Christian Guild Christian Guild
HOTELS • HOLIDAYS • CONFERENCES
newsletter : January 2014
WELCOME
director honoured
Happy New Year to you all. Welcome to our first newsletter of 2014. As you will have seen in the 2014 brochure there are lots of new and exciting holidays and short breaks planned for this year. All our holidays are selling well and some are already oversubscribed. Don’t delay, or you may be disappointed. As you read on you will see that we have added some new short breaks to our holidays further afield. This is another exciting new partnership for ourselves and a further development of our partnership strategy to offer quality holidays outside of the UK. Our new ‘Stay as you please’ holidays are proving very popular with a lot of our guests. These holidays do give the opportunity to book in advance and receive a discount on the holiday without the need to wait for any special offers that may be advertised later in the year. Again, please don’t wait as we are not planning to offer any further discounts or offers to our UK hotel holidays for 2014. To help you, we continue to offer our superb Redundancy Cover – where if you are made redundant after booking and paying for your holiday, we will give you a complete refund if you need to cancel. We also offer 4% early payment discount when you pay up to six months before the start of your holiday. Our five hotels are open every day of the year to welcome you for an overnight stay, a weekend break or a holiday of your choice. We look forward to welcoming you. Kevin Mantle, Managing Director
Ann Barwood, a Director of Christian Guild and the Canon Librarian for Exeter Cathedral, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for her voluntary services to the Cathedral over many years. She is pictured here with the Lord Lieutenant of Devon at the award ceremony in May 2013. Ann was made a Chapter Canon at the Cathedral in 2003 and took charge of the Cathedral’s Library and Archive. She was appointed as Lay Canon Librarian in 2009 and has overseen the £1.8 million refurbishment project of the West Wing of the Bishops Palace, providing modern storage conditions for the care of the very significant collections held in the Cathedral Library and Archive and improved facilities for the Cathedral Choirs and Clergy. Since receiving the award she has also steered the Library and Archive through an application for the new Accreditation award given by the National Archives – one of the first six organisations to receive it. Ann said “This was most unexpected and a tremendous honour. I feel very humble in that I have been chosen when there are so many other people who give of their time and skills in the service of the Cathedral’s mission. It has been a great privilege to serve the Cathedral in this way.” The British Empire medal has not been awarded since 1992, when it was put in abeyance. It was reintroduced this year to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and was awarded to 293 people.
2014 brochure We’re already getting a great response to the Holidays & Christian Guild Holidays & Breaks 2014 Breaks brochure! In case you missed it, you can read or download the online version at www.christianguild.co.uk/brochures or call us on 01629 826531 to order your copies in the post. Offering th This year’s brochure is full of inspiring e best in Ch ristia n hosp ita lity new holidays for all the family, from crafts and walking to coach holidays and dancing breaks.
2014
paperless mailing At Christian Guild we are committed to acting as a responsible holiday provider, and we have been striving to adapt and improve in all areas. In 2012 we developed techniques that enabled us to email all newsletters, brochures and booking confirmations.
However, we need your assistance to enable this by providing us with your full name and the mailing address at which you receive our mailings, including postcode, via email to emails@christianguild.co.uk. The objective is to allow our guests to opt-out of printed material if not required – we will of course continue to post material in the usual way if needed.
Brochure correction The speaker for the Jean Long Fellowship Break at Lindors Country House Hotel in September is Rev Dr Leslie Griffiths; Lord Griffiths of Burry Port. Please accept our apologies for any confusion caused by our error in the 2014 brochure.
contact details Head Office ��������������������������������������������������������� 01629 826531 Abbot Hall Hotel ��������������������������������������������� 015395 32896 Lindors Country House Hotel ��������������������� 01594 530283
Sidholme Hotel ������������������������������������������������� 01395 515104 Treloyhan Manor Hotel ��������������������������������� 01736 796240 Willersley Castle Hotel ����������������������������������� 01629 582270
www.christianguild.co.uk All offers in this publication are applicable to new bookings only and subject to availability. Full balances must be paid at the time of booking. Terms & conditions apply. Excursions and some entertainment may incur additional costs.
FSC info
New for 2014:
detective
myste y weekends
Dear Christian Guild guests...
We have an opportunity for you to join a new holiday at one of our hotels next year. If you would like to take a ‘stab’ at being Sherlock Holmes, you’re in for a treat – thanks to exciting and fun murder mystery weekends at our hotels. Specialist company Murders Most Horrid will be staging the action-packed holidays in 2014 at each of our collection of hotels. Like Holmes or Poirot, you’ll be able to put your sleuthing skills to the test as the dastardly deed is unveiled before your very eyes. As well as the chance to become a detective, you’ll also enjoy mouth-watering dinner parties as you investigate the crime. Five Murders Most Horrid weekends will be held from October, starting at Treloyhan Manor Hotel, and all of our historic hotels provide the perfect backdrop for an atmospheric weekend for ‘private detectives’ who want to outwit the crafty criminals. Fri 17th – Sun 19th Oct 2014 Treloyhan Manor Hotel, St Ives, Cornwall Fri 28th – Sun 30th Nov 2014 Willersley Castle Hotel, Matlock, Derbyshire Fri 5th – Sun 7th Dec 2014 Lindors Country House Hotel, Lydney, Gloucestershire Fri 12th – Sun 14th Dec 2014 Sidholme Hotel, Sidmouth, Devon Fri 16th – Sun 18th Jan 2015 Abbot Hall Hotel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria
Murders Most Horrid combines detective work, camaraderie and lots of laughter, with first class hotel accommodation and dining. They are ideal for individuals, couples or groups. For more information visit www.murdersmosthorrid.com To book or for further details, tel: 07840 272173 / 01704 229083 or email steve@murdersmosthorrid.com
“What a great time we had! It was the first time I have ever been to one of these events and at first I wasn’t too sure if it was my cup of tea but I was totally enthralled and the guests and hosts made us all very welcome.” susan, dave, john & mary
Exploring the Furness Peninsulas Discover the Cumbrian coast & the fells of Southern Lakeland Our partnership holidays with Ramblers Worldwide Holidays are selling well, but there are still spaces on some of these great walking holidays at Lindors and Treloyhan Manor. Please see our 2014 brochure or go online: www.ramblersholidays.co.uk/page/st-ives-and-the-cornish-coast and www.ramblersholidays.co.uk/page/walking-the-wye-valley With this success we have also added further holidays at Abbot Hall with Ramblers Worldwide for 2014. For details visit www.ramblersholidays.co.uk/page/exploring-the-furness-peninsulas The dramatic scenery and shores of Cumbria attract dozens of people every year who enjoy the beautiful backdrops. If you love to walk you are spoilt for choice when it comes to terrific terrain to explore. Ramblers Worldwide are running three eye-opening and exciting breaks at Abbot Hall with a host of moderate walks, during which you will enjoy coastal and hill-country scenery with magnificent and awe-inspiring views. Ramblers Worldwide Holidays offer the best in walking holidays, with their expert team using decades of experience to ensure you have an engaging and enjoyable break. The walks – which are ‘D’ graded – include an eight-mile trek above Coniston Water from High Nibthwaite, and a woodland, heath and farmland walk that takes in a section of the Cumbria Coastal Way. The holidays take place from: • 6th July for six nights; • 30th August for six nights; • and 5th October for five nights. All the holidays are on a half-board basis and there will be plenty of time after your rambles to enjoy relaxing in the swimming pool, lounges and coffee shop. For more details visit www.ramblersholidays.co.uk or telephone 01707 331133.
Stay as you please!
We launched our new product, ‘Stay As You Please’, in our brochure for 2014, and many of you have already booked a Stay As You Please holiday. You will see in the brochure a number of Stay As You Please packages which are all at a special price compared to our normal hotel tariffs. You can also ‘stay as you please’ at any time of the year – the hotel teams have been putting together a wealth of information and special offers for local attractions including free entry and discounts at local business. Each hotel will have a Stay As You Please information area, like the one at Treloyhan Manor in the picture. All guests holidaying with us on a Stay As You Please holiday will be able to access this information. Our staff we also be on hand to assist with your plans and help you to get the most out of your stay. You will also be able to access a special Stay As You Please information area on our website in early 2014 so you can make plans and see just what our hotels have to offer.
announcing a new Affinity Partnership with Riviera Travel! We have listened to you, our guests, when you told us you would like to see a bigger choice of European and worldwide holidays with Christian Guild and all that we provide. For that reason we have added two fabulous escorted tours for 2014, as detailed below, with such highlights as a visit to Ypres and a tour of the First World War battlefields, plus experiencing the moving ‘Last Post’ ceremony at the Menin Gate. For 2015 we will be offering a range of city breaks, European and worldwide tours: Austria; Russia; Italy; Switzerland; Burma; China; South Africa; Vietnam; and Canada – to name but a few.
For nearly thirty years Riviera Travel have tried not just to meet, but to exceed the expectations of their discerning customers. They make a perfect partner for us at Christian Guild as they continually strive to offer more for your money, with an extensive programme of excursions included in the tour cost, plus transparent pricing to include essentials like taxes and luggage costs. Their tours are designed to get under the skin of a destination, but with no hidden extras and a ‘No Surcharge’ guarantee.
Christian Guild and Riviera Travel – a passion for travel, a passion for people.
Christian Guild
HOTELS • HOLIDAYS • CONFERENCES
Fascinating Escorted Tours Paris by Eurostar on 4th July 2014 Price includes: • Return rail connections included from over thirty regional stations* • Return standard class reserved seat on Eurostar from London St. Pancras International. Upgrades available at supplement • Return coach transfers from Paris, Gare du Nord rail station to your hotel • Three nights’ B&B in the 3* Ibis Bercy Village hotel
4 days from
£309 per person
4 days from
• Comprehensive sightseeing tour of Paris • Paris ‘By Night’ tour • Visit to Versailles, with its beautiful Château • Visit to the artists’ quarter - picturesque Montmartre • Escorted by an experienced tour manager
£309 per person
* Please note supplements are applicable for certain regional stations, single rooms and the entrance to the Château
Bruges by Eurostar on 13 August 2014 Price includes: • Guided walking tour of historic Bruges, arguably the • Return rail connections included from over most perfectly preserved medieval town in Europe thirty regional stations* • Visit to a traditional chocolatier • Return standard class reserved seat on Eurostar from London St. Pancras International. • Visit to Ypres and a tour of the First World War Upgrades available at a supplement battlefields plus experience the moving ‘Last Post’ ceremony at the Menin Gate • Return coach transfer from Lille to your hotel (approx 1 hour) • Escorted throughout by an experienced tour manager * Please note supplements are applicable for certain • Three nights B&B at a 4*hotel right in the regional stations and single rooms heart of the old preserved town
To secure your place either call 01283 742322 (quoting ‘Christian Guild’) or email privategroups@rivieratravel.co.uk (quoting CGU)
To confirm places we require a deposit of £50 per person, balance due on/before 8wks prior to departure. Places are limited so book today!
Holidays Further Afield 2014 The isles of scIlly
The rhine valley
departs 4th may. 10 days*, £1525
departs 15th june. 6 days, £650
(10 day £1450 & 8 day £1375 options available)
The Isle of Wight departs 13th september 8 days, £595
NoRway & The western fjords departs 19th september. 10 days, £1339 For more information about any of these holidays, please contact Head Office:
samos wAlking holiday departs 25th september. 7 days, £940
01629 826531
mail@christianguild.co.uk www.christianguild.co.uk