious to find out just what the new Laura Ashley hotel would look like. Don't get me wrong, I have a fair flavour of Laura Ashley silks and velvets in my own home, but my immediate thoughts a feared a floral overload and embroiderie anglais bedrooms, in an effort to create the quintessential English country garden.

They haven't. You certainly know you are in Laura Ashley terrain. In fact, you are like a human mannequin in a Laura Ashley store, a page from their catalogue. 

Their fabrics and accessories are fairly recognisable, even out of the shop front, but the hotel is gracefully appointed and is the epitome of relaxation, thanks to a calming palette of duck egg blue and putty shades in bedrooms, pearlised walls in hallways and pops of signature yellow and taupe in break out bars and lobby. There is plentiful adornment of oversized mirrors and glass lighting to add elegance and the necessary finishing touch cushions and throws to lock in the comfort. All with the mandatory Laura Ashley magazine as bedside cabinet reading, just in case you want to savour the style for longer, at home. 

You can sense the hotel is new and perhaps not running at full occupancy. I tried two rooms during my stay - one lacked toiletries, the other missed the delicious lemon shortcake for in-room coffee. 

I missed the latter more and my one advice is that you pack your own bathroom products for your stay, as the quality of the Laura Ashley branded ones provided is harsh if not caustic and lacks the luxury to match your surroundings. 

I'm unsure if they are own brand minis from an in-store range, or a poorly chosen. low quality hotel amenity, but they did put me off buying future products for gifts, as I have often done for Xmas in the past. 

Decor aside, because that is pretty much a given, there is a host of other surprises to delight you at The Manor.  

The restaurant is fantastic - traditional British fayre from lamb to venison, chicken and beef, taken up a notch or two, wonderfully cooked and as beautifully presented as the table tops. Taste and quality is pristine - the restaurant might set you back £50 per person for a meal before wine, but they have a great online offer at the point of booking that cuts this in half. Regardless, you must eat here, it is so good. Bar food is also offered and, I imagine, as great. Breakfast certainly is, and was included in the rate I had online.

The exterior grounds are also impressive. Front to back, meticulously manicured lawns and flower beds, delicate fountains and garden ponds and a quirky rework of the former tennis court to a human sized chess board on the lawn. On a clear day, the view extends to the London skyline, showing the Gherkin and the Shard in the distance.

Surrounded in acres of quietude and greenery, it is hard to think you ares till just a 20min train ride into London.

My favourite takeaway? Without a question of a doubt the great night's sleep, courtesy of the Laura Ashley Strathmoor mattress, I was soon to learn. And, yes, I will be ordering one for home. I imagine you might also find a favourite and have a delivery soon after your stay. 

'Til next time, Pandora

Go West - Finding Designer Decadence in Donegal

I've been very tempted not to write this blog, purely for selfish reasons of secrecy, so that my hideaway in Donegal stay free for my whims to escape when the notion takes me. But, alas, it's too good not to shout about it and, if you get anywhere near as much love from it as I do, then I have done the right thing.

You might not think of boutique luxury in the same train of thought as remote coastal Ireland. You might think rugged walkways, green rolling hills, choppy seas and blustery winds. You might think traditional music, hand spun tweed, freshly caught langoustines and pintsof hearty Guinness. Well, you're right. It's all there.

But there's more. And it's this extra special more that clinches the deal for me in Donegal. The keys to boutique bliss at Gatsby House, in Ardara. Gatsby is a privately owned designer house, owned by the Swell Group, who have a small but perfectly accessorised portfolio of stunning properties in lens-perfect locations. 

So, think Vera Wang dinner sets, Smeg refrigerators, Farrow and Ball wall coverings, Molton Brown bathrooms and oodles of interior design to package it all up. 

It's not my first time to stay at Gatsby grandeur. Or my second. It certainly won't be my last.

If I could move here and live the peaceful life, forever, I would.

Every room is named as appropriately as it is designed to Hollywood glamour. My usual sleep takes on Ava Gardner, but I have enjoyed the comforts of Grace Kelly and, more recently, Cary Grant.

The house is now rented as a whole so sleeps 10 in the five luxurious en suite rooms.for a more intimate getaway,choose the adjoining Secret Cottage, adorably open plan and perfectly cosy for a getaway for two.

Cold Irish nights are best enjoyed with a turf fire and friends but it is impossible to avoid the call of good old Irish Craic at the Corner Bar. Day or night, great people with live music that rolls on to the wee hours.

Fresh air is in plentiful supply and I spend it best on the miles of stunning beach at Portnoo. Rain, sun, wind, it takes on new form on every visit and it the epitome of serenity and calm.

This is my secret getaway. Enjoy it, love it. But leave some free time for me to return.

'Til next time, Pandora

Time for a Pawse - Pet-Friendly Ireland, The Weekend Botanical Sabbatical

The temperatures have dropped and autumn is making a speedy inwards track to replace the sunny spells we have had entering September. 

Whatever the weather, you still need somewhere to escape with the puppy. Botanic Gardens in Belfast has been a great spot this summer, even in showers, to kill two birds with one stone - walking and talking!

Botanic is at its best in the sun, it has to be said. It's a hotspot for dog owners, with good walk ways (beware of cyclists if you're off lead!) and great open grass areas where ball and frisbee fun is all the rage.

It's another responsible owner area, so impressively well kept and tidy from dog mess, which is critical as it is a major play area for families and children, being located right next door to the Ulster Museum. 

But Botanic Gardens is also pretty in the rain. Cover up and wander in the Rose Garden, take shelter in the quaint band stand, or venture into the horticultural hub in the giant conservatory.

I also love to walk out of the gardens, through Queen's Unniversity. My Alma Mater, it is magnificent to walk through and brings back great memories of time gone by.

My days to the gardens are coupled with a catch up with friends - Botanic and Stanmillis are lined with great coffee shops and many have outside seating where you can have a latte al fresco, with the puppy in tow. Starbucks, Clements, Bridcage, Maggie Mays...and many more - you might just move to hot chocolate as the chill gets chillier, in winter!

'Til next time, Pandora (and Nacho)

Photos: PandoraSkies

Fame! I'm Gonna Learn How to Fly....

Do you remember the first time you wanted to learn how to fly? From screen to stage, some of us will remember Fame from the 80's TV hit, others from the stage show musical or the re-adapted more recent movie.

I'm a first time around dreamer. Every Thursday night, armed with my own teenage dreams from the sofa, dressed in my maroon Fame sweater and captivated by the signature theme words of Lydia Grant in the Fame dance studio, “You’ve got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying in sweat”...cue music, star jumps and happy tunes!

That was New York School of Performing Arts, PA, in the 80’s. This time around, PA was transformed at Belfast's urban shared-activity space in the Titanic Quarter, T13, and the stars were some 80 local children from 10 to 22, all with their own dreams. Headline sponsored by Belfast City Airport and produced by MT4Uth, the kids and their dreams were about to find out if they could learn how to fly, and it wasn't going to be easy.

Auditions were held at George Best Belfast City Airport in June. And they were no ordinary auditions - young hopefuls, from all over the Province, live-auditioned in song and dance trials to audiences of summer check-in and arrival passengers to the airport. 

But, incredibly, it was only I week before curtain that the casting was actually completed!  A week-long boot-camp of rehearsals and non-stop professional choreography and mentoring to children who may never have acted or danced before. This is as real as the Fame experience gets - one week to produce a 2 night show of one of the most famous dance musicals of all time!

Michelle Hatfield, Director of HR and Corporate Responsibility at BCA is delighted that the airport was involved as the headline sponsor, “The airport’s partnership with MT4Uth has allowed us to play such a significant role in supporting and developing this incredible talent” 

The Dream came from Music Theatre for Youth, CEO Jenny Cook. Now on its 8th anniversary, patronised by musical stars such as Chris de Burgh and Niamh Perry, MT4Uth was borne from a vision of educating, training and networking young people, from all backgrounds, to achieve their dreams. Jenny’s commitment to the young people of Ireland in the Arts is exemplary and MT4Uth is the platform for apprentice programmes, outreach initiatives and productions since 2005, funded and supported by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Believing in the dream had endless support. A line up of local business leaders joined Belfast City  Airport as the headline sponsor to help fund and make the event possible. George Best Belfast City Airport is active in community support with more than £100, 000 already invested in projects. As well as transforming the airport to a temporary stage school for Fame auditions, apprenticeship opportunities with MT4Uth will follow through into 2014.

And did they achieve? Only real dreams can make the impossible possible. An exceptional cast with formidable determination and passion, the focus and success defied their young age. The show was perfectly staged in the gritty graffiti setting of the H&W shipbuilding turned skate-park, T13, the cast were script perfect and the dance and song was executed flawlessly. Had I had my leg warmers, I would have been tempted to join them on stage! 

I was delighted to be invited to cover the show. Fame was one of my childhood dreams, but now one of Belfast’s most aspirational and inspirational projects for young people this year. A great example of ‘Go big, or go home’. MT4uth is an inspiration to local business to help support the dreams and talent of NI young people. Belfast City Airport is proud to have been involved in this very special project, and look forward to many more. 

Thank you, too, for the opportunity to cover the production and blog my dreams!

'Till next time, Pandora

Time for a Pawse - Pet-Friendly Ireland, Puppies Wot Brunch

Lazy Sundays. They're probably the best day of the week. The wind down from a busy Saturday, one you promised yourself you would take easy, and the rest ahead of another hectic Monday to Friday. Sundays are sacrilege, in my week and, with it, the Sunday ritual. 

As a hobby blogger, my weekends in general have pre-planned coffee stops and writing time built in to my blackberry. How would these weekend essential work out, now had the company of a cute puppy in tow? 

Well, they work out just fine. A few tweaks and change of venue, but blogging and relaxation outdoors continues and Nacho is a bone fide puppy wot brunches at the super pet-friendly Birdcage in Belfast

Birdcage is perfectly equipped for passing pet-owners and they are onto a very good thing. Their spacious terrace is a delight in the sunshine, and has the option of outdoor heaters and snug fleecy blankets when the chill returns.

Nacho actually made his first visit here the very first day he came home to Belfast, so I guess he has a special love for it. The girls are incredible with him and always welcome him with a smile and a chat, so Birdcage quickly took top spot for the weekend brunch stop. 

No sooner has he crossed the terrace, Nacho gets presented with a bright doggy bowl of water. 

I can coffee, blog, brunch and lunch and the scrummy chicken has more than once made its way home for Nacho's evening snack!

Sunday Eggs Benni are uninterrupted. Bloody Mary emergencies are a safe bet. Afternoon mocktail and cocktail jam jar coolers are go! 

Coffee culture, weekend relaxing and a puppy - there is no need to think they can't all happen as one! 

'Til next time, Pandora (and Nacho)

Time for a Pawse - Pet-Friendly Ireland, Life's a Beach in County Down

It's been a fabulous summer and perfect weather to take time out from the park, to let the puppy find his sea legs. Nacho ventured to Dundrum, a favourite spot for Sunday lunch at the delicious Mourne Seafood, followed by an afternoon of sea air and splashing in the stunning Murlough Beach.

Our usual visit to Mourne Seafood close to home, in Belfast city centre. But, hearing news of their new outside terrace in Dundrum, I was delighted to get the green light to come for lunch in the sun, with full puppy permission. 

The terrace is roadside, but large enough to get seated at the back and, with a well behaved pup, you can follow a walk in Dundrum Bay with a relaxing lunch, al fresco. The staff at Mourne Seafood are renown for their knowledge of the menu and impeccable service.

The chef skills go without saying, everything on the menu is outstanding, and even better with a crisp glass of white, in the sunshine.

Nacho wasn't the only pup on the terrace, and both were presented with big bowls of water to keep them refreshed from the heat. I'm not going to lie, an interest in the great smelling food was a challenge to distract his attentions, but there is a time for dog owners to have their own territories and a plate of Mourne Seafood oysters and Guinness is right up there!

There are a number of pet-friendly cafes advertised through the town of Dundrum, so worth a wander if a cuppa is what you are after.

The drive from Dundrum to Murlough Nature Reserve is just a few minutes away. A National Trust conservation area, it's awash with protected wild flora and fauna and is a stunning walk. Reaching the beach is a little hilly, if you have any mobility challenges, but the walkway is covered with a wooden boardwalk, and easily manoevered.

There are some restrictions on when dogs are allowed on the beach, as it is a blue flag beach, but there were many there in August and, like everywhere I have been in Northern Ireland, dog owners were all very responsible in keeping the beach spotless.

An intricate sand dune system borders over 5 miles of soft sand. The sea is fresh and cold, but picture perfect, as it runs right to the foot of the Mourne mountains. The views are spectacular and the space is vast. An amazing day out that will exercise and thrill your four-legged friend, and will be a very quick favourite place!

'Til next time, Pandora (and Nacho)