From coast line to fell side

Firstly, many apologies for the lack of action on our blog recently. We haven’t slipped into early retirement or anything, quite the reverse. Benares (in Mayfair, not Uttar Pradesh), Westminster (no ash clouds!), York, Torquay, Portsmouth, Le Chai au Quai, Swansea, The Arch, Reading and Le Manoir would be the ultra-brief way to sum up our movements in April and May.

After a brief lull for half term hols, Will and I returned to Portsmouth on Thursday last week and, amidst many a pirate gag, boarded HMS Warrior where we were joined by a hard-working Laithwaites Wine crew and 250 eager customers. It kept dry for us and the Spinnaker Tower gleamed in the sun, but it was sadly too breezy to serve the Champagne on deck. Warrior makes a really splendid venue – her benches, chains and, unsurprisingly, weaponry on the Gun Deck make for interesting, unusual and atmospheric surroundings. It is an incredibly popular event. Sales of rosé wine (especially Nine Tails Moscato) reflected its continued popularity as well as the recent dry, warm weather.

While Will had a deserved weekend off, next day I drove (for five and half hours!) to Penrith.

I love The Lakes. I think I can safely say that the whole Events Team loves The Lakes. Being a ‘southern softie’, it’s a long way from home for me - it was Tony & Barbara’s longstanding links to the area (and my Dad’s tales of his 1950s Outward Bound course) that first led me to its rugged fells and tranquil waters – but it is always worth the trip, rain or shine.

So I was really looking forward to our third visit to Dalemain House near Ullswater for our Wine & Food Show on Saturday. And evidently so were the customers, arriving in really relaxed and cheerful mood, in bright sunshine and blue skies (in the morning at least). Taxis and mini-buses shuttled repeatedly from Penrith, the clang of the cattle grid announcing each new group of arrivals. Some walked in from neighbouring villages, others came by bike. Dalemain’s rose-tinted façade does make a fantastic backdrop for our big white marquee and the vibrant gardens are a peaceful and calming escape from grey suburbia.

In the tent it wasn’t quiet – quite a hubbub of laughter and conversation, chinking glasses and appreciative sipping. The select Cumbrian food producers present certainly played their part, offering their organic cheese, meat, bread, preserves, mustard and Dalemain’s own speciality, marmalade, to sample and buy – I read that Tony & Barbara’s larder is now well-stocked – I think everyone bought something.

The taxis reappeared and ferried everyone off home – even the seemingly-forgotten Holmes party eventually.

And once it was all over we reflected “We had a great time - the customers did too. Shall we do it again?”

[EDIT:] You can see the photos here on facebook

Ian

PS. Congratulations to Gerard Basset of Hotel TerraVina in the New Forest on the award of his OBE in the Queen's Birthday honours. Fantastic!