and vases spread around gave the room a domestic air and Devlin felt that
the young Belfast interior designer she had commissioned to decorate City Girl had done a very impressive job. The whole tone of the building was one of discreet opulence.
The beauty salon, which Aoibhinn had organized, looked superb. While it wasn’t as big as the Dublin City Girl salon, it was very well laid out, and the pretty pink-and-green curtains that
fronted the individual cubicles and hung on the floor-to-ceiling windows gave the room a sunny atmosphere. Across the square, Devlin could see the Portland stone City Hall, its imposing Classical
Renaissance copper dome the most familiar landmark in the city. The superbly laid-out gardens were ablaze with late autumn colours and Devlin thought they would be a lovely sight for clients as
they were pampered by the beauticians and hairdressers.
They had paid a lot of money for the building that now housed the Health and Leisure Centre but the three partners agreed that it was worth it. It was situated in the city centre, close to the
new bus station, the exquisitely restored Opera House and the Europa Hotel. Northern Ireland Rail’s Central Station was less than a mile away. The trio agreed that the money had been well
spent if only because of the building’s accessibility.
After they looked around, chatted to the workmen, and saw what progress had been made, Arthur took them for coffee in the famous Crown Liquor Saloon, the Victorian pub that was in the care of
the National Trust. Located at the start of what was known as ‘the Golden Mile’ of restaurants, bars and entertainment centres that led on to the elegant areas around Queen’s
University and the Botanic Gardens, the Crown was full of atmosphere and charm.
‘Isn’t Belfast a very classy city?’ Devlin observed, as she gazed admiringly at the Opera House through the window.
‘The people of Belfast are very conscious of their heritage,’ said Arthur, as he paid the waiter who had arrived with their coffee. ‘You won’t catch them hauling down
historic buildings the way they do willy-nilly in Dublin. I mean, how your Corporation got away with erecting those monstrosities they call the Civic Offices, after all the controversy about
Christchurch and the sites surrounding it, is beyond me!’
‘That was outrageous,’ Devlin agreed, sipping her coffee. ‘The wishes of the people were ignored completely.’
‘Well, they wouldn’t have got away with it here. We wouldn’t have been allowed to change one square foot of the façade of City Girl, even if we had wanted to,’
Arthur said.
‘It’s a very elegant building anyway,’ Luke reflected. ‘It suits the ambience of City Girl very well. It’s not brash and brassy as a modern building might be.
It’s very soothing, even reassuring, if you know what I mean. The Stephen’s Green building is in the same style. It would be interesting to see how a high-tech, California-style City
Girl would do.’ He looked at Devlin questioningly.
She wrinkled her nose. ‘It might suit the young types. But we have a very broad membership and I think our clients value the sense of leaving their cares behind and being petted and
pampered in luxurious surroundings. I’ve seen some high-tech leisure centres. They’re not that relaxing, and I think relaxation is one of our main selling points.’
‘I think so, too. I’ve been getting very positive feedback about what we’re doing,’ Arthur said enthusiastically, ‘and the great thing is that I’m having no
problem at all promoting it. Everybody’s very eager to get on the bandwagon because it’s new and different, and people think it’s going to work. I’ve three companies
prepared to do an advertising promotion with display bins, posters, flyers and so on, and they’ll be stocked in the major multiples like Dunnes, Stewarts and Wellworths as well as the CTNs .
. .’
‘The whats?’ Devlin had heard the term
the young Belfast interior designer she had commissioned to decorate City Girl had done a very impressive job. The whole tone of the building was one of discreet opulence.
The beauty salon, which Aoibhinn had organized, looked superb. While it wasn’t as big as the Dublin City Girl salon, it was very well laid out, and the pretty pink-and-green curtains that
fronted the individual cubicles and hung on the floor-to-ceiling windows gave the room a sunny atmosphere. Across the square, Devlin could see the Portland stone City Hall, its imposing Classical
Renaissance copper dome the most familiar landmark in the city. The superbly laid-out gardens were ablaze with late autumn colours and Devlin thought they would be a lovely sight for clients as
they were pampered by the beauticians and hairdressers.
They had paid a lot of money for the building that now housed the Health and Leisure Centre but the three partners agreed that it was worth it. It was situated in the city centre, close to the
new bus station, the exquisitely restored Opera House and the Europa Hotel. Northern Ireland Rail’s Central Station was less than a mile away. The trio agreed that the money had been well
spent if only because of the building’s accessibility.
After they looked around, chatted to the workmen, and saw what progress had been made, Arthur took them for coffee in the famous Crown Liquor Saloon, the Victorian pub that was in the care of
the National Trust. Located at the start of what was known as ‘the Golden Mile’ of restaurants, bars and entertainment centres that led on to the elegant areas around Queen’s
University and the Botanic Gardens, the Crown was full of atmosphere and charm.
‘Isn’t Belfast a very classy city?’ Devlin observed, as she gazed admiringly at the Opera House through the window.
‘The people of Belfast are very conscious of their heritage,’ said Arthur, as he paid the waiter who had arrived with their coffee. ‘You won’t catch them hauling down
historic buildings the way they do willy-nilly in Dublin. I mean, how your Corporation got away with erecting those monstrosities they call the Civic Offices, after all the controversy about
Christchurch and the sites surrounding it, is beyond me!’
‘That was outrageous,’ Devlin agreed, sipping her coffee. ‘The wishes of the people were ignored completely.’
‘Well, they wouldn’t have got away with it here. We wouldn’t have been allowed to change one square foot of the façade of City Girl, even if we had wanted to,’
Arthur said.
‘It’s a very elegant building anyway,’ Luke reflected. ‘It suits the ambience of City Girl very well. It’s not brash and brassy as a modern building might be.
It’s very soothing, even reassuring, if you know what I mean. The Stephen’s Green building is in the same style. It would be interesting to see how a high-tech, California-style City
Girl would do.’ He looked at Devlin questioningly.
She wrinkled her nose. ‘It might suit the young types. But we have a very broad membership and I think our clients value the sense of leaving their cares behind and being petted and
pampered in luxurious surroundings. I’ve seen some high-tech leisure centres. They’re not that relaxing, and I think relaxation is one of our main selling points.’
‘I think so, too. I’ve been getting very positive feedback about what we’re doing,’ Arthur said enthusiastically, ‘and the great thing is that I’m having no
problem at all promoting it. Everybody’s very eager to get on the bandwagon because it’s new and different, and people think it’s going to work. I’ve three companies
prepared to do an advertising promotion with display bins, posters, flyers and so on, and they’ll be stocked in the major multiples like Dunnes, Stewarts and Wellworths as well as the CTNs .
. .’
‘The whats?’ Devlin had heard the term
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