Two exciting new UK challenges

CHARITY challenge operator Global Adventure Challenges has launched two exciting new UK challenges, and is encouraging anyone looking to conquer an iconic UK challenge in 2019 to join them!

The Snowdon at Night and Yorkshire Three Peaks treks will see people of a range of ages and abilities come together to conquer some of the UK’s highest peaks. Whether your goal for the New Year is to build your fitness, raise funds for a cause that’s close to your heart, meet new people or just to step outside your comfort zone, taking part in a challenge is a fantastic way to achieve it!

The Snowdon at Night trek is a challenge with a twist, taking adventurers to the summit of Mount Snowdon by starlight, just in time to witness the sunrise across #Snowdonia National Park. The #Yorkshire Three Peaks trek is a classic UK challenge, taking trekkers to the summit of the Yorkshire Dales’ three highest peaks.

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Explore Great Britain

ExploreGB is VisitBritain’s largest travel trade event with hundreds of international buyers from countries across the globe meeting travel trade suppliers from the UK to do business.

Travel industry buyers and journalists from the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Australia, France, Germany and the US are expected to attend, and from its high-spending markets including China as well as Brazil, Canada, India and the Gulf Co-operation Council markets.

The event will be held at the Harrogate Convention Centre from 8 to 10 May 2019. 

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Yorkshire takes it up a gear

#YORKSHIRE has received a huge boost with the news that the Tour de Yorkshire will grow from three to four days in 2018. After its phenomenal success over the last three years cycling’s world governing body the UCI confirmed the four-day Tour de Yorkshire was being included on their 2018 Europe Tour calendar between Thursday 3rd and Sunday 6th May. 

The Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire will also double in size next year, increasing from one to two days on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th May. The news will bring far-reaching benefits to the county and further enhance Yorkshire’s reputation as a world-class cycling destination. 

The Tour de Yorkshire was launched in 2015 following the hugely successful Tour de France Grand Départ 12 months previously, and it has since grown to become one of the sport’s best-supported and most exciting races. This year’s event was broadcast live in 180 countries and a record 2.2 million fans lined the route. The race also generated £64 million for the Yorkshire economy and the Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire remains one of the most lucrative events in the sport.

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Tourism in Yorkshire races ahead

YORKSHIRE tourism has got off to a flying start in 2017 as new figures reveal international visitors have spent nearly £100 million in the year’s first quarter. 

267,000 overseas visitors spent £99 million from January to March 2017, up a huge 30 percent on the same period last year, according to figures released today from Visit Britain. 

International spend in Yorkshire is also nearly double the national average which is up 16 percent year on year.

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Take a trot round York, with Yorkie!

VISIT YORK has appointed a Yorkshire Terrier – named, of course, Yorkie – to present a travelogue series.

The three-part short film series, on You Tube, follows the Yorkshire Terrier on an unhurried adventure around York and North Yorkshire. Viewers are given a canine perspective of the historic city and county's most iconic sights in a series designed to showcase the many adventures visitors to the city and North Yorkshire can have.

#Yorkie can be seen strolling along one of the best preserved medieval streets in Europe, The Shambles, getting a dogs-eye view of the locomotives at the National Railway Museum, taking a journey on a steam train across the North Yorkshire Moors, and roaming among the ruins of Whitby Abbey.

He also trots around the gardens of Castle Howard and explores the history of the city's chocolate making heritage at York's Chocolate Story.

Kate McMullen, head of Tourism at Make It York, says: 'We know that photos and videos of lovable animals, especially dogs are really popular on social media. So by commissioning this travelogue series through the eyes of Yorkie, we aim to give newcomers to York and York fans a fun flavour of the adventure that awaits them here in beautiful York and North Yorkshire.’

The first episode will be released in mid-August, followed by two remaining episodes in September.

www.youtube.com/visityork

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£150,000 fund for foodie tourism trails

COMMUNITIES across the UK have been encouraged to apply for a share of a £150,000 fund to champion regional food and drink. Local partnerships – which could include community groups, trade bodies, and National Parks – can apply for grants and create a network of new foodie tourist trails.

The fund has been set up by the Agriculture ministry’s Great British Food Unit.

According to Visit Britain, food is a major factor in deciding where to visit for a third of all visitors. Research shows the importance of food and drink in attracting tourists to rural areas, with £5.7 billion spent by visitors to rural areas in 2013.

#Yorkshire is a top destination for foodie tourists from around the world; recent figures revealed that tourism in the county contributed £3.2 billion of the overall £59 billion that the tourism sector generated last year.

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, comments: ‘Yorkshire has some of the best food and drink producers in the world; from Michelin-starred restaurants, to award-winning breweries and artisan food producers. I would encourage Yorkshire’s growers, suppliers and producers to bid, through Welcome to Yorkshire, for this funding to continue to grow and showcase the region’s fantastic culinary offering to the world and shout about our Yorkshire food identity.”

www.greatbritishfoodcampaign.com

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Nature in writing

FOLLOWING a successful inaugural year in 2015, #NiddFest is returning to Nidderdale, #Yorkshire, to present a weekend programme of literary greats (August 5-7). 

Focusing on celebrating nature in writing, the 2016 programme includes an intimate opening night with festival patron and poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and ‘world laureate’ Imtiaz Dharker, a lively children's programme, and wild swimming and music from Mercury Prize-nominated Kathryn Williams.

Taking place in venues such as a Grade 2 listed church and Fish Pond Wood in Bewerley, the festival captures the spirit of the Yorkshire Dales, while providing a platform to world-class authors, poets and experts.

Outdoor events include a wood walk and wild swim, led by a local expert who will speak about managing ancient woodland.

Writers taking part include Adam Feinstein, Nick Davies, Ali Shaw, John Lewis-Stempel, and gardening expert Christine Walkden.

The children's programme has been extended, and including everything from den building to a big draw with children’s author and illustrator Helen Stephens.

Tickets are per event and range from £3 to £24, available from

www.niddfest.com.

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Fish festival

FREE tasters of freshly-caught and barbecued seafood, sea shanties, and sketching workshops some of the family-friendly treats lined-up during an event celebrating the fishing heritage of the coastline that lies within the North York Moors National Park.   

The inaugural Fish.Fillet.Feast! event on Saturday June 18 will include activities for all ages across 10 locations between Saltburn and Ravenscar. Villages such as Runswick Bay, Sandsend, and Robin Hood's Bay are taking part, as is Staithes, which was the largest fishing port on England’s north-east coast in the late 1800s.

The day will begin early in the morning when local fishermen will venture out to sea to bring back the day's catch. From mid-morning onwards, chefs at various seafront venues prepare and cook the fish and serve visitors with free tastings. Restaurants along the coast will also be serving affordable fish dishes to mark the occasion.

The day runs from 11am to 7pm and most of the events will be free of charge. Timings of events varies and there are different activities happening in each village.

The full programme and further details can be found on the North York Moors National Park's website: www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/fish

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Reservoir rambles for the disabled

YORKSHIRE WATER is working to improve access around some of its scenic reservoirs so that more wheelchair users can visit the popular countryside beauty spots. 

Approximately two million people visit Yorkshire Water’s 70,000 acres of land, such as reservoirs, ancient woodland, and moorland, every year. The locations have become increasingly popular since they first opened up to the public after privatization of the water sector in 1989.

The company has teamed with Experience Community, a not-for-profit community interest company that helps disabled people access the British countryside. This has already resulted in more disabled group rambles around Yorkshire Water reservoirs, such as Langsett in South Yorkshire and Swinsty in the Washburn Valley, on specially-designed mountain trikes and bikes.

.

Says Geoff Lomas, recreation manager at Yorkshire Water: ‘We have 115 scenic reservoirs dotted around the region and these are all popular with dog walkers, picnic-goers, runners, anglers, and cyclists, but we now want to make some of them more inviting to disabled people as a go-to destination. This might mean improving paths around reservoirs by making them flatter and wider and addressing any surface issues so wheelchair user’s accessibility needs are met.

‘Many of our reservoirs are now recreational hotspots and we want to make them as inclusive as possible by providing information and access that is both informative and enticing to disabled people.’

For more information, go to www.yorkshirewater.com/walks 


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It's all about that bustle …

READING the newspapers and celeb magazines, one could easily imagine that the generously proportioned posteriors of Kim Kardashian and J-Lo were a completely new phenomenon, but visitors to a permanent exhibition at York Castle Museum will discover that displaying a rounded rump has been a fashion staple for centuries.

‘Since Elizabethan times, with a few notable exceptions, women’s fashion has been obsessed with highlighting and accentuating a woman’s curves, with corsets used to shape and cinch the waist, and from around 1580, a padded roll – known as a “bum roll” – that was tied around the hips,’ explains senior curator for the Shaping The Body exhibition, Ali Bodley. 

The Victorians took the concept of padding the rear end to more elaborate extremes.  ‘On display, and available for visitors to try on, we’ll have a number of original and replica dresses that feature a cushion that is tied to the waist to add extra volume, or even a shelf-effect, to the rear of women’s dresses,’ says Ms Bodley. ‘Prudish Victorians would not have liked using the vulgar term of “bum roll”, so it became known as a bustle.’

In the mid-19th century, the shape of the dress changed from being voluminous all around to having a relatively modest drape at the front and sides, but with much of the volume at the back, where it fell from the bustle.  Combined with a slim corseted waist, the style created a unique silhouette that highlighted curves without challenging Victorian decency standards.

In the exhibition, visitors will see not only the outer garments, but examples of historic corsetry, from an iron corset that was probably intended to support a woman with some back injury or defect, to a delicate 19-inch waist corset designed for a young woman and to be sufficiently comfortable to be worn during genteel sporting activities such as horse riding or tennis.

Alongside fashions from the last 400 years, Shaping The Body explores body modification – from Victorian ear straighteners to modern gender re-assignment, tattoos, and piercings – and the relationship between food and body image, from the original Sugar Tax to modern diets.  Visitors will also discover how lifestyle changes have changed body shapes, comparing the labour intensive work of farmers and domestic staff with today’s office-based culture.

“Shaping The Body: 400 years of food, fashion, and life” opened at York Castle Museum on March 25.

www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk

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York ‘safest’ city, says Brits

SHORT-BREAK tourists see #York, England, as the world's safest city with Cairo the most risky, according to a UK survey by Post Office Travel Insurance. 

Of 42 world centres, Bath, Edinburgh, and Brighton were also considered particularly safe, while Bangkok, Istanbul, and Marrakech were, after Cairo, the cities deemed least safe.

The survey – taken before the March terrorist attacks in Brussels – of 2,075 UK adults showed that 72% felt York was safe with only 1% considering the Yorkshire city risky, and 26% having no view. Second in the table was Bath, Somerset, with 69% saying it was safe and only 2% regarding it as risky. Edinburgh also had a 69% safe rating, with 3% reckoning the Scottish capital was a risky destination.

A stolen wallet (24%) was the most common occurrence for those who had experienced problems in cities. As many as 26% felt they had been ripped off on city visits, with this figure rising to 43% among those aged 18-24.

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Wentworth House to become heritage attraction

A CONSERVATION group has bought one of the UK’s largest stately homes for £7 million, with the intention of turning it into a leading heritage attraction.

The group plans to invest upward of £42 million on repairs and restoration to Grade-1 Listed Wentworth House, in South Yorkshire, over the next 15 years.

It is the largest privately-owned house in Europe. Covering 250,000 sq. ft., the 300-room house sits on an 82-acre estate and is now open to the public for the first time in 25 years, following a 2014 listing.

The property was bought by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust with funding from grants, pledges, and donations, including £3 million from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

A trust spokesperson said: ‘The long-term strategy is for the public to visit and enjoy all the most interesting parts of the property while restoring the others for revenue-earning uses such as events and holiday lets with business units in the stables.

‘Traditionally, an historic house of this size would have required a vast endowment. This business model will provide a substantial income stream intended to cover both running costs and periodic bouts of repair.’

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Doncaster to Disneyland … direct

#DISNEYLANDPARIS tickets can now be booked by people looking to fly direct from Doncaster Sheffield airport.

Steve Gill, the airport’s managing director, said: ‘We are delighted that our passengers can now book trips to Disneyland Paris flying out of their local airport.

‘For Yorkshire passengers, travelling to Disneyland Paris meant a trip to London for the Eurostar train or a flight from outside of the Yorkshire region. From March, they can use their local airport to fly directly to Paris and enjoy a family trip to Disneyland.’

The Disneyland Paris service is part of Flybe’s plan to operate eight new routes from Doncaster Sheffield. From March, passengers will be able to fly to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Faro, Malaga, Alicante, Jersey, and Newquay.

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Cameron announces support for flood-hit north as bookings dive

BRITAIN’S prime minister has announced a package of measures to boost the north of England’s tourism industry and encourage holidaymakers to visit the region over the Easter break. Part of Cumbria, Lancashire, and Yorkshire were hit by serious flooding in December.

The aid package will include £2 million of government funding which will be used to fix bridges, re-build walls and restore footpaths in the Lake District National Park.

David Cameron said: ‘From York Minster to Honister Mine, Carlisle Castle to the Leeds Armouries, the north has some of the most iconic tourist attractions the UK has to offer. So it is absolutely right that we do everything we can to make sure these businesses feel supported and ready to receive visitors.

‘The measures we’ve announced today are an important step, showcasing the best the region’s tourist industry has to offer while helping one of its key attractions in the Lake District National Park get back on its feet.”

The government’s support comes after some businesses in affected areas reported a drop in bookings of up to 60%.

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Travelodge plans expansion in Yorkshire

#TRAVELODGE plans to increase its portfolio of 32 hotels in #Yorkshire, with 13 new properties after opening its second hotel in Harrogate. 

The expansion represents an investment of £8 million and will create 300 jobs across the county.

Locations for the new budget properties include Barnsley, Bradford, Brighouse, Bridlington, Halifax, Headingly, Huddersfield, Hull, Knaresborough, Wetherby, Whitby, and two sites in York. 

The chain has 522 properties across the UK. 

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Holiday booking trends revealed

#HOLIDAY company Sykes Cottages has published the results of a UK study of #bookingtrends, which found that the majority of holidaymakers book more than one UK break a year, 34% book two, 22% book three, and 20% book four or more.

The research found that most people tend to book early for longer breaks (five nights or more). One in five people book three months in advance; more than a third book six months or more ahead; and half of solo travellers book their UK breaks three months ahead.

Miles Hill, chief executive of Sykes Cottages, said: ‘As disposable incomes rise, we will see more frequent holidays, with more short breaks outside of the main holiday periods. Customers are becoming more comfortable booking and paying for holidays online, and are increasingly using mobile devices to do so as 4G coverage becomes more widespread.’

The money holidaymakers are prepared to spend on accommodation remains consistent and decisive across the board. Eighty percent of holidaymakers would expect to pay between £250 and £749 for their accommodation, suggesting that domestic holidaymakers have a clear idea of what they are prepared to pay, and that value for money remains pivotal.

The results also named most visited counties in the UK: Yorkshire; Cumbria;
Cornwall; Devon; and Northumberland.

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Concierge extras for self-caterers

PREMIUM #selfcatering specialist Blue Chip Holidays is launching a bespoke concierge service – Blue Chip Experience – across its UK portfolio, providing unique activities and adventures exclusively for guests. 

Experts will offer a personal consultation and tailor each holiday to suit every type of guest, handpicking the best local operators. Promising an unrivalled knowledge of the region, they aim to create bespoke experiences that can’t be replicated elsewhere. Examples include: 

• Beach foraging for precious shells followed by a jewellery-making workshop in a Blue Chip holiday home
• A molecular gastronomy and mixology masterclass at sundown 
• Pilates at sunrise on a local beach 
• A picnic on a secluded bay reached by private yacht. 
• Llama trekking on Dartmoor 
• Fishing 
• Clay pigeon shooting 

Blue Chip Holidays’ managing director, Allan Lambert, says: ‘Self-catering holidays provide our guests with great flexibility, allowing them to explore the local area and all it has to offer without being tied to hotel schedules. It follows therefore that increasingly our guests have sought guidance on the experiences available to them, which is why we are launching a concierge service to help them make the most of their time away. We never organize off-the-shelf activities that guests might find themselves, making the experiences we offer unique.’

The company manages premium #holidayproperties Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Somerset, Sussex, Yorkshire, and the Isle of Wight.

www.bluechipholidays.co.uk

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Seven ages of York

YORK’S horrid history will take centre stage in the activities for children in this year’s #JORVIKMedievalFestival, with #HorribleHistories author Terry Deary bringing his diabolical descriptions of the Seven Ages of York to the Guildhall on August 29.

The presentation will tell the stories of the Vicious Vikings, Measly Middle Ages, the Terrible Tudors, and the Slimy Stewarts, accompanied by music from across the centuries by Eboracum Baroque.

Other highlights of the festival for young history enthusiasts include:

Medieval Merriment on Bank Holiday, August 31, at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, where visitors can step back in time to meet the plague doctor and barber surgeon, try their hand at sword-fighting workshops and have-a-go archery sessions, and watch as birds of prey swoop above the city in live flying displays.

Medieval Day at Knaresborough Castle (August 22) provides visitors with an exciting setting to meet knights, learn the rules of chivalry, and try their hand at archery – an essential skill 600 years ago when it was the English archers who helped secure victory at Agincourt … plus birds of prey, crafts, and tours of the castle.

www.jorvikmedievalfestival.com

KNOWN as the attraction that brought the sights and smells of the Viking period in York back to life, the city’s JORVIK Viking Centre is looking to ignite all of their visitors' senses this summer with an exploration of Norse music and storytelling, food and drink, and even a special Viking wildlife spotters' guide.

‘We know that visitors love interacting with our Viking hosts, asking them questions, and posing for photos. They also appreciate our authentic Norse-era smells, (though may not always enjoy them) but we wanted to bring the full Viking experience this summer,’ says Sarah Maltby, director of attractions for York Archaeological Trust, the owners of the centre.

Before visitors enter the doors, tactile displays will be on offer, with willing customers blindfolded and asked to identify Viking-Age products just by touching them. At arrival at Viking street level, binoculars and a spotters' guide will be available for the discovery of the many animals that reside in the re-creation of this 1,000-year-old settlement.

‘To many, the re-created Viking-Age city of Jorvik is familiar territory, so we are challenging our visitors to discover the animals which lived alongside the Anglo-Scandinavian residents. Dogs and cats were familiar to the Vikings of Jorvik, but they would have been working animals employed to help guard property and hunt vermin,’ adds Ms Maltby.

The olfactory and gustatory senses come next, where people can sample Viking delicacies, including dried fish. For older visitors, mead – a fermented honey drink –is on offer, followed by re-tellings of the Viking sagas accompanied by Norse musical instruments.

Vikings 4D runs until September 6 and is included in the normal admission price for JORVIK Viking Centre.

www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk

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Go green in Harrogate

VISITORS can now use the free Open Harrogate app to navigate around the town using sustainable alternatives to cars.

The town’s green highlights include:

Visitors get half price entry at RHS Gardens, Harlow Carr, if they get there by bus, and cyclists are rewarded with £2 discounts. Its grounds are home to a range of plants and greenery, all of which is composted and re-cycled.

At the Fodder Café and Farm Shop, 85% of their produce comes from Yorkshire. The café was built with 22 green features, including a ground source heat pump, grey water recycling, and natural ventilation.

The Swinton Park Hotel at Masham holds a Green Tourism Award and has a range of sustainable initiatives, including a carbon neutral wood chip boiler, a waste-to-energy recycling scheme, and an energy conserving o-zone technology laundry. Its four-acre walled garden allows guests to see exactly where their produce comes from before dining. 

For self-catering stays, there are options to suit the environmentally-conscious holidaymaker. Rudding Gates Apartments promote re-cycling and locally sourced produce, and Scandinavian Lodges have solar panel technology.

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Tour de France boosts Yorkshire tourism

FIGURES from VisitBritain have revealed that Yorkshire saw significant benefits from hosting the Tour de France last year.

Some 2.5 million people turned out to watch the Grand Départ of the world’s biggest bike race in July last year. 

VisitEngland reports that tourists had spent £380 million in Yorkshire in the 12 months to June, up by 45 percent on the previous year. 

The number of visitor nights spent in Yorkshire during the 12 months also increased by 18 percent to 5.3 million.

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