Showing posts with label northwest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label northwest. Show all posts

8 February 2010

You'll Never Walk Alone - LFC Stadium Tour

Last week Jenny and I were lucky enough to be invited to the official launch of the all new Liverpool Football Club Stadium Tour. Arranged through The Mersey Partnership, we were able to see behind the scenes at Anfield, sit in the famous Kop and meet Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy.

Liverpool FC have made some exciting changes to the tour, it now includes new areas, extra tours and better availability. Perhaps the biggest change is the involvement of Dave Kirby as script writer. He is a local playwright and is well known for the popular Scouse comedy Brick up the Mersey Tunnel and more recently for the film Fifteen Minutes that Shook the World, based on the 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul. His style guarantees that the is tour engaging and entertaining.

Our tour started in the Legends Lounge before we moved on to sit in the Directors' seats. We visited the old boot room (now a press room), took a peek in the dressing rooms and reached up to touch the 'This is Anfield' sign as we made our way back out towards the pitch. Throughout the tour we were given an insight into the history of the club and each section had a different guide with fascinating snippets of information to keep us amused. We even got to see the Champions League Cup, which was gifted to Anfield as a thank you for winning in 2005.

As a football fan I knew I would enjoy the day, but even Jenny (who doesn't follow football) found it interesting. We finished off the experience with a look around the Museum; a good chance to see some memorabilia - old and new - and reflect on the amazing history of one of the region's best known football clubs.






****************************************

Images: Anfield, © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2010



14 January 2010

No Slip-Ups For LDS Tourism In The Snow


No sooner had we celebrated our first white Christmas for many years and seen in 2010 with a dusting of the fluffy stuff than winter struck the region with a terrible ferocity. Severe weather warnings were issued by the Met Office and it started to snow, and snow, and snow…

Throughout North West Britain, schools closed, local councils ran short of grit for the roads and driving conditions became treacherous as temperatures plunged. A number of attractions were forced to close but many of our clients tried to make the most of the cold snap. Blue Planet Aquarium built a wonderfully realistic snow-shark (complete with razor sharp teeth), GreenWood Forest Park shared snaps of the Little Moss Dragon covered in snow with their fans on Facebook, Go Ape had great fun filming their antics and Knowsley Safari Park took some splendid photographs of the baboons eating baked potatoes.

LDS Tourism remained busy throughout. Our distributors dodged the worst hit areas as much as possible - only becoming depot-bound for a couple of days - and continued to service TIPs and deliver new leaflets and brochures to establishments throughout North Wales and the North West.

Incidentally, Knowsley Safari Park has been nominated for an award in the Best Family Day Out 2010 category in Lifestyle Monthly (a magazine for Liverpool and the surrounding areas) and they would very much appreciate your support. Please click this link to vote and you can also select your favourite salon, restaurant, home improvement company, green contribution to the City, spa, fashion retailer and beauty clinic.

We were delighted with the response to our article, LDS Tourism Services Celebrates 18 Years in Business!, which appeared in the Directory of Chester at the start of the month. Within 24 hours of the feature going live, we were listed in Google’s top five under the search term ‘social media marketing’. Amazing results! Many thanks indeed to Esther Rosie and her team at directoryofchester.net.

Finally, if you are attending the ‘At Home with VCC’ networking event at Visit Chester and Cheshire’s offices on 21st January, we look forward to seeing you there.

****************************************


Image: ©Britainonview / David Sellman

14 July 2008

Brochure Marketing Group Keeps On Growing

We can reveal that (as of posting this blog entry) there are 213 members of our Brochure Marketing group on LinkedIn. A wide variety of people involved in the promotional print industry continue to sign-up on a daily basis and there are many interesting conversations taking place on the official forum. Please feel free to pose a question or join in one of the many fascinating discussions – you don’t need to be a group member to get involved. Clients, business associates and employees of LDS Tourism Services Ltd. are also encouraged to join the Company’s own special group (Friends of LDS Tourism Services).

Last week, Diana and Paula spent several hours ambling around the Albert Dock – Liverpool’s “most visited” attraction. They were delighted to discover the area buzzing with activity as tourists, shoppers and diners made the most of the first-rate amenities on offer, including a splendid array of museums, restaurants and shops. Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, Albert Dock has seen a massive increase in visitor numbers this year (probably assisted by the Liverpool 08 festivities) and the new Arena is proving to be a great success.

As a follow-up to our previous article on this blog, we now see that a train company poll has suggested that a third of British holidaymakers intend to stay in UK this summer. It would seem that many people are rethinking their travel plans due to the prospect of long airport delays and flight disruption. The survey shows that one in five Britons have decided not to travel by air because they feel anxious, and are instead opting for the train, car, coach or ferry. When it comes to choosing their preferred method of transport, 82% of travellers felt that the biggest consideration was cost, followed by how comfortable and convenient it is (66%), how quickly they get to their destination (63%) and how stressful/relaxing the journey will be (34%).

Everybody at LDSTS is braced for the school holidays. We’ve had an incredibly busy summer thus far, so it is likely to be a hectic period for us. We can also announce that we have just signed a contract giving us exclusive rights to display literature in Poplar 2000 Services, on the M6/56 in Lymm. Please contact Hayley at hayley@ldsts.co.uk if you would like further information about this or anything else.

Finally, we would like to share a noteworthy link:

The House of Commons Culture, Media & Sport Report on Tourism

11 March 2008

Tourist Industry Roundup

We're up to our eyes in it as usual, but we still like to stay abreast of what's happening with our friends and colleagues in the industry. So, here are a handful of news-items we've 'homed in' on this week:

On 23rd April the 'Tourism Oscars' will take place in St Georges Hall, Liverpool, in celebration of the 2008 European Capital of Culture and St George’s Day. Amazingly, this is the first time in its 19-year history that the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence will be held outside London, so it will be quite a feather in NW England's hat. Fingers crossed that the region will also receive some recognition from the judges.

Some of you may be interested to learn that a new microsite has been launched to support the year-long Culture 08 campaign (organised to celebrate some of England's best cultural attractions), which includes a journey planner, travel itinerary with Google maps, a 'My Events' section and an 'Inspire Me' functionality, which randomly generates event details that the user could attend across England.

According to TravelMole, the "UK is the sixth most competitive country when it comes to tourism". An international study has revealed that we have moved up from 10th position in the Global Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report (put together by the World Economic Forum) - showing a marked improvement in areas such as environmental sustainability and air transport infrastructure. However, we received a comparatively low score for safety and security, coming way down the list in 65th place!

Many of you will no doubt be attending the British Travel Trade Fair in Birmingham this week - we'll be there ourselves to assist Cadw with their stand on the final day. We wish you a successful show and hope that you get plenty of useful networking opportunities. We would love to hear your thoughts on this year's event, and also, if Karl Lornie, the Paul McCartney tribute act, is a good as they say he is!

20 February 2008

Award For Blue Planet Aquarium

We were delighted to learn that one of our long-standing clients, Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port, was recently presented with the much prized Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service accreditation.

The VAQAS (as it is better known) is a consumer-focused scheme that was first created by VisitBritain and is supported in our service area by Visit Chester & Cheshire - another valued client of LDSTS - to recognise British attractions which give visitors the highest quality experience. Each attraction is assessed by a sort of mystery shopper-type inspector and have their accreditations reviewed annually.

A collective pat on the back goes out from everyone at LDSTS to the management and staff at Blue Planet Aquarium!

9 February 2008

Catching Up With You

We have been incredibly busy over the last few weeks, which is why we’ve been so remiss about keeping this blog up to date. Leaflets are arriving by the lorry-load on a daily basis and we’re dashing hither and thither, meeting ourselves coming back, trying to get everything out in time for Easter.

The spring/summer edition of Swift Flyer (the Company's newsletter) is now available to read online. If you have a pdf reader (you can download Adobe’s version for free), it can be accessed right here. If you are unable to open it for some reason, simply drop us a line and we’ll send you a hard copy via snail mail.

27 November 2007

Tatton Park Biennial 2008

We were extremely excited to learn of Tatton Park's Biennial 2008 - a new contemporary art event for the UK. To be launched during Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ‘08 and supported by various bodies, it will be staged from May to September 2008.

A valued client of LDS Tourism Services, Tatton Park is an impressive historic estate which receives in the region of 750,000 visitors every year - all of whom come to enjoy its Georgian Mansion, Tudor Old Hall, award winning gardens and 1930s rare breeds farm. The 1,000 acre deer park is home to Red and Fallow deer and the estate also boasts speciality shops, adventure playground, restaurant and a year-round events programme.

The 2008 Biennial supports the work of emerging and mid-career artists through a commissioning process that reveals the history of the Park and is a launch pad for future events that will further understanding of exceptional artistic practice within the laboratory of this National Trust property.

With up to 6 semi-permanent works, 12 evolving commissions and a substantial programme of tours, performances and talks that lend further depth to the grounds, the Biennial will reflect the historical significance and contemporary relevance of Tatton Park. A specially curated film programme and an active Education and Access programme will extend to major cities, taking in a range of new visitors through specially devised and targeted schemes. A full-colour publication with commissioned essays, a novella by Giles Waterfield and an artist’s multiple will be produced for the opening.

The year long Cheshire Year of Gardens ‘08 has a crisp start at Chester Zoo’s Frost Fair in January 2008, unveiling the lavish flowers beds of Cheshire which will be making surprise appearances in Liverpool, at international gateways and at the RHS Flowers Shows.

The programme line up for the year is bubbling with a mixture of music, art, theatre, sport and food and drink events at major garden locations, including Lyme Park, Chester Zoological Garden, Arley Hall and Gardens, Jodrell Bank, Ness Gardens, Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, Capesthorne Hall, Gawsworth Hall and Norton Priory.

Cheshire can boast some of the finest gardens in the world, many of international importance; others are modest or even tiny expressions of someone’s urge to create a beautiful corner of the landscape. Whether part of an historic estate or simply colourful attractions in their own right, these stupendous bouquets are estimated to attract an additional 300,000 visits for the 08 celebrations.

20 November 2007

Charnock Richard Welcome Break Services


Our new leaflet holder at Charnock Richard Services (Chorley, Lancs) on the M6 Northbound

Newly installed (in a prominant position) with side-bins for A4 brochures and space for posters on each side.

Aesthetically speaking, this black perspex holder is a big improvement on the old wooden dispenser.


This is a very fast moving site, so it wasn't long before members of the public were picking up leaflets!



If you would like your promotional material to be displayed in this site (which is exclusive to LDS Tourism Services Ltd), please don't hesitate to drop us a line for further details.




13 November 2007

Contracts, Cadw & Christmas


We have just this week renewed our contract with Charnock Richard Welcome Break Services on the M6 (north and southbound) for exclusive rights to display our client's literature in their foyers. We will be installing a brand new holder on the north side (heading into our area) – specifically designed for this site – which will also have space for posters and A4 brochures.

Look out for us if you attend the Holiday and Travel Show at Manchester Central (formerly the G-MEX) on 11th-13th January 2008. With over 800 exhibitors, representing more than 100 countries from around the world, the Show is expected to attract even greater numbers than usual. You will find either Diana or Paula on the Cadw stand throughout the event, so please do pop over and have a natter with them if you are passing.

We are currently distributing the council's new Christmas in Chester leaflet in and around the city. Inside you will find listings of all the late night opening hours, plenty of suggestions for events to attend during the festive season and a useful map. Be sure to pick one up on your travels.

9 November 2007

New Displays in Moto Services

We are delighted to announce that we are again taking on the Manchester Birch Service Stations on the M62 between Junctions 18 and 19.

After signing a contract with Moto, via our colleagues Take One Media, we now have exclusive display rights in the foyers of these exceptionally busy sites – as well as the eastbound and westbound Travelodge Hotels.

As I’m sure you will agree, these outlets are a tremendous addition to our ever-expanding Motorway Services Network. If you would like your leaflets to be displayed in these sites, please contact Hayley, our Business Development Manager, for further details.