The Recent Weather, Wrens & Windermere Masked Parade & Lights Switch On Sat 28th Nov

As you will no doubt be aware things have been quite interesting on the weather front in Cumbria of late with the north of the county bearing the brunt. Lake Windermere remains high as do all the lakes and rivers but they have receded to manageable proportions with roads now passable and businesses open as usual in the Lake District.

We have escaped unscathed other than a wind swept outside and very soggy garden as you would expect. I have however started a guerrilla war with a couple of Wrens who have taken a real liking to my hanging baskets and ousted plants so they can burrow in and shelter. What with the wind and them, my attempts at winter baskets look rather forlorn at the moment. When I thought I had resolved this by repacking them the Wrens outwitted me and now mock me from the top of the vine in the greenhouse. The amount of rain lately has swollen the wood on the greenhouse door so I can't shut it completely much to their delight and I fear they have won for the moment. I'm regrouping and considering a pincer movement .... well perhaps when the weather improves and I can get into the garden, until then they are welcome to the greenhouse.

We will be attempting to trim up with Christmas lights and decorations over the next week or so, outside may have to wait a little while for a weather window but we remain optimistic as ever.
This leads me on to :-

Windermere & Bowness Winter Lights Masked Parade & Sing-a-long Seeking Santa Cruise

4.30 - 7.00pm Windermere masked parade through Windermere led by Santa who turns on the winter lights, followed by fireworks. This is a free event, for information & booking Santa Cruise tickets 015394 46499 or www.windermerewinterlights.org

We are pleased to announce that the parade is going ahead as planned - wellington boots recommended!

We have been advised by Windermere Lake Cruises that the Sing-a-long Seeking Santa Cruise will be going ahead as the water level of the lake has lowered. There are a few tickets left for the cruise - contact phone number above to book.

Roads, accommodation, shops and parking in and around Windermere and Bowness have been largely unaffected by the floods.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Make all your Christmas dreams come true in Windermere and Bowness in 2009!

Join in the fun on Saturday November 28, 2009 with the Sing-a-long Seeking Santa Cruise from Bowness pier, the Fourth Annual Winter Masked Parade through Windermere village and the Winter Lights Switch-ons in both communities. All this excitement will be topped off at the Grand Firework Finale in Queens Park!

There will be live music and entertainment, food, drink, mulled wine during the day. And there’s plenty of opportunity to get in some Christmas treats in two of Lakeland ’s most scenic shopping villages.

The day starts (perhaps after coffee and cakes in one of our many glorious cafes!) at 10am sharp when you board a Windermere Lake Cruises steamer bound for a special rendezvous with the man in the red suit – our sensational Sing-a-long Seeking Santa Cruise, with Astral Circus Childrens Entertainer.

Arriving back at Bowness at 12 noon you will be greated by Santa's Donkey and elves, you can then enjoy the delights of Bowness and Windermere, perhaps doing some important Christmas shopping.

But make sure to get to Windermere railway station for 4.30pm, when Santa on his sleigh will lead the Winter Masked Parade through Windermere Switching-on the Winter Lights along the way to Queens Park where The Lakes Gospel Choir will perform both before and after the Grand Firework display.

Cruise tickets available now (£10 per adult and £5 per child) from Thresher, Crescent Road, Windermere or Breeze (Earth Collection), Quarry Rigg, Bowness or via the Contact Us page on the website above. Your ticket for the Santa Cruise also provides FREE entry to an exclusive 3/4 hour cartoon show at the Royalty Cinema, Bowness at 12.30.

Please check the above website regularly for updates – we look forward to greeting you all this Christmas 2009 – let’s make it extra special for everyone!

Schedule of Events
10.00am Boarding of Sing-a-Long Seeking Santa Cruise at Bowness Piers.

Departing 10.30am, returning approx 12noon

The Sing-a-Long and Astral Circus will perform on Quarry Rigg from 1pm until 3pm

4.20pm The Parade (which is free) gathers at Windermere Train Station.

At 4.30pm the parade leaves the Station and heads down Victoria Street, Crescent Road onto Broad Street to Queen’s Park Recreation Ground where you will be entertained by The Lakes Gospel Choir.

6.00pm Fireworks display, Queen’s Park Recreation Ground. The Firework Display is free, however, donations are welcome via Marshals with collecting buckets to help make this event happen.

Autumn fruits

Autumn has definately arrived here in the lakes. We have had some gorgeous sunny days here and the trees are turning the most beautiful colours. Our plan was to go and take some photos of the stunning scenery here at this time, probably from Tarn Hows. Unfortunately as is usual, the best laid plans didn't quite happen. When we finally managed to have the time, in swept the other Autumnal weather that we all know so well, with rain over the last couple of days.

The compensation is that you don't feel quite so guilty about not being out in the garden tidying up and planting winter baskets and troughs - I'm sure they'l keep until the weather improves again.

I managed to harvest our grapes recently and have made some wine, now happily blooping away in the kitchen. It remains to be seen if Chateaux Langdale works out or not, but its all a voyage of discovery since moving in in March this year.

I've managed to make plum jam, plum wine and chutney (thanks to Tracey my Mums friend for the plum donation), Damson jam from the tree in the lane outside our Guest House, strawberry and blueberry jam. I'm rapidly turning into a rosy cheeked country girl! Our guests are happy with my jam, and it sits alongside the Hawkshead relish jam and marmalade that we already supply for breakfast.

I recently enjoyed a weekend in Manchester with a lively group of friends and although I may be developing a taste for country life there's still that pull of the bright lights of the city for me as well. Thats the good thing about living here I can be straight into Manchester city centre in about 1 hour 45 mins by train from Windermere ... best of both worlds really.

Well the nights are drawing in and time to light the wood burner I think and toast my toes. Till next time

Ann-Marie

Pancake Recipe

We have been busy getting our last room,'Coniston' ready to open and we are very pleased with how its turned out. The colour scheme is chocolate brown, gold and cream, the room has a sumptuous feel to it with silk curtains, big gold tie backs and our usual high quality fixtures and fittings. Photographs will soon be posted on our web site for you to see. We are delighted that we now have all our rooms available to book.

So here is the recipe after a bit of a delay. I'm sure it will be worth waiting for as all our guests have enjoyed their pancakes whilst staying with us. The recipe is compliments of Nigella Lawson 'Express' cookery book with our own twist and our thanks go to her for the original pancake recipe.

The recipe is a home-made instant pancake mix made and stored as a dry mix until you need it.

For the pancake mix

• 600g flour
• 3 x 15ml tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 40g caster sugar

1. mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
2. when you are ready to make pancakes, proceed as follows

To make the batter and the pancakes
weigh out 150g of dry mix and whisk together with

• 1 egg
• 1 x 15ml tablespoon of melted butter
• milk to make a thick batter, roughly 100ml/quarter pint, you may need more or less depending on the flour you use.

1. Heat a large frying pan or griddle.
2. Butter pan lightly. You don't need to but I think it gives a better finish to pancakes.
3. Spoon rounded desert spoons of batter well spaced onto the hot pan. We fit 4 pancakes at a time into our pan as this is the portion we use for each serving for breakfast. This makes pancakes of roughly 3-4 inches in diameter. If your batter is too thin they will run together and you will get one big pancake. Not the end of the world as you can cook it and then cut it if needs be.
4. Watch the heat setting for your pan, if its too hot the pancakes with brown but not be cooked in the middle.
   
5. When bubbles appear on the surface, flip them over so they are golden brown on both sides.
6. We get 10 pancakes from each 150g dry mix and we serve 4 stacked with bananas, blueberries, strawberries and then maple syrup poured over and around the stack. Please see our breakfast menu on the website for a photograph.

These are very versatile, you can add flavourings to the pancakes, such as cinnamon, or grated apple. We are looking for ways of serving them in the winter months when soft fruits such as strawberries are out of season and imports aren't at their best. I have thought of compotes, but stacked with fruit does look so much better. If you have any suggestions please let me know as all are gratefully received.

Fantastic Value Bargain Breaks From Nov - March 2010

See it here first on the blog
Special offers to entice you to come and enjoy our hospitality from Nov 1st 2009 - March 25th 2010.

Nov 1st 2009 - March 25th 2010
Prices reduced as follows:
Langdale & Kentmere £35.00 per person per night (single occupancy add £10.00)
Coniston £33.00 per person per night (single occupancy add £10.00)
Wansfell & Fairfield £31.00 per person per night (single occupancy add £10.00)

You can book on line for the above or ring if you prefer.

Book for longer save even more!
Book 2 nights get 3rd half price
Book 3 nights get 4th free

Phone us on 01539444076 for the above offers

The above offers exclude the following dates
27.12.09 - 04.01.2010 Christmas and New Year Holidays
12.02.2010 - 15.02.2010 Valentines


We look forward to seeing you soon
Ann-Marie & Paul

Trip Advisor

We are now listed on Trip Advisor, it took a little while and some perseverance to sort it out but we are now there. A few guests have said that they would like to post comments rather than write in our book so you now have the opportunity. I hope you will use it and we will have a link to Trip Advisor on our revamped website when its up and running in the next couple of weeks.

Thankfully we can add comments now such as lovely sunny weather instead of the showers that we've had over the last few weeks. It does seem to be that its rainy or overcast in the mornings here and then lovely in the afternoons and evenings, and if it rains first thing the views are lovely and clear. At least I can get into the garden now and try and combat the weeds and lush growth due to the warm wet conditions of late. My tomatoes and grapes could do with some prolonged sunshine to ripen them a bit quicker as nothing much seems to be happening at the moment.

We are extremely busy as you would expect for this time of year and the approaching deadline for the new room appears to be galloping towards us. It doesn't stop us thinking about what we can do to offer our guests a little incentive to come and relax, enjoy our hospitality and join us for a break through out the year. Shortly we will be advertising some bargain breaks for those of you looking to escape the hustle and bustle from November through to March next year.

The next post will also include our pancake recipe that I have been asked for quite a few times. Its not a secret recipe but I wonder if people make them at home will they come here to eat them..........

Ann-marie

The Search For Bow-Nessie

Apparently there exists a close relative to Nessie the Loch Ness monster happily swimming about in lake Windermere.

It is little more than a dark smudge near the surface of the lake but it could spark the birth of a new legend. This shadowy image is causing more than a ripple of interest among monster aficionados and to the man who took it, the picture is proof that something strange lurks in the waters of Windermere.

Photographer Linden Adams, 35, was walking in the area with his wife Louise a fortnight ago. They were at a secluded spot more than 1,000ft up a mountain when they spotted the 'creature'. "It just came out of the blue," said the father of two.

Linden Adams website www.lindenadamsphotography.co.uk

It remains to be seen just how much attention this sighting attracts and I wonder if I will come across Nessie hunters down at the lake shore when out walking Hugo.....or possibly Nessie her/him self. As you can see from the photograph it was certainly atmospheric enough when we were out yesterday afternoon at Lower Miller Ground along the shore for Nessie to rear her head out of the lake.



Perhaps we should branch out and develop a new business line, 'Nessie' spotting weekends rather than the fishing holidays that Paul is thinking about starting. Its a thought!

Ann-Marie

Wansfell Room Now Open & Half Price Green Fees For Golfers

Half Price Green Fees For Golfers

We have been able to join a scheme that offers up to half price green fees to any golfers that are staying with us. We are part of 'Out to Play Golf' and can provide vouchers to our guests for the following golf courses close to us in Cumbria:-

• Windermere
• Kendal
• Casterton
• Penrith
• Keswick
• Ulverston
• Bentham
• Grange-over-Sands

We are ideally situated to access any of the above courses and are 10 mins by car from Windermere, 20 mins from Kendal, 30 mins from Keswick and approximately 45-60 mins from the others. The details will be added to our website in a couple of days but ring for details in the meantime if you are interested in taking advantage of these vouchers available free to our guests.

Wansfell

We now have our next room open for business. 'Wansfell' or room 1 is beautifully decorated with duck egg blue and cream soft furnishings, a brushed steel bedstead and the usual top of the range wood furniture. The room leads through a door down 3 steps into an ensuite with sash window. We are waiting for the photos to be uploaded onto the website and are sure that you will enjoy this room as much as the others. The Sampat family who we had the pleasure of accommodating in all our rooms last weekend had in their words:-

'Lovely Time! Breakfast was ymmmm..... thanks from all of us! '

Sampats/Jesranis/Merchants

The Garden

I have always loved gardening although I've never professed to be an expert by any means. So I've thrown myself into my new garden with some gusto and very quickly realised just how much time can slip by, albeit very pleasurably. Things are coming together quite well although I'm constantly trying to squeeze more time out of my day to spend in amongst my plants and greenhouse. The garden is a topic that some of our guests and myself spend quite some time mulling over, and I've learnt a lot already..... so thank you.

Hugo is however on a quest to thwart me by trampling through the flowers in an effort to get me to play with him whenever he can. Try as I might I can't get him to walk around the flowers to get to where he wants to be!


My retired neighbour on the left as you drive into our car park is an expert vegetable grower and has been gardening all his life in his large allotment over the low wall between our properties. He is not only my point of reference regarding all things local as he is born and bred in Bowness (or 'bonus' as the locals pronounce it), but also with respect to the garden (after my Mother of course). We appear to be in competition with tomatoes and runner beans at the moment and I have no doubt that I will be soundly beaten, though at present mine look to have the edge (not that I'm competative of course).


We are painting the outside of the house and repairing barge boards and window sills etc on the way. I have ordered some David Austin climbing roses for the corner when I get the chance to tidy up the bed and cut back the huge Hydranger that has apparently been there for 30years or so. I am looking forward to next summer when we can enjoy the perfume and the blooms.


At long last it has rained earlier this evening after a pretty long hot dry period of weather. I'm not so sure our guests share my opinion as they had to borrow umbrellas to walk to the restaurants and bars for their evening meal. The sunshine will be back again tomorrow and the evening air is much fresher now after the shower. I hope the weather is treating you well where ever you are.

New Grading Now 4 Stars

We are delighted to say that we have successfully been upgraded to 4Stars following our mystery shopper assessment by Visit Britain last week. Celebrations for us as we have only been reopened a month following our refurbishement.

We have another 2 rooms to finish and this will give us the extra spurt to get on with them and have them open at the beginning of July.

There is always something to learn and we await the full report next week to give us an idea of what else we can put in place for the comfort and enjoyment of our guests.

A couple of things that might be of interest in the coming months are

Lake District Summer Music- Lakes Alive 11th Jul - 16th Aug
Towns and villages across Cumbria come alive with a series of summer time family events. All part of the Lakes Alive programme of world class performance and arts events.

There are classical, modern evening and daytime events with costs ranging from free to £20.00.
Leaflets are available from the Tourist information or to view on line go to www.ldsm.org.uk

Maryport Blues festival 24th - 26th July
A must for blues fans everywhere. Head to the West coast to sample the best music from the UK and North America along with a selection of fine ales.

View on line at www.maryportblues.com

Lighting the Wall Nov/Dec
Looking a head and little further than Bowness is Hadrians wall about 90 mins away at its central point. You'll see it in a new light as a winter lighting and events programme brings the magic of its striking landscape to life as never before.

View on line at www.hadrians-wall.org

Real Ale by Rail
Visit some wonderful real ale pubs within easy walking distance of lakes Line Stations of Oxenholme, Kendal, Burneside, Staveley and Windermere. Leave the car behind and use rail to visit some great pubs and some great attractions at the same time.

Discounts are available until 31/03/10 on production of a current rail ticket when you place your order. 10% discount on beer and food at Station Inn, Riverside Hotel, Eagle & Child, Lamplighter Bar and the Elleray. 10% discount on beer at Burgundy's and Hawkshead Beer Hall.

Leaflets are available from Tourist Information or transpennine express at www.tpexpress.co.uk

Another beautiful day

Yet another beautiful sunny day in Bowness today. It made up for the thunder storms and torrential rain that happened yesterday afternoon when we decided to have a couple of hours in Kendal.

The picture to the right was taken on Sunday evening when we were out for a walk on the way up to a local view point of Post knot about 20 minutes walk from Langdale View.

We always decide that we are going to set out for a walk with the dog late afternoon or early evening but inevitably we end up working later than we intended and end up walking at dusk with the bats swooping past us.


We had a few spectators on the way up Post Knot and at least they stood still to pose for their photograph unlike the Deer that we saw later on in the trees that teased us by waiting long enough to get the camera out then bounced away showing only a bobbing white tail.

Hugo our dog, is learning to behave in the company of sheep although I'm sure that he hasn't quite figured out quite what they are yet. I don't suppose there were many sheep in the Rescue Centre where he came from originally.

I'm writing this after a lovely sunny day when I managed to squeeze a couple of hours in the garden this afternoon and once again haven't managed to get out earlier with Hugo, so I'll say goodbye and venture out in the dusk with the bats.

Ann-Marie

Welcome to our first Blog edition

welcome to our first Blog posting. I have to admit that this is all new to me and the idea of a blog began as most good ideas do, over a soda water or two! The credit for this forum lays with my son David who is also the creator of the website, I'm fairly okay with IT but wouldn't know where to start building a website I'm much more at home in the garden.

The idea is to let those of you who choose to, join in and send us entries, or just read the entries in this blog. Its a way of finding out whats going on, in and around the area, recommendations for places to eat, walks, places of interest etc. Theres a lot happening in the Lake District apart from the most beautiful scenery, fantastic walking and climbing and contrary to popular belief it doesn't actually rain here all that often!

To start the ball rolling :-

Airshow Weekend 25th - 26th July
Windermere and Bowness play host to a series of displays over the weekend including a Vulcan Bomber and the Red Arrows. There will be displays from the Team Guinot wing walkers, flypasts from Spitfire, Hurricane, Chinook, Jet Provost, Hawk and the world beating Pitts 12 aerobatic display.

This is the 9th consecutive year for the Rotary Club of Windermere to host this very successful weekend with the show now one of the major attractions in the Cumbrian summer calender.

Yakovlevs aerobatic display - Sat lunch time
Vulcan - Sat afternoon
Late Sun afternoon - Red Arrows

Lions Family Fun Weekends Aug 1-2 and 8-9
Family fun days including live bands, climbing wall, mini quad bikes, cycle display team, Lions 'Bouncies' & Taylors Funfair. Total Sailing & District Boat Club Parade to be held on Sat Aug 8th followed by a Firework display at dusk.

Give the Driver a Break
The above leaflets are produced by the Lake District National Park and Friends of the Lake District and are out now. They are filled with lots of ideas for days out in the National Park and include discounts for bus users. The leaflets cover Ambleside, and Windermere (the 555 and 599) as well as Coniston, Borrowdale and Derwentwatre, Keswick and Ullswater, Honister and Buttermere, Langdale. New for 2009 are the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Sedbergh and the Howgills.

Sit back and enjoy the view! Pick up a leaflet from the Tourist Information Centre or visit www.fld.org.uk


Thats it for the first installment. Let me have any comments, suggestions questions etc and I'll post and/or reply. I hope to hear from you soon

Ann-Marie