Rossendale

Twenty-eight giant clay shoes have been installed along a trail to show visitors the way between Rawtenstall train station and the Halo Panopticon in Haslingden.

The Shoe Trail, installed by Groundwork Pennine Lancashire, aims to boost the number of people visiting the Halo.

The shoes are positioned at regular intervals and key sites along the trail and have information plaques mounted on them highlighting things of interest.

The shoes were designed by students from All Saints High School and Haslingden High School and have been hand carved by artist Julie Miles.

The trail celebrates Rossendale‘s famous shoe industry and clay has been used because the site of the Halo at Top o’ Slate was once a clay pit supplying many nearby brick factories.

Special carved relief brick plaques at the start and end of the trail celebrate the areas industry and landscapes.

The East Lancashire Railway Trust has announced a 10 year development plan for the East Lancashire Railway (ELR).

Key features of the plan include:

• Heywood Station – replacement of the existing temporary station with a permanent building.
• Extension to Castleton, Rochdale – extending the ELR from Heywood to Castleton and linking up with the Rochdale Canal.
• Bury Transport Museum – reopening an enhanced ELR Transport Museum in October 2009.
• Rawtenstall Station – the ELR will work with Rossendale Borough Council to offer improved café facilities, a platform canopy and improved links to the town centre.
• Burrs Country Park – the ELR currently passes through Burrs Country Park without stopping. A new stop will be built, linking the ELR with the park’s caravan site and activity centre.
• Buckley Wells Heritage Centre – development of a heritage railway visitor centre.
• Ramsbottom – raising the profile of Ramsbottom as a destination.

The East Lancashire Railway Trust comprises 3 local authorities (Bury Council, Rossendale Borough Council, and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council) plus the East Lancashire Light Railway Company.

The 2009 Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards ceremony will be held at Ribby Hall Village on June 10.

Businesses shortlisted include:

Bed and Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year:

• The Ashton, Lancaster
• The Cartford Inn, Little Eccleston
• Howarth House, St Annes
• Little Stubbins Bed and Breakfast, Claughton-on-Brock

Small Hotel of the Year

• Crofters Hotel, Garstang
• Mytton Fold Hotel and Golf Complex, Langho
• West Tower Country House Hotel, Aughton

Large Hotel of the Year

• Best Western Premier Leyland Hotel, Leyland
• The Midland Hotel, Morecambe
• Preston Marriott Hotel

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk
• Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, Rossendale
• Lancaster Canal Packet Boats
• Old Holly Farm, Garstang

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Blackpool Tower & Circus
• Blackpool Zoo
• Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
• WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Near Ormskirk

Taste Lancashire Award

• The Carmen Rose, Ribchester
• The Fisherman’s Retreat, Rossendale
• Homestead Farm’s Shop, Holmeswood
• La Locanda Ristorante Italiano, Gisburn

Business Tourism Award of the Year

• Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
• Preston Marriott Hotel
• Ribby Hall Village, Wrea Green

Sustainable Tourism Award

• Clough Bottom Farm Cottages, Bashall Eaves
• Malkin Tower Farm Holiday Cottages, Blacko
• Number One, South Beach, Blackpool
• Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

Access for All Tourism Award

• Grand Theatre, Blackpool
• Oswaldtwistle Mills Shopping Village
• Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool
• Wyresdale Wheels for All Partnership, Wyre

Best Tourism Experience of the Year

• Dukes at Williamson Park, Lancaster
• Farmaggedon at Farmer Ted’s Farm Park, Ormskirk
• Ribble Valley Food Trail
• Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

A toy shop in Ramsbottom has been named as one of the best in the UK.

Little Treasures, on Bolton Street, was voted the Best Independent Toy Shop (Scotland and the North) by The British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) and the Toy Retailers Association (TRA) at their annual awards ceremony in London last month.

Little Treasures stocks bespoke toys and children’s furniture, hand-crafted at their workshop in Rossendale, Lancashire.

Budget hotel operator Travelodge is currently offering rooms at just £9 per night.

The offer is available on this special page on their website and is valid for bookings made now for stays between February and April 2009.

Rooms for other dates are also available from £19 and £29 provided bookings are made 7 and 21 days ahead respectively.

Travelodge has announced that it will open 22 hotels across the country between now and Christmas. New hotels in the North West will include the Travelodge Blackpool Tower and the Travelodge Blackpool Tower. Both are opening late December.

The budget hotel group is currently offering thousands of rooms at only £19 for stays in December and January. They can be booked via this special page on their website.

Tourism businesses in the North West were honoured at the Northwest Tourism Awards last week. The event was held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool on October 22 and was hosted by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Winners and finalists included:

Large Hotel of the Year

Marriott Worsley Park Hotel and Country Club, Manchester (Winner)
Cottons Hotel and Spa, Knutsford
Macdonald Old England Hotel and Spa, Bowness
Big Blue Hotel, Blackpool
Marriott Liverpool City Centre Hotel

Small Hotel of the Year

White House Manor, near Macclesfield (Winner)
Appleby Manor, Appleby
The Shireburn Arms Hotel, Clitheroe

Bed and Breakfast of the Year

Augill Castle, Kirkby Stephen (Winner)
Number One, South Beach, Blackpool (Highly Commended)
Moss Lodge, Rochdale
42 Caldy Road, West Kirby
Sand Hollow Farm, Burwardsley

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

Manchester Art Gallery (Winner)
Ness Botanic Gardens, Neston
South Lakes Wild Animal Park, Dalton in Furness
Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

The Quaker Tapestry Exhibition, Kendal (Winner)
Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre, Cotebrook
Farmer Ted’s Farm Park, Ormskirk
Smithills Hall, Bolton
Mersey Ferries Manchester Ship Canal Cruises

Self Catering Holiday of the Year

The Beach House, Blackpool (Winner)
Staying Cool, Manchester (Highly Commended)
Premier Apartments, Liverpool
Mellow Brook Cottage at Harrop Fold Farm, Macclesfield
The Lodge Holiday Cottage, Hayton

Holiday Park of the Year

Park Cliffe Camping and Caravan Park, Windermere (Winner)
Newton Hall Holiday Park, Blackpool
Manor Wood Country Caravan Park, Coddington

Excellence in Business Tourism

The Rheged Centre, Penrith (Winner)
Park Royal Hotel, Warrington (Highly Commended)
Barton Grange Hotel, Preston
Manchester United
The Conference Centre at LACE, Liverpool

Taste of England’s Northwest

Roses Tea Room, Heswall (Winner)
The Hollies Farm Shop, Cheshire (Highly Commended)
The Village Bakery Melmerby
Northcote Manor, Langho
Isinglass Restaurant, Urmston

Tourism Experience of the Year

Manchester International Festival (Winner)
Tate Liverpool – Turner Prize (Highly Commended)
Shacklabank Free Range Walking, Sedbergh (Highly Commended)
Byways Breaks, Cheshire
Downy Duckling Experience, WWT Martin Mere
Lancashire Food Festival, Accrington
Cholmondeley Fireworks Concert and Garden Party

Excellence in Customer Service

Gary Henshall – Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool (Winner)
Julie Lyons – De Vere Carden Park Hotel, Chester
Daniel Fairweather, Windermere Marina Village
Pam Simpson – World of Glass, St Helens
Madge Butler – Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport

Sustainable Tourism Award

Palace Hotel, Manchester (Winner)
Cote How Organic Guest House, Rydal (Highly Commended)

RSPB Leighton Moss Nature Reserve, Silverdale
Carden Park Hotel, Chester

Tourism for All Award

The Beacon Museum, Whitehaven (Winner)
The Trafford Centre, Manchester (Highly Commended)
Wyre Estuary Country Park
The National Wildflower Centre, Knowsley

Tourist Information Centre of the Year

Congleton TIC (Winner)
Fleetwood TIC (Highly Commended)
Manchester Visitor Centre
St.Helens TIC
Keswick TIC

A brand new, state-of-the-art fitness centre has opened in Haslingden. The £1.3 million Haslingden Lifestyle Centre, an extension to Haslingden Sports Centre, was opened by representatives of Rossendale Borough Council and Rossendale Leisure Trust last week.

The facility features a 60-station gym, specialist dance and aerobics studio, a redesigned multi-purpose room and changing facilities.

Special membership offers are running throughout September. For more information call Haslingden Sports Centre on 01706 227016.

Britain’s last remaining temperance bar, Fitzpatrick’s in Rawtenstall, has reopened after closing for a 4 month refurbishment.

A multi-million pound redevelopment of Rawtenstall’s Valley Centre has been given the go ahead by Rossendale Council. The derelict eyesore will be demolished and replaced with 16 shops, 6 restaurants/bars, and over 100 residential apartments. A pedestrianised square and car park will also be constructed. Completion is expected in 2010, subject to approval by the Secretary of State.