United Kingdom News
England's Lake Country
About the area
Nestled in the heart of Cumbria lies the Lake District…a place where
dramatic mountain ranges sweep majestically down to clear blue lakes;
a place where peaceful country lanes meander through meadows brimming
with wildflowers and crystal clear rivers gently twist their way through
undisturbed countryside.
It is no wonder that for centuries, great artists, writers and craftsmen
have come to this beautiful region for inspiration. Impressive literary
and artistic connections have added to the vibrant personality of the
area – the beloved homes of Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth and John
Ruskin can all be found here.
This is a land of ancient kingdoms where stories of legendary giants
have been handed down from generation to generation and magnificent monuments
remain as reminders of times gone by. Enchanting castles, historic homes
and beautiful gardens sited around the county all have a tale to tell.
Just a short time spent in this diverse region and you will see how its
captivating history and culture are ingrained into everyday life.
As well being a haven of majestic scenery, heritage and culture, you
can indulge in some of the finest fine food and accommodation. The English
Lakes Hotels group offers fine accommodation in the most picturesque
setting. The hearty wholesome foods served in the area’s diverse range
of hotels and restaurants, pubs and inns, cafes and tearooms will satisfy
the most fervent appetites from dusk till dawn. From the tasty and traditional
to the sumptuous and sublime the impressive menu of fresh, local produce
is hard to resist.
Central to the English Lake District is Windermere, England’s longest
lake and a hive of activity. The beauty of the lake and its surrounding
area can be enjoyed aboard a Windermere
Lake Cruise or from the comfort of a Mountain
Goat minicoach. The towns of Windermere and nearby Bowness, Ambleside
and Grasmere boast a wealth of shops and restaurants as well as an impressive
array of visitor attractions. From the family-friendly World
of Beatrix Potter to Dove
Cottage and Rydal Mount, homes of William Wordsworth.
With its eclectic range of shopping, arts and crafts, a day pottering
around the cobbled yards and streets of Kendal is a must. If you are
in town for the Torchlight Carnival then you are in for a treat. Just
south of Kendal you will find Levens
Hall with its award-winning topiary gardens.
Venture a little further afield and you will discover the undisturbed
beauty of the Cartmel Peninsula. Surrounding the 12th century Priory
rests the pretty village of Cartmel, renowned for its horse races and
famous sticky toffee pudding. Nestled in the Cartmel Valley is Holker
Hall, Cumbria’s best loved stately home.
Interesting exhibitions and events held in most local towns and villages
bring the county to life and give you a chance to experience, first-hand,
the traditions and culture of the county.
The members of England's Lake Country are Dove Cottage, English Lakes
Hotels, Holker Hall and Gardens, Levens Hall and Gardens, Lindeth Howe
Country House Hotel, Mountain Goat Holidays and Tours, Rydal Mount and
Gardens, Windermere Lake Cruises and the World of Beatrix Potter. Cumbria
Tourism and South Lakeland District Council endorse the work done by
England's Lake Country.
WWW.ENGLANDSLAKECOUNTRY.COM
UK Hotel news from Red Carnation
CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW
Every year, London is host to the Royal Horticultural
Society's flagship event, The Chelsea Flower Show. Between 23 and
27 May garden aficionados will be travelling from far and wide to
this, the world's premier horticultural event, to see the latest ideas for
garden design and the finest horticultural collections.
It's a wonderful day out for gardening enthusiasts.
During this must-see event, Chelsea Royal Hospital's Ranelagh Gardens are
transformed into splendid avenues of exhibits, with show gardens created
by the world's leading garden designers and marquees filled with beautiful
displays of the highest quality flowers and plants.
Visit the Chelsea Flower Show in style with a
stay at one of London's finest five-star, aptly named Red Carnation Hotels.
Each of these properties - The Milestone Hotel in Kensington, "41" opposite
Buckingham Palace, and The Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge - is ideally
located for the show, and will envelop you in the ultimate luxury, comfort,
and personal service.
The Chelsea Flower Show package
includes:
- Accommodation in a Luxury Double room
- Glass of Champagne upon arrival
- Two tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show
- Picnic basket for two to take with
you to the show
- £15.00 Waterstones voucher for the
gardening book of your choice
- Taxi fare from your hotel to the Ranelagh
Gardens
- Full English breakfast daily
Rates are from £379 per night based
on two people sharing; special rates are available for upgrades to a Junior
or Executive Suite. The upgrade to a Deluxe King is £100 additional per night;
to a Junior Suite, £200 additional per night. Rates are subject to availability
and inclusive of 17.5%VAT.
Chelsea Flower Show tickets are valid for the
public days of 25th, 26th and 27th May and subject to availability. The hotel
will confirm within 24 hours of receiving the booking. All tickets must be
booked in advance as tickets will not be available for purchase at the gates.
Times of the flower show are 8am to 8pm, Thursday and Friday, and 8am to
5:30pm on Saturday. Sell-off display plants start at 4pm.
For additional information in the USA and Canada
call 1 877 955 1515; in Europe call 00 800 1698 8740. To reserve accommodations
online email bookms@rchmail.com,
or book41@rchmail.com,
or bookings@egertonhousehotel.co.uk or
visit us at www.redcarnation.com.
~o0o~
THE EGERTON HOUSE HOTEL
When The Egerton House opened in a residential
Knightsbridge street in the mid-80's, it spearheaded London's "boutique hotel" explosion.
Here was the antithesis of the big, corporate, faceless chain hotel. At The
Egerton House you lived like a real Englishman with personal service and
real comfort, this was a genuine home from home in London.
But a generation on and the hotel was starting to look a little frayed at the
edges. Recently acquired and now under new ownership, The Egerton House is
being re-styled for the 21st century, while staying true to its original tenets.
Due for completion by the end of May 2006, the 29 guest rooms are undergoing
a complete re-fit. Out go the tired sofas and the sun-bleached drapes, and
in come beautiful, handpicked antiques, Brussel weave carpets and Savoir beds.
On the ground floor, the cosy drawing room, with its gorgeous open fire, is
being re-designed in soft, muted tones. It will be elegant but utterly comfortable.
The addition of a small bar will lend the room a clubby feel.
But the new Egerton House is not just about comfort. With flat-screen TVs,
WiFi throughout, and specially programmed Nano iPods offering a vast selection
of music, it will offer bang-up-to-date, cutting-edge technology slickness
and efficiency coupled with timeless, dedicated hotel keeping. A unique blend.
Comprising two adjoining red brick, Victorian townhouses, The Egerton House
Hotel is located in tree-lined Egerton Gardens in the heart of Knightsbridge.
It backs on to large private gardens and is three minutes' walk from Harrods
as well as being perfectly placed for all of Central London's attractions.
For more information call The Egerton House Hotel directly 44 207 589
2412 or email bookings@egertonhousehotel.com.
Visit us at www.egertonhousehotel.co.uk.
~o0o~
A DAY TO REMEMBER
Your wedding day should be a magical experience
for everyone present, especially the bride and groom. At Summer Lodge Country
House Hotel, Restaurant and Spa, a charming Relais & Châteaux hotel
set in the pretty Dorset village of Evershot, just two hours from London,
your every wish will be tended to by experienced professionals.
Perfect for up to 80 guests, Summer Lodge is
licensed to perform any wedding service, including civil partnerships and
re-affirmation of wedding vows. Alternatively, the charming village church
is a short walk along the picturesque village street once walked by Hardy's
Tess. And with the hotel dedicated to your happiness throughout your celebration,
a full range of exceptional facilities is entirely at your disposal:
- Four acres of beautiful gardens overlooking
rolling hills and thatched cottages
- Choice of reception venues - the elegant
Restaurant and Conservatory overlooking the gardens, the exquisite Drawing
Room, the wood-panelled Dorchester Suite, even poolside for a relaxed,
al fresco setting
- Exceptional service including a personal
wedding planner from the moment of your first enquiry to advise and fulfill
your every request and need
- An outstanding culinary team to create a
meal to your taste and an award- winning Sommelier to assist in the selection
of fine wines; a rehearsal dinner to make sure everything is perfect
- 24 beautiful guest rooms and suites including
3 specially created for honeymooners; additional accommodation is also
available in the recently refurbished Acorn Inn just along the high street
(perfect for the groom's party)
Before the special day, Summer Lodge can offer
a range of events to make your wedding as special as you wish. For the bride
and her friends, pajama parties, showers, girly days at the hotel's superb
Spa, special luncheons, teas, dinners, and surprise gifts for the bridesmaids:
all can be themed to your wishes. For the groom's party, stag nights, wine-tasting
evenings, tennis or croquet competitions with fun prizes - with your imagination
and our expert help, anything is possible.
For more information visit www.summerlodgehotel.com/weddings,
or for a personal discussion please call the Summer Lodge Wedding Coordinator
on 01935 48 2000, and start looking forward to a day you'll look back on
with happiness forever.
Five magical things to do in Britain
With popular movies and books as inspiration, American travelers can take a magical trip to
Britain to be spellbound by a country full of myths and legends, stories of witches and
wizards, and ghostly goings on. VisitBritain, the national tourist office for England,
Scotland and Wales, suggests five magical things to do for would-be wizards and witches!
Alnwick Castle
In the north of England, visitors will not want to miss Alnwick Castle, which has
featured as Hogwarts in recent Harry Potter movies. It is the second largest inhabited
castle in England, with magnificent interiors and art treasures, surrounded by grounds
landscaped by designer Capability Brown. Adjacent to the castle is another popular
attraction—The Alnwick Garden—renowned for its powerful water cascade,
the largest of its kind in Britain. A new Serpent Garden is the latest
addition, home to a giant holly serpent that holds interactive water sculptures by
leading sculptor William Pye. Would-be wizards and witches will also be impressed by the
Poison Garden where they can see some of the most deadly plants in the
world and learn about the dangers from experts.
In the Harry Potter series of books, young wizards and witches send messages using
owls; so another "not to be missed" attraction in the north of England is
Muncaster Castle, Gardens and Owl Centre. The center is the headquarters of the World
Owl Trust and houses more than 180 birds, working to preserve endangered species.
The castle itself boasts an elegant Great Hall, Dining Room and Octagonal Library,
but this 13th century stately home also has a wild history; those who have stayed
in the castle say that it is haunted by ghosts including the legendary Tom Fool.
In Scotland, visitors will be enchanted by Fingal's Cave on Staffa Island.
Reached by boat in a half-day visit from the nearby island of Mull, the spectacular
sea cave is famous for its hexagonal basalt columns. Fingal's Cave is one of three
great caverns on the island, and is easily accessible at low tide with a walkway
leading deep inside. Legend has it that the impressive columns are the remains of
a bridge connecting Scotland with Ireland, built by the giant, Finn McCool.
Ffestiniog Railway
Visitors to Wales can ride on the Ffestiniog Railway, (wonderful, says Mary Gallagher, editor)
enjoying magical views across the Snowdonia National Park. The narrow gauge railway is home to
the world's oldest steam locomotive still working on its original line, and will host a
Victorian Vintage Weekend on October 15–16, 2005. Nearby at the foot of
Mount Snowdon is Dinas Emrys—the ruins of a fortress which, according to legend, was built
by a Celtic king on the suggestion of magician Merlin. When the fortress was being constructed,
two sleeping dragons awoke—one a red dragon representing Wales, and the other a white
dragon representing the Saxons; the dragons fought, with the Welsh dragon winning and
becoming the emblem of Wales to this day.
Kew at the Royal Botanic Gardens
In London, visitors to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,(especially wonderful in winter, says Mary Gallagher, editor)
can see a special exhibition of glass sculptures and installations by world-renowned American
artist, Dale Chihuly. Gardens of Glass is the first exhibition of its kind to
be held in Europe, and features organically shaped and vibrantly colored glass sculptures
set throughout the 300-acre garden landscape and within the great glasshouses, creating
a magical journey.
Visitors can find more information about magical vacations in Britain by visiting the website
www.visitbritain.com/usa, by e-mailing
travelinfo@visitbritain.org and by
calling 1-800-462-2748 to request free brochures including two guides
Time to Explore Britain and Inside Britain.
For more information on the attractions featured
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