Compiled by Nicoline Greer
HOWTH SQUALL A few things are going on in Howth that could turn a walk on the pier into a purposeful all-day outing. Storm, the appropriately named hairdresser's on the seafront owned by Lisa Cunningham, is the only salon north of the Liffey using those great-smelling Aveda products favoured by men and women alike. The shop seems hugely tolerant of those of us who show up, hangdog-like, hoping for attention without an appointment, although they would probably prefer advance warning. After the walk and the haircut you are then entitled to a) new sportsgear from Active Couture or McGuirks, next door, or b) a pizza from Cibo, a few doors up, which is selling really good, rocket- filled takeaways that you could eat on the pier. An alternative picnic could be compiled at Beshoffs, which sells fresh lobster rolls, crab sandwiches and yummy fish pâtés. Storm Hair Design: 01-8320663. Cibo Food Company: 01-8396271. Beshoffs of Howth: 01-8390766.
ALL ABOARD If you need a little encouragement to dip your toe in the world of water, check out the Go Boating zone at Boat Show 2005, which opens at the RDS, in Dublin, on Wednesday. The organisers are so keen to get you on the waves that they'll lead you through the possibilities, from canoeing to powerboat racing, and they've arranged for some old salts from the Irish Sailing Association and key sailing schools to come along to answer any queries. As well as boasting what it says is its biggest and best selection of boats and equipment yet, the 23rd Boat Show includes water-safety advice from the RNLI and plenty of ideas if you'd like a holiday afloat. You can find out more by visiting www.expo-events.com/boatshow.
HAVE A HEART We all have outfits at the back of our wardrobes that we never wear. Now's the time to hand them over to the Irish Heart Foundation for its next fund-raising event, I Love Fashion, which is a sort-of giant swap shop. Last year it had donations by designers such as Lyn Mar, Synan O'Mahony, Marc O'Neill and Louise Kennedy, as well as nearly new designer bargains from Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and other labels. There will also be makeovers and beauty consultations from Lancôme and all kinds of nibbly bits, from chocolate hearts to sushi. I Love Fashion is at the Ceramics Room of the National Museum of Ireland, on Kildare Street in Dublin, on Thursday, March 3rd, from 6 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Tickets are €30. To donate an outfit or book a place contact Jane or Susan at the foundation (01-6685001, jhunt@irishheart.ie).
STOP THIEF When you're charged more than €20 for CDs that cost half that in other countries, it can be hard to feel that the music industry has your best interests at heart. One section that is inviting our faith, however, is Trust Me I'm a Thief, an Irish record label and website that will let you download its releases for just €7.95. (It has also just been named best online digital music service at the Digital Media Awards, beating off Eircom Net, Today FM and CD Wow!) In the four months since its launch, Trust Me I'm a Thief's releases of Jape's The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun than Me and The Redneck Manifesto's I Am Brazil have proved that independent music is not drowning in a sea of multinationals. www.trustmeimathief.com.
ECLECTIC AVENUE Depending on your inclination, you could leave the Guinness Gallery, in Foxrock, Co Dublin, having spent €10 or €2,000. Its owner, Elisabeth Guinness, trawls Ireland and the rest of Europe for jewellery, paintings, sculptures and glass of a kind you're unlikely to find anywhere else in the country. Some of her favourite new pieces in the gallery are porcelain figures by Michael Jackson, a Dublin artist. They are made from porcelain clay, glazed and then further worked with a combination of gold, metal lustre and enamel. The process is long and delicate, often taking up to five firings. We also like Czech designer Evzen Vitcek's unique leather and wood necklaces and belts. The Guinness Gallery, Foxrock Village, Dublin 18, 01-2897955, www.guinness gallery.com
SPECTACULAR PRICES James Murray Wells, a 21-year-old broke student turned entrepreneur, was driven to start a business when he was confronted with a £150 (€220) price tag on a pair of reading glasses. He was convinced there was a cheaper way to produce what was essentially a piece of wire and two pieces of glass. But when he contacted laboratories, to try to discover the cost of making a pair of glasses, he was met with silence. On the brink of giving up, he called one more laboratory, which told him that the cost was under £7 (€10) and that the process took 20 minutes. Since Glasses Direct was born, last summer, it has already moved from Wells's parents' house to its own premises, where it employs 11 people. The result is glasses from £15 (€22). They are simple, but they cost a fraction of other retailers' models. www.glassesdirect.co.uk.
BANANARAMA Who would have thought that the Banana Guard would become such an object of desire - a sort of iPod for fruit lovers? The guard, which promises to banish mushed-up-banana-in-the- bottom-of-your-bag syndrome, has been such a hit that last week the company had to suspend its UK website while it waited for supplies to arrive from Canada (where the guard was invented by David Agulnik, who one day had a severe case of banana trauma at work and decided to do something about it). Now the site's open again you can choose from nine colours, including Outrageous Orange, SkyHigh Blue, Glow in the Dark and, of course, Mellow Yellow. If you want one it costs £3.95 (£4.35 for glow in the dark) plus postage. Visit www.bananaguard-uk.com.