Visit Lancashire

Locked up in Lancaster!

Last week I spent the whole day in Lancaster, a place I’m not that familiar with (hailing as I do, from the exact other end of the county).  So, when an Irish journalist, on one of our familiarisation visits to the area, needed to meet up with the communications representative of the tourist board – I was delighted to spend some time there.

First stop was Lancaster Castle, where the journalist and I took the organised tour which started at 10.30am. Peter Leeson was our tour guide who made the 12 or so guests feel very welcome, especially those for whom English was not their first language.   He explained that the Castle was still a working prison and court, the oldest in England and that a fortress (of varying shapes and sizes) had existed there since Roman times.  For a comprehensive history of the castle, click here.

Monkeying around... and up...and down (Part 2)

As Sarah explained I was very excited about going to Go Ape, the opposite of Sarah who was so nervous she couldn’t eat her lunch beforehand!

It had been raining, a lot, all morning and the thought of our afternoon being cancelled made me upset, so I was very happy when we read on their website that “the course remains open in all weathers, except when it is icy, stormy or during lightning!” So off we went through the lovely scenic village of Rivington.

After the briefing session and go on the training wire we were off into the trees, 40 ft up at one point! Everyone was having so much fun, lots of laughter (and screams) could be heard probably a good distance away!

Monkeying around... and up...and down (Part 1)

We had a trip to Go Ape in Rivington on Friday. Yes, that's the place you spend time hanging around in the trees getting your adrenaline pumping.

As we met up in the car park the torrential rain of the morning had just eased up. There was Cilla, Amy and myself from the Tourist Board and we met Simon from Mantado, Peter  from Stay Blackpool, Mike from NPD and 3 lovely 'teens'.

Go ape

Fun with Cilla and Amy at Go Ape

Home Made Victoria Jam Sponge Cake in the Office Downstairs!

Yum Yum, lucky us.

Today, Suzi is celebrating the fact that her fine bone china mug has survived as an office mug for ten years - today 23^rd July, 2009!!  It was a commissioned piece of pottery made for Lancaster Tourist Information Centre to celebrate Her Majesty the Queens visit to Lancaster on the 23 July, 1999 and she also unveiled the Eric Morecambe Statue in Morecambe promenade on the same day.

 

 Possibly now a collectors piece? Does anyone else have something from this visit?

 

So Suzi has made us a Victoria Jam Sponge Cake and we're all giving a wave to the Eric Morecambe Statue from Chorley. The Lancaster Tourist Information Centre is all sparkly new this year and is now based in the Storey Institute. Pop in and purchase a souvenir - then bake a cake in 10 years for the memory!

 

 

Sarah Lundy

 

 

 

In Pursuit of the Red Fox

Last week, my husband and I decided to try to track down a pub near Sabden, which we went to years ago and remembered fondly, so off we went in pursuit of The Red Fox. We subsequently discovered that the pub was actually called The Red Rock and sadly we found that it is now a private residence. As we were near Sabden, we decided to seek out Sabden Treacle Mines – remember those? Although this attraction does not appear to be open any longer either, I will have fond memories of hearing about the treacle-eating boggarts who mined the treacle under the ground while the witches of Pendle Hill danced above them!

Savoury Fan Becomes Dessert Convert!

Last night I was at the Shireburn Arms Hotel, Hurst Green for the latest Lancashire Hot Shots event.

 

Hot Shots evenings are all about raising the profile of chefing as a career and giving up and coming chefs the chance to show their skills by devising the menu and taking over and running the kitchen for the night – not for the faint hearted!

 

It was the turn of 21 year old chef Robbie Walls, to step up to the plate (sorry couldn’t resist!) and show everyone what they are made of. I’d looked at his menu at least half a dozen times and couldn’t make a choice until the very last minute due to the mouth watering array of gastronomy on offer.

Flying High in Lancashire

Last month the Tourist Board invited food writers from national and regional media to visit Pennine Lancashire and experience Lancashire food in all its forms. We took them to restaurants in the Taste Lancashire quality scheme, introduced them to our idiosyncratic and entertaining producers, gave them a taste for some of the best real ale in the country and even sent them home with one of Bob’s Knobs from Leagrams Cheese!

We were lucky enough to attract journalists writing for such titles as Virgin Train’s Hotline Magazine, Observer, Evening Standard, Guardian, Daily Mail, Easyjet, Good Motoring and myhospitality.com.

Jason & the Argonauts in Williamson Park

 

Tuesday evening saw Anna and I heading up to Lancaster for the Dukes Promenade theatre production of Jason and the Argonauts in Williamson Park. The volatile British weather had turned from midsummer heat wave the week before to torrential down pours but that didn’t stop us theatre goers donning our cagoules and heading to the park for an evening of outdoor theatre.

 

Took a walk on the seaside...

Last night saw me taking to the waterfront at Fleetwood for a leisurely stroll where the good weather certainly brought out the families. The sea was really calm and it was lovely to see people swimming and playing in the water to keep cool. This area is looking to become a water sports base and between the jet skis, water skiing and kayaking taking place it seems already to be well on its way.