Issue 75 Winter 2018 £2.75
Visitors spent more than £1billion in Britain last year By Dominic Musgrave VISITORS spent more than £1billion in Britain last year as a result of activity by national tourism agency VisitBritain/ VisitEngland latest figures show. This means that for every pound invested in the agency, visitors spent £25 in Britain. As well as the UK Government investment, the agency had attracted £13 million of investment in cash and in-kind from commercial partners and delivered £2 million profit from its online shop – money which is reinvested into its activities to grow the value of tourism. The results, announced at the agency’s annual review, come on the back of a strong 2017 for inbound tourism. VisitBritain forecasts that it will beat its ambition of 40 million inbound visits by 2020 this year. Brits have also been taking more holidays at home with visits and spend up by six per cent in 2017. UK Minister for Tourism, Michael Ellis, said: “Britain’s tourism industry is booming. Last year was a very strong year for domestic and inbound tourism, with tens of billions of pounds going into our economy. “The Government, alongside VisitBritain/VisitEngland, is working with the sector to build on this success with an
emphasis on attracting major business events and investing in local tourism projects through the Discover England Fund. “Tourism shows the world the best of our nation. As we approach the UK’s exit from the European Union, we are absolutely committed to helping the industry continue to grow, promoting the country as a must-visit destination and ensuring that local communities benefit.” British Tourist Authority chairman Steve Ridgway added: “Tourism is the country’s shop window to the world. A £127billion powerhouse which continues to deliver for the British economy, creating jobs and driving economic growth right across the country. “Our third largest service export, tourism needs no trade deals to prosper. Britain is already competing strongly in our most valuable visitor source markets such as the US and in markets that are crucial for our future including China.” Domestic tourism in England had also seen success from the growth in holidays to more frequent short-breaks. “Domestic tourism accounted for almost 80 per cent of all tourism activity and £70billion was spent by domestic tourists in England last year, supporting millions of jobs.
Festival attracts record numbers THE 2018 Winter Stratford Literary Festival, which headlined some of the most respected writers and high-profile journalists, attracted record numbers selling over 2,000 tickets. As well as best-selling author, Jodi Picoult, the Festival hosted a programme of popular events. Many of the events sold out weeks before the Festival including those for historian and TV presenter, Lucy Worsley OBE and world affairs editor John Simpson CBE. Packed audiences also enjoyed talks from veteran broadcaster, Sir Michael Parkinson, Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman, economics editor Kamal Ahmed, former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, former standup comedian Viv Groskop, leading academic, Professor Diarmaid
MacCulloch and James Anthony, former Ford car worker. For younger audiences, there was a day of fun with the award-winning creator of best-selling Mr Gum books, Andy Stanton. More good news for the Festival is that it received a generous grant of £4,000 from Stratford Town Trust towards ‘Books with Friends’ – a free, informal book club for those over 55. Stratford Town Trust is a grant-giving charity dedicated to supporting local people and community projects. Since 2001 the Trust has distributed around £2million each year in a diverse programme of grant-making, from large grants to small levels of funding. The Spring Festival, which will celebrate its 12th year in 2019, will take place from April 28 – May 5.
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Come and sty in North’s most pig-turesque hotel VISITORS heading snout and about in County Durham can now hog the bed in the most luxurious pigsty in the world. The newly opened Impeccable Pig, at Sedgefield, has converted an old coach house within its grounds into 10 luxurious bedrooms across two floors – and the most spectacular of them all is The Pigsty. Not only does it boast a sevenfoot bed, with Egyptian bedlinen and an ornate panelled headboard, but it also features a large, round freestanding copper and tin bath and walk-in drench rainforest shower. Its own, private garden, festooned with a canopy of lights, has a fourseater hot tub and an outside sauna and those who fancy a barbecue can even hire their very own chef to do the cooking for them. Continuing the porcine theme, other rooms include the timber panelled The Whole Hog, Oinkers – with trumpet wall lights and map imagery from floor to ceiling – and Globe Trotter, whose bed is adorned with Moroccan brick walls and deep blue tiles. French-themed Le Cochon D’or features hanging foliage with blossom and gold tiles, while Three Little Pigs gives a nod to the storybook characters through the use of bricks, sticks and straw. And, like all the other rooms, Babe, Pigs Might Fly, and Piggly Wiggly feature free standing baths, made from copper, nickel or tin, with The Dirty Pig also boasting a fur lined wall and gold tiling.
Contacts EDITORIAL Judith Halkerston group editor jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Dominic Musgrave production editor dm@scriptmedia.co.uk
PRODUCTION Stewart Holt – studio manager – sth@scriptmedia.co.uk Laura Blackburn – graphic designer lb@scriptmedia.co.uk Scott Firth – graphic designer sf@scriptmedia.co.uk ADVERTISING Tony Barry sales and marketing director 01226 734605 CIRCULATION Kelly Tarff 01226 734695 kt@scriptmedia.co.uk Web: www.destination.uk.com
Each room includes Egyptian cotton bedlinen, Duck Island toiletries, an Illy coffee maker, Taylors tea, a minibar and an emergency recovery pack for those who may have stayed late in the bar. The Impeccable Pig is the latest addition to the Ramside Estates portfolio and comes after the company purchased the Grade II listed building, formerly known as the Hope Inn. With chef Chris Finnigan at the helm, it offers an extensive bistro-style menu and also has a mezzanine level private dining room, which can be hired exclusively for up
to 18 guests. “Our aim in creating The Impeccable Pig was to make it fun, with such great food and drink, that no-one wanted to leave,” said general manager Pierre Bertolotti. “And now our fantastic new rooms are finished, they don’t have to. “In designing and furnishing them we have tried to anticipate every single thing the guest may want or need – from superb quality bedlinen and state-of-the-art facilities to inspired, elegant and creative décor. “We are delighted with the results and can’t wait to welcome our first guests.”
At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: dm@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk
Fine pork pies: Otley’s Christmas 2018 film released OTLEY has released its second annual Christmas film, The Twelve Days of Otley Christmas. The film sees local choir Sally’s Army gather around Otley All Saints Parish Church to sing an adaptation of Frederic Austin’s 1909 version of the much-loved Christmas carol The Twelve Days of Christmas with the lyrics altered to extol the virtues of 12 amazing things to see and do in Otley over the festive period. As the choir continues to sing, they are joined by a number of Otley residents and dignitaries, many of whom feature in clips of the 12 things to do that are interspersed throughout the film. The film follows on from last year’s viral smash, The Oak & The Ash, which mimicked the style of a certain well-known department store’s Christmas films and told the story of a young man stranded in the big city and pining for a return to Otley in time for Christmas. As with last year’s film, stars of the 2018 show are award-winning pork pies from Otley’s renowned butchers Weegmanns, JB Wilkinson and Geo Middlemiss thanks to the ‘five gold rings’ line of the original song being adapted to “Fine pork pies.” Production of the film saw many
local businesses, dignitaries and townsfolk gathering to draw on their artistic talents and natural enthusiasm to help promote Otley. The film was devised, created and produced by Visit Otley’s tourism consultants Endure Communications based in Pool in Wharfedale, while filming and editing was undertaken by Menston-based M Char Media. Lyrics to the song were adapted by Otley’s town poet Matthew Hedley Stoppard alongside Sally Egan of local women’s choir Sally’s Army, who sing the lyrics with great enthusiasm. Recording of the music
took place at Otley’s Woolpack Studios. Well-known Otley faces appearing in the film include Town Mayor Councillor Mary Vickers, Otley Bellman Terry Ford, former MP Greg Mulholland, Leeds City Councillor Ryk Downes, Chair of Otley BID Steph Lee, Otley Pub Club President Matt Hardin and a number of local councillors, as well as groups such as Otley Parish Church Bellringers. A number of prominent businesses and their staff also make cameo appearances. Chair of Otley Town Council’s trade
and tourism committee Councillor Paul Carter said: “We had a lot of fun playing with the slightly subdued tone of the Christmas adverts of a famous department store last year, but for 2018 we decided to produce a clip filled with joy that is a celebration of all that is good in Otley at Christmas. “We hope it serves as a fine and fun advertisement for all the town has to offer over the festive season.” Chair of Otley BID Steph Lee added: “Once again, officials, businesses and residents have pooled their talents to show why Otley is West Yorkshire’s Christmas town. We hope the film will draw more people into Otley over the Christmas period to sample our fabulous food and drink offering and visit our great range of independent shops. While here, of course, they should also make sure they pick up some of our fine pork pies.” The Otley Christmas film is part of a wider drive to promote the festive season in Otley. The campaign is being produced under the Visit Otley banner with the support of Otley Town Council, Otley BID, Otley Town Partnership and Otley & District Chamber of Trade & Commerce.
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Travelodge opens its first hotel for bees
Little Mandarin is announced as a VisitBritain Goodwill Ambassador for China.
VisitBritain collaborates with internet company on new racing game NATIONAL tourism agency VisitBritain has collaborated with leading Chinabased internet technology and cultural enterprise Tencent on a new 3D racing game ‘QQ Speed’ to inspire more Chinese visitors to book a trip to Britain. Online gamers in China can now tour Britain virtually on two new tracks, exploring ‘British Castles’ themed around Windsor Castle and ‘North Sea Fishery’ which is based on Britain’s seaside villages. QQ Speed’s main virtual character ‘Little Mandarin’, Xiao Juzi, has also been appointed as a VisitBritain goodwill ambassador for the Chinese market. VisitBritain director Patricia Yates said: “China is the world’s most valuable outbound market and we want Britain to be the destination of choice for Chinese travellers. “Our collaboration with Tencent’s QQ Speed is a great opportunity to tap into a new audience of millions in China, inspiring visitors to book a trip right now to explore more of our nations and regions.” Tencent Interactive Entertainment Group marketing director, Xinglun Liu, added: “The collaboration with VisitBritain and QQ Speed is an affirmation of its influence among young adults. “As the most popular racing game
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“China is the world’s most valuable outbound market and we want Britain to be the destination of choice for Chinese travellers.” both on PC and mobile in China, we hope to help more people understand and learn about different cultures through gaming.” The UK has seen record visits from China in the first half of 2018 with 137,000 visits, up 19 per cent on the same period last year. Visitors from China are some of the UK’s highest spenders, last year spending on average £2,059 during their visit, more than three times the all-market average. Last year saw China enter the UK’s top 10 most valuable inbound visitor markets. For every 22 visits from China, one job is created in Britain’s tourism industry. VisitBritain has ambitions to increase spend from Chinese visitors to £1billion annually by 2020.
VisitBritain’s Tim Holt awarding Little Mandarin a Good Will Ambassador certificate.
TRAVELODGE has opened a new hotel for bees at the award winning Telford Town Park & Nature Reserve which overlooks the company’s new hotel. The bespoke Travelodge beehive is made from red cedar wood and has been painted in natural bee friendly paint. The UK’s first Bee Hotel features five floors and around 60,000 honeybees can check-into the new Travelodge hive free of charge. The Travelodge Beehive is the park’s first hive and will be part of a larger apiary community project, sponsored by Telford & Wrekin Council and managed by Friends of the Park volunteers under the guidance of local bee keeper, Alison Wakeman. Travelodge worked with Alison on the design and installation of the company’s first beehive. She has been studying bees for over 15 years and is the founder of ‘Alison’s Bee’s Class’ and delivers the academic course called ‘Awareness of Bees and the
Importance in the Environment’. Alison travels across the UK teaching primary school children the importance of bees, their vital role to the environment and how they contribute to the UK economy through their food crop pollination. The Travelodge beehive was officially opened by Telford Mayor, Councillor Raj Mehta and Alison. The Travelodge Bee hotel will be situated in a private area in Telford Town Park & Nature Reserve. Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman, said: “Our first Travelodge Bee hotel has created quite a buzz and got off to a flying start. We have been informed the Queen and her workers are very happy in their new home and comfortably settled in for winter. “We thought for the opening of our 551st UK hotel in Telford, it would be great opportunity to trail the UK’s first Travelodge Bee hotel as our new hotel overlooks Telford Town Park & Nature Reserve and kick starts Telford & Wrekin Council’s apiary initiative.”
‘Say Hello to More’ campaign launched TOURISM NI has launched its latest marketing campaign encouraging short breaks in Northern Ireland. The campaign includes digital, broadcast and outdoor advertising, as well as 48-hour itineraries. It will focus on six themes, each of which will provide consumers with compelling reasons to visit Northern Ireland for a short break, from great hotels and food and drink offers to attractions and experiences. Say Hello to More will showcase a wide variety of visitor attractions and places to stay from surfing on Portstewart Strand and the Seamus Heaney Homeplace to the Titanic Hotel in Belfast. The campaign includes a 30-second TV ad which 70 per cent of the Republic of Ireland viewing population will see at least once. Commenting on the campaign, Tourism NI’s director of marketing, Naomi Waite, said: “Our latest campaign in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland comes on the back of record visitor figures,
unprecedented hotel investment and high levels of occupancy and room rates in the last year. “Both the Republic of Ireland and domestic markets are crucial to the success of our tourism industry with recent strong performance a result not only of favourable exchange rates, more things to see and do and places to stay, but also a renewed marketing partnership approach between Tourism NI and the industry.” As part of the campaign, ads were be shown at the Aviva Stadium during the Autumn International Series and will feature as part of a marketing ‘take over’ at Connolly Station. The campaign also includes press insertions in national and regional titles as well as a highly targeted digital media plan. Latest figures available from NISRA show there was a strong start to 2018 with spend by Republic of Ireland visitors up 11 per cent and spend by Northern Ireland residents up 16 per cent.
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Campaign launches urging young Brits to take more short-breaks in the UK VisitEngland has launched a campaign to inspire more young Brits to discover the UK by taking mini gap-year style breaks. The £2.5million ‘Join the World – #MyMicrogap’ campaign targets young people with experiences and activities typically taken during a gap-year that can be condensed into a micro-holiday of one to three nights in the UK. The campaign kicked off with the first in a series of short films that are being rolled out across digital display and social media channels during the coming months. The campaign, launched by VisitEngland and run in partnership with the tourism organisations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is part of a drive to get more young people to holiday at home. Statistics show that in 2016, 16-to34 year olds took almost 1.4 million
fewer holidays in Britain than a decade previously. The microgap campaign follows research by VisitEngland into the travel habits of young Brits which showed that less than a quarter (24 per cent) of 18-to-34 year olds were likely to take a career break to travel in the next three years. The idea of ‘microgapping’ however appealed to almost two-thirds (64 per cent) with more than half (57 per cent) likely to take a microgap during the next three years. Research showed that young people keen on taking a microgap wanted the same self-development opportunities typical of a gap-year. Top activities and experiences sought were wellbeing and relaxation, visiting iconic landmarks, trying local food and drink and seeing nature and wildlife. VisitBritain/VisitEngland director
of marketing Clare Mullin said that whether learning a new skill, volunteering or ticking off a bucket list experience, the UK was packed full of life-enriching experiences right here on our doorstep. She added: “From mastering the pottery wheel at a ceramics course in North Wales to walking alpacas in the Lake District, from canoeing on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland to soaking up the live music scene in Glasgow, Scotland, we want young people to take a new look at the adventures, experiences and destinations on offer. “Working with destinations and tourism businesses we want to ignite the passion for domestic travel in young people, inspiring them to take a holiday at home in the UK right now and throughout their lifetimes, boosting the economy now and driving growth from tourism in the
future.” Content for the ‘Join the World – #MyMicrogap’ campaign, which runs until the end of March 2019, is being developed in partnership with VICE, based on the motivations for microgaps. As well as running across VICE’s social media channels, #MyMicrogap would also drive online traffic to www.visitbritain.com/ jointheworld with microgap itineraries and experiences to explore. Join the World – #MyMicrogap, part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign, is expected to generate an additional £62million in domestic tourism spend for the economy. It builds on an earlier campaign in 2017 which targeted the ‘lost generation’ of young Brits to take a holiday at home. Domestic tourism is worth £86billion to the British economy.
Loganair reveals new routes to/from Edinburgh
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LOGANAIR has announced its largest expansion programme at Edinburgh Airport, with four new routes being launched as part of its summer 2019 schedule. Named recently as European Regional Airline of the Year, Loganair will introduce regular yearround services to the Norwegian cities of Bergen and Stavanger; to the island of Islay; and a seasonal link between Edinburgh and Guernsey. Stavanger will become Loganair’s second destination in Norway with four flights each week from Edinburgh, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights from Edinburgh to Bergen – the Gateway to the Fjords – will operate three times each week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Bergen, Stavanger and Guernsey will each be operated by the airline’s newly acquired 37-seat Embraer 135 jet, the latest addition to its fleet of 30 aircraft. A 34-seat Saab 340 will fly the Edinburgh to Islay route – the capital city’s first ever scheduled air link to the Inner Hebrides.
The service will commence on March 25 and will operate daily, offering new links from Edinburgh to the “Queen of the Hebrides”, which is experiencing significant growth in tourism and business following the opening of new hotels and growth in the golfing and spirits distillery sectors. In addition to the new routes for next year, Loganair also plans to increase the frequency of flights between Edinburgh and the Isle of Man, adding an extra service on Wednesdays throughout the
summer, plus a Saturday flight during the iconic TT race weeks in May and June. There will also be an improved schedule to and from the Isle of Man on Fridays and Sundays, with evening flights ideal for weekend breaks and those commuting for work. The new service from Edinburgh to Guernsey will operate on Saturdays from May 11 to September 14. Inbound Edinburgh customers can connect to Loganair’s wide network of international airlines including
Qatar, Emirates, KLM, Air France and British Airways, opening up a comprehensive range of global destinations. Jonathan Hinkles, managing director of Loganair, said: “I’m delighted to launch four new routes from Scotland’s capital, significantly expanding our presence at Edinburgh. It marks the first phase of our Summer 2019 schedule announcements, and we expect to make more in the coming months across our network. “We know that Stavanger and Bergen will be of interest to both the leisure and corporate customer and have no doubt that both Islay and Guernsey will prove very popular to people looking for a holiday in these beautiful destinations.” “With international connections via our Better Connected programme with our rapidly growing group of airline partners, we’re confident these routes will also customer demand in both directions, as passengers from Norway and Islay use Edinburgh as their gateway to the world.”
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Cumbria Tourism launches marketing campaign to attract winter visitors CUMBRIA Tourism has unveiled a five-month campaign to promote the county as an all-year-round visitor destination. The programme of seasonal marketing activity reached a combined audience of more than 32 million last winter, including the full spectrum of social media, travel features in national newspapers and 1.9 million eNewsletters to targeted customer databases. With huge potential to grow the seasonal visitor economy when Cumbria has the capacity to accommodate additional visitors, the latest phase of #theplacetobe campaign again aims to drive muchneeded trade during the winter months and encourage longer stays across the county. Head of marketing and sales, Rachel Tyson, said: “Winter trading is vital for our local economy and communities, helping to create and maintain all year-round employment for many people. “Cumbria is one of the few rural and coastal destinations to attract people all year-round, so a high-
impact campaign is vital to maintain visitor confidence and cement this trend during a traditionally quieter time of year.” This year’s innovations include the launch of the new ‘GoLakes Club’ – an annual membership club which encourages visitors to stay loyal to Cumbria with a range of exclusive
discounts and flash sales all year round. It will run alongside the newly redeveloped ‘GoLakes card’, which is a visitor rewards card offering special deals over a two-week stay between now and the end of March. The card will be available to purchase on GoLakes, with
complimentary cards being given to visitors that book through the site during the winter period. An important part of the #theplacetobe message focuses on older couples who are less constrained by family routines and are more likely to visit midweek, as well as the younger ‘buzz seekers’ who enjoy outdoor challenges and outdoor experiences during the winter. With 14 million page views every year, golakes.co.uk will be the central focal point for visitors to book their winter breaks and access seasonal offers for accommodation and events. At the same time, Cumbria Tourism is developing targeted content to help inspire winter visits on social media. To support tourism businesses, a winter toolkit is being made available with ideas, itineraries and imagery they can use on their own websites and marketing channels. Cumbria Tourism is also partnering with individual businesses to offer them more tailored packages of support during the low season.
The MAD Museum has Christmas wrapped up
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THE MAD Museum (Mechanical Art and Design) has everything all wrapped up for Christmas whether it’s a unique and quirky gift or treating someone to a day out interacting with 90 pieces of kinetic art and automata. Located in Stratford-upon-Avon’s most popular tourist street, also home to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, visitors can watch and interact with mind-boggling mechanical creations such as flying mechanical birds, clever clocks and witty characters. They can also build marble runs and learn some engineering and physics principals along the way. Two new pieces have recently gone on display for visitors to enjoy. The first, designed by artist David Williams, demonstrates how magnetic fields work. The exhibit is technically two sculptures which produce different geometric shapes. The inner workings of the sculptures consist of Meccano mechanisms. Using a planetary motion, the rotation movement moves the magnets, which in turn, trigger a reaction on the surface. The magnets force the iron fillings to travel through the sand making interesting geometric patterns. The second exhibit, known as The Sextus Wooden Clock, was built by Clive Stewart and designed by David Atkinson. Clive was challenged to follow over 30 pages of instructions to put together hundreds of varying parts. The construction took around a week to complete. The clock is ‘high geared’ so it runs for a long time
Visitor economy on track for £1bn tourism target without winding, but the force driving the cogs is very small. Following the success of their gift shop, the MAD Museum has launched an online shop and added over 30 of their bestselling items to buy. There is a fantastic range of gifts ranging from the latest STEM kits to sensory, musical, time-telling and science toys, not to mention the MAD marble machines. There are four unique marble machines to choose from which are designed and produced by the Museum. The Museum is open Monday – Friday from 10.30am – 4.30pm and at weekends/holidays from 10am – 5.30pm. To find out more information about The MAD Museum visit www. themadmuseum.co.uk
TOURISTS continue to flock to Cheshire East and visitor rates are soon set to top £1bn a year, according to the latest economy figures. Cheshire East’s visitor economy has increased by 3.2 per cent on the previous year’s figures – placing the total value of hospitality and visitor revenue at £921m. It means it is on target to reach £1billion by 2020. Almost 16 million visitors passed through the borough in 2016/17, with festivals and dozens of other events and attractions continuing to boost the area’s popularity. Notable was the strong increase in staying visitors, the value of which increased by 6.3 per cent to £241m. Employment in the borough’s visitor economy also continues to rise, with a further increase – in full time equivalents – to 11,557. The figures are calculated through Steam, (the Scarborough Tourism Economic Analysis Monitor) – an accredited method of calculation
used by many visitor destinations. As part of its visitor economy strategy, Cheshire East Council has a long-standing aspiration to help create a visitor economy worth £1bn by 2020. Cheshire East leader Rachel Bailey said: “This is excellent news again for Cheshire East, the council and our outstanding hospitality and tourism industry. “We are fortunate to be ideally positioned for a great day visit as well as for visitors from all over the country, and abroad, staying with us. We are delighted that more people are discovering what the borough has to offer. Some visitors come for the shows – Nantwich, Royal Cheshire, the RHS Flower Show – or concerts, including Rewind and Blue Dot festivals. “Other visitors came to see our great historic places of interest, our breath-taking countryside, or to explore our canals and rivers. “Many choose to stay overnight in our quality hotels and bed and breakfasts, which are good value.”
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Plenty of festive fun and spirit at Hatton Shopping Village HATTON Shopping Village, the quintessentially English Victorian shopping village and home to a myriad of independent retailers, is hosting plenty of festive fun in the run up to Christmas. Back by popular demand are the Christmas markets which take place every weekend until December 16 and every day from December 21 to 23 from 10am to 5pm. For those after a unique and special gift, there will be a diverse range of stalls from local suppliers selling a multitude of fabulous festive gifts. At the weekends visitors can also enjoy festive singing, mulled punch, mince pies and a great festive atmosphere. Late night shopping is also available on November 30 from 5.30pm to 8.30pm with special discounts of up to 20 per cent available in selected shops, entertainment and carol singing. Lottie Newitt, who runs The Alfresco Style – Garden Boutique will be hosting a number of festive
workshops and tea and talks over the festive season from 11am to 1pm and include complimentary refreshments. Learn how to make a Christmas wreath on November 30, December 7 and 14 (cost is £30pp), or learn how to make a winter hanging basket on December 22(cost is £25pp). Carron Smith, marketing manager at Hatton, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting a number of special Christmas shopping events to get our visitors into the festive spirit. “Hatton embraces a much more relaxed and fun way of shopping which is how shopping in the run up to Christmas should be.” The Hatton Estate offers a range of restaurants and cafes to suit all tastes, from turkey lunches to a festive afternoon tea with homemade scones, cakes, classic sandwiches, tea/coffee and a glass of Prosecco for just £10.95 per person (minimum of two people). Hatton Shopping Village has free entry with masses of free parking.
Holiday park operator Darwin Escapes has scooped a dozen travel industry awards for its resorts around the country. The company was presented with its awards at the prestigious annual Hoseasons 2018 Awards held at The Celtic Manor in South Wales. Overall, the company took home 12 awards, with five being Diamond Award Winners – for the locations that top their category – and another seven locations which won Diamond Awards. And for the second year running, Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat also won Best Large Park in Britain as well as a Diamond Award.
Oxfordshire exceeds visitor spend target THE recently published Economic Impact Report for Tourism in Oxfordshire, commissioned by Experience Oxfordshire, has shown a significant increase in visitor spend in 2017. The study shows an impressive increase in spend of six per cent, taking the value of the visitor economy spend to £2.17billion, exceeding the target of five per cent growth year on year. The study shows that the county welcomed nearly 30 million visitors during 2017, which supported nearly 37,000 jobs across Oxfordshire, accounting for 10 per cent of all employment and a notable increase of six per cent compared to the previous year. The study also highlights both an increase in domestic and overseas day trips and overnight stays and increased spend in both day visits and over night visits. However, the study also highlights the importance of the overseas markets to Oxfordshire with the average length of stay being longer and the spend per visit for an overseas visitor being an average of £484 per trip compared to £168 per trip for a domestic trip. Numbers of international visitors continued to rise by three per cent, with a total of 702,000 overseas visitors coming to Oxfordshire in 2017, and spending over £339million. The main reason visitors come to Oxfordshire is for holiday (53 per cent), followed by visiting friends and relatives (22 per cent) and business
(19 per cent). The largest proportion of visitor spend was on food and drink (32 per cent), followed by shopping (23 per cent), travel (22 per cent), accommodation (13 per cent) and attractions and entertainment (10 per cent). The report shows that the visitor economy is extremely important across the whole of Oxfordshire with the largest proportion of visitor spending taking place in Oxford (40 per cent) and the largest number of visits to North Oxfordshire (26 per cent) with Oxford City closely followed with 25 per cent of the total visits. Chief executive of Experience Oxfordshire, Hayley Beer-Gamage, said: “These results clearly show the continued importance of the visitor economy to Oxfordshire and we are delighted that we have exceeded our target for increased visitor spend. “An increase of more than six per cent and a value of £2.17billion shows clear growth in the sector and exceeds the national target of five per cent. It also supports our own destination strategy of increasing the length of stay and attracting more overnight international visitors to Oxfordshire. “This is the fourth consecutive year of growth in the visitor economy sector and Experience Oxfordshire work hard to ensure that we are attracting the right types of visitor to the City and County and also supporting our partners in driving growth across the sector in a sustainable and manageable way.”
News from around the theatres ... By David Thomas
AS Autumn works its seasonal magic on the trees of Soho, London’s West End begins a period of transformation that sees five top musicals announcing their closing dates. First to bow out was the muchloved Strictly Ballroom which will be replaced at the Piccadilly Theatre by the National Theatre’s phenomenal The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (December 11 to February 23, 2019). Curious Incident is directed by War Horse director Marianne Elliott,
whose ground-breaking production of Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical comedy Company premiered at the Gielgud Theatre in October, for a strictly limited run, with a stellar cast including Patti Lupone, Rosalie Craig and Mel Giedryc. January will then see the razzle dazzle of Chicago leaving the Phoenix Theatre to make way for the award-winning Come From Away, and the hugely successful Kinky Boots (winner of every major musical theatre award) moving out of the Adelphi Theatre ahead of the arrival of Broadway hit show The Waitress. Further along the Strand, the
multi-award-winning Dreamgirls will leave London for a major UK Tour on January 12, with 9 To 5, based on the cult Dolly Parton movie, moving into The Savoy Theatre starring Louise Redknapp, Amber Davis, Natalie McQueen and Brian Conley. Looking further towards the horizon, we can see… Hold on, what’s that? Heading towards us on the East Wind? A kite? No, it can’t be. Can it? Really..? It is! Next autumn sees Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins returning to the Prince Edward Theatre starring Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp.
David Thomas
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Newly extended children’s nursery opens at Hatton Country World
Motor Museum supports December thank you THE British Motor Museum is again joining hundreds of other National Lottery funded visitor attractions across the UK in saying ‘thanks’ to people who have raised money for good causes and HLF funded projects, by buying a lottery ticket. From December 3 to 9 the Museum is offering £2 off its standard entry for up to five people, for players of the National Lottery. The Museum’s Trust (BMHIT) was awarded £1.4million from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2014 to help fund its Collections Centre Project. The Collections Centre opened in February 2016 and enables visitors to view cars from the reserve collections of both British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and its partner the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. It also houses a vehicle restoration and conservation workshop and the public can view restoration projects in action for the first time in this purpose-built facility.
The funding also assisted with the development of the Museums volunteer programme which now sees over 70 volunteers regularly engaged with guiding, restoration, outreach, learning events and more. Tim Bryan, head of collections and interpretation at the British Motor Museum, said: “We are hugely grateful to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. “It has allowed us to make our collections far more accessible and enabled people to learn so much more about the motor industry, which has played such an important role in the West Midlands”. The idea is simple: any visitor to the Museum who presents a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard between December 3 and 9 will get £2 off standard entry for up to five people in return. To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum. co.uk or call 01926 641188.
HATTON Country World in Warwickshire has welcomed the opening of its newly extended Children’s Nursery to its family run business. Hatton Children’s Nursery offers day care and sessions for babies and children up to five years old, combining the best in care and nursery education interwoven with the adventure of Hatton Country World. Situated next to Hatton’s new private Swimming School, the nursery now offers 100 places. Not only does the Nursery now occupy a modern, air conditioned building with views over the Farm but children have the opportunity to play and learn in a clean indoor environment alongside free daily access to the Farm. This includes access to the indoor sensory and soft play areas and Forest School activities which will be available from January. In common with all Ofsted registered child care settings, the Nursery follows the statutory welfare and educational requirements of the Early Years Foundation stage. Johnnie Arkwright, owner of Hatton Country World, said “We’re delighted to open our newly extended Children’s Nursery. “Children have daily access to our Adventure Farm, fruit and vegetable growing patch, chickens, rabbits, lambs and guinea pigs, huge indoor soft and sensory play centre and our outdoor play equipment. “We provide plenty of fresh air, space, nature, exercise and adventure – just like a childhood in
Alison Deere the countryside used to be.” Alison Deere, director and manager of Hatton Children’s Nursery, added “Our Nursery has been established since 2002 but we have been operating from smaller premises. “By moving into our new larger building we are able to offer additional places to families. “We offer a unique curriculum of education based on learning through play and adventure as big as a child’s imagination.” The Nursery is open from Monday to Friday and from 8am – 6pm with early starts available from 7:30am. Nursery Education funding is available for eligible children aged two and over.
Just So Festival receives award for sustainable tourism
CHESHIRE’S Just So Festival has been awarded the ‘Sustainable Tourism’ Award at the 14th annual Marketing Cheshire Tourism Awards. The winners were announced in an awards ceremony at Chester’s Carden Park Hotel. Just So Festival’s commitment to sustainable practices informs every part of their business. All on-site vendors use re-usable cups, and since 2018 vendors have been banned from selling single use water bottles. Multiple water refill points have been installed across the site to make using reusable bottles more convenient. All food waste is composted and they work with a disposal company to make sure none of the festival’s waste finds its way to landfill. The festival aims to reduce the use of fossil fuels by at least 50 per cent before 2025 and they are working with clean energy organisation Energy Revolution to offset the 10 carbon from their audience’s travel
to and from the festival. This isn’t the first time the festival has been recognised for its green credentials. In 2016, the festival received the Marketing Cheshire ‘Tourism Experience of the Year’ award.
The judges made particular comment about Just So Festival’s pioneering approach to both accessibility and sustainability. The National Outdoor Events Association Awards made similar observations when they gave Just So
Festival their ‘Best Practice Award’ in 2017. As did the judges of the 2017 Northern Soul Awards, who bestowed the title of ‘Small Business of the Year’ on the event’s organisers, Wild Rumpus. Festival co-creator Rowan Hoban expressed her delight at winning the award. She said: “We’re thrilled that our commitment to sustainability has been recognised by Marketing Cheshire. “The entire ethos of Just So Festival is to provide and promote world class family arts experiences in natural environments. “The Cheshire landscape, particularly that of the Rode Hall Estate where we hold the festival, is deeply important to everyone on the team. “Preserving and showcasing its beauty is central to everything we do.” Just So Festival 2019 will take place on August 16, 17 and 18.
DESTINATIONNEWS
BBC Radio 2’s Sounds of the 60s to tour UK BBC Radio 2’s popular Sounds of the 60s series will take to the road in 2019 with a brand new live show hosted by the station’s iconic DJ, Tony Blackburn. Featuring songs, stories and memories from the golden decade of pop music performed live by the Sounds of the 60s All Star Band & Singers, the tour will visit 17 venues across the UK bringing the Sounds of the 60s from the studio to the stage for the very first time. Tony said: “I can’t wait to get out on the road with some great musicians and visit some of my favourite towns and cities, spreading the great sounds of 60s across the UK. “Grab your tickets, come along and enjoy a terrific night with me, featuring some great stories and some great live music.” 2019 show dates and venues: Saturday February 2 –Princes Theatre, Hunstanton; Saturday February 23 – The Conchord Club, Eastleigh; Saturday, March 2 – Princes Theatre, Clacton; Sunday, March 10 – Playhouse Theatre, Harlow; Saturday, March 30 – The White Rock Theatre, Hastings; Tuesday, April 2 – The Floral Pavilion, New Brighton; Saturday, April 27 – The Orchard Theatre,
Tony Blackburn Dartford; Saturday, May 4 – The Grove Theatre, Dunstable; Saturday, May 11 – Swan Theatre, High Wycombe; Sunday, June 16 – Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne; Saturday, June 22 – The Capitol Theatre, Horsham; Sunday, June 30 – The Churchill Theatre, Bromley; Thursday, September 19 – The Alban Arena, St. Albans; Saturday, September 28 – Bunn Leisure, Selsey, West Sussex; Sunday, October 6 – The Central Theatre, Chatham; Thursday, November 28 – The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton; Saturday, December 7 – Butlins, Skegness. Tickets start at £21 and are on general sale now.
Festive family fun on offer at the British Motor Museum THE British Motor Museum is inviting families to join in with plenty of motoring-themed festive fun from December 8 to 23. Activities include a Christmas Trail, Elf Tours, Christmas craft weekends and ‘Meet the Explainers,’ while in the New Year there is lots on offer including a brand new Mini Trail celebrating the iconic car’s 60th birthday! The festive fun starts with a number of craft weekends which take place from 10am to 3pm on December 8 and 9, 15 and 16 and 22 and 23. Visitors can make a winter robin, Santa’s sleigh or a snowman then attach it to pullback wheels and watch it go! Every weekend the Christmas Elves will take families on a special festive tour of the Museum at 1:30pm. Plus from 8 December children can take part in the Christmas Trail and help Martin the Mechanic get Santa’s sleigh back on the road, with a festive treat as a reward. Visitors can find out how Boxing Day got its name when they meet the costumed explainers ‘Lady Edwards’ or ‘William, her Chauffeur’ on the Time Road (Monday to Friday from December 10 to 21). Hear about the Christmas goodies they plan to deliver to the servants on
Boxing Day! Emma Rawlinson, Life Long Learning Officer at the British Motor Museum said “We have plenty for the whole family to enjoy this Christmas and New Year as well as being the perfect place to escape the shopping crowds and freezing cold temperatures.” Although the Museum is closed from December 24 to January 1, there is more to see and do in the New Year. New for 2019 is the Mini Trail, which will be celebrating 60 years of Mini – just pick up a trail sheet from outside the Learning Space. From January 2 to 6 visitors can get creative with Lego® and design a new car for the New Year. Or step back in time when you meet costumed explainers ‘Torchey Blane’ and ‘Chuck England’ and find out about the ‘new cars’ from yesteryear on a family tour. All activities are included in the normal Museum admission and are suitable for 3+years. Adults cost £14, children cost £9 (5-16 years), under fives free, Concessions cost £12 and a family ticket costs £39 (two adults and up to three children). Buy one day and get 12 months free if you Gift Aid your entrance. Gift Aid annual passes are also valid for the festive activity days.
New partner packages introduced for groups visiting Shropshire THE Ironbridge Gorge Museums have teamed up with other leading Shropshire attractions to offer special day trips with a difference for groups of 15 or more planning to visit the area in 2019. Iron: Past, Present and Future A new day trip package combining Blists Hill Victorian Town with the British Ironworks Centre in Oswestry is now available for just £11 per person over the winter season until March 24, or £16 per person during the summer season, March 25 to September 30. Spend the morning discovering the sights, sounds and smells of the Victorian age at Blists Hill then board your coach for a visit to the British Ironworks in Oswestry. A 45-minute journey through beautiful Shropshire takes you to this treasure trove of eclectic modern metalwork sculptures. Explore the UK’s largest metal safari and sculpture park and see traditional crafts skills brought to life by artisans then browse unusual gifts in the shop. This package includes a cream tea or breakfast bap served with tea or coffee at the British Ironworks Centre. All Aboard! From March 1 until October 31, groups can relax during the morning on a River Severn cruise around the county town of Shrewsbury on board the Sabrina with live commentary and tea/coffee with biscuits, and explore Blists Hill Victorian Town during the afternoon. This package is just £17 per person.
Groups must book at least two weeks ahead and will need to use their own transport between the boat embarkation point in Shrewsbury and Blists Hill, near Ironbridge. Full Steam Ahead! From April 13 until November 30, groups can take a journey back in time in a fabulous package deal with the Severn Valley Railway. Start the day with a nostalgic one-way journey on a steam-hauled train through the picturesque Worcestershire and Shropshire countryside, and then travel back over 100 years as your group enjoys the afternoon discovering more about Victorian life at Blists Hill Victorian Town. Meet the Victorians in their authentic shops and cosy cottages, see curious goods from a bygone era and watch tradespeople in action in their atmospheric workshops and factories – all for just £23per adult / seniors or £17.50 per child. These pre-booked packages are available to groups of 15 plus. There is free coach parking or a drop off facility at each museum; group leaders and coach drivers have complimentary admission and drivers will be given a free refreshment voucher. Groups will need to use their own coach to travel between locations and book at least two weeks in advance for these packages. Call the group visits officer Ben Walker to discuss the options on 01952 435 900 or email visits@ ironbridge.org.uk Details can also be found on www. ironbridge.org.uk
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