ireland.com - The Irish Times

Back in the hood
Craig David thinks he might have more street cred if he was from a Chicago ghetto, with Playboy models in his videos and a few drugs charges. But even though the R & B singer is growing more confident and opinionated, music works best as escapism, he tells Brian Boyd . p

A street star's inner journey
The red-bricked facades of the Coronation Street set are just about visible from the entrance to Stage 1 at the Granada Studios in Manchester where a group of young girls are waiting, pens and paper at the ready, writes Sorcha Hamilton . p

Windows on the world
Taking art out of the gallery is nothing new, but putting it in hospital wards is a smart idea. A project at St James's Hospital has been projecting art into the rooms of recuperating patients, and needs continued support, writes Gemma Tipton . p

The High Life
On my first visit to Africa, I thought, it would be fun to go for the double whammy, tying in a trip up Kilimanjaro with a Kenyan safari. So I dreamed up what seemed to be a great plan, writes Grania Willis . p

Opening Lines
Halloween capers: Play traditional games: bob for apples in a basin, hang an apple from some string and get the kids to grab a bite as it swings past, and, at the end of the evening, read a ghost story (by torchlight, of course). p
My big week
Karla Fox: Manager of the Bram Stoker Dracula Experience p
What's going on
Oct 27th-Nov 2nd p
Planet matters
Jane Powers on reusing. p

Scarlet for me
I'm sitting on the train to Belfast, eavesdropping on a conversation between two men about "foreign hams" versus "ordinary hams", writes Roisin Ingle . p

California Dreamin'
When Jerry Garcia, the legendary Grateful Dead guitarist, died, in 1995, Ridge Vineyards closed its doors for two days as a mark of respect. It wasn't that Garcia was a particular fan of the Californian winemaker, but the eclectic crew at the acclaimed vineyard included enough Deadheads to make the gesture heartfelt, writes Joe Breen . p
Speedy Suppers
Cooking in: Good food need not take hours p
Hugo's, Dublin 2
Eating out: I am haunted by duck confit. Ever since I decided to take a stand on this dish (which can be a squishy business) I feel duty bound to eat it, or at least try it, whenever I see it on a menu. And, yes, it tends to crop up quite a lot, writes Tom Doorley . p
Bottles of the week
Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Napa; Napanook 2001, Dominus Estate, Napa; Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2002, Barossa Valley. p
The spice route
Dundrum Town Centre isn't the first place one would think of sending people in search of eternal joy, unless they worship at the altar of designer labels, writes Marie-Claire Digby . p

Clotheslines
A stitch in time: All you crafty people out there should put November 1st-4th into your diary, the dates of the annual Knitting & Stitching Show at the RDS, Dublin. p
About face
Leading a healthy lifestyle keeps the sparkle in your eye - but the skin around it deserves special attention, writes Phyl Clarke . p

Get out and garden
Work done now will set the garden up nicely for next spring, giving you a head start on that busiest of seasons. Also, if it's not raining or blowing, this is one of the most invigorating times of year to be outdoors, writes Jane Powers . p

Art House
These days, "modern" is invariably considered best, and many older, freshly renovated houses have taken on the warmth of corporate lobbies. Which is what makes artist Siobhán MacDonald's place so surprising, writes Eoin Lyons . p

Sections