By Siobhan O’Neill White

When I was 12 my Mam told me about periods we also learned about periods in school – albeit in the most unhelpful and shameful way, like it was some horrible secret girls should never talk about! When I was pregnant, I read loads of books about pregnancy, birth and being a parent. When I had a miscarriage, I got support from my Mam who had been through a miscarriage herself and advice from www.miscarriage.ie So why is it, when I hit my 40’s, no-one told me about Menopause, or her evil little sister, perimenopause? My periods were erratic, my mood was all over the place, I had trouble sleeping and my hips ached. I was anxious and fearful but didn’t know why. I got into my car one day and couldn’t remember how to drive. I sat there for a full 5 minutes with no clue how to start my car. It’s called Brain Fog apparently! I had tests for arthritis, a brain scan, CT scans – all manner of tests to see what was going on but no answers. And then a miracle happened when Davina McCall made a show about menopause. All I knew about menopause was that women got hot flushes and their periods stopped in their 50’s. Oh how ignorant I was! I had never even heard of perimenopause. It was a huge relief to know I was not alone and that every woman goes through this. Finally, armed with information, I had my hormones tested and was put on HRT. Its early days but already my sleep is better and my joints are not aching as much. In addition to HRT, I use the Balance App (a free app for women dealing with perimenopause & menopause) which is full of advice and support. I have also found the supplements from Better Body Co. helpful with bloating, which is a common problem for women dealing with perimenopause and menopause. For anyone who wants to find out more or get support for perimenopause or menopause, find chat and advice on the Balance App. I would highly recommend checking out the Menopause Documentary on the RTE player and the Davina McCall documentaries on Channel 4 on Demand. I would also recommend having your partner and children watch these documentaries with you because the more we speak openly about perimenopause & menopause, the better it will be for women who are affected and their families.

By Jack Shanley

Forty years ago, Ridley Scott released one of the most captivating Sci-fi films of all time. As it approaches its 40th anniversary, I just had to give ‘Blade Runner’ another rewatch and it never fails to amaze me.It’s an extraordinary film, both beautifully crafted and visually stunning. From the amazing Score by the late genius Vangelis to the phenomenal detail in every shot, it truly is a jaw-dropping cinematic experience. Although it’s a futuristic Sci-fi film from the ‘80s, it still very much clings to the classic film noir style of the ‘40s and ‘50s. Detective Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a masculine yet vulnerable character, a character we’ve seen multiple times throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s. ‘Blade Runner’ is influenced enormously by the film noir style and, of course, other movies such as ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, ‘Star Wars’ and probably its biggest influence, Fritz Lang’s 1927 futuristic classic ‘Metropolis’.There is still a freshness and distinctiveness in the material no matter how many times you watch it. One of the greatest elements is the spectacular visuals that suck you in, and as a viewer you can’t help but get lost in it.From the opening aerial shot of the beautiful mesmerising dream-like city, Scott has our attention, and we want to dive in there and then and explore every inch of this amazing city.

However, what’s rather interesting is we never really get the chance to, for up high it looks astonishing but down low it looks like an overpopulated, run down, damp claustrophobic city. Although ‘Blade Runner’ looks amazing, it also sounds amazing. Due to the spectacular visuals you can turn down the sound and still enjoy every second.The film also delves deep into the study of the human condition and essentially questions how we live life. It truly is a science fiction masterpiece and for that I give it a score of FIVE stars.You can watch ‘Blade Runner’ on Amazon Prime or pick up the final cut version for €9.99 in Tower Records. Director: Ridley Scott – Rating: 15 – Genre: Sci-fi/Action – Run Time: 1h 57m – Language: English. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.

By Dave Kavanagh

Many couples have joint plans in place for things like Life Cover. That is fine if the couple are married, but not if they are not married. Due to our very dated Capital Acquisition Tax laws, if an unmarried couple have a joint policy, in the event of a claim the survivor could be facing a large tax bill. This is because married couples can give or bequeath any value of assets without there being a tax liability. For a cohabiting couple, they are treated in the “strangers” bracket of amounts you are permitted to receive before tax is due. This did not change in the recent budget, so after a tax free threshold of €16,250, any balance is taxed at 33%. So if we take John & Mary as an example, who have a joint life policy with €250,000 life cover, in the event of John passing away, Mary will be paid out the policy proceeds but also now has a tax bill of €35,887.50 (this assumes premiums were paid from a joint account that they both contribute to, if John paid the premiums from his own account, Mary’s tax bill would be €77,137.50!) So how can you avoid being liable for such a large, potential tax bill? The correct advice when commencing cover for an unmarried couple should be, instead of setting up a joint plan, to set up two “life of another” plans. So John takes out a plan on Mary and pays the premiums and Mary takes out a plan on John and pays the premiums for that. When done this way, if the same as above happened and John passed away, Mary is deemed to have paid for the cover herself and so is not liable to pay any tax, meaning she receives the full €250,000 policy proceeds and no tax bill. It’s worth also noting that unmarried couples that buy a house together can face a similar problem if one of them passes away. The survivor that inherits the deceased’s share of the property may then be liable to pay tax on that portion of the property. There are ways to plan for this and to be exempt. If anyone is in either of these situations, please get in touch for advice.

Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

Thanks to Malahide Historical Society

Under the terms of a lease agreement of 1844 between Lord Talbot of Malahide Castle and one James Fagan, who developed St. James Terrace, the Talbots agreed to make a footway along the seaward side of the pleasure gardens (now occupied by the tennis club and sea scouts) with a retaining wall along the beach and to level the ground to the boundary. The ‘Bandwalk ‘remains a popular and much frequented route today and the supporting wall between it and the beach is still in good condition if a little overgrown with weeds. The path continued in the other direction towards the coast and was referred to in old leases as ‘the waste’ road for reasons that are not clear. As well as the set of stone steps in front of the scout den at the bottom of St. James’s Terrace, used by Victorian and Edwardian trippers for boat trips around the estuary or to picnic on The Island, there is another set of steps surviving from that time. Little used nowadays, the broad zig-zag steps down to the beach opposite the fountain at the Grand Hotel were known as ‘Granny Holton’s Steps’ and were a popular means of accessing the foreshore for children and adults alike in years gone by. It is not known how the steps took her name but Granny Holton is believed to have been of the Holton family which ran the post office over a long period and also a grocery and provisions shop on Main Street. The Farrell Holton shop (later Findlater’s) was about where Brophy Estates and the former Xtravision premises is today.

By Siobhan O’Neill White

On mams.ie we are busy with our Little Black Dress challenge, trying to lose a few pounds and tone up for Christmas. On Wednesday mornings we will be attending fitness classes with Beyond Fitness at Gormanston Park, in the sports hall at 9.30am or 10.15am. It’s €7 a class and they are specially designed with us gals in mind. As well as weekly exercise meet ups, we have recipes, healthy eating tips and lots more advice and support on mams.ie. Join our chat HERE where you can add your own goals and track your progress week by week. This group is not about losing lots of weight or putting yourself on a strict diet, it’s about getting a little healthier and feeling better. And, if you look better in your little black dress this Christmas, then that’s great too! We all know about the importance of stretching before and after exercise but another thing that is very important, is wearing the correct clothes, trainers and underwear. Wearing the correct bra is so very important when walking, running or doing an exercise class. It doesn’t matter what your cup size is, you need to wear a properly supportive bra. We have tried out several types of sports bras and we can highly recommend the ‘high impact easy on’ sports bras from Runderwear. I’m wearing one in the above pic and can tell you it does the job! They also do anti-chafing pants, which are so good for running. Check out their range and get special mams.ie discounts. Wearing the correct clothing is very important too. Let’s be honest, no-one wants a wedgie in the middle of a Zumba class! Dare2B has a wonderful collaboration with Laura Whitmore and this fantastic range is having a big sale at the moment. From supportive trainers, to sporty raincoats, to comfy leggings, we really like this collection and many of the items are currently half price or less. Colourful, made from sustainable and recycled materials, this is a wonderfully affordable range. Available online and at the Regatta store in Ilac, its such great value and perfect to help get you up and moving! If you need some ideas for healthy snacks and dinner ideas, you can check out the recipe section on mams.ie. There are lots of one pot dinner ideas in there to make dinner time easier for us busy Mammies!

By Jack Shanley

With Jordan Peele’s third film hitting cinemas worldwide in early August, I felt it would be a good opportunity to write about this much-anticipated movie. Overall, I was quite disappointed in all honesty. I felt it took an eternity to really kick in and flow luxuriously to its end. It just felt like a film with no soul, one that is so dependent on its ending that that’s all there really is to it. There was nothing more in the material to get lost in, nothing a second watch could do for me. What Peele has in ‘NOPE’ is a situation and not particularly a story. It’s a situation that never develops and just stays where it starts with louder and grander versions of the same scene continually playing for the two hours’ duration. I also didn’t care for the characters. They were so far wrong that it bored me and punctured any excitement I had for the film. There was nothing really that I, as a viewer, could relate to or identify with. There was no connection to these people on screen. I felt the villain, being a huge UFO, to be so far from scary in any way, to the point of me almost forgetting it was a horror film. It took until the scene midway through, of a violent chimpanzee on a killing spree on the set of a sitcom, for me to remember the genre. That scene was the closest I felt to being uncomfortable for the entire two hours.Jordan Peele is a talented writer/director who certainly knows what he’s doing, and as a huge horror fan I remain ever poised for the next subconscious nightmare he deems fit to make flesh. But every so often an obviously talented person makes a bad movie, and that’s what we have in ‘NOPE’. The talent is there but the movie is dead on the screen. I’ll give ‘NOPE’ a score of three stars. • You can watch ‘NOPE’ at your local cinema today: Director – Jordon Peele - Rating: 16 - Genre: Horror/Sci-fi - Run Time: 2h15m Language: English. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.

By Dave Kavanagh

People who rent privately where they live, compared to home owners, can be a lot more vulnerable. Apart from the obvious points, like rents being increased or having to move out if a property is being sold, there are other potential events that could prove problematic for renters. As we saw in the early part of the pandemic, where many people’s incomes were drastically reduced, those with mortgages were permitted to avail of “payment breaks” with minimal effort. Unfortunately, those renting do not usually have the flexibility of this option. When someone cannot work due to illness or injury, they may suffer a loss of income, either immediately or after a short period, resulting in the inability to pay rent. This could lead to eviction and all of the problems associated with it. While those renting may not have been exposed to the kind of financial advice as someone going through the mortgage process, there are still safeguards that can be put in place. One option is Income Protection, paying them a portion of their income if they were unable to work due to illness or injury. This could be the difference between affording rent or being evicted. Something not often considered by renters is Life Cover. If one of a couple renting passed away, this could allow the surviving partner (or family) to purchase their own home immediately without the need for a mortgage. Similarly, Serious Illness Cover could pay out a tax free lump sum on diagnosis of one of the illnesses covered, giving another layer of financial security. Better to consider these options earlier rather than later.

By Jack Shanley

As we approach the 55th anniversary of ‘Nights Of Cabiria’, I felt it was an opportunity to reflect on the great Federico Fellini’s Italian classic. The 1957 film is a wo-hour long conversation with the heart, soul and spirit of the audience. ‘Nights of Cabiria’ is a deep, heartbreaking and sorrowful, yet eloquent story that follows the main character, Cabiria, a street walker who dreams of a better life. Unfortunately, life isn’t particularly too kind to her but nevertheless, she looks for meaning through romantic love.This happy-go-lucky character, the embodiment of sadness, pain and bad luck, deals with the unfortunate natures of life as she smiles through the tears. The film is the transcendence of the truth of life reflected through the magic of the projector straight onto the splendid screen for our eyes to witness life instead of living it. It is very much character driven and although it’s a sad film, it’s also quite funny, poignant and enjoyable to watch. Not only is the true essence of life represented in the material but it also provides two hours’ entertainment.Fellini, the Italian maestro, left his imprint in all thefilms he directed for us to enjoy forever. ‘Nights OfCabiria’ is one of his best films and stands out because of the character of Cabiria at the helm of the story. Cabiria, an invincible woman with an unbreakable human spirit, is someone we can all identify with.Though she has deflating experiences like being pushed into the Tiber River and being led-on, she repeatedly opens her heart, hoping to find love and stability. ‘Nights Of Cabiria’ has also been a hugely influential Film, going on to influence the musical ‘Sweet Charity’ (1967).It also won many awards including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1957. Like good wine, it gets better with age and I give it a score of Five Stars.You can buy ‘Nights of Cabiria’ at Tower Records for €16.99. Director: Federico Fellini – Rating: PG - Genre: Drama/Romance - Run Time: 1h 58m Language: Italian. •For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram. Nights of Cabiria (1957) – IMDb

By Siobhan O’Neill White

September is often the busiest month of the year for slimming and fitness clubs – for many of these
businesses, it is even more busy than January! As the children go back to school and routine
becomes the norm again, we start to think ahead to Christmas and the party season and the dread
of the LBD (Little Black Dress!).Covid has played havoc with many of our waistlines (mine included unfortunately!) and while it’s good to focus on a healthier attitude to sweets and treats in general, instead of putting huge pressure on yourself to achieve something huge like losing a stone or two before Christmas, how about setting some smaller, more achievable goals instead? We can help! In 2018, we ran a free weight loss group on mams.ie and it was very successful. The aim was to lose half a pound a week by making small changes. Increasing your exercise, cutting down on alcohol, drinking more water, cutting down on fizzy drinks – just these changes alone can bring great results. We all supported each other and it was in a non judgemental way, which really spurred everyone on. I find that, when I want to lose some weight, small changes are the way to go. Instead of cutting out all your favourite treat foods in one go and radically changing your diet, make small changes that are more realistic. So, don’t just quit frothy coffees and a chat with the girls, instead opt for a flat white and have a glass of water on the go at all times. Sometimes, we think we’re hungry when in fact, we are just thirsty. If you fancy a scone with that coffee, earn it, by walking to the café. That way you won’t feel guilty afterwards! When it comes to weekends, go easy on yourself. You don’t have to quit all your favourite things. You can still have a take away but limit it to one a week and if you are having a glass wine, think about drinking white instead of red as its lower in calories. I love soda water with splash of lime cordial, few cubes of ice and a slice of lime, it feels like a drink but no hangover the next day! Instead of reaching for crisps, have other snacks at the ready. Mini crackers and cheese are a good option if you want something salty but don’t want to devour a tub of pringles. And popcorn is a brilliant option – just go easy on the butter. We will be restarting our mams.ie weight loss club again this September, it is free of charge for mams.ie members, all you need to do is create an account at mams.ie and then subscribe.

By Carina Cunningham

Little did she know, this time last year that she would be cast as the leading lady in a vampire film called “Tara Hill”. Director/Writer Bobby Cullen of Ryker Films spotted Becky and took a chance on her, even though she did not have a lot of experience in filming. Becky has been modelling a few years now and is well used to the camera. She has also walked the catwalk on many fashion shows including; Style Warriors fashion and Entertainment Show and other charity events. She has now been granted the opportunity to see herself up on the big screen in this gothic fantasy film set for “Tara Hill”, overlooking the sea at Gorey. Marc Hughes; award winning producer of film “Red Room” has merged with Bobby Cullen under the name of Ryker Films. Together, they plan to enter “Tara Hill” into the Cork Film Festival and The Richard Harris Film Festival this Autumn. Bobby is also an accomplished singer/ songwriter. His songs are featured in the upcoming film “Tara Hill”. “ My Carousel ” is Bobby Cullens’ rock song, which he sang and produced himself. Wardrobe for the entire film has been designed by Carina Cunningham. Make-up is a very important part of a vampire film and none other than the very well-known make-up artist Gillian Stapleton is on set fixing vampire fangs at her best.This will be a super film with amazing scenery; sea, forests, hills, and lakes. The next scene will be shot in Style Warriors Dreamscape room 102 Ardgillan Castle, where the room will be transformed into a smokey vampire local pub. The room, set up with candles and lady vampires will be the perfect setting. Once again costumes will need to be co-ordinated with make-up to set the scene. This fantasy world is my style and needless to say, I will be in my element helping style this. Actress Becky Archbold will look fabulous in Red, plus at least ten
other vampires dressed to taste and kill. Blood is the drug for Becky and her kin! After this film, what’s next for merging Actress Becky Archbold? When one door closes, another one opens, as she has been cast in a new programme which will be filmed in the Autumn. Watch this space as it’s under wraps right now. A perfect second role for Becky, that’s all I can say right now. So, onwards and upwards. Wishing Becky all the best in her new chapter in the film world. Watch out Hollywood, she’s on her way!