Lake District Hotels Ltd staff reunite

0 | September 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Travel

The Lodore Falls Hotel in Borrowdale valley played host to past members of staff during a weekend reunion in Keswick. Over 60 ex staff and several current employees got together to renew friendships and memories.

The reunion attracted past employees from all over the world including Peter Dixon and his wife who travelled especially from Australia for the occasion and stayed on to see friends in the Lake District. Also present was Kurt Hartmann and his wife who travelled from Germany. Kurt was Head Chef at the Lodore Falls Hotel for 27 years and it was he who taught current Head Chef Mike Ward.

The reunion began with afternoon tea at Lake District Hotels ltd Lodore Falls Hotel, followed by an evening trip into Keswick for drinks and a friendly pub catch up.

On Sunday everyone gathered again at the Lodore Falls for Sunday lunch and a group picture before departing home or on holiday.
Read More »

Tailor-made packages at newest spa hotel in Surrey

Closed | August 24th, 2010 | Posted in Travel

With packages tailor-made for both ‘him and her’, the Brooklands Hotel in Surrey is the perfect remedy for mind, body and soul.

If fast cars and fabulous spas are your passion, then why not check in to the Brooklands Hotel in Surrey. Situated on the site of the legendary racetrack and airfield, the hotel features a selection of simply stunning packages bound to satiate the most demanding spa divas and the most passionate petrol heads – perfect with the British Grand Prix fast approaching in early July.

If thoughts of indulgence and utter relaxation make you and your partner purr with pleasure, then the Fast and Fabulous Spa Experience is the package for you. You will be treated to two sumptuous spa treatments each, choosing from the signature Jane Scrivner High Velocity Massage, to the Body Brushing treatment or even the Butter LONDON 30 minute Manicure, you can be sure you’ll both be left quintessentially pampered!

Alternatively if your partner’s more of a thrill-seeker than a pleasure-seeker, and would prefer to race round one of the UK’s most famous tracks, rather than succumb to spa treatments, then the His and Hers Spa & Car Experience is bound to keep you both happy. As you enjoy a relaxing Full Body Massage in the hotel’s destination spa, your partner will be having the time of his life negotiating hair?pin bends and high?speed manoeuvres with an exhilarating 30 minute driving experience at Mercedes-Benz World.

The unique, design-led Brooklands Hotel opened its doors this March on the site of the iconic Brooklands race track. Brooklands Hotel brings a sensational property to the market. The much anticipated opening offers the ultimate combination of contemporary design with a vibrant history. Predominantly glass, this super style-statement of a property has been designed for luxury, while embracing the rich legacy of the Brooklands race circuit. Complete with a destination spa, cocktail bar, restaurant, and state-of-the-art conferencing facilities, the 120 luxury rooms and suites offer unrivalled luxury within this area of Surrey. Priding itself on personality, individuality, and an unparalleled level of uniqueness – where else will you find a spa on a race track, with luxurious suites only thirty minutes away from central London?

The ‘Fast and Fabulous Package’ rate is based on two people sharing a standard room (single occupancy in a double bedded room is £179.00 per room, per night). Spa treatments times are subject to availability and should be booked at your earliest opportunity prior to your stay to avoid disappointment. For more information on the newest of the Surrey spa hotels visit http://www.brooklandshotelsurrey.com.

Tagged in: ,

Cartmel in the Southern Lake District

Closed | August 19th, 2010 | Posted in Travel

Cartmel is a medieval village situated on the edge of the southern Lake District. The 12th century Cartmel Priory typifies this village both in architecture and history. It is still used for worship today as it has been for over 800 years and attracts thousands of visitors each year.

The other main attraction for visitors to Cartmel is the racecourse. With the first recorded race said to have taken place on the mid 1800’s, Cartmel races continues to grow in stature and popularity year on year. The creation of a new grandstand, with the back drop of the beautiful southern Lake District coupled with catering to rival any top race event has really put Cartmel on the map.

Cartmel is very much becoming a gastronomic destination. Cartmel and its surrounding villages have some of the best examples of Lake District gastronomy in the whole of Cumbria and the Lake District. Even though many of the restaurants and public houses are located within historic buildings, the food served is right in the 21st century using the finest locally sourced produce that is found in an abundance in the south Lakeland area.

Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of the most famous exports from Cartmel. The pudding is now sold all over the United Kingdom and even world with high class restaurants in London serving this still handmade in Cartmel pudding.

With its top quality food, beautiful historical buildings, race course and spectacular scenery, it’s not hard to believe that Cartmel attracts a cosmopolitan visitor. If you are looking for Cartmel Self Catering accommodation, what better place to stay in than a beautiful Grade II listed manor house or a beautiful double-fronted period property in Cartmel.

Nearby attractions also include Holker Hall (a stately home with lovely gardens and grounds and a cafe, Cark-in-Cartmel), the Lakeland Motor Museum (In addition to vintage and classic motors, the museum now features of faithfully recreated period shop fronts and also has a themed gift shop. It is now located at its new site in Backbarrow, on the main A590) and Brantwood (an historic house & gardens which used to be the home of John Ruskin with a shop, café and terrace on the east side of Coniston Water).

Tagged in: ,

Windermere

Closed | May 26th, 2010 | Posted in Travel

For years now Windermere and its surrounding areas have been popular with a broad range of people.

Windermere is a popular destination for people of all ages, all tastes and all interests. Of course, Windermere is very famous as a base for walking the Lakeland fells and for doing many other outdoor activities but more and more visitors are coming to Windermere for a bit of luxury.

To add to the already long list of Windermere’s attributes and lures comes luxury. Windermere has some of the most stunning buildings with many of the larger residences being luxury hotels. In recent years, some of the luxury hotels have taken their attention to detail to another level. They have refurbished, redesigned, added on, decorated and paid even more attention to detail than before. Windermere now has some of the best hotels in the country and more than rival some of the famous hotels in south.

Dining has become a more prevalent factor in many hotels these days. Hotel restaurants often used to be of a pretty poor standard even when the hotel itself was of a high standard. Michelin starred restaurants are now common practice in hotels with big name chefs taking control at these luxury complexes.

Windermere couldn’t be in a better location for a restaurant to obtain top quality produce. Cumbria the Lake District has some of the finest local produce in the country from lamb and sausage to cheese, bread and cream. It really isn’t hard to understand why the Lake District is also now home to some of the finest restaurants in the north of England. Being relatively close to the coats means even the freshest seafood can be found.

Attention to detail is key for a luxury Lake District hotel from the service to rooms and outside areas. One hotel in Windermere which has seen recent refurbishment has produced a collection of rooms without compromise, most with patio doors leading onto the gardens and with either spa baths or hot tubs. They have also created luxury suites in a renovated Lake house with many having stunning views over a private lake. Constant refurbishment is essential in luxury hotels for complete perfection. Its gardens are as well looked after as the inside of the hotel with different seating areas. Their aim was to create a terrace that comprised different ‘rooms’ for people to sit in. This has been created by breaking up the terrace with different materials and features such as ponds with water features and raised beds. During the day, the south-facing terrace enjoys the sunshine, and at dusk the sunset can often be enjoyed with pre-dinner cocktails. On warm evenings the terrace is candle lit. Pathways lead from the terrace to the south gardens and to the wild meadow and llama paddock.

The special services available set luxury Windermere hotels apart from the rest. Organisation of spa treatments for example, private dining rooms, chauffeurs and touches such as the turning down of bed covers at night.

Tagged in: ,

Used Static Caravans

Closed | May 25th, 2010 | Posted in Business

Hansons Used Caravans specialise in the buying, selling and transporting of quality used static caravans and mobile homes throughout the UK and Europe.

They provide second hand static caravans and quality used touring mobile homes to a varied customer base including;

Full ownership on or off a holiday park
Additional storage units
Temporary accommodation
Self build / renovation projects
Staff accommodation for companies with seasonal work

Mobile homes range in price from £500 to £20,000 and should they not have a suitable caravan in stock, they guarantee to source one.

Various layout options are available (e.g. 2 or 3 bedrooms, double / single glazing) and all used static caravans and secondhand tourers are fully cleaned and prepared to a very high standard before they are delivered, enabling our customers to be able to move straight in.

Hansons Used Caravans are always looking to purchase static caravans and touring mobile homes. If you are looking to sell your mobile home or tourer, then please call Hanson on 01759 304996 / 07980 669774 for a quotation.

In additon to caravan sales, Hansons also provide caravan transportation throughout the UK and Europe and they provide timed deliveries. This is a very specialised service, which can be difficult to source as various “wide load permits” are required. Hansons offer free quotations and site surveys regardless of whether you purchased your static caravan from them.

 

 

http://www.usedstaticcaravansales.co.uk/
http://www.usedstaticcaravansales.co.uk/content/caravan_transport/destinations.aspx

Tagged in: ,

The Standards For Professional Safety Workwear Footwear Explained

0 | March 31st, 2010 | Posted in Clothing

With building sites becoming much safer places to work in the recent past, there has been additional pressure for professional operatives working in these environments to have the correct workwear conforming to the required standards.  Footwear for these operatives is no exception to the rest of the ppe workwear worn by people working in these environments.  The relevant European Standard for the manufacture and design of safety footwear for professional use is EN 345.

EN 345 Explained

En 345 defines the standards on safety protective workwear shoes and boots for professional use.  These shoes include devices manufactured within the shoes or boots to protect the wearer from injuries caused by incidents which are likely to occur in the industrial environment for which it has been designed.  They are designed and manufactured with steel toe caps built in to them to delivery protection against impacts with an energy level up to 200 joules.

Safety Shoes and Boots designed to comply with EN345 also have classes depending on the materials of which they have been manufactured using.

Read More »

The Popularity of Modern Acrylic Canvas Art

Closed | December 9th, 2009 | Posted in Arts

Acrylic paint is a modern media when compared with watercolour and oil. Oil for example has been used by artists as far back at the 15th century and watercolour has been used as an artist medium since the Renaissance. With such history of these other two mediums, acrylic is always fighting to gain recognition. Acrylic has distinct characteristics as oil and watercolour do and the National Acrylic Painters’ Association was set up in 1985 to champion and support this media. Acrylic is capable of the widest range of approaches of any artist media and enables even more creativity, fresh ideas and progression. Artwork has been created in acrylic paint but artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Bridget Riley and David Hockney to name just a few.

There are now a huge number of artists producing canvas artwork using acrylics and making the optimum use of this versatile media. It has enabled canvas art to be bought by a wider audience due to its fast drying nature and artwork can be created much quicker so a real business can be made out of acrylic artwork. Exhibitions have been in such prestigious venues as the Westminster Gallery and the Durham Art Gallery solely exhibiting and championing acrylic work. Books have been written purely on the characteristics of acrylic paint such as “New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World’s Most Versatile Medium” by Nancy Reyner and “The New Acrylics:Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints.

Not everyone has the money to buy modern canvas artwork produced by famous artists so it has enabled the not so famous but equally as talented new artists to produce work and be successful selling them. Canvas art is quite dramatic as the medium used is either oil or acrylic paint. Both achieve high depth in colour and on a bright white wall, a piece of canvas artwork on a stretched canvas frame has maximum impact.

Tagged in: , ,

Portable Building Sales awarded a contract to supply two modular buildings to the Coventry Primary Care Trust

0 | December 8th, 2009 | Posted in Business

Portable Building Sales recently won a contract to supply two modular buildings to the Coventry Primary Care Trust.

The first modular building we installed as a temporary walk in centre, was a used 6 bay modular building.

Prior to arrival on site, jackpad foundations were used to erect the building instead of traditional concrete foundations.

Portable Building Sales have agreed to purchase the building back after the Primary Care Trust no longer have a use for the building and in addition will also purchase the jackpad foundations leaving a clear and clean car park area once again.

The Portable Building Sales “buy back” scheme ensures that the building is removed safely, professionally and to the current Health & Safety and CDM regulations. They ensure that the Primary Care Trust has no disposal problems and receives payment for the building before it is removed.

Portable Building Sales Ltd is one of the few companies in the UK to provide this type of service.

The used steel framed modular building that was supplied consists of six plastic coated steel modules which have white Upvc double glazed windows. The building also has a plasterboard lined ceiling and walls and a double thickness plywood floor.

This used modular building was decorated internally, cleaned externally and reinstated electrically to the latest regulations.

This temporary modular walk in centre building complies with the current Part L2A 2006 building regulations and is extremely environmentally friendly as it only uses 3% of the energy required to manufacture an equivalent new modular building. This is because the embodied energy is transportable and therefore can be relocated to a new site.

Also there are significant cost savings to the client and in this instance the tax payer as well, as this building was approximately a third of the cost of an equivalent new manufactured modular building.

Portable Buildings completed the installation of this building within four weeks from the date of order and to the client’s complete satisfaction.

Even though this modular building is pre-owned, Portable Building Sales still provide a 12 months guarantee with the building.

Portable Building Sales provided the Coventry Primary Care Trust with complete peace of mind throughout the process of attending meetings, submission of our Health & Safety plans, supply and installation of the used modular building, arrangement of the crane, to even organising the transportation and temporary traffic management to enable the building to be off loaded from a road adjacent to the site.

For more information please visit http://www.portablebuildingsales.co.uk or telephone 01482 656590

Tagged in:

The Winter Wonderland of Cumbria – the Lake District

0 | December 8th, 2009 | Posted in Travel

There are a variety of reasons why the Lake District is a great place to visit in the autumn and winter months. Starting with autumn and the colours in the landscape are simply beautiful. Browns, reds, oranges and yellows shower the roads, fields and fells. An excellent time for artists and photographers to visit the Lake District.

Moving to November and December and the Lake District is lucky to have a good share of those spectacular bright sunny winter days when the air is at its crispest. On days like these, you can see for miles and they are excellent times to go walking or to visit the area for a short break. In November especially, there are some great offers available in Lake District hotels. For those wanting a real escape and complete tranquillity, November is ideal.

January celebrates the New Year, recharges the batteries after a hectic, over indulgent Christmas and can be one of the best value short breaks you have. The Lake District is becoming a popular choice in January. There are many activities to do in the Lake District along with the possibility of snow still being on the fells. As with hotels and leisure accommodation throughout the country, Cumbria hotels and Lake District hotels have excellent rates for January as it is traditionally thought to be the quietest month of the year. This enables the consumer to enjoy short breaks in the Lake District at fabulous prices, much needed after Christmas but especially when everyone is being hit by the economic crisis.

Savvy travellers are noticing the great value deals to be had in the winter months. Holidays are quite often being thought about and planned for spring and summer but waiting until then without a break is too long. A short break in the Lake District can combine a much needed break with the chance to go canoeing, sailing, walking, mountaineering, fell running, cycling, the list goes on. The most popular, cheapest and most accessible is walking on the hundreds of fells in the Lake District. Wainwright alone walked and wrote about 214 of them but there are many further smaller fells allowing walkers of any age or ability to sample what the English Lake District is famous for.

Tagged in: ,

Eden Valley – A beautiful corner of England

Closed | November 2nd, 2009 | Posted in Travel

The Eden Valley is a beautiful, yet little known area in Cumbria, which lies between the Lake District National Park and the North Pennines ‐ an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. To the North of the Eden Valley lies Carlisle and Hadrian’s Wall, whilst to the South you will find the fabulous Yorkshire Dales.

There is an excellent choice of accommodation available within Eden including hotels, guest houses, Cumbrian cottages and caravan parks. Away from the main holiday season many of the Lake District self catering cottages offer the flexibility of short breaks rather than just whole weeks, so visitors can enjoy a long weekend in the area and perhaps buy some fresh local produce to cook yourself at the property. However, your eating requirements are catered for by the many excellent restaurants and traditional pubs that reflect the local flavour.

Historic Penrith, often referred to as the “Gateway to the Northern Lakes”, is the major town in the Eden Valley, with a good mix of traditional shops selling locally made products and crafts, including famed Cumberland Sausage and Penrith Toffee.

When it comes to places to visit during your stay the Eden Valley offers a wide range of historic houses, castles, gardens, craft workshops, galleries and museums. In fact there are over seventy visitor attractions in Eden. For the more active there are many sporting facilities including sailing, windsurfing, horse riding, golf, squash, tennis and fishing.

One of the area’s key activities is Appleby Horse Fair, which takes place every June. The Horse Fair gathers together travelling folk from all over the country, buying and selling horses, keeping alive a 300 year old tradition. This is Britain’s largest gypsy gathering, with hundreds of tradition horse‐drawn caravans converge on nearby Gallows Hill.

Walkers will find Eden is wonderful walking country, either a leisurely walk along river banks and lake shore or you can take to the higher paths over the Pennines and Lake District fells. In fact, the Pennine Way National Trail reaches into the Eden Valley at Appleby‐in‐Westmorland as it winds its way towards Scotland. Cyclists can follow the coast to coast (C2C) and Cumbria Cycle Way, both routes are clearly marked along the way.

The River Eden provides challenging fishing, and has in place a “Go Wild” scheme to enable visitors to try wild fishing on the river.

Tagged in:

Lake District Weddings

0 | October 13th, 2009 | Posted in Shopping

The Lake District Hotels Group is still attracting strong demand for wedding bookings despite the effect of the recession. The recent wedding fairs at The Lodore Falls Hotel and Inn on the Lake attracted over 650 of mothers and ‘brides to be’ – which only goes to highlight the importance of the Lake District as a wedding venue.

Kit Graves, Director of luxury Lake District Hotels Group said “We decided to hold a Wedding Fayre at the Lodore Falls Hotel because it gives us the chance to show off the venue and is real opportunity for our Chefs to show off their culinary skills; offering taster samples from our wedding menus and displaying some of THE most temptingly delicious deserts. Chef Nigel Harper was the most popular man on the day – in charge of the tasting sessions and there were queues for one to one chats.

With such a large turnout of mothers and brides to be, there is no doubt that Lake District Hotels are still a firm favourite for Lake District weddings – despite the current climate  There were over 40 different stall holders at the event – all of whom received serious enquiries from couples marrying in the next couple of years.
Read More »

Tagged in: , , , ,

Lake District Inns Gourmet Fine Dining weekends are back!

0 | October 13th, 2009 | Posted in Travel

Back by popular demand are the Lake District Inns Gourmet Fine Dining and Wine tasting weekends.  Lake District Inns will be hosting these nights during November, December & January at The King’s Head Hotel at Thirlmere near Keswick.  An opportunity for a winter break and fantastic value for money.

The weekend will comprise of bed and breakfast accommodation on the Friday night with the option of dinner in the St John’s Restaurant or the Bar Restaurant.  On Saturday evening the night will start with aperitifs and canapés being served in the residents lounge.  A four course meal will then be served in St John’s Restaurant with a wide variety of fine wines from Pagendam Pratt to accompany each dish.  The menu will consist of locally sourced produce such as venison, rabbit and beef. After your meal, coffee and petit fours will be served in the residents lounge with roaring coal fires and good company.
The head chef, David Green has designed the gourmet weekend menu. Following a three year apprenticeship at the renowned Connaught Hotel in London, David’s international career has taken him to Bermuda, Canada and throughout the UK. Having completed a season at the Sharrow Bay Ullswater, David has returned to the Kings Head Hotel in the Lake District with the aim of regaining the two AA Rosettes he achieved for the hotel in 2001.
Read More »

Tagged in: , ,
RSS for Posts RSS for Comments