Posted by Paul on December 16, 2009 – 12:19 am
Corris Craft Centre near Dolgellau has always been a venue for finding really special Christmas gifts and this year sees the arrival of an exciting new range of products. Special Christmas shopping weekends will take place this December (on the 19th and 20th of December 2009). The special Christmas Shopping Weekends will also feature an Underground Santa’s Grotto. Visitors will travel, by boat, to the Underground Grotto to meet Santa. Children will receive a present from Santa, whilst adults can enjoy a warming glass of punch.
Many of the Craft Workshops will open daily during the run up to Christmas. Drop in to paint pottery and dip candles or book a workshop to make rustic furniture; the perfect solution for unique Christmas presents. The Cafe at Corris Craft Centre (opens Wednesdays through to Sundays and also 21st and 23rd December) will also be serving a tasty selection of Christmas Specials.
Posted by Paul on December 15, 2009 – 5:34 pm
As Joe McElderry celebrates his victory and his debut single looks set to be the Christmas number one you might be wondering where to start in order to emulate his success. Haven Holidays say don’t wait for the X-Factor – they’re looking for the H-Factor in their talent contests every single week at our 35 family holiday Parks!
‘Haven’s Got Talent’ takes place throughout the season – so whether you sing, dance, play a musical instrument or fancy yourself as a comedian – the stage can be yours. Everybody loves the talent contest and it’s a great way to start performing in front of an audience.
The talent contest is just part of a sensational programme of entertainment on Haven Holidays parks next year. Glitzy new stage-shows, brand new character shows with Rory the Tiger and his friends, professional cabaret, tribute bands, circus performers and pantos are all on the agenda for 2010. And there are Kid’s Clubs, sports and activities and first class facilities for families as well – talented or not there’s loads to keep all ages amused!
With 35 award winning family holiday parks in fabulous locations around the UK there’s a talent contest within easy reach. And with prices from as little as £129 for a Spring break for a family of four you’ll enjoy a great value for money holiday as well.
Posted by Paul on December 15, 2009 – 2:24 am
In February 2010, there are savings galore to be had for families who holiday on the English Riviera. All through the month, including Half Term, many of the award-winning attractions and accommodation in the towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham in South Devon will be offering one free child place per full-paying adult.
If you fancy a trip away to get over the winter blues, you and the kids could find yourself underground retracing the steps of sabre-toothed tigers at Kents Cavern, sky-high in the Hi-Flyer helium balloon or the outdoor flume at Waves Leisure Pool, discovering the secrets of Ancient Egypt at Torquay Museum or treading carefully through Agatha Christie’s Potent Plants Garden at Torre Abbey.
There are also trips along the River Dart up for grabs, as well as the chance to discover the sights and sounds of times gone by at Bygones and feel on top of the world at the Babbacombe Model Village. If you’re a football fan, local League Two football team Torquay United are also taking part in the Kids Go Free offer, as is the Babbacombe Theatre, for some evening entertainment.
On top of this, several of the accommodation establishments in the three towns are also offering fantastic deals. For more information, and to request your Kids Go Free vouchers, simply log on to www.englishriviera.co.uk/kidsgofree where you’ll also find full terms and conditions.
Posted by Paul on December 13, 2009 – 12:39 am
Sofitel London St James has been awarded the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence for the Most Excellent Spa in UK & Ireland. The 2010 Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence took place in London last month at the Jumeirah Carlton in Knightsbridge.
Located at Sofitel London St James, So SPA by Sofitel – launched in July of this year – is a three floor sanctuary with five treatment rooms, a deep relaxation zone, traditional Turkish Hammam, Astornia hydro bath, Dornbracht aromatherapy infused rain sky showers and a communal Tea Bar. Sofitel’s Spa Butlers are also on hand to help personalise your service even further, from the choice of music, to in-room aromatherapy oils and post-treatment teas, to your choice of wool, angora or chenille from the blanket menu. In keeping with Sofitel’s French heritage, So SPA by Sofitel has teamed up with French brands Cinq Mondes (the first spa in the UK to use these products) and Carita to provide a selection of specialised skin-care treatments.
Posted by Paul on December 9, 2009 – 11:56 pm
A series of spectacular outdoor arts events will take place across the Lake District and other parts of Cumbria in the spring and summer of 2010.
Lakes Alive – a major new programme created and directed by Kendal Arts International with Manchester International Arts - will run from 29th April to 5th September and feature performances by leading international acts set against Cumbria’s beautiful and varied landscape and heritage.
These mainly free shows will include modern circus, dramatic outdoor theatre, contemporary dance and exciting, fiery processions. Highlights include the critically-acclaimed Akademi, a South Asian Dance Company, in the atmospheric ruins of Furness Abbey, a thrilling outdoor animation festival in Whitehaven showcasing the town’s historic harbour, a stunning, large-scale show involving illusion, fire, water, music and dance at Carlisle Castle, and a dazzling extravaganza of sound, fire, light and colour at Maryport.
The season of events will culminate in Mintfest, one of the country’s largest street arts festivals, which takes place in the market town of Kendal from 2nd to 5th September, featuring some of the very best street artists from across the world. Further details about all the shows will be available at in the New Year.
Posted by Paul on December 9, 2009 – 5:13 pm
Who’d have thought it? The Great British town of Swindon is to be twinned with Walt Disney World in Florida. Yes, make no mistake… you really did read that right. It’s the first time that a magic land has been twinned with somewhere in the real world. To learn more about how this came about, see this Guardian article. In January 2010, an envoy of Disney characters will parade through the town to celebrate the twinning.
Useful links:
Swindon hotels
Swindon B&Bs
Swindon self-catering
Swindon attractions
Posted by Paul on December 9, 2009 – 1:34 pm
The owners of the BridgeHouse Hotel in Beaminster, now officially members of Slow Food UK, are taking the concept of slow food to new and even slower levels with the introduction of fresh snails on to the hotel menu. The snails will make their debut on the menu this Saturday when an innovative, winter-themed ‘Snail Breakfast’ conceived by Head Chef Stephen Pielesz, will be unveiled and served to hotel guests. The snails are being supplied by Dorset Escargot, one of only a handful of snail farms in the UK producing fresh snails.
The All Day Snail Breakfast will be available seven days a week in either the Brasserie or Restaurant at the BridgeHouse Hotel which are open to both residents and non-residents. The dish will cost £6.95.
Posted by Paul on December 9, 2009 – 12:56 am
A quirky festival based near Penrith in Cumbria has started a search for a kitty that really is the cat’s whiskers. The World’s Original Marmalade Festival, next taking place on 14th February 2010, at Dalemain, is not just eliciting entries of the best homemade and artisan made marmalades for its prestigious competition, but also appealing for photographs of marmalade cats. The 2010 event, sponsored by Premier Foods and Tiptree, with support from Farm Stay UK, is likely to attract over 600 jars of marmalade within 11 different categories. It has prizes and certificates available for those submitting the best preserves, and has just come up with another award sure to suit any kingly cat. The Best Marmalade Cat award will go to the most stunning looking cat, as adjudged from photographs sent in by its owners.
Posted by Paul on December 5, 2009 – 8:05 am
The Mitre on Holland Park Avenue is to re-open having undergone a dramatic conceptual and interior refurbishment to create a new stylish ‘neighbourhood pub-brasserie’ that places friendly, personal service firmly on the menu. Set in an imposing 1930s building on the corner of Holland Park Avenue and Ladbroke Grove, The Mitre will offer a lively and warm atmosphere for those wishing to enjoy a drink combined with an extensive unpretentious modern brasserie menu of good British food throughout the day. Service will be available from breakfast and lunch through to afternoon tea and evening meals, seven days a week.
Posted by Paul on December 4, 2009 – 12:43 pm
Why not leave the crowded high streets behind and experience festive fun with a twist? Whether visitors are making the most of the ‘Month of Misrule’ at Dover Castle, Kent, being entertained by the royal falconers at Battle Abbey, East Sussex, or celebrating Nadelik a Pendennis Castle in Cornwall, there is an English Heritage event to suit every family. Just log on to their site to find your nearest event.
For an extra festive treat, keen shoppers can enjoy Christmas shopping at a more relaxed pace in some of England’s most stunning locations at English Heritage’s special shopping weekends. Take advantage of a 10% discount on exclusive English Heritage gifts and decorations, including handcrafted glassware, children’s costumes and historic cookery books.
