How do you unwind at the weekend?
My boyfriend Josh McCartney and I are lucky enough to live right opposite the ocean on the Portrush promenade. So it's walks by the sea with our dog Lily, a Yorkshire terrier. She's 13 years old now but still energetic enough. I like to have a bit of a lie-in, getting up at about 10am. Sometimes we go and see my parents for a little catch-up on Sunday evening. My dad Tony wrote Paperboy and is doing musicals now and my mum Lesley is like a manager for my knitters. I train them but she looks after them, travelling to Belfast every week and going out to them.
What do you recall most about weekends growing up?
Before we moved to Portrush, we had a caravan there. I remember going up to our caravan with my parents and sister Beth at the weekend. It was sort of like glamping, we had nice food and we'd go down to the promenade and buy ice cream. My favourite flavour was honeycomb from Roughans. My sister and I made friends on the caravan site and we would go bodyboarding in the ocean. Recently Josh and I bought wetsuits and are doing the same thing.
Friday night or Saturday night?
I'd probably say Saturday as I feel more relaxed then.
Do you have a must-listen weekend radio show or podcast?
The podcasts I like on Spotify are things like The Girls Bathroom. It's about girl talk and gossip, body chat and so on.
Must-watch TV show/box set?
I usually watch Netflix and my favourite series is Stranger Things. I also like documentaries and recently I enjoyed Chasing Coral about the oceans and climate change.
Favourite eatery, or is it a takeaway?
In Portstewart it's Amici and I would have their prawns which are fantastic - but always with chips. In Belfast it's The Chubby Cherub - I absolutely love it.
Is Sunday still special?
Yeah, definitely, it's a day when a lot of people don't work. Having said that, I do jot things down at the weekend and do Instagram. I also look at the Sunday papers online and was thrilled to be mentioned in last week's Sunday Times Style mag. I've just launched my summer collection, Ocean Paradise, with bright colours including lime green and baby pink (I always have to have pink).
How do you feel on Sunday night about Monday morning?
I get 40 or so emails, and try not to answer them at the weekend, but I do get that must-wake-up feeling.
See Hope's work at hopemacaulay.com
