Check out www.scarletmist.com, an "ethical" ticket exchange where you can buy and sell concert tickets - but only at face value. It can be a great way to avoid touts and astronomical eBay prices. Although it's mainly UK-based, it has some tickets for gigs in Ireland, so you never know - you might just bag yourself an elusive ticket for next weekend's Electric Picnic.
FINDING A PERFECT MATCH
Like many people on holiday in idyllic Roundstone, Co Galway, after a lazy lunch and a wander I found myself in an interesting shop. There are many second-hand shops around the country, but the Matchmaker is particularly deserving of a visit.
Owner David Bruno (right) buys containerloads of clothes and other goods every November in Palm Beach, Florida. The result is an eclectic mix of vintage men and women's clothing, antiques and crockery. Take with you an open mind, time, patience and a sense of humour and you could emerge triumphant.
A pair of barely worn men's Gucci loafers in a minute size 7½ lie alongside ladies' Escada pumps, bargains at €70 and €45, respectively. Keep looking and you'll find labels such as Joan & David, Ferragamo, Versace, Perry Ellis and St Joan. An extensive collection of men's Harris tweed jackets line one railing. True to form, they are priced at an average of €40.
A pair of Versace court shoes, two sizes too small for these feet, were only €125. There are Tommy Hilfiger men's shirts still in their wrapping, and clothes from Brooks Brothers, Joan & David, Perry Ellis and Abercrombie and Fitch. Whether they are in your size is down to luck.
I move through the shop and spot an eel-skin secretary bag, a 1960s Gucci tie, a 1960s Givenchy scarf and an amazing German army belt from 1918. I leave with a pair of Nicole Richie-style bug-eye 1980s shades that cost just €5.
Whether you're a fashionista, a tourist, a bargain-hunter or merely in search of an interesting way to pass an afternoon, the Matchmaker should delight and distract.
The Matchmaker, Main Street, Roundstone, Co Galway, 11.30am-5.30pm until October. Holly White
AND THE BAND PLAYED ON . . .
The idea of making music easier to make has been around a long time. The hurdy-gurdy, a medieval invention, was a kind of drone-based mechanical violin, cranked by a wheel and fingered on a keyboard. Some of the player pianos of the early 20th century used rolls with markings on them to allow non-musicians to provide a kind of expressive finish to the mechanically perfect stream of notes. Now, in the 21st century, it's all become even easier. There's a new virtual orchestra at London's South Bank Centre, laid out in the open air with instruments represented by plastic cubes or hotspots. All you have to do is sit down on a cube or stand in a hotspot and, hey presto, the relevant instrument will start playing. It's not just the classics that are featured. Along with Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony and Elgar's Enigma Variations you may find yourself activating pieces commissioned from a group of young composers, Anthony Bailey, Fung Lam, Stephen Wright, Duncan Ward and Paul-Isaac Franks. If you find yourself in London, members of the Philharmonia Orchestra, which is behind the project, will be on hand on Saturday mornings; the associated fun includes free ringtones and an online sample library. To get the most out of it, don't go alone - you'll need 58 partners to hear all the instrumental parts. It runs until October 2nd. For more information see www.play.philharmonia.co.uk. Michael Dervan
THROW AWAY YOUR PAPERCLIP
Sick of Microsoft Word's Office Assistant - also known as the irritating paperclip - asking if you're writing a letter?
Google might have the solution with Writely, a free online word processor that can do pretty much anything
Word can, as well as allowing for easy collaboration on documents with colleagues.
It's easy to sign up for: head to www.writely.com and get an account.
As with Gmail, it looks as if Google has a winner, so maybe we can say goodbye to the persistent paperclip for good. Davin O'Dwyer
SIGHTS OF THE SEA
Willie Evesson, from Aughrim in Co Wicklow, came to painting almost by
accident in the 1980s, when he began a successful framing business. His studio,
on Mountjoy Square, has been the haunt of many of the country's
best-known painters, including Charlie Cullen, Mick O'Dea and Mike Fitzharris,
and he was drawn to painting through their encouragement. Last year his
seascape oil Sutton received the Oriel Gallery Award at the RHA. Now he is
having a studio sale of some 20 paintings, mostly sea and abstract landscapes
at prices from €1,000 to €2,000. To view call 01-8365331. Deirdre McQuillan
CAMERAPHONE COMPETITION TAKE A PHOTO, WIN A PHONE, EVERY WEEK
Sony Ericsson and The Irish Times Magazine are looking for the best cameraphone photographer in Ireland, with a weekly prize of a Sony Ericsson K750i (a camera, phone and digital music player) or a K800i (a Cyber-shot digital camera and a 3G phone in one).
THERE ARE THREE CATEGORIES
1.NATURE ( landscape, environment,
animals, pets)
2. PEOPLE (fashion, friends, celebrities)
3. LIFE (sport, culture, recreation,
social activity)
TO ENTER
Snap a photo (it must be taken with a cameraphone) and text it to 087-6650685. Include a text with your name, contact number and a photo caption.
For best results, set your phone to its highest resolution. High-quality images will appeal most to our judges. Some phones allow you to send only low-resolution photographs. If you have this problem, copy the file to your computer and e-mail a larger, back-up version to mobilesnapper@irish-times.ie.
A weekly winner will be published every Saturday in The Irish Times Magazine. Winning photos, runners-up and a photo gallery will be available to view on
www.ireland.com/promotions/ mobilesnapper, where you can also see full terms and conditions.
Later in the year, an overall winner will be chosen from Irish Times entries. This person will win an all-expenses paid trip to a European city, and will also spend a day at The Irish Times, getting insights into the world of photojournalism.
The national winner will also represent the country in an international competition. The next deadline for entries is midnight tomorrow, but you can send pictures in any time; they'll be included in the following week's competition.
You don't have to be a pro to enter. In fact, we welcome images from amateurs. So get snapping.