Category: News

Minster Quarter Workshops launched in first in a series of FREE workshops for local businesses and organisations for ‘World First’ GAMBIT project.

When: Wednesday 13th January at 16.00-19.00
Where: Bedern Hall York

York’s Minster Quarter is holding the first of a series of FREE workshops for the organisation’s members at Bedern Hall York and as part of the new GAMBIT project, the working title of a ‘World First’ application that Science City York (part of Make it York) has been developing with Bosch, ARUP, Virtual Viewing and Fosse Games. It is a totally new APP that is set to transform how people interact and buy from business and enjoy their visitor experience in the City. The first workshop for the initiative is to be at Bedern Hall York on Wednesday 13th October from 16.00-19.00.

Retailers and attractions in the historic area that includes the most preserved elements of the City of York’s Roman origins, in order to highlight the many interesting and high quality establishments in this area of the City established the Minster Quarter in 2007.

“The Minster Quarter is historically, probably the most important part of the City with York Minster as its jewel and the workshops are designed to involve businesses and organisations in the Minster Quarter so that they can influence how the area is promoted. GAMBIT is set to transform the way visitors interact and we are delighted to be the first business group to be involved in the project. The workshop will include sessions on how businesses can take advantage of the new APP”. comments Frank Wood, chairman of the Minster Quarter and Owner of Braithwaite Jewellers of Goodramgate.

The workshops at Bedern Hall will include two sessions, the first to involve people in an ideas-generating session about the overall marketing of the Minster Quarter and the second focusing on GAMBIT and what businesses want to include. Places on the FREE workshop can be booked online at: http://bit.ly/MQWorkshop

“This is a great opportunity for businesses and organisations in the Minster Quarter to get involved and help us to revitalise the group in 2016 with their own ideas and using GAMBIT as a new tool to attract the next generation of visitors to their businesses in this most important part of the City. We have received excellent support from Make it York and Science City York plus a small grant from the York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership”. adds John Gallery, project director.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester presents 2015 National Railway Heritage Award to the Wensleydale Railway

Lord Faulkner of Worcester presented the 2015 National Railway Heritage Awards at a ceremony held at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London on Wednesday 2 December 2015.

The purpose of the awards ceremony was “To recognise, acknowledge and reward, for the public benefit, the very best in restoration, conservation and re-use of our historic railway infrastructure.”

The Railway Heritage Trust Conservation Award for the best-restored structure supported by funding from the Trust was won by the Wensleydale Railway Trust for its superb restoration of the small station at Scruton. The restoration work began in 2011, being completed in 2014.  The work was carried out largely by the Wensleydale Railway volunteers and with the help of apprentices at Darlington College.

Andy Savage, Trustee of the NRHA and Executive Director of the RHT, said:  ‘I am delighted that Scruton Station has won the RHT Conservation Award.  The RHT was very happy to support the restoration project, and was most impressed with the quality of the work that the Wensleydale Railway’s volunteers have carried out in restoring this rare survival of a small Victorian station.   I was also happy when the NRHA adjudicators chose this project for the RHT conservation award, as this has given the Scruton team well deserved national recognition.’

A new initiative that encompasses Victorian Etiquette and engages the hotel’s employees to provide a more courteous and polite approach to guests and to each other has been introduced at Cober Hill Hotel near Scarborough. Inspired by the founder of the hotel, which was originally a Victorian Manor house that was developed in 1905 by John Wilhelm Rowntree, eldest son of the chocolate manufacturer Joseph Rowntree, who had planned Friedenstahl, a detached house in large grounds at Scalby, as a guest house.

“We do see in society many examples of poor behaviour and manners and this initiative is designed to remind us that there is a way to provide a polite and helpful service that will be recognised.” comments general manager, Lyndsay Chamberlain.

The hotel has joined the ‘National Campaign for Courtesy’ which works to retain courtesy and politeness in everyday life and business and will be promoting the aims of the charity.

“We are in the hospitality business and it is important that we set the highest standards of courtesy and welcome and we can learn much from our Victorian forefathers – I am sure our founder would be very pleased.” added Lyndsay.

More information: please contact: Lyndsay Chamberlain, general manager

Tel: 01723 870310? Email: enquiries@coberhill.co.uk

Cober Hill Hotel, Cloughton Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Y013 OAR

Notes for Editors: Cober Hill’s accommodation includes 64 rooms of various sizes, all with en-suite facilities and stunning views of the beautiful grounds and coast.

In addition well-appointed, versatile and dedicated conference facilities.

It is perfect for midweek breaks, holidays, conferences, educational visits and social interest groups.

Staff off duty skills at the Old Lodge Malton have been identified as a new team building and motivation initiative.

The wide range of skills such as being a Qualified English Federation of Body Builders judge, a film screen writer, an author and an accomplished linguist are just some of the skills members of staff have explained they do when off duty.

A staff briefing session identified individual members of staff and Hotel manager of the hotel, Eileen Lowery decided to harness their collective skills as part of the personal development and motivational activities within the team.

“It’s amazing what is right under your nose and when we started thinking about the potential for the team in being able to use their other interests to further their work and at the same time help them to enjoy it more, it became obvious that we should try to harness it” Comments Eileen Lowery, hotel manager.

Nicola Evans is the screenwriter and will now be putting those skills to use in preparing descriptions for the hotel’s special events. Marina Kottermair is a German linguist and as well as her mother tongue, speaks fluent English, French and Latin and will be responsible for all translation in print, online and in person, Adam Grey is a writer and is to take over the role of copy writing and checking hotel print and online written collateral.

“My team are very accomplished generally and this will hopefully add more fulfilment to their everyday job here at the hotel. As for myself, I am the qualified English Federation of Body Building judge, so I can make sure they are on top form!” added Eileen.
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For further information please contact: Eileen Lowery, hotel manager.
Tel: 01653 690570 Email: info@theoldlodgemalton.co.uk
Press contact: John Gallery, Tel: 07967 032623 Email: johngallery@greatpotential.co.uk

Notes for Editors: The Old Lodge is a stunning Tudor mansion set in beautiful grounds, on the edge of the historic Market town of Malton, near Pickering, North Yorkshire with 20 en-suite rooms, all with TV, DVD/CD player, tea & coffee facilities, plus a further 8 rooms in a renovated public house about 50 metres away, called The Old Lodgings. The Old Lodge has a beautiful antique wood panelled boardroom. It has adequate natural lighting, supplemented with overhead lights and lamps, with a window that can be shuttered to block out light if necessary.

The World of James Herriot has received a major boost for its James Herriot Foundation Trust Fund that was set up to provide bursaries for veterinary nurses.

Malton-based Vetsonic has donated £5000 to the fund and is also to provide a long-term fund-raising contributions with further donations as it also agreed that a proportion of the revenue from one of their leading product ranges, Nutriscience, will be donated to the fund. NutriScience manufactures a comprehensive range of supplements for companion animals, which are uniquely formulated, based on the most recent scientific research in nutrition, at their food-grade facility in Waterford.

Dr. Sarah Vermont and Clare Walsh, two of Vetsonic’s directors have been invited to be members of the selection panel for the James Herriot Foundation Fund.

Ray Rochester, founder of Vetsonic said; “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to give something back to the industry by helping people to progress their veterinary nursing career. Alf Wight was one of my earliest customers and it is a delight to see how well the original surgery has been retained and maintained as the World of James Herriot. We are very pleased to be the first major supporter of the James Herriot Foundation Fund and through our product revenue contribution will build a long-term relationship between us.”

Previously owned by the local council, World of James Herriot is now a privately operated company whose management has a vision to continually develop it and attract more visitors. It attracts over 28,000 visitors from around the world each year.

The Wensleydale Railway had a meeting of ‘bubble cars’ recently when David Garner, chairman of the Messerschmitt Owners Club visited the railway. David is also a railway enthusiast and was keen to see and ride on the Wensleydale Railway’s own Class 121 “bubble car” so he brought his own Messerschmitt ‘bubble car’ to ‘meet’ the railway’s ‘bubble car’ at Leeming Bar station.

David is now intending to undertake the Wensleydale Train Driver Training Course.

“When I heard about the Wensleydale Railway “bubble car” from their PR agent, I thought what a great opportunity to put my two interests together and take the Railway’s engine driving course”. Comments David

The Wensleydale Railway “bubble car” no: 55032 was acquired earlier this year and is one of sixteen Class 121 single-car, double-ended driving motor vehicles that were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten single-ended trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 (later renumbered 54280–54289).

They have a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes. The driving motor vehicles were nicknamed “Bubble cars” by some enthusiasts (a nickname now endorsed by current commercial operator Chiltern Railways). The Class 121 is Britain’s longest serving DMU, having been in service for 55 years as of 2015.

Stoke Rochford Hall near Grantham has announced Iron Lady Tours that introduces visitors to the place where Margaret Thatcher grew up as a grocer’s daughter and went on to become Britain’s first woman Prime Minister.

October 13^th 2015 would have been her 90^th birthday.

The new tour will guide guests to locations in Grantham beginning with the site of Thatcher’s home, her school, a visit to the Grantham Museum where there is an exhibition about Margaret Thatcher and includes details of the Margaret Thatcher Statue campaign. Also at the Grantham Museum guests will have the opportunity to see the D-Day exhibition and the Dambusters exhibition, the iconic raid on Germany’s Ruhr Valley in 1943, the historic achievement of this raid and the crucial part it played in World War Two that was devised in Grantham.

“Margaret Thatcher remains one of the UK’s most important political figures. Her connection with Grantham is evident in her biographies and in recognition of her association with Grantham, and whatever people’s views about her may be, she is one of the dominant political figures of 20th century Britain, and the political philosophy that bears her name ‘Thatcherism’ is recognised worldwide. This tour will explore her early life and the things that influenced her.” comments Barry Clark, general manager.

Another famous son of Grantham, is Nicholas Parsons whose father was a doctor in a country practice in Grantham. Among his patients were the Robert’s family which included young Margaret who became Margaret Thatcher. Nicholas went to the same school as her, Grantham & Kesteven High School for Girls! In the kindergarden they took boys … not what you might think. He moved to London with his family when he was 8 years old.

Visitors will also be invited to learn about other Grantham historic sites including the statue of Isaac Newton (1642-1727) the mathematician and physicist who was one of the foremost scientific intellects of all time. He was born at Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, where he attended school.

“Grantham has been somewhat unfairly dubbed as boring in the past and may be somewhere that people have only seen from a train or passed in a hurry on the A1 but there is so much to explore and discover. We hope that this new tour will encourage people to stay longer, to learn about its rich and varied past and its people”. added Barry.

At the hotel, guests will have an historical tour of Stoke Rochford Hall that explains the background to the imposing grand hotel, which began as the site of a Roman Villa, was the location for a series of noble houses and for 18 months in WW11 housed the headquarters of the Second Battalion of the Parachute Regiment. Here, on the Library floor, the plans were laid which led to the ill-fated Arnhem ‘drop’ of 1944.

‘Iron Lady’ tours include a two night stay, dinner and breakfast and is available for independent travellers and for group visits.

For further information please contact: Barry Clark, general manager, Stoke Rochford Hall Hotel, Stoke Rochford, Grantham, NG33 5EJ Tel: 01476 530337 Email: b.clark@stokerochfordhall.co.uk

Press Contact: John Gallery, Great Potential T: 07967 032623

E: johngallery@greatpotential.co.uk

Notes for Editors: Stoke Rochford Hall, near Grantham in Lincolnshire is a unique 96 room hotel, conference and banqueting centre. A Victorian country mansion  set within formal landscaped gardens and 28 acres of parkland.