Motorcyclists from road safety charity the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) are inviting Ireland’s bikers to join them and ride their way into the record books. The current record is 138 makes and models at an event organised by the KillSpills Campaign in 2007.
The parade organised by the Quay Vipers Motorcycle Club, will assemble near the slipway where the world’s most famous ship Titanic was built and adjacent to the new iconic building and exhibition centre Titanic, Belfast. The attempt will follow a two-mile route to the City Hall and back again to the starting point for a bikers’ barbecue. The world record attempt will be started by local boxing hero Wayne Pocket McCullough, Olympic silver medallist and former WBC Bantamweight and Commonwealth champion.

Other sponsors of this event are Adelaide Insurance Services, Days Hotel, Stena Line and Bikesafe.
The record attempt will begin at 7pm and is part of a week-long tour of Britain and Ireland to raise awareness of road safety and money for charity.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “It doesn’t matter if you have a 1200cc Harley of a 50cc moped, we want to see as many two-wheelers as possible join us so that we smash the world record. It’s for a great cause and will also be a terrific night out. “
Riders can sign up for the world-record team here: http://www.iam.org.uk/worldrecordattempt

The Titanic Boys, tells the true, untold story of nine young Harland & Wolff men who uniquely built, sailed and died on the RMS Titanic.

Two weeks before the Titanic sailed, designer Thomas Andrews walked into the four main trade workshops at Harland and Wolff and asked each foreman to name his best apprentice. When the bosses nominated four young men, Andrews informed the stunned apprentices they were joining himself and four senior tradesmen to sail on Titanic’s maiden voyage to New York as members of the H&W Guarantee Group.

The Titanic Boys brings the Titanic story back to where it all began – Belfast. Heart-warming and heart-breaking, this story of nine men who knew the Titanic better than anyone else in the world is truly remarkable. Laced with Lynch’s renowned capacity for capturing Belfast character and humour, this is one not to be missed!

The Titanic Boys opens at the Grand Opera House on Wednesday 8^th August and runs until Saturday 25^th August. Ticket prices start at £12 and can be purchased via telephone on 9024 1919, online at www.goh.co.uk or in person at the theatre’s Box Office.

See a clip from the exclusive preview here, thanks to Discover NI

The once-in-a-lifetime experience will be staged in Belfast at the Titanic Slipways on the 30 June in front of 18,000 stunned spectators.

Audiences will be treated to an astonishing mix of state-of-the-art digital animation, dramatic special effects, fireworks, gravity defying aerial performances all played out on a stage almost 200 metres long – even the Titanic Belfast building gets a starring role.

Giant letters spelling LAND OF GIANTS TICKETS helped announce the launch – each letter was held by one of nineteen specially trained performers from Belfast Circus School. Each of the perfectly honed artists has undergone intensive preparations that will enable them to undertake the technically challenging set pieces happening throughout the 45 minute extravaganza on 30 June.

Tickets, which cost £10 for an adult, £6 concession and £28 for a family, are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre with the option of booking online at www.gotobelfast.com, via telephone on + 44 2890246609, or in person at the Welcome Centre in Belfast’s city centre.

Learn more about Land of Giants via their Facebook page,
facebook.com/landofgiantsni, Twitter account @landofgiantsni – or their website, www.landofgiants.info.

Music lovers are to be treated to a feast when a spectacular line-up of musicians will be taking to the stage to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The grand finale of this special two day event, on Monday June 4th, will be an open-air concert performed by the Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra and The Ulster Orchestra. The wonderful Youth Jazz Orchestra will take to the stage at 6pm followed at 8pm by The Ulster Orchestra. Presented by Linley Hamilton and conducted by Stephen Bell, this special Jubilee concert will also feature international soprano star Rebekah Coffey performing to her home crowd! Join us as they perform popular classics from around the world – from Tchaikovsky to Morriconi concluding with Rebekah performing Lerner & Loewe’s beautiful “I Could Have Danced All Night” as finale.

Rebekah Coffey is fast becoming a household name in her native Northern Ireland. The winner of the 2004-2006 Young Artist Platform Scheme, she has seen her career develop on both the operatic stage and the concert platform.

Newtownards-born Rebekah has performed roles with Opera North, English Touring Opera, Opera Theatre Company, Castleward Opera, Buxton Festival, Opera 2005, Lyric Opera, Castleward Opera. She has also performed at the Aldeburgh Festival, Buxton Festival and Belfast Festival at Queens. In 2009, Rebekah made her Proms debut at Proms in the Park at Hillsborough Castle and recent débuts have also included her appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night performing an evening of Gilbert and Sullivan music with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

The evening will conclude at 10.30pm when you’ll see the Town Hall move like it’s never moved before with a spectacular 3D Light Projection Show followed by the National Lighting of the Jubilee Beacon.
Please note the Monday evening activities are by ticket only. Tickets are free and are currently available for collection only from Bangor Leisure Centre, North Down Museum, Bangor Tourist Information Centre, Bangor Library and Holywood Library, however availability is limited so don’t delay, get your tickets now and come to Bangor to celebrate the Jubilee in style! Don’t forget to bring your picnic but please note that alcohol will not be permitted at this event.
For further information, please phone our Tourist Information Centre on: 028 9127 0069 or visit www.northdowntourism.com