Strabane Drama Festival will this year celebrate a landmark 26th Anniversary with a spellbinding array of drama for local theatre-goers.

Once again the festival will bring nine drama groups from around Ireland to the Alley Theatre to present a wide variety of theatre from comedies, ‘The 39 Steps’ and powerful, dramatic theatre including ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’

The variety continues with ‘Shadowlands’, a play on the life of CS Lewis and ‘Closing Time’ which will be staged by local groups, Lifford Players and Backburners from Newtownstewart respectively.

Top drama groups travelling to Strabane include Silken Thomas (who won the festival for the last year with spectacular performances of ‘History Boys’ and ‘Angels in America’). Also returning are Wexford staging ‘Frozen’ and Ballyshannon Drama Society (winners of last year’s All Ireland Confined Finals) presenting ‘The Memory of Water’.

“As usual,” said Aodh McCay, Strabane Drama Festival Director, “we have in store a wonderful theatrical treat for the local community with nine very different productions being staged in the magnificent Alley Theatre.

“The best way to enjoy a spectacle such as this is to fully immerse in the festival experience viewing as many of the plays as possible – or, better still, all of them!”

“This year is another major milestone with the 26th staging of an annual drama festival in Strabane and is probably unique in community festivals locally for its longevity.”

Aodh went on to invite the entire community to this celebration – especially those who have yet to experience a drama festival.

The festival opens on Friday, March 16, with Pomeroy Players presenting ‘The Weir’ written by Conor McPherson and runs until Saturday, March 24, where Wexford Drama Group will be taking to the stage with ‘Frozen’, written by Bryony Lavery.

Emma Devine, Marketing Officer at the Alley Theatre added: “The Strabane Drama Festival is always a highlight in our Spring programme and with nine nights of top quality drama over St Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day, it’s the perfect opportunity to experience live theatre productions. Curtain goes up at 8pm each night but as always there will be a variety of pre-show entertainment each evening from 7.15pm including music, drama and poetry.

“We have a great range of ticket prices including a series ticket for the full nine nights at £40 (£30 concession) and individual performances for £8 (£6 concession).”

Early booking is advisable, for a full breakdown of events or for further information please contact the Alley Theatre Box Office on: 71. 384444 or online at:www.alley-theatre.com.

Vauxhall’s Astra GTC is the most driver-focused model the brand makes. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

The GTC offers couture styling with blue-collar underpinnings. It’s a great combination. Powerful engines are available, but you don’t necessarily need them for the feel-good sensation that comes with GTC ownership. It’s a relatively affordable compact coupe that can stand wheel-to-wheel with apparently more exalted rivals - and often come out on top.

Wouldn’t it smarten your driveway? Many potential buyers will think so.

Vauxhall has quite a performance heritage. From the Prince Henry of 1911 to the fire-breathing Firenza models of the Seventies, the Eighties’ Chevette HSR rallycars or the Lotus Carlton super saloon, the last century saw plenty for the driving enthusiast to get excited about behind the wheel of something bearing the Griffin badge.

None of these models though, were cars that sporting motorists were particularly likely to want to use every day. Which was why in 1990, Vauxhall launched the Calibra, an affordable compact coupe based on ordinary underpinnings that was super-stylish, sensibly practical and, in its more potent forms, really very decent to drive. It was different enough from humbler Astras and Cavaliers to be desirable. Yet similar enough to remain affordable both to buy and to run. Curiously, the Calibra wasn’t replaced, nor was it really replicated in the Vauxhall line-up - until late 2011 and the launch of the the Astra GTC.

This Vauxhall made its debut on the UK market at a time when interest in compact coupes seemed to be on the rise, with all-new models like the MINI Coupe and the Hyundai Veloster arriving to join a revised version of Renault’s Megane Coupe, the still new and exciting Peugeot RCZ and perhaps this car’s toughest competitor, Volkswagen’s Scirocco. None of these cars would have been seriously troubled had Vauxhall done little more than dress up a three-door version of the ordinary Astra family hatch - as had been the case with the previous Astra Sport Hatch and Astra coupe models that tried and failed to replicate the old Calibra’s appeal.

But this GTC, this ‘Grand Touring Coupe’, is different. Sharing not a single body panel with an ordinary Astra, it’s wider, longer, lower and more athletic looking. And though the engines are familiar, a clever HiPerStrut suspension system means that it should feel very different to drive. It is, in short, a very desirable Astra indeed.

You could be excused for approaching a drive in this GTC model with rather low expectations. After all, it succeeds a couple of Astra coupe models that were no more exciting to drive than the frumpy five-door hatchbacks they were based upon.

And a quick glance at the badgework and under the bonnet might suggest that we’re again looking at something similar here. You might think that. Your friends might think that. But you’d both be wrong. It’s true that apart from the potent 2.0-litre petrol turbo used in the flagship VXR version, GTC engineware is identical to that you’ll find in any ordinary Astra. But that’s only because engineering effort and investment has been directed into areas far more important to driving satisfaction. Sharper steering, a wider track and, most importantly, a completely different suspension set-up all combine to make this the most engaging driver’s car Vauxhall makes. Only a £30,000 Insignia VXR gets its power down and turns into corners as sharply - and that’s only because it shares this car’s clever HiPerStrut suspension system.

Before I drove this car, I wouldn’t have thought it possible for an Astra - any Astra - to offer a more rewarding drive than a rival Megane Renaultsport or a sporty Focus ST. I was wrong.

Better still, you don’t have to spend extra money on Vauxhall’s hi-tech FlexRide adaptive damping system to really enjoy it, so well-judged is the ride and handling balance, especially tuned for our appalling roads.

If you can’t stretch to the frantic 280bhp VXR 155mph high performance version, then the only engine in the mainstream range likely to really get your heart pumping is the one I tried, a 16v 1.6-litre petrol Turbo unit developing a useful 180PS.

Its torque figure of 230Nm isn’t quite as impressive compared to obvious rivals, but this model’s still quick enough to flash past sixty from rest in just 7.8s on the way to 138mph. And there’s a lovely rorty engine note to go with it.

Most GTC customers though, will probably opt for something a little more sensible.

There are a couple of 1.4-litre petrol Turbo units developing either 120 or 140PS, the faster of which is still able to make sixty in 9.0s.

Or there’s a choice of either 1.7 or 2.0-litre CDTi diesel power which can get a bit clattery in the upper reaches of the rev range.

The 1.7 comes in either 110 or 130PS states of tune, while the 2.0-litre unit is altogether punchier with 165PS and 350Nm of torque. enough to make this variant feel probably the most potent of all.

Day to day running costs are not going to be markedly different from any other Astra model. In fact, when the higher residual values this GTC model will enjoy over a normal Astra hatch come into play, it’s likely that this car will be cheaper to run than its ordinary stablemate.

Derry has long been regarded as a city of song and we want you to tell us your favourite songs to have come from the city.

You have any number of artists to choose from - the only criteria is that they come from Derry.

So if you think Nadine Coyle, or Josef Locke, D:Ream or the Undertones is best, then let us know below.

Or maybe Dana, Baltimore or Phil Coulter or one of the great Derry bands currently lighting up the local scene that you think is better than the rest.

You can tell us your favourite song or tell us what songs you think would make it onto an album made up of only songs from Derry.

We will whittle down the most popular choices and then let you vote on what you think are Derry’s greatest hits.

We look forward to hearing what songs you think best reflect the city of Culture’s rich musical heritage....

]]> 1.3540813 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:57:13 +0000 http://www.derryjournal.com/lucky_lotto_shop_gets_lucky_again_1_3544659

Barry McCloskey’s newsagents in Dungiven has notched up a hat trick of bumper National Lottery wins to make it one of the luckiest shops in Northern Ireland.

And the latest win of almost £91,000 has gone to a man Barry grew up beside in the County Derry town - 48 year-old joiner Kieran Kelly.

Barry had already sold two jackpot winning tickets before his lifelong friend bought his Lotto ticket last Wednesday: Local woman Ann Logan won £479,126 in 2006 and four years before that Limavady van driver Stephen Boyd netted £1,456,675.

Bachelor Kieran’s ticket won him the Lotto’s 5+Bonus Ball prize of £90,778 - and it was all down to the flu.

He explained : “I work in Dublin during the week and had to come home on Wednesday because I was well under the weather with the flu. I went into Barry’s shop when I got off the bus and it was just about five minutes before the lottery closed at 7.30pm.

“I usually buy my ticket from Barry on Saturdays when I’m home for the weekend so it’s just been an incredible turn of events. It also cured my flu pretty quickly.”

Barry said he couldn’t be happier that his latest winning ticket went to his lifelong friend.

He said : “Our parents were neighbours in the town so I grew up beside Kieran. I couldn’t be more pleased - unless, of course, it had been me!

“I don’t know why the shop is so lucky but let’s hope it continues to happen. People go miles out of their way to buy their tickets here.”

The Kelly family are well known throughout the Dungiven area and in his day Kieran was a leading member of the Dungiven GAA club, winning a host of football and hurling medals that included county championship medals in both sports.

“I really can’t believe I’ve been so lucky”, he says. “It’s a lovely amount of money - just enough to make life comfortable while keeping my feet on the ground. I haven’t decided what to do with it yet but it will certainly allow me to travel round Ireland enjoying my passion for traditional music.”

]]> 1.3544659 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:31:27 +0000