Bassenthwaite Lake is the only true “lake” in the Lake District with the other bodies of water actually being “waters”, “meres” or “tarns”. It is large at approximately 4 miles long but is the shallowest piece of water in the Lake District. Bassenthwaite Lake is linked to Derwent Water by the River Derwent.  Bassenthwaite Lake is a key habitat for the ospreys, a National Nature Reserve and a Special Area of Conservation owned and managed by the Lake District National Park Authority.

Each year these beautiful and rare birds return to nest. The female osprey laid her first egg of 2009 at the nest near Bassenthwaite Lake on Thursday 16th April. Ospreys normally lay a clutch of three eggs.  Incubation is carried out mainly by the female and takes between 34-40 days.

Hundreds of people visited the Bassenthwaite area over the 2009 Easter weekend to get a glimpse of the Lake District Ospreys.   Visitors can get great views of the birds from a Viewpoint in Dodd Wood, only 400 metres away from the nest.  The Viewpoint is open all daylight hours, with staff on hand with telescopes from 10am-5pm daily, as part of the RSPB’s ‘Dates with Nature’ Project.

It is also possible to see the birds on the nest on a giant videowall at the Visitor Centre on the Forestry Commission estate at Whinlatter Forest, near Braithwaite.  Live pictures from cameras overlooking and inside the nest are also beamed to the screen and can also be viewed on the Project’s website ospreywatch.co.uk and the BBC Cumbria website at bbc.co.uk/cumbria. It is now easier than ever before to visit Dodd Wood and Whinlatter thanks to the Osprey Bus which was launched in 2008.  The liveried bus service named after the spectacular birds of prey operates around Bassenthwaite Lake taking in the Whinlatter Exhibition and the Dodd Wood viewpoint and runs weekends from 4th April to 31st August 2009, except during the following school holidays, 6-17 April, 25-29 May and 18 July - 31 August when it runs every day. 

As well as the Osprays, Bassenthwaite is a popular location for sailing. The Bassenthwaite Sailing club has been in operation since 1952 with RYA, or RYA Affiliated Club members entitled to sail on the lake at a cost of £10 per day. The tranquillity and exclusivity of this lake make it an amazing sailing experience. When staying the sailors are lucky enough to stay in some of the best hotels Lake District has to offer.

Mirehouse is most definitely worth a visit. Alfred Lord Tennyson stayed at Mirehouse whilst writing his poem ‘Morte D’Arthur’ in 1835. It is a private house but open to the public on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. The grounds and a tea shop are open daily though. Further on from Mirehouse is an open air theatre erected by the Tennyson Society is the location where Tennyson was thought to have written most of that famous poem. All around the lake and the surrounding area is a strong literary feel along with a popular place for artists. The landscape is perfect for painting and photography. Work by local artists can be found in the excellent galleries in nearby Keswick. There is a selection of Keswick hotels to stay in whilst visiting.

Protective workwear and PPE Equipment (Personal Protective Equipment) can be used for commercial, industrial, trade and home use. The correct protective workwear provides comfortable, high quality personal protection that meets recognised international standards. The correct protective workwear is so important in meeting health and safety standards and initiatives in the workplace.

Saftey clothing can come in the form of protection but also when high visibility is required or workwear that alerts colleagues and the general public that a particular job or process is being carried out.

Many building sites will not let a workman on even a subcontractor, without the correct safety boots and clothing. Should they not have the correct protective workwear then they will be told to leave and come back. This can delay the job and loose a subcontractor the money for that day.

Saftey workwear is anthing from a high visibility vest to protective earwear, boots and jackets.

Goosemire Cottages, the family owned and run Lake District self catering business, are pleased to launch their January sale.

Everyone is looking for a bargain at this time of year so why should the sales be confined to the high street? Goosemire Cottages are offering discounts on full weeks booked in each of their 46 self catering properties. The discounts range from £30 - £50 depending on the property size.

The number of self catering holidays in the UK has risen quite dramatically in the last 2 years. Various factors have contributed to this for example the poor Euro exchange rate resulting in tourists staying in the UK and the cost savings of self catering compared with a hotel stay. A self catering holiday allows freedom, the ability to cook within the property so saving on restaurant bills and is an excellent type of holiday for families and pet owners.

Goosemire Cottages have available 46 traditional Lake District cottages for discerning visitors (Ranging from 1 to 7 bedrooms, sleeping up to 10). Most are rustic 17th or 18th Century Lakeland cottages or lovely barn conversions, where antiquity and modern comforts have been beautifully combined. The atmosphere and idiosyncrasies of each property are reflected on their website which offers full online booking facilities and information and images on each of their properties.

For more information on the Goosemire Lake District cottages January sale or their last minute booking discounts, visit http://www.goosemirecottages.co.uk/special-offers

It is estimated that there are around 27 million pets in the UK equating to 43% of UK households having at least one pet. In the current economic climate, how can tourism businesses exclude such a high proportion of the market?

Sending a pet to a kennel whilst you are on holiday can be inconvenient as not everyone has a kennelling centre near them. Kennelling and pet sitting services can be quite expensive almost doubling the cost of the holiday. Another and perhaps the biggest reason why pet and dog friendly hotels are appealing is that many owners hate the thought of having to leave their dog or pet when they go away. Taking a dog abroad has its problems with quarantining etc but if the holiday is in the UK, why not take your pet along? Pets are often a large part of the family so leaving him or her for a week can sometimes be quite upsetting. In fact, some even let pets go free which makes taking a pet with you far cheaper than kennelling.

It is not always appropriate or right to take a pet on holiday should the destination, type of accommodation or the activities on the holiday not be suitable for a pet. The Cumbria - Lake District on the other hand is one destination with a great choice of activities and that both the family and Fido with enjoy equally. It is now far easier to take your pet away with you without compromising on the choice of holiday. In fact, there are now pet friendly hotels which a few years ago, was almost unheard of.

Many hotels in the UK and the Cumbria - Lake District specifically exclude dogs and pets of all sorts from their premises. However, some hotels welcome all well-behaved pets to enjoy a holiday with their owners. Some pet friendly hotels in the Lake District offer walking services, special bed linen and beds and food.

More and more people are taking an interest in food, where their food comes from, seasonality and the different ways in which food can be cooked. Of course, the quality of produce is such a key factor when cooking. Flavouring and seasoning can only do so much, the quality of the base food whether it be meal, fish or vegetables is highly important. If you have the best knives, saucepans and oven all the better but not everyone does. After buying the best produce you can afford the next most important purchase should be quality cookware, i.e pans.

Many people will have noticed that when a chef is cooking on television, they state and describe the pan they are using and that is normally one that they would strongly recommend you use. This is because pans are such a large part in how a recipe is cooked and how the finished dish turns out. When searing meat the last thing you would want to do is use a high sided pan as this would effectively steam the meat and you should not boil paste in a small, shallow pan.

Different pans cook food in different ways which is confirmed in a number of famous dishes from around the world. Many famous dishes are named after the pan or dish in which they were cooked in for example Spanish Paella, Moroccan Tagine and Indian Karahi. Each piece of cookware has been used for years and years to specifically achieve different effects.

Moving on from the correct type of pan or piece of cookware and then there are the different finishes including bases and coatings on pans, non-stick, stainless steel and copper pans are the most common. There are then cast iron pans namely for casserole dishes and griddle pans. Leading brands include Stellar pans, Le Creuset and Tefal.
Read the rest of this entry »

Goosemire Cottages, the family owned Lake District cottages company are pleased to announce a 46th property added to their portfolio. Based in Kendal in the South Lakes, this new property enables Goosemire Cottages to now offer a choice of 46 different self catering cottages ranging from 1 to 10 bedroom properties. Last year the largest cottage on offer was 7 bedrooms but with the rise in the popularity of larger guest groups, the 8, 9 and 10 bedrooms cottages have all been added. It has been a busy year for Goosemire with the addition of the 10 properties along with the launch of the new website. The website has been essential for the management of such a high number of properties.

Goosemire Cottages are a small family run agency offering holiday cottage accommodation in the Lake District, UK (with just a few exceptions) an all-inclusive rental price. Their limited overheads mean low prices and they pride themselves on their value for money approach. There are open all year round and offer out of season or last minute breaks. To help you relax, Goosemire Cottages adopts a “nothing is too much trouble” approach, ensuring a welcoming, informed and personal service. On arrival you will find your cottage carefully prepared, to give your holiday a perfect start. In fact from the point of your initial enquiry onwards they guarantee they will give both you and your holiday the warm friendly attention deserved.

Goosemire Cottages have available over 39 traditional self-catering holiday homes for discerning visitors (Ranging from 1 to 7 bedrooms, sleeping up to 10). Most are rustic 17th or 18th Century Lake District cottage accommodation or lovely barn conversions, where antiquity and modern comforts have been beautifully combined. The atmosphere and idiosyncrasies of each Lake District cottage property are reflected on our website, and while some maybe more luxuriously appointed than others, all are carefully prepared and maintained.

They offer Cumbria self catering holiday cottages in the following locations - Bowness on Windermere (largest lake), Lake Ullswater,( the Lake Districts second largest lake), Haweswater, the Eden Valley, Bassenthwaite, Grasmere, Kendal, Ambleside in the central lakes, the South Lakes peninsulas, and Wastwater. If you are feeling energetic you can go fell walking, climbing or even mountain biking. Other activities include sailing, wind surfing, fishing or bird watching.

For further information on the areas, availability and prices of all 46 cottages visit http://www.goosemirecottages.co.uk or telephone 01539 731 801.

Christmas is approaching fast and many people are starting to think about gifts for friends and family. Each year this task gets harder and harder!

Often, the gifts people remember the most are gift experiences not objects. Lake District Hotels Ltd are pleased to offer a solution to the age old gift buying problem in the form of gift vouchers which can be selected for use in any one of their six hotels.

The gift vouchers have been created to suit every taste, requirement and budget. For example, the hotel break vouchers are available for one or two nights and range from a standard room right up to a luxury four poster room. Other vouchers include food and drink vouchers which incorporate a two course lunch for four people voucher or a £25 wine voucher, vouchers for afternoon tea and spa vouchers which include luxury massages and manicure treatments or full “well being” spa breaks. If you aren’t sure or simply can’t decide on which voucher to buy, a monetary gift voucher for one of the hotels in an excellent idea. They come in values starting at £25 up to £250. Gift vouchers take away the worry of buying the correct size or colour for a present and they allow the versatility to be used at a time that suits them.

The Lake District Hotels Ltd group consists of six luxury hotels in the Lake District, The Inn on the Lake on the shores of Ullswater, The Lodore Falls on the shores of Derwentwater, The Borrowdale Hotel in the Borrowdale Valley, The George Hotel in Penrith and finally the Kings Arms and Skiddaw Hotel in Keswick.

For more information visit http://www.lakedistricthotels.net and http://www.lakedistricthotels.net/giftvouchers/.

Recent years have seen a tremendous rise in the number of self catering properties to choose from.  No longer is a self catering holiday spent within a dingy flat. Lake District self catering cottages can be found for 2 persons right up to 16 and from the basic small house to luxury cottages complete with flat screen TV’s, wood burners and luxury interiors with all the modern conveniences of TV’s, DVD players, washing machines, dryers and dish washers.

Self catering holidays benefit the environment too. The carbon footprint of a self catering holiday is significantly less than a hotel based holiday. Many factors contribute to this, the amount of lights, sheets and towels washed and spa and swimming pool facilities. Some self catering property owners and developers are creating a more eco friendly property, for example, installing solar panels, wind turbines and worming and composting facilities.

In areas such as Grasmere and Ambleside there some idyllic self catering properties such as traditional Lakeland houses dating back years. Staying in Grasmere cottages or Ambleside cottages means there are views in every direction.  Located at the heart of The Lake District National, some properties have views of Helvellyn also Silver How, Steel Fell and Helm Crag. Grasmere is an idea base for walking with the foot of Helvellyn just minutes away and located on main A591 road which leads right up to Keswick for the highest concentration of fells in the Lake District.

To complement the interest people have in cooking and dinner parties the items on a dining table and the settings should be strongly considered. How the food looks on a plate is extremely important as well as how the plate looks within the table setting. The look of the food is the first impression and as is regularly said, you eat with your eyes. The food itself needs to look appealing but what it is presented on can also greatly affect the way the dish looks. Top chefs know the importance of this and they will be the ones that choose the dinnerware range for the restaurant. Only a few years ago, a standard plate would be used to serve all the dishes. Now there are curved, square, rectangle, oval and shallow bowls.

You cutlery then needs to match the dinnerware. A traditional set of cutlery would look out of place next to a modern square plate for example. Likewise, a modern set of cutlery would not feel right with a traditional set of china plates. Leading cutlery brands such as Arthur Price cutlery have been manufacturing high grade cutlery for over 100 years. Their traditional ranges remain popular but they have introduced contemporary ranges in keeping with the modern look that many home owners are requesting.
Read the rest of this entry »

Postal scales are not just found in a Post Office branch. They can be easily and cheaply purchased for both home and office.

Postal scales have been used in offices for years but now electronic versions are readily available, these scales can be used in large offices or even for small operations. Weighing electronically is accurate and easy to process. Electronic and digital scales provide accurate weight and price details for every Royal Mail postal rate in the UK and worldwide at the push of a button, again saving time and money.
Read the rest of this entry »

The main job of a law costs draftsmen is to settle the cost of a law case. They provide that vital link that can not only lead to a satisfactory recovery of legal costs as efficiently as possible, but can also release the lawyer to concentrate of servicing their clients without distractions. A law costs draftsman will also optimise the costs of a case ensuring the best possible outcome.

Law costs draftsmen deal with costs in every sector of law and have the best systems in place for the recovery of legal costs - the legal costs drafting service that moves cases to completion as quickly and efficiently as possible. Saving time means much less stress and hassle and also means costs saving.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Eden Valley is a beautiful, yet little known area in Cumbria, which lies between the Lake District National Park and the North Pennines - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. To the North of the Eden Valley lies Carlisle and Hadrian’s Wall, whilst to the South you will find the fabulous Yorkshire Dales.

There is an excellent choice of accommodation available within Eden including hotels, guest houses, Cumbrian cottages and caravan parks. Away from the main holiday season many of the Lake District holiday cottages offer the flexibility of short breaks rather than just whole weeks, so visitors can enjoy a long weekend in the area and perhaps buy some fresh local produce to cook yourself at the property. However your eating requirements are catered for by the many excellent restaurants and traditional pubs that reflect the local flavour.

Historic Penrith, often referred to as the “Gateway to the Northern Lakes”, is the major town in the Eden Valley, with a good mix of traditional shops selling locally made products and crafts, including famed Cumberland Sausage and Penrith Toffee.

When it comes to places to visit during your stay the Eden Valley offers a wide range of historic houses, castles, gardens, craft workshops, galleries and museums. In fact there are over seventy visitor attractions in Eden. For the more active there are many sporting facilities including sailing, windsurfing, horse riding, golf, squash, tennis and fishing.

One of the area’s key activities is Appleby Horse Fair, which takes place every June. The Horse Fair gathers together travelling folk from all over the country, buying and selling horses, keeping alive a 300 year old tradition. This is Britain’s largest gypsy gathering, with hundreds of tradition horse-drawn caravans converge on nearby Gallows Hill.

Walkers will find Eden is wonderful walking country, either a leisurely walk along river banks and lake shore or you can take to the higher paths over the Pennines and Lake District fells. In fact, the Pennine Way National Trail reaches into the Eden Valley at Appleby-in-Westmorland as it winds its way towards Scotland. Cyclists can follow the coast to coast (C2C) and Cumbria Cycle Way, both routes are clearly marked along the way.

The River Eden provides challenging fishing, and has in place a “Go Wild” scheme to enable visitors to try wild fishing on the river.

Portable Building Sales recently won a contract to supply two modular buildings to the Coventry Primary Care Trust.

The first modular building we installed as a temporary walk in centre, was a used 6 bay modular building.

Prior to arrival on site, jackpad foundations were used to erect the building instead of traditional concrete foundations.

Portable Building Sales have agreed to purchase the building back after the Primary Care Trust no longer have a use for the building and in addition will also purchase the jackpad foundations leaving a clear and clean car park area once again.

The Portable Building Sales “buy back” scheme ensures that the building is removed safely, professionally and to the current Health & Safety and CDM regulations. They ensure that the Primary Care Trust has no disposal problems and receives payment for the building before it is removed.

Portable Building Sales Ltd is one of the few companies in the UK to provide this type of service.

The used steel framed modular building that was supplied consists of six plastic coated steel modules which have white Upvc double glazed windows. The building also has a plasterboard lined ceiling and walls and a double thickness plywood floor.

This used modular building was decorated internally, cleaned externally and reinstated electrically to the latest regulations.

This temporary modular walk in centre building complies with the current Part L2A 2006 building regulations and is extremely environmentally friendly as it only uses 3% of the energy required to manufacture an equivalent new modular building. This is because the embodied energy is transportable and therefore can be relocated to a new site.

Also there are significant cost savings to the client and in this instance the tax payer as well, as this building was approximately a third of the cost of an equivalent new manufactured modular building.

Portable Buildings completed the installation of this building within four weeks from the date of order and to the client’s complete satisfaction.

Even though this modular building is pre-owned, Portable Building Sales still provide a 12 months guarantee with the building.

Portable Building Sales provided the Coventry Primary Care Trust with complete peace of mind throughout the process of attending meetings, submission of our Health & Safety plans, supply and installation of the used modular building, arrangement of the crane, to even organising the transportation and temporary traffic management to enable the building to be off loaded from a road adjacent to the site.

For more information please visit http://www.portablebuildingsales.co.uk or telephone 01482 656590

There are a variety of reasons why the Lake District is a great place to visit in the autumn and winter months. Starting with autumn and the colours in the landscape are simply beautiful. Browns, reds, oranges and yellows shower the roads, fields and fells. An excellent time for artists and photographers to visit the Lake District.

Moving to November and December and the Lake District is lucky to have a good share of those spectacular bright sunny winter days when the air is at its crispest. On days like these, you can see for miles and they are excellent times to go walking or to visit the area for a short break. In November especially, there are some great offers available in Lake District hotels. For those wanting a real escape and complete tranquillity, November is ideal.

January celebrates the New Year, recharges the batteries after a hectic, over indulgent Christmas and can be one of the best value short breaks you have. The Lake District is becoming a popular choice in January. There are many activities to do in the Lake District along with the possibility of snow still being on the fells. As with hotels and leisure accommodation throughout the country, Cumbria hotels and Lake District hotels have excellent rates for January as it is traditionally thought to be the quietest month of the year. This enables the consumer to enjoy short breaks in the Lake District at fabulous prices, much needed after Christmas but especially when everyone is being hit by the economic crisis.

Savvy travellers are noticing the great value deals to be had in the winter months. Holidays are quite often being thought about and planned for spring and summer but waiting until then without a break is too long. A short break in the Lake District can combine a much needed break with the chance to go canoeing, sailing, walking, mountaineering, fell running, cycling, the list goes on. The most popular, cheapest and most accessible is walking on the hundreds of fells in the Lake District. Wainwright alone walked and wrote about 214 of them but there are many further smaller fells allowing walkers of any age or ability to sample what the English Lake District is famous for.

AV stands for audio visual and is the combination of audio and visual components. Audio visual or AV installations are on the rise with both the business and domestic market realising the benefits of bespoke AV systems. Standard systems can be installed but a bespoke system is completely tailored to the specific requirements of the customer. For domestic customers slone there are many different reasons a bespoke AV system is required such as one which is geared towards movie and film watching, focusing on music or for home office requirements.

The first stage in any project is to establish a brief with the client, including what functionality is expected from the system and any budgetary constraints that may exist. From there the av installations consultant will draw up a system specification and layout diagrams if necessary, along with a detailed quotation setting out all of the costs involved. It is very important to instruct a company that will liaise with architects/building contractors as well as electricians and any other on site contractors. Communication and co-operation with building trades during installations is essential in order to achieve the best possible installation. The range of equipment and systems available is vast in today’s market.
Read the rest of this entry »

With Yarwood’s taking care of your welding and fabrication work, you are drawing on years of experience gained from a broad range of projects.

From construction equipment to fabrication and refurbishment of large excavator buckets, dredging buckets and mining buckets and from steel structure fabrication to on-site welding.

This diversity also gives you access to a wealth of problem-solving experience backed by a CAD design and drawing service.

Keswick , over the years, has become a haven for artists and galleries. The scenery surrounding the town of Keswick makes this statement easy to understand. There are a number of artists that have made a move to the area permanently.

Keswick is in the centre of the some of the most dramatic scenery in the UK. On one side there is Skiddaw loaming over at an incredible height of 3054 feet above sea level, the fourth highest mountain in the Lake District and on the other side the tranquillity of Derwentwater. Skiddaw dominates the skyline around this area and is a sight to behold. It is not craggy like many Lakeland fells but somewhat undulating.

When looking around the art galleries in Keswick, it is apparent that not all the pieces are traditional landscape paintings. The light and landscape creates inspiration for other subjects of art and other forms of arts and crafts such as jewellery, sculpture, ceramics and photography.

Visitors to Keswick that stay in one of the many hotels in Keswick can look around one of the many galleries in Keswick or its surrounding area which is always useful as Keswick is one of the wettest places in the UK!

Conferencing is a high revenue market within the hotel industry. It is an added business avenue which also brings in revenue during the day through day delegate rates. It also brings guests in throughout the week days which can be of great needs for some hotels which are heavily weekend orientated.

The Lake District is known for its peacefulness, tranquillity and scenery so what better place to hold a conference or even more so, a team building event. The Lake District is geared up for team building activities with a good choice of companies that hold day and week events. The events range from full on outdoor pursuits such as abseiling and mountaineering to strategic and theoretical activities so they can be held both indoors and outdoors which helps should the weather not be favourable. These events can also be held at hotels Lake District. All these factors can really make a difference to a team building or conference event and bring the best out of employees. Some companies also hold group interviews in the Lake District conference venues.

Activities on Lake Windermere have been much talked about in recent years.The 10 nautical miles per hour speed limit was put into force on 29 March 2005. Lake Windermere is of course quieter now but there are people that are still wanting fun to be had on the lake but in a different form. Lake Windermere now has a privately owned 50 foot Sealine Y50 Flybridge motor yacht that can be hired out for Windermere lake cruises and both private and bespoke charters. This has brought the glitz and glamour back to the lake and is bringing some different clientele to the area.

With such spectacular scenery, Lake Windermere attracts thousands of tourists each yeaar from anglers, to canoeists to yachtsmen and dingy owners. The cruises on Lake Windermere are truely worth a go as the magnificent scenery can be taken in fully. Starting from the south of the lake and Newby Bridge is where you will be. Continuing up the lake and you pass Cartmel Fell, Far Sawrey, Bowness-on-Windermere, High Wray and the lake comes to an end at Waterhead, only a short walk into the centre of the bustling Ambleside.

Sailing on Lake Windermere is an excellent way to travel. In the summer months the roads are blocked continually due to the high number of visitors. Sailing on the lake is direct, allows the stopping off at the top destinations along the lake such as Bowness, Ambleside and to the many Lake District hotels and makes for a very relaxing journey with not a hint of road rage!

Taking out a Lake District boat charter is an excellent way to celebrate a special occasion. Windermere Lake cruises can be taken out for half days, full days or as bespoke charters. High quality food and beverages are served and it makes a very memorable day.

A warm and friendly welcome awaits you at Firgarth Guest House in Windermere. Firgarth is an elegant Victorian house built in Lakeland stone around 1875, with views to the rear over Wynlass Beck.

Firgarth Windermere Guest House has the advantage of car parking, and is situated just a short walk from Windermere centre, with its many shops and restaurants and rail/bus station. We make an ideal base for touring, walking or just a relaxing break at any time of year.

Just take a 15 minute walk through ‘Millerground’ to the shores of Lake Windermere or alternatively climb to ‘Orrest Head’ from where stunning views of Lake Windermere and Morecombe Bay can be enjoyed.

Firgarth offers eight bedrooms comprising of double, single, four poster and king size double which are all ensuite. All rooms are centrally heated and decorated in a combination of modern and traditional design, all have colour TV, tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryer and a range of toiletries.