The best time to sell your property is between the two bank holidays say property experts Carter Jonas. And the 18th May is the optimum date according to their survey of 79 agents. Stephen Holland, head of property at Carter Jonas Kendal office said: “People always ask us when it is best to sell a [...]
The organisers behind a successful taster Quaker Tapestry display in the centre of town are hoping people will want to follow it home to see the rest of it in its new and improved setting. Since Easter, over 3,000 people have visited a small display in Kendal’s Elephant Yard. It was set up by enterprising [...]
The countdown to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show starts tomorrow (2 May) for designer Jo Thompson and her team from the Outdoor Room. In just under three weeks she will create a space to inspire a nation of garden lovers to help preserve their horticultural heritage on behalf of the Food and Environment Research Agency [...]
“The outcomes for boarders are outstanding” is Ofsted’s verdict of boarding at Dallam School in Heversham. “Boarders are confident and thrive in the boarding environment. Their well-being is paramount and their personal development is successfully enhanced by the outstanding level of care they receive. Equality and diversity is exceptionally well promoted to meet individual needs.” [...]
A school that’s served pupils from Westmorland, and then later North Lancashire, for the last four centuries is celebrating its anniversary with a project to safeguard its past. Heversham Grammar School merged with Milnthorpe Modern School to become Dallam School in 1984. It was established in 1613 by Edward Wilson of Dallam Tower whose descendent [...]
The team charged with taking forward the legacy of its charismatic owner is holding its first Garden Fair this Sunday (5th May) in Wenhaston. Michael Loftus, the owner of specialist plant nursery Woottens of Wenhaston, sadly passed away last year. Michael’s wife Elizabeth Loftus and a dedicated team of twelve staff members now run the [...]
The arrival of six new full time members of staff, including a partner and head of residential, has almost doubled the size of Carter Jonas’ most northerly team based in Kendal. The expansion reflects the firm’s confidence in the region’s property market, its natural resources, land and estates. It also means the team will be [...]
Two young horticulturalists, Tom (31) and Abi (29) Atwood, are hoping the late Spring won’t jeopardise their plans for a spectacular display to mark their third appearance at the Cavendish family’s 21st Holker Garden Festival in June. The couple is also celebrating their plant nursery’s third summer of opening at Halecat, South Cumbria. It follows [...]
Fledgling designers and makers are being invited to apply for help in bringing their products to market. The closing date to apply for support through a British design open door event, set up by two retail professionals with over 40 years experience between them, is Tuesday 30 April. Inspired by Liberty’s of London which has [...]
Nursery staff are breathing a sigh of relief as the country’s largest collection of Auricula plants bloom in time for an open day attracting visitors from near and far. A just in time arrival of sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures means that the Woottens of Wenhaston’s collection of Auriculas will be flowering for their open [...]
A rare industry success story is emerging from a corner of Cumbria where a new nursery is blossoming in the hands of two young horticulturalists. Tom Atwood (31) and his wife Abi (29) have breathed new life into a popular but disused nursery and are celebrating its second year of opening with hopes of expanding [...]
An ex teacher, then full time mum who retrained as a garden designer, has taken on more staff and moved to larger premises in Cranbrook, Kent. Jo Thompson set up her practice six years ago, after studying garden design at the English Gardening School, and is now recognised as one of the country’s leading garden [...]
Fledgling designers and makers are being given the opportunity to bring their products to market with the help of two professionals with over 40 years retail buying experience between them. Inspired by Liberty’s of London which has been running a similar scheme since 2009, Jackie and Andrew Ward of Armstrong Ward are holding their second [...]
Budding young science, technology, engineering and maths students (STEM students) are being given a rare opportunity to hear about a new future for nuclear energy production. Dr Melanie Windridge, a plasma physicist with a PhD in fusion energy from Imperial College London, is visiting Dallam School next Wednesday (13th March). Working as a physics specialist [...]
Enterprising staff are acting quickly to find temporary lodgings for Kendal’s Quaker Tapestry. Vital repairs are being carried out due to weather damage to the exhibition space, which is part of a grade II* listed building. What started off as a planned, minor repair job ahead of an Easter opening, soon escalated into over £25,000 [...]
Car manufacturing giant General Motors has awarded a research company a second, five year contract, worth over £500,000 to look at their customer care. Teams based at Intersperience’s offices in the North West will interview a thousand GM Vauxhall and Opel owners per month across 15 countries, over the five year period. The multi-lingual researchers [...]
The uncommunicative teenager is a myth according to the results of a study involving local youngsters and looking at how young people use technology. Rather they are sociable and sophisticated communicators making over 50 contacts a day with family and friends. This finding, and others, came to light as 22 young people aged between 16 [...]
“I don’t give out my details online, I make up fake ones” say 22% of savvy 8 to 17 year olds in response to concerns over who uses their data and how. With businesses keen to track and market products at customers through social networking sites, and EU policy makers poised to take action over [...]
According to TripAdvisor, The Damson Dene Hotel in the Lyth Valley had more five star reviews in 2012 than any other of the sites top 20 Lake District hotels. With 176 five star reviews by guests over the year it topped some of the county’s best hotels. The survey puts The Damson Dene Hotel one [...]
Forget a weight loss weekend or a boot camp break just head for the hills with your dog say three Lake District Hotels offering a ‘2013 dog-centric healthy start’ package. The dog welcoming, South Lakes based hotels say a bracing walk, surrounded by stunning scenery, is the best and easiest way to keep your heart [...]
A Roman style private building for two, inspired by a temple to Vesta, the goddess of the ever-burning hearth fire, is the perfect place for a warming winter break in the Lake District. A modern version of the ‘hypocaust’ heating system, originally fired by Roman slaves, keeps guests toasty warm even when it’s minus zero [...]
An initiative to support British designers in bringing their products to market is paying off for a Kendal woman and her ‘book barks’. Designer Sam Howe, who trades as Amelia Sunshine, has given a new leash of life to the bookworm’s best buddy with her handmade, sausage-dog shaped book marks. Retailing for £7.95 they are [...]
A group of young entrepreneurs are celebrating an early success at a Christmas trade fair in Kendal. The first product they brought to market, handmade bangles, proved popular with shoppers at the Westmorland Shopping Centre in Kendal and secured them the top spot in a school business competition. The 11 Dallam students beat ten other [...]
A new phase in the digital divide is emerging as a growing number of us use seven or more digital devices in the home with up to five switched on at any one time. According to the latest findings by South Lakes, Sandside based, consumer researchers, Intersperience, there is a 12% jump in the number [...]
School returns with not one, but two awards for language teaching and an £8,000 prize. Dallam School has been named both National and North of England winner at the British Academy’s Schools Language Awards 2012. The national recognition of the school’s innovative and creative foreign language teaching also brings with it a cash prize of [...]
A couple from Gloucestershire who have been staying at the same Lake District hotel made their 50th visit this week. Carol Smith, a retired office manager, and Cliff Davies, a carpenter, have been making the 440 mile trip from their home in the Forest of Dean to the Newby Bridge Hotel since 1992. Their first [...]
A company with a base at Sandside, near Arnside has carried out a first ever study of the role of digital devices on Christmas Day. Their results show technology is moving in on some of our Christmas traditions with important implications for local, as well as national, retailers. 1000 people in the UK, aged between [...]
A designer whose Scandi-Scottish heritage underpins an international look that’s popular with clients around the world is now making her bespoke interiors service available ‘off the shelf’ via clever technology. Sarah Jane Nielsen’s new website allows browsers to hover over her room schemes, click to find out more, and buy everything needed to complete the [...]
· 22% of Christmas diners expect to use a digital device during dinner · 27% of us plan to start sales shopping on Christmas Day · One in two parents plan to make technology a significant part of Santa’s sack · One in ten will watch ‘The Queen’s Speech’ on a digital device · But [...]
The country’s first adventure learning school is teaming up with one of the world’s greatest extreme sports enthusiast to enhance their highly successful adventure led approach to learning. Every aspect of Leo Houlding’s expedition to Antarctica next month (Dec), to climb up a new route and fly down the three thousand metre high ‘Wolfs Tooth’ [...]
169 big hearted young people signed up to help their community in the first year of a three year project supporting 16 to 25 year olds to volunteer across Cumbria. One individual dedicated 700 hours of time to help a local charity and 25 others have earned a 50 hours certificate through the ‘CLIP’ project [...]
Invented by retired, Little Langdale builder Richard Bowness, the ‘Truncator’ cuts up to 60 logs in 60 seconds and takes the back breaking work out of log cutting by holding logs off the ground before and after being sawn. Richard who also suffers with a bad back, the outcome of being in the building trade [...]
Up to 20 local firms are giving up their time to help 13 and 14 year olds choose their GCSEs. For the first time a secondary school is inviting local employers to share their recruiting experience with year nine students. Usually it is older pupils who meet prospective employers through career fairs. The Dallam teacher [...]
Unrivalled collections of over 500 auriculas, including 12 new varieties, and 450 types of bearded irises go on display between April and June next year at the specialist plant nursery Woottens of Wenhaston. The two annual Flower Feasts promise to be bigger and better than before attracting amateur and professional growers from around the country. [...]
A firm where apprentices rise through the ranks has recruited two new youngsters to join their Kendal auction yard team. In a break with industry tradition it will give both girls a rare chance to work in a male dominated industry. Sixteen year olds Katie Onions and Harriet Cook took up their apprenticeships with North [...]
A group of 16 to 18 year olds is spending three weeks helping businesses understand how they currently use technology. They will also explore issues and developments for the future. Working with the Sandside based international consumer research company Intersperience, 22 pupils from Dallam School are keeping online diaries and holding face to face discussions [...]
Wayne Bartholomew from Channel 4’s ‘The Hotel’ and Stephen Hall from ITV’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ are teaming up to entertain Damson Dene Hotel guests and raise money for Cancer Care Kendal. As school’s break up for half-term, general manager Wayne will be hosting an evening of comedy sketches, songs and dancing with Britain’s Got Talent [...]
A charity who wants to help young people communicate community news is putting on a free two day journalism course in Penrith. Organised by the TCV Clip Team, places are still available for anyone aged between 16 and 25 who is interested in writing and broadcasting local news. The course is being held at the [...]
A Kent designer who travelled half-way across the world to enter an extra-ordinary competition to build peace gardens is delighted with the news of her silver medal win at Japan’s Gardening World Cup on Friday (Friday 28 September). Competing alongside 12 of the world’s very best garden designers Jo Thompson was pleased to secure her [...]
A couple from Gloucestershire who have been staying at the same Lake District hotel made their 50th visit this week. Carol Smith, a retired office manager, and Cliff Davies, a carpenter, have been making the 440 mile trip from their home in the Forest of Dean to the Newby Bridge Hotel since 1992. Their first [...]
Gardens for Peace The world’s most extra-ordinary world cup opens to the public later this month (Sat 29 September) in South East Japan. British designers Jo Thompson and Richard Miers fly out this Friday (14th September) to join thirteen other designers from around the world who have been asked to produce a garden for a [...]
Next week sees the start of a process that will hopefully end in Britain regaining world cup glory in an event where 13 of the world’s finest garden designers compete to build the best peace gardens. Last year Australia was the overall winner with a garden by Jim Fogarty. Britain’s entrant Richard Miers, from Wisbech, [...]
A Kent garden designer starts work on building a peace garden near Nagasaki, Japan next week (Tuesday 18 September). Marsden’s Jo Thompson’s design is inspired by her visit to the Memorial Peace Park and Museum last year. Jo joins 13 other designers from around the world who have been asked to produce a garden for [...]
South Lakes Hotels, the third largest private hotel company in the Lakes, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the group’s first purchase, the Newby Bridge Hotel. Margaret and Jonathan Denby acquired the Newby Bridge Hotel in 1992 and greeted their first guests on this August bank holiday weekend twenty years ago. “The hotel was bankrupt [...]
A conductor of ceremonies from Kendal has helped two children from Lancaster pull off a surprise wedding for their parents as part of a new show for CBBC. ‘Marrying Mum and Dad’ is being broadcast over two weeks and this episode, filmed in April at a secret Lake District location, is the last to show [...]
Hotelier, Jonathan Denby is eating humble pie after his forecast of doom and gloom during the Olympics turned into a gold rush, with record occupancy levels at his four Lake District hotels during July and early August. A hotel owner and the President of the Lake District Hospitality Association, Mr Denby had warned the Tourism [...]
(Sat 29 September to Monday 8 October) In a year where British hopes for international competition glory are high, Marden designer Jo Thompson has been invited to compete again for world cup glory in Japan’s third Gardening World Cup later this year. Jo joins ten of the world’s best designers in a competition to build [...]
(Sat 29 September to Monday 8 October) In a year where British hopes for international competition glory are high, designers Jo Thompson and Richard Miers reveal their peace gardens and medal hopes for the third Gardening World Cup held in Japan later this year. The pair joins nine of the world’s best designers invited to [...]
Kendal based artist Thuline DeCock has long used Low Sizergh Farm cows as models for her cow paintings that hang in the tea room alongside work by other local artists. Working with local school children she helped them create Olympic country cows which now dangle from the tea room beams much to the consternation of [...]
LHA Press Notice The internet review site Trip Advisor has caused consternation amongst Lake District Hoteliers by placing the Lake District in Nuneaton on their internet site map. Any traveller who searches for the Lake District on the Trip Advisor site will be shown a map of Nuneaton instead of the Lake District. Lakes Hospitality [...]
Eric Rigg, a hugely respected teacher retired at the end of this summer term after a career that lasted 39 years and 2 terms. Eric quite literally, taught thousands of children and remained as passionate and as committed a teacher as the day he first joined the profession. He spent his own school days at [...]
In just 48 hours a Lake District hotel has seen an unprecedented response from Londoners and people from the South East who want to escape the Olympic ‘castrophisation’. An offer through Travelzoo for a stay at the Newby Bridge Hotel during the five week Olympic period had phones ringing off the hook and saw the [...]
A hotel manager is swapping the Gideon bible, famed for being available in hotel rooms around the world, for a new best-seller, Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. Wayne Bartholomew, Damson Dene hotel manager and star of Channel 4’s first ‘The Hotel’, is making the exchange tomorrow (Friday 13 July) for the benefit [...]
Over 300 pieces of art by pupils from 12 local primary schools, Dallam secondary school and Wings School, Whassett, will go on show at the end of July. The three day event, now in its ninth year and running from Wednesday 27 to Friday 29 July, is believed to be the only collaborative schools art [...]
A Sussex garden design and construction company has teamed up with Alan Titchmarsh, the nation’s favourite horticulturist, to transform six gardens for deserving people around the country. The results will be shown on the TV in six weekly episodes starting Tuesday 26 June. The Outdoor Room’s David Dodd was told that he had got the [...]
A ruined Temple of Vesta, in its heyday a one shilling Victorian tourist attraction on a private island in Morcambe Bay, is the inspiration for a new Grecian temple now available for breaks and weddings near Lake Windermere. The first wedding ceremony will take place this Thursday (14 June). Hotelier Jonathan Denby discovered an old [...]
The weather proved to be the biggest challenge of the project from start to finish. Growing conditions over the winter and spring meant that 30% of the plants Jo wanted to use had to be substituted at the last minute. And rain, mud and cold made the three week May build before the event opened [...]
Five talented Kent businesses are showcasing their skills in a ‘Celebration of Caravanning’ garden at the world’s most famous flower show in London next week (Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 May). Held every May since 1913 with gaps during the two world wars, the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show is a celebration of the [...]
Auctioneer and saleroom manager, Kevin Kendal explains the find: “The 78 rpm vinyl captures the voices of ten United and eleven Blackpool players including interviews with football greats Stanley Matthews and Jackie Milburn. Each side of the record lasts just under three minutes and covers a range of topics including strategy, who will win and [...]
Five Chinese birch trees, reserved for designer Jo Thompson three years ago by Hillier Nurseries for a future Chelsea garden, will be the first items to be planted in the ‘Celebration of Caravanning’ garden for The Caravan Club. Arriving from Hampshire on Saturday, and sticking to a strict entry schedule, the 6-7 metre trees, each [...]
News Release, issued 1.00pm, 2nd May 2012 Mardix and PDI announce the signing of an international licensing deal that will escalate the market penetration of the Powerwave Bus System. This deal positions PDI and Mardix for rapid expansion of the busway product into the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. Mardix, the UK’s leading provider [...]
The team behind Jo Thompson’s silver medal winning garden at the Gardening World Cup in Japan has volunteered to come to England to help her with her ‘Celebration of Caravanning’ garden for The Caravan Club at Chelsea this year. Jo’s translator Yuko Tanabe, who has worked with Beth Chatto, Dan Pearson and Del Buono Gazerwitz, [...]
British Design Open Door Event runs: 14th – 18th May 2012 New designers and makers are being given the opportunity to bring their products to market with the help of two professionals with over 20 years retail buying experience, including working for multinational retailers and running a successful Kendal business. Inspired by Liberty’s of London [...]
A septuagenarian from Leven’s who has raised £11,470 pounds for charity by knitting Easter chicks and Christmas stockings and selling them in local shops in Arnside, Levens, Silverdale and Kendal is retiring. Mrs Chadwick, a competent knitter, used up small unwanted pieces of wool to make the characterful chicks, which sit over a confectionery egg, [...]
A Kendal woman’s passion and interest in silver and jewellery has been rewarded by a promotion to silver and jewellery valuer at Eighteen Eighteen Auctioneers. Jackie Rothwell will become the fourth member of the professional valuations team at the auction house along with fine art and antiques advisor David Brookes, figurine, toy and railway specialist [...]
A pastry and head chef, who has set just up his own handmade ice cream business near Ulverston, has won his first retail contract to supply Low Sizergh Barn near Kendal with ice cream. Steven Darvill, who has 15 years experience as a chef, and his partner Sarah Gibbs set up ‘The Handmade Ice Cream [...]
Five talented Kent businesses, including four within a ten mile radius of Cranbrook, are showcasing their skills in The Caravan Club’s ‘Celebration of Caravanning’ garden at the UK’s most famous flower show. The Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show is visited by Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the royal family as well [...]
RHS Chelsea Flower Show: Tues 22 May to Saturday 26 May 2012 ‘A Celebration of Caravanning’ by designer Jo Thompson for The Caravan Club For the first time ever a caravan is to be the focal point of an RHS Chelsea main show garden. Designer Jo Thompson’s Caravan Club garden showcases all things British including [...]
An appeal by a Dallam schoolteacher to a billionaire who wants young people to get passionate bout physics has secured the school special funding which will also benefit other local schools. Ms Watson applied to the Ogden Trust, set up by billionaire Peter Ogden, for funding to support a number of initiatives that will benefit [...]
A purpose built, Grecian, gadget lovers’ temple with views of Lake Windermere is now available for breaks and weddings. The building is inspired by a ‘Temple of Vesta’ on the island home of a local Victorian entrepreneur Alexander Brogden, who built the Furness railway in south west Cumbria. With work completed last autumn this six [...]
A hotel, given to a loyal and hard-working PA to run and do up by her boss, will open its doors to guests for its first summer season following a transformation and name change. The Cuckoo Brow Inn, near Hawkshead, formerly The Sawrey Hotel, was bought by South Lakes Hotels owner Jonathan Denby in July [...]
Takings at a Lake District hotel are up by 48% since a potentially damaging ‘warts and all’ look at the lives of its staff and guests was aired on Channel 4’s ‘The Hotel’ last April. One year on from the series start last year, the Damson Dene is bucking a trend in the provincial hotel [...]
Floral prettiness meets with practicality in an infusion of catwalk ice cream pastels and a refreshing take on cottage planting in Jo Thompson’s garden for the Caravan Club at RHS Chelsea this year. Jo has created a familiar garden that rejoices in our love of the British countryside and caravanning, of all things floral, of [...]
A postcard of the Sawrey Hotel, written in July 1930 and describing a holiday-maker’s chance meeting with Beatrix Potter, provides a very real and fascinating insight into the life of the famous authoress. The card, from ‘Lila’ of Carlisle to a Mrs W A Rohrer in Detroit says: “This card comes from the town where [...]
Diary date: Schools Minister Visit Monday 6 February Venue: Dallam School, Milnthorpe Media invite: 1215 for plaque unveiling, interviews and photographs Schools minister Nick Gibb is visiting Cumbria for the first time (Monday 6 February) to find out how a unique collaboration between a specialist language school and a university will revolutionise how modern language [...]
National Apprenticeship Week: Monday 6 Feb to Friday 10 Feb A local Kendal businessman who started his career as a 16 year old apprentice in 1989 is marking national apprenticeship week by celebrating his firm’s first recruit. Seventeen year old Stuart Waring from Holme, joined Kendal auction house Eighteen Eighteen Auctioneers last August as part [...]
New technology and the middle-aged man’s interest in toys, models and medals are just some of the reasons why Eighteen Eighteen Auctioneers are reporting another good year for business with turnover up by over £100,000. A collection of around 100 war medals dating from the late 19th century to the present day sold for a [...]
Data Center Dynamics 2011, 30th November – 1st December ICC ExCel London In sync with DCD’s longest running exhibition theme, Design Build Operate, the Mardix stand will focus on every part of the mission-critical lifecycle from engineering design to power control and monitoring and into service and maintenance. Launching four new solutions for 2012, Mardix [...]
It will be bangers at dawn as The Traditional Cumberland Sausage creeps over the border on a daring raid to win over the taste buds of Lancastrians celebrating Lancashire week. Appearing for the first time, fully coiled and armed with a European Protected Geographical Status (PGI), this flavoursome sausage, rough cut not minced, will be [...]
Giant wooden streamers made out of local ash are illuminating Kendal’s trendy Wainwright’s Yard shopping and eating area this Christmas. The beautiful wooden ribbons are the brainchild of Witherslack bent-wood artist Charlie Whinney and designer Stacey Donnelly of Northern Electrical Contractors (NEC). These unique Xmas decorations have been chosen to celebrate the end of the [...]
Plumgarths have been named as a ‘regional finalist’ in this year’s search for the Britain’s most legendary banger as part of British Sausage Week 2011 (31 October to 6 November). Their pork and black pudding sausage will compete with other regional finalist bangers in a cook-off being held on Wednesday (2 November) in Manchester. The [...]
Tim Farron MP joins the call to ‘celebrate British products’ by lending his support to local independent retailer Armstrong Ward who will be doubling the number of British brands they stock and artisan producers they buy from as they launch the opening of a second floor of their home store in Wainwright’s Yard, Kendal. The [...]
BBC news anchor Gordon Burns, for 18 years host of television’s toughest quiz The Krypton Factor, put his quizmaster hat back on last night to launch an exciting new challenge that will see him appear in lots of pubs at the same time! Gordon hosted the first live and interactive pub quiz delivered onto pub [...]
Changes in people’s approach to food in the last twenty years are just one of the things being celebrated by the Park family at Low Sizergh Farm as they mark the anniversary of the farm shop established in 1991 near Kendal. A love of home-grown produce, an appreciation of local food traditions and recipes, and [...]
Celebrity Recipes on the Menu for New Café Opening Part of National Vegetarian Week (23-29 May) Media Event: 2pm Tuesday 24 May; cooking demo by chef Jane Petley-Jones The actress Sheila Hancock, the Duchess of Westminster, broadcaster Eric Robson, Gillian Clarke (wife of Kenneth Clarke MP) and renowned cooks Rose Elliot and Ainsley Harriott are [...]