Easter Egg Hunt for the Sun…..

I have just tapped on to the BBC Weather forecast only to find that we are to expect rain, rain and yet more rain for the next five days!! On talking to some of our guests in the hotel this afternoon, many of them actually say that they don’t mind the rain because it just allows them permission to simply sit and read or snooze away the day and actually relax.  I hadn’t really thought of it like that, but after all, that is what a holiday is all about and so many of us do go on holiday only to be up early and rushing around so that we are able to visit the attractions and see everything the area has to offer before we return home.

So in light of this new revelation… Let it rain and I hope you are all able to create some much-needed relaxation time.

The main reason I wanted to check the weather forecast was because on Good Friday I am planning our annual Easter Egg hunt on the hotels Tea Garden in Aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.  Of course (being true Brits) we do have a contingency plan and that is to hold it on Easter Monday instead, if that fails then I will have 200 Cream Eggs to find homes for  - something tells me I will have a lot of help from both staff and guests….  

Stuarts Seaweed Weather Forecast ….

Our very comical and philosophical day porter - Stuart, who many of you may remember, has just walked in this morning and announced that his seaweed was “on the turn”.  This has had a history of being fairly accurate for the guests and his prediction for the next week is of a “good spell”.  Well hopefully it is true and we are set for a fabulous spring.  The weather, so far, today has been glorious and we are looking to be busy with both Sunday Lunches and Afternoon Cream Teas – it will soon be time to open the Tea Garden again for the season, where has that year gone?!

Some guests have visited Heligan Gardens recently and commented on how surprised they were to see that the Rhododendrons, Camellias and Magnolias are only now budding!  I think that due to the harsh frost and snow over the winter months spring has been delayed, as a result we are hoping that there will be a burst of colourful budding very shortly.

After the success of The ShelterBox Appeal day last Saturday we will be holding our annual Easter Egg hunt on the Tea Garden on Good Friday at 2pm.  It has become a bit of a tradition here at the hotel and we have 40 spaces available, should anyone wish to come along and enjoy the fun.  This year will be in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.  Please do call the hotel to book any budding chocolate hunters in (maximum age 12 years), please note there are only 40 spaces available.

Success for Shelterbox!

A fantastic day was had here at the hotel on Saturday, we held a coffee and cupcake afternoon and raised over £1,000 which was the target and now gives shelterbox a further 2 boxes (each costing £490)!!  After the Haiti disaster we here at the hotel wanted to do something in order to help and thankfully we had a great deal of support from local businesses, neighbouring hotels and sister hotels. 

Three of our chefs here had their legs waxed by three St Austell college beauty therapists on the NVQ level 3.  They were all fantastic and gave up their time in order to help raise the £178 in sponsorship money – the only payment they received was in the form of a coffee and a cup cake.  Full respect went to the three brave chefs, Brian (aka Bubba), Tom and Kevin who are now walking around with legs that are smoother than a baby’s bottom – I wonder if they will be able to wear their shorts this spring/summer???

There was also a live auction, where some very generous gifts were donated from our sister hotels, and the Fowey Hotel - one night Dinner, Bed and Breakfast stay reached £140 alone, with the total money raised for the auction on the day being £415.  So as you can imagine we were all delighted!!

 Many great pictures were taken by Mike, photographer for the Cornish Guardian.  Lets hope it makes the front page and raises even more awareness for this incredible charity.  Many thanks to all who got involved – you have helped to make a real difference.

For further information on shelterbox please visit:  http://www.shelterbox.org

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Thankfully we here at the Fowey Hotel are proving that romance is far from dead.  We have accepted over a dozen bouquets over the weekend on behalf of many romantic people wishing to spoil their nearest and dearest.  It’s been a really beautiful day with blue sky and sunshine, and a lot of couples have been enjoying a nice lunch and then a stroll in and around the town.  The Restaurant is packed to capacity this evening and the chef has created a deliciously romantic menu for our valentine visitors.

I myself have enjoyed a perfect morning with my gorgeous boyfriend who has spoilt me rotten.  Breakfast in bed, well juice and a cup of tea – but that is all I have.  We then both opened our cards and I was given chocolates, a rose, a very cute cuddly toy and some beautiful bubble bath, what a lovely treat!  Surprisingly, I haven’t even eaten one of the chocolates yet; I may not be able to say that tomorrow morning though! 

I am a real romantic and I love to see older couples still enjoying each other’s company, holding hands and laughing.  Some of whom are staying here at the hotel this weekend - Ahhhh how sweet!

Well this evening we are going to enjoy a quiet night at home, it is my idea to have an indoor picnic with both of our favourite foods - It’s a bit of fun, I’ll let you know how it goes.  Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Just beyond our reach…….

Just wanted to let you know that the South West Tourism Awards was a huge success last Thursday.  Both Candace and myself dressed up in our evening gowns and had a really wonderful evening at the Headland Hotel in Newquay.  I was lucky enough to bump in to an ex college lecturer Vince Falco and a few other ex students of Camborne College that night and it was so nice to enjoy some banter about “how things use to be”.  As always the evening was well organised and the after dinner speaker was Kirstie Allsop from (one of my favourite programmes) Location, Location, Location.  A few of us were a little miffed as to how Kirstie could be ‘linked’ to the catering and hospitality industry.  However, she quickly explained that she owned a holiday cottage in the area and had always visited Cornwall as a child with her family.  Kirstie gave a great (no notes required) speech and cracked a few ‘Cornish’ jokes which we all appreciated.

So I have waffled on and kept you in suspense for long enough, I expect some of you may be interested in how we did?  As you may know we entered the hotel in for small hotel of the year.  Last year we were delighted to receive the Silver award and this year we were awarded with the same again!  So Silver two years running, which we are again very proud of.  If you are visiting the hotel over the next few month do look out for the certificate and award displayed in the hallway.

Murder Mystery night at The Fowey Hotel is taking place on Saturday 28^th November this year and is set to be another memorable evening in the very capable hands of the murder by appointment team.  Anyone in the area wishing to come along for the evening can do so or similarly make a weekend of it and take advantage of our two night break from only £239 for a double room for the two nights!  Visit this link for find out more     http://www.thefoweyhotel.co.uk/murder_mystery.php   .

The Fowey Christmas Market is again rapidly approaching and again the hotel is getting busy with booking for this time.  Friday 4^th and Saturday 5^th is when the festivities begin with the turning on of the Christmas lights and carol singing on the Friday night, the main Christmas Market day on the 5^th is always a fantastic day to get those final ‘local’ and unique gifts.  With Cornish Christmas cakes, delicious local cheeses and the friendly family butcher you can’t go too far wrong.  The Market opens at 10am on the Saturday so be sure to come along if you are in the area – it’s a great festive start to the season.

Attractions Attractions, gardens, houses & castles within 15miles of Fowey. Including basic information about the attraction, location and contact details. For full details please contact the attraction directly. Visit the Directory & Links section for links to web sites of some of the attractions.

Tourist Attractions

Porfell Animal Land, Trecangate, Nr Lanreath, Liskeard. A wildlife park of 15 acres with interesting varieties of exotic, wild and domesticated animals. Phone: +44(0)1503 220211

Shipwreck, Rescue & Heritage Centre, Charlestown, St Austell. Offers visitors a fascinating insight into the history of Charlestown and shipwrecks. Contains the largest general exhibition of artefacts recovered by divers. Phone: +44(0)1726 69897 The China Clay Country Park , Carthew, St Austell. A museum , set in 26 acres of two former 19th Century china clay works, it takes you through the story of china clay from 1800 to the 21st Century. Phone: +44(0)1726 850362 Email: info@wheal-martyn.com

Bodmin & Wenford Steam Railway, Bodmin. A 6 mile heritage railway, offers a nostalgic countryside trip on steam hauled trains. Phone: +44(0)1208 73666 Email: enquiries@bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk

The Monkey Sanctuary, Murrayton, Looe. Home to a colony of Woolly monkeys, situated in woodlands, overlooking Looe Bay. The monkeys have been rescued from poor environments and enabled to live as naturally as possible. Phone: +44(0)1503 262532 Email: info@monkeysanctury.org

Bodmin Jail, Berrycombe Road, Bodmin. Former county prison dating back to 1776, with underground dungeons and a large exhibition of artefacts. Phone: +44(0)1208 76292

Ben’s Playworld, Par Moor, St Austell. Indoor play centre, ideal for children between the ages of 2 and 12 years. Phone: +44(0)1726 815553 Email: info@bensplayworld.co.uk

St Austell Brewery Visitor Centre, Trevarthian Road, St Austell. A working brewery where you can follow the brewing process from the raw ingredients to the final product. Tours run twice daily and are by appointment only. Phone: +44(0)1726 66022 Email: info@staustellbrewery.co.uk

Gardens

The Eden Project, Bodelva, St Austell. Two gigantic biomes housed in a 50 metre deep former china clay pit. With stunning architecture and a breathtaking plant collection, it has been billed as the eighth wonder of the world. Phone: +44(0)1726 811911

Tregrehan Gardens, Par. Woodland garden concentrating on plants from warm temperature regions. Phone: +44(0)1726 814389

Pine Lodge Gardens and Nursery, Cuddra, Holmbush, St Austell. 30 acres of parkland and gardens with over 6,000 labelled plants. Includes Japanese garden, arboretum, wildlife pond and many rare and tender plants. Phone: +44(0)1726 73500 Email - sclemo@talk21.com

The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan, St Austell. Lost for 75 years under bramble and ivy, Heligan is now Europe’s largest garden restoration. Phone: +44(0)1726 845100 Email - info@heligan.com

Pinsla Garden & Nursery, Cardinham, Bodmin. Small magical garden surrounded by wild Cornish woodland. Phone: +44(0)1208 821339

Hidden Valley Gardens & Nursery, Treesmill, Par. A 4 acre garden in a beautiful ‘hidden valley’ setting. Open daily March to October. Follow ‘Brown’ signs on B3269 to Fowey just after leaving A390. Phone: +44(0)1208 873225

Houses and Castles

Restormel Castle, Lostwithiel. A well preserved castle administered by English Heritage. Former stronghold of Earls of Cornwall including the Black Prince. Phone: +44(0)1208 872687

Lanhydrock House, Bodmin. A National Trust property dating from the 17th Century, but largely rebuilt after a fire in 1881. An atmospheric Victorian country house set in 900 acres of woods and parkland. The garden is renown for a stunning collection of Magnolias, Rhododendrons and Camellias. Phone: +44(0)1208 73320 Email - clhlan@smpt.ntrust.org.uk

On arriving in the area you will find literature for these and many more attractions available from tourist Information centres and many accommodation providers.