Was Your Summer As Good As Ours?

Carvings at the Cheshire Game & Country Fair

The latter part of the summer may have been somewhat unpredictable in the weather department but August 2010 turned out to be an exciting month for several of our clients.

Both Blue Planet Aquarium and Knowsley Safari Park were shortlisted for the prestigious title of Wildlife Attraction of the Year. To celebrate the best of the best, Eden satellite channel asked the public to vote for their favourite wildlife attraction in the UK – narrowing it down to only ten. Voting closes on 24th September and the winner will be announced in the autumn, so there’s still plenty of time for you to influence the outcome.

Chester Zoo launched its gorgeous new website complete with interactive map, videos and automated news updates. It is bright, bold, colourful ... in other words, lots of fun. Take a look for yourself and while you are there you can follow the progress of Nayan – the zoo’s five week old elephant calf.

Out & About in the Region

Team LDSTS found time to have some fun, too. Diana, Jenny and I went to the Cheshire Game & Country Fair over the August Bank Holiday weekend. This three-day annual event, which takes place at the Cheshire Showground in Tabley, was as action packed as ever. There were falconry displays, equestrian attractions, a mini beer festival, chainsaw carving competitions, over 150 trade exhibitors and even a hamster show.

Treacle & Buster take part in the Charity Companion Dog Show

Earlier in the month, several members of the team went along to a couple of dog shows in North Wales. The first was the Charity Companion Dog Show at Bellis Brothers (in Holt) on 14th August. Frequent bouts of heavy rain did nothing to deter the doggy competitors and their owners from taking part in both pedigree and novelty classes - with rosettes and prizes given for 1st to 4th place in each class. The day was a great success and all proceeds went to Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham.

The sun shone brightly for Dog Day Afternoon at Alyn Waters Country Park on 19th August. Organised by the Friends of Alyn Waters Group (with support from Guide Dogs for the Blind, Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, PDSA and Greyhound Rescue Wales), this fun dog show was a hugely entertaining event. In addition to competitions there were agility demonstrations, stalls and owners were given the opportunity to have their pets micro-chipped. The show was very well attended and money was raised towards restoring a statue outside the Visitor Centre and carrying out repairs on a damaged newt pond. If you are interested in becoming a member of the group and helping conserve and develop the Park’s flora and fauna, please drop Brenda a line at brenda@maudling.co.uk. There are a series of Drop in Sessions taking place at the café over the next four months (commencing Monday 20th September). Why not nip in for a chat and find out how you can help?

So, where did you go this summer? Did you visit any local attractions, beauty spots or events? Send us your reviews and comments and we may very well publish them in Swift Flyer.

Images © LDS Tourism Services Ltd., 2010

Stampede Expected Through Chester

Chester is without doubt one of the best places to be this summer.

Earlier today we took delivery of the Rhino Mania trail guides – an exciting and colourful art exhibition happening in the City from 5th July to 12th September.

To join in the fun you should grab a map and go in search of 62 uniquely decorated rhino sculptures positioned in and around Chester. The enormous fiberglass animals have all been individually named and hand-painted by top artists - so they should be easy to find - and there will be an additional 120 mini rhinos dotted around the trail created by local school children.

Rhinos are one of the most endangered creatures on earth, so in addition to celebrating the City’s cultural identity the event will raise money for the Black Rhino Field Conservation Project in Kenya and Tanzania. Official Rhino Mania merchandise, including a souvenir guide and six ceramic rhinos, will be available from Chester Zoo, Chester Tourist Information Centre and Browns of Chester – Debenhams.

And that’s not all…

Diana and I went along with other family members to Ladies Evening at Chester Races last Friday. We had a marvellous time in the glorious sunshine and twice backed a winning horse, which more than covered our costs for the evening. There are a number of forthcoming events to look forward to at the Racetrack, such as Ladies and Gents Evening on 9th July and Family Funday on 1st August. I thoroughly recommend you go along for the experience and to have a little flutter on the gee gees.

Over the coming weeks you should also look out for Chester’s Summer Music Festival (30th June – 14th July), Cholmondeley Castle’s Pageant of Power (17-18th July) and Tatton Park’s Picnic Concerts (31st July).

To find out about these and oodles of other events taking place in the region throughout July, pick up the latest issue of What’s On in Chester & Cheshire, which is appearing in hotels, tourist attractions, camp sites, pubs, restaurants, TICs and LDSTS TIPs as you read this article.

 

Image: Chester Races, © Visit Chester & Cheshire

LDS Tourism Are Delighted to be Proved Right!

According to today's Daily Post:

Bumper summer for North Wales holiday resorts
"HOLIDAY parks and hotels are preparing for a record-breaking summer as tourists boycott foreign breaks in favour of UK destinations. Bookings are way up on previous years, according to travel operators across North Wales..."

Read the rest of the article by Martin Williams at: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/07/14/bumper-summer-for-north-wales-holiday-resorts-55578-24145038/

Forward Planning Pays Off For Leaflet Marketing Company

As the country basks in glorious sunshine, there is every indication that camping and caravanning holidays are enjoying an amazing resurgence. Indeed, according to a recent holiday poll of over 2,000 people, thirty percent of Brits are staying in cheaper accommodation such as a tent or caravan to save money this year.

Regular readers of this blog will know that we predicted such a trend over twelve months ago. We were also correct in thinking that the strength of the euro would increase awareness of what the UK has to offer. Consequently, we were able to plan ahead and target caravan sites, B&B’s, marinas and a range of self-catering establishments with our various leaflet campaigns. We have every confidence that our forward thinking will result in clients benefitting from the predicted 20% rise in British holidays taken this summer – not to mention the shift towards leisure travellers who prefer weekend breaks.

We have a number of exciting and innovative new plans in the pipeline, which we hope to implement over the coming months in order to take full advantage of the transformation within the tourist industry caused by the recession (not least the decline in business and corporate travellers). All will be revealed in the very near future.

New leaflets and brochures continue to arrive at the Border Distribution Centre on an almost daily basis. Hot off the press are: Word of Mouth: People & Places in Wales (Issue 19), Chester Mini Guide, BugWorld Experience, Cumbria Culture Guide and many others.

If you would like further information about our services, please feel free to drop us a line or ring up for a chat on 01244 671859.