Chester Zoo: An unforgettable day out

Chester Zoo has enjoyed an eventful year, from leading an international study into heart disease among great apes and hosting a summit of representatives from the UK’s top tourist attractions to unveiling its £30 million Islands development - a unique conservation expedition, which is expected to open for Easter 2015.

On 17th May, The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, officially opened the gates to the Diamond Jubilee Quarter – a new entrance to the zoo. Long-standing members and other community partners were invited to watch while excited crowds lined the opening. The royal couple took a ride on the attraction’s monorail before Her Majesty had a face to face encounter with the Rhinos.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the management of LDS Tourism Services visited the zoo earlier this month as an end of season treat. A splendid time was had by all: the highlights being the Fruit Bat Forest, Aviary and Meerkats. But there was so much to see (did I mention the new baby Giraffe?) that it was unanimously decided that another visit will be necessary.

A great big thank-you to Chester Zoo for a fabulous day out!

 

 

Image: Chester Zoo, © LDS Tourism Services Ltd 2012

Dinosaurs at large in Chester Zoo

Last week Jenny and I were lucky enough to be invited to the opening of Chester Zoo's brand new 'Dinosaurs at Large' exhibition.

The exhibition will be at the Zoo until until 8th October and features thirteen incredible life size animatronic dinosaurs. Entry to the exhibit is included in the price of your zoo admission.

We began the day with an opening ceremony by Council Trustee, Peter Wheeler, Chester Mayor, Eleanor Johnson and Chair of Governors, Barbara Smith. After the cutting of the ribbon we entered the exhibition accompanied by a welcome song from pupils of a local primary school.


We couldn't wait for our first sight of the of the prehistoric creatures and weren't disappointed when we spotted our first Triceratops! The animatronic figures are amazingly life-like and treat passers by with movement, sounds and some other surprises too!

Round each corner a new dinosaur comes to life in a natural surrounding. My personal favourite was the Apatosaurus but I would encourage you to visit and discover your own prehistoric preference.

There are plenty of other dinosaur themed events happening this summer, including dino-face painting. Chester Zoo is a full day out with lots to see and do so why not visit this summer and step back in time with Dinosaurs at Large. You can pick up a Chester Zoo leaflet from LDSTS display stands around the region.




Image: Dinosaurs at Large @ Chester Zoo, © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2011

Erddig: The real Upstairs Downstairs

We spent an enjoyable day at Erddig earlier this month - a unique stately home located just a couple of miles outside the town of Wrexham.

Designed by Thomas Webb for Joshua Edisbury, High Sheriff of Denbighshire, the original house was completed in 1687 and subsequently purchased by John Mellor, Master of the Chancery, in 1718. Mellor extended and furnished Erddig (you can still see his acquisitions in the State Bedroom, Saloon and Tapestry Room), before bequeathing the property to his nephew, Simon Yorke, in 1733. The house then remained in the hands of the (delightfully unconventional) Yorke family until 1973, when it was handed over to the National Trust so that it could be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.

The weather was somewhat unpredictable during our visit but the rain stayed away long enough for us to amble around the estate buildings where the joiner and blacksmith worked. We walked through the midden yard with the saw mill and cart sheds to the stable yard with its tackroom, carriages, cars and cycles.

We then stopped off at the restaurant for sandwiches and cakes (I would highly recommend the hot chocolate) before making our way to the house via the bakery, complete with authentic baker kneading dough (you can buy his fresh loaves in the restaurant). From this point on, visitors were no longer allowed to use flash photography - understandable given the age and fragility of the photographs and portraits adorning the walls - but the use of cameras was still permitted.

There were human guides posted on every staircase and in each room, all eager to answer questions and impart their knowledge about the historic kitchens, agent’s office, butler’s pantry and fascinating collection of photographs and verses detailing the lives of those who worked for the estate. We made our way upstairs to a set of elegant rooms, used for formal entertainment, and from there we visited a nursery, the bedrooms, chapel, female servants’ quarters in the attic and spent several happy hours poring over the accumulated treasures of a family that ‘never threw anything away’.

The rain was falling quite heavily by the time we had finished our tour of the main house. We sat in a shelter for a time but the downpour showed no sign of abating, so we dashed to the gift shop for postcards and presents. The famous 18th century walled garden with rare fruit trees, a canal, pond and National Ivy Collection would have to wait for another time. Perhaps on our next visit we will hire bicycles and explore the country park with its motte-and-bailey castle and cylindrical cascade, known as the ‘cup-and-saucer waterfall’.

Erddig is open all year round (with the exception of 25th December) but times vary according to the season. You can pick up a copy of the official leaflet (The jewel in the crown) from most LDS Tourism Services’ information points in the region.

Image: The Bakery at Erddig, © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2011

Knutsford Times - Fulfil Your Need For Speed...

The Knutsford Times recently published an article penned by our Marketing Director:

Fulfil Your Need For Speed...
In the first of our new "Out of Town" features, Paula Bardell-Hedley is keen to tell Knutsford Times readers of the sensational Pageant of Power at Cholmondeley Castle.

We are delighted to once again be distributing the leaflets for this popular event!

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Social Networking & New Clients Keep LDSTS Busy

New leaflets and brochures continue to arrive at the Border Distribution Centre every day, including many from brand new clients such as The Trentham Estate in Staffordshire – which is currently undergoing a £100 million regeneration project aimed at creating a unique visitor destination of national importance.

The Foursquare Revolution

We are rather excited about a relatively new social networking application to arrive on the scene. Foursquare is a geographical guide, which allows users to broadcast their locations via mobile devices and earn points for checking-in.

Savvy business owners are rapidly catching on to the immense marketing potential of a platform that encourages people to explore their neighbourhoods. Indeed, they are starting to engage with loyal customers by offering ‘Specials’ - discounts and prizes - to those who visit their Foursquare venue pages.

Ever since our friends at Cromwells Restaurant first alerted us to Foursquare in a blog article, we have been busily adding the details of LDSTS's clients and TIP hosts to the system. It has been great fun test-driving the application whilst winning ‘Mayorships’ and collecting badges for being the most frequent visitors to local attractions, hotels, pubs, theatres, retail outlets and other popular spots. Our verdict: Foursquare could very well be the next big thing in social networking, equal, perhaps, to Twitter.

We will, of course, include Foursquare in all our Social Media Marketing packages from now on, so please do contact us if you require further details.

From ‘Staycation’ to ‘Kidcation’

There has been a positive glut of good news stories about the UK’s domestic tourism industry emerging in recent weeks. Organisers of the Best of Britain and Ireland Travel Trade Forum reported a 5% increase in the show’s attendance in March, which they believe underlines the growing trend for ‘staycationing’, and according to ABTA, somewhere in the region of 10.5 million people took a holiday in the UK over Easter.

The Thistle Hotels’ group has also reported a substantial rise in enquiries and bookings for what it describes as “kidcations” at its city–based premises across the country. The 33-strong chain says that many families have “traded down” from overseas package holidays and believe the trend signals: “a change in attitudes, with parents looking to treat the family to short breaks that combine fun with learning – showing that city breaks are no longer just the preserve of romantic couples and serious culture vultures.”

Are you seeing bookings picking up? Please post your comments below or drop us an email.


Image: iPhone, Blackberry and Android in use, © Foursquare, 2010

Let Battle Commence

Cheshire Farm Ice Creams

The two-week Easter break was more hectic than even we had anticipated and our headquarters began to resemble Churchill’s war rooms at the height of WWII.

The sheer logistics involved in ensuring all areas and major establishments are supplied with the correct leaflets both before and during the school holidays can be daunting - especially when so many outlets don‘t open for business until the very last moment - but Team LDSTS pulled it off once again, winning untold battles.

Fun on the farm

Diana and I were able to take some time out over the weekend before Easter to visit Cheshire Farm Ice Cream in Tattenhall. We simply couldn’t resist the lure of those Malt Tease and Honeycomb flavours in giant double-cones - but with our 14-year-old niece in tow, we had the perfect excuse to indulge.

There have been numerous improvements made since we first began distributing the attraction’s leaflets many years ago. Tom and Margaret Fell have invested a great deal in old Drumlan Hall Farm and it now attracts over 250,000 visitors a year and supplies Real Dairy Ice Cream to restaurants and retail outlets throughout the region.

There are plenty of activities to keep young people entertained, such as Crazy Daisy’s Play Barn and Animal Corner - where we were delighted to meet baby guinea pigs, Buff Orpington chickens and numerous fluffy and feathered critters - before purchasing our ice creams. We also ambled through the gift shops, visited a milking area, scratched the bellies of three young kune kune pigs and stood on a platform to watch some thirty or so adorable, long-lashed calves being fed. A thoroughly enjoyable experience!

In print and on page

We would like to thank Wayne Lowe, a presenter at Radio Clatterbridge, for publishing an article about LDS Tourism Services in his blog, Rain Glow, on 30th March. He tells me that he’s hoping to do something about us on his radio show at some point in the future, so we’ll let you know if and when that happens.

If you happen to pick up a copy of The Mersey Partnership’s new publication, Developing The Economy Of The Liverpool City Region, you will find us listed on page 32. It contains some fascinating articles about the Visitor Economy, Investment and Liverpool SuperPort, among others - so it’s well worth borrowing a copy if you’re not a member.

We are also extremely grateful to those of you who contacted us following our previous post about becoming a Guest Blogger for Swift Flyer. We have plans to run a number of the most interesting pieces over the coming weeks, but in the meantime, please keep sending your submissions in the main body of an email  (I’m afraid we can’t accept attachments) or by hard copy to LDS Tourism Services Ltd., Border Distribution Centre, River Lane, Saltney, Chester CH4 8RH.

We look forward to receiving your suggestions, photos and articles.


Image: Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 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.

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Images: Anfield, © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2010