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
10 fish and chip shops from the North West have been shortlisted for a national award. Chippies in the region making it to the final of the National Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition are:
Granada Fish Bar – Fleetwood
Johns Plaice – Wigton, near Carlisle
Olympus Fish & Chip Restaurant – Bolton
Seniors – Thornton
Seniors Fish Bar & Restaurant – Blackpool
Fosters Fish & Chips – Alderley Edge
Foz’s Fish Bar – Manchester
Frydays – Manchester
Harpers – Southport
Grapes Fish & Chip Shop Wigan
The grand final will be held in London next year and will be hosted by celebrity chef Simon Rimmer. The event, sponsored by Seafish, is now in its 21st year.
The skies of Southport will be lit up to the sound of music when the British Musical Fireworks Championships return to the resort this weekend. Each evening, from October 5 to October 7, there will be displays by two of the UK’s top professional firework companies at the Marine Lake. The programme starts at 7.30 pm each evening; with gates opening at 7 pm. Tickets are £5 on the door with under 5’s admitted free.
The Southport Air Show will be held this weekend (September 22 – 23) with a programme that includes displays by the Red Arrows, WWII aircraft, helicopters, and parachutists. The Air Show Village will feature trade stands, flight simulators, and more.
Tickets can be purchased on the day for £7. The show is open from 9 am to 6 pm each day, with the flying programme starting around 1 pm and finishing at 5 pm.
Visit North West visited the Pleasure Beach at Blackpool yesterday for the opening of their new ride, Infusion. This is world’s first suspended looping coaster operating entirely over water and is essentially an improved version of the Traumatizer at Southport Pleasureland. Check out the video here.
After months of wrangling it looks like Antony Gormley’s statues on Crosby Beach may become a permanent fixture. Last year Sefton Council wanted to remove the Another Place exhibit due to safety concerns but agreed to wait for a report from planning officers. They have now recommended they remain, provided some outstanding safety issues are addressed. Sefton Council’s planning committee convenes this week to confirm the decision.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach has revealed plans for a new ride for 2007. Infusion, a suspended looping coaster travelling over water, will be a reconstruction of the old Traumatizer ride at the now defunct Southport Pleasureland. The new ride will be built on the site of the old log flume. Guess who predicted this the day after Southport Pleasureland closed?
After losing Pleasureland, one of its major attractions, Southport’s tourist industry could be set to take another blow. Tonge International, organisers of the Southport Air Show, has announced it has gone into administration. Administrators, Parkin S Booth & Co, are searching for another event organiser to take over the running of the famous show.
An appeal has been lodged against Sefton Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for Antony Gormley’s statues on Crosby Beach. The Another Place exhibit will now remain in place until at least March 2007.