MailSave+ Optimisation Event is a complimentary, invitation-only event taking place at a Village Hotel near you.

You simply can’t afford to miss this if you want to get the most out of mail and postal optimisation.

What is MailSave+?
In today’s deregulated postal market all dispatch and facilities managers must look for the most cost-effective way to send out business critical documents. MailSave+ is a new and unique service that gives you the choice of postal provider and discounts when you send your mail.

Who’s it for?
Small to medium sized businesses and public sector bodies whose mail volumes do not meet the traditional pre-sorted or Cleanmail volume criteria.
Postrooms who want a cost effective service for non time critical traditional second class mail.

What are the benefits to you – the customer?
•    Reduced cost per item on every item
•    Lower volume thresholds attract discount on every item
•    Volumes can be averaged to meet collection minimums
•    Collections times that are convenient for you
•    A cost-effective and flexible way of achieving daily mail discounts

The Mailing Room is a leading supplier of mailroom equipment and consumables including franking machines, postal scales, folding and inserting machines and letter openers. The Mailing Room is brought to you by an alliance of FP Mailing (North West) Limited, FP Mailing (South) Limited and FP Executive Agency Limited.

For more information on MailSave+ from The Mailing Room, visit http://www.themailingroom.com

One of the finest Caravan sites in Devon, Stowford Farm Meadows are pleased to announce the completion of their recently developed caravan sales centre.

The continuing development of the whole Stowford Farm Meadows site has made staff and owner Andrew Noall very proud of their family owned and run caravan and camping park.

The site having been in the family for generations and as a touring park since 1978.

The redevelopment of the caravan sale centre has been a result of the growth in the caravan sales side of this award winning touring caravan and camping facility in North Devon. Stowford supply new Elddis caravans and Bailey caravans and always have a large stock of quality used touring caravans for sale. Being one of the South West’s largest caravan retailers, Stowford are also able to showcase an awning display area and a caravan accessory shop, all on site to browse at leisure.

Anybody purchasing a caravan from them are invited to stay onsite at Stowford Farm Meadows, as their guest, for a number of nights. On arrival, the new caravan will be found sited on a pitch ready to simply walk into. This sets Stowford Farm Meadows apart from the rest in terms of caravan sales and pitches. Coupled with the onsite facilities found at the campsite, it is no wonder Stowford are multi industry award winners.

For more information on Elddis and Bailey caravans or to find out more about the Stowford Farm Meadows summer special weekend taking place Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th June 2010, visit http://www.stowford.co.uk/caravan_sales or telephone 01271 889339.

The Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) has launched a new Peace of Mind Pack for members to make buying easier and less stressful for homeowners.

“The Pack features Nick Ross (former BBC Watchdog and Crimewatch presenter) on the cover saying: ‘If you’re thinking of buying double-glazing or a conservatory I strongly recommend you use a DGCOS member.’ It also makes selling easier and less stressful for installers,” comments DGCOS Founder Tony Pickup.

“Buying windows, doors or a conservatory is a big investment,” Tony continues. “Although most window and conservatory companies do an excellent job homeowners are anxious when they see or hear about homeowners being ripped off by rogue traders and cowboys. Companies can go out of business. Deposits or guarantees may be at risk. Homeowners worry about the quality of work. A good reputation is vital, but uncertainties in the minds of purchasers can lose or delay an order. Because the Ombudsman Scheme vets members thoroughly, and is the only scheme to comprehensively address these concerns, it gives reassurance so homeowners can buy with confidence.”

The Pack, which is personalised for each individual member, contains details of the double glazing Ombudsman Scheme and what homeowners will receive when they buy from members. This includes an advice line, deposit protection insurance, an insurance-backed guarantee, a totally free dispute resolution service and a Compensation Fund to protect homeowners if anything goes wrong.

Tony Pickup sums up: “The Peace of Mind Pack invites homeowners to verify current membership by visiting http://www.dgcos.org.uk or calling 0845 053 2934. It states clearly that placing their order with the member gives real consumer protection unmatched in the double glazing industry.”

Windermere Marina Village officially re-opens in July in time for the start of the school summer holidays – following a £3 million improvements programme.

The Marina – the biggest on England’s longest lake – welcomes over 11,000 guests every year to Bowness.

Bookings for the vital summer tourism season are growing steadily again and there are hopes the grand re-opening will help boost the resort’s tourism.

On Saturday July 10th, the Marina will formally unveil the fruits of its eight-month-long refurbishment; the most comprehensive since it was built and opened in 1984.

Dozens of dignitaries, guests and boat owners will meet for a champagne reception with Managing Director Jason Dearden. They will be given an exclusive chance to go out for a leisure cruise on the lake onboard a state-of-the-art 46ft motor yacht – the F46 Flybridge. The luxury yacht is being toured around Marinas across the country by its owners Sealine, but Windermere Marina Village is its only stop in the whole of the North for boat owners to catch a glimpse.

They will also be shown around the Marina’s 29 self-catering cottages and 35 luxury Windermere apartments surrounding the water’s edge which have all been totally transformed to four-and-five star standards with new flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, carpets, bedroom furniture, bedding as well as painting and decoration.

Windermere mayor Bill Smith will open the event following a visit earlier in the week from Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron.

The Marina on a sheltered inlet of the lake, has been a hive of activity for the last six month as it works to re-open for business.

Holidaymakers rely on the Marina to let out its cottages and apartments to stay in the area. As the biggest inland Marina in the north, many guests use local restaurants, pubs, cinemas, shops, cafes, visitor attractions, museums, boat yards, newsagents and garages – making the Marina a significant contributor to the economy of Bowness and Windermere.

On the Marina itself, there has been extensive work to totally modernise and replace the jetties which allow access to the boats.

Over 400 boat owners use the Marina as a vital place on Lake Windermere to secure and moor their luxury fleet of motor or sail powered cruisers, when they’re not out cruising on the water.

Many of the boat owners are people who live in the Lake District and Cumbria and enjoy sailing, but others come from as far afield as Manchester, Cheshire, Newcastle and Glasgow.

It is the first completed phase of a much wider package of investment at the Marina which will eventually see new reception areas, a brand-new restaurant, swimming pool and new offices for the company’s 55 staff.

The business is also greener than before after upgrading its roof and wall insulation and making the lay-outs more contemporary and holiday-friendly.

Where possible, the company has spread the benefit of the upgrade by using local businesses such as decorators, skip companies and kitchen refurbishers. One business to benefit from the refurb includes Windermere-based Lakeland Fells Furniture Limited, which designs and restores custom-made furniture.

Jason Dearden, Managing Director of Windermere Marina Village, said: “I would like to thank our staff, visitors and boat owners for the patience they have shown over the last few months. I would like to reassure them that Windermere Marina Village is now back in action and open for business this summer.”

“I am delighted we have all worked hard to meet our deadline because the following few months are the most important of the tourism year. Windermere Marina Village re-opening is good news for us, good news for our guests, and good news for the wider Bowness economy.”

Other businesses which helped in the improvements include Lakeland Gardeners who worked on landscapes; Home Designs in Kendal supplying beds; Webbs Kitchens in Kendal; Kendal Refrigeration Services for air conditioning; Barrow-based Optech Fibres; Sedbergh’s Marthwaite Joinery; South Lakes Painting and Decorating, and Kendal’s Highgate Carpets for the flooring in bathrooms and kitchens.

Ends

For more information, please contact Jason Dearden, or Tracii Monet at Windermere Marina Village on 015394 46551, or email tracii.monet@wmv.co.uk

Windermere Marina Village is the Lake District’s premier Inland Marina and Holiday Resort. Find out more at www.wmv.co.uk

Windermere Marina Village, The Marina, Bowness On Windermere
Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 3JQ, 015394 46551, info@wmv.co.uk

Barking Mad, the home from home pet sitting service, is proud to be celebrating their 10th anniversary this year.

They can’t quite believe it but its true – Barking Mad are 10 years old and have successfully provided over 62,000 dog holidays. The Barking Mad family is now some 20,000 strong and growing by the day.

Celebrating a decade of Barking Mad Success at the Barking Mad Conference recently the network from around the UK set tails wagging in the Lake District with a conference packed full of fun (and a few celebratory drinks). Their Chief Executive, Bronte (nearly 11 and the inspiration for the original business) was joined by her spotty trainee Lotti, as they posed for the photo on the banks of Lake Windermere. The theme this year was Wacky Races and it certainly brought out the creative, fun and passionate sides of everyone. The Barking Mad conferences are always a bit crazy and 2010 was no exception and congratulations to Russell & Cate Court, of Oxfordshire who won Barking Mad Franchisee Business of the Year 2010.

Barking Mad was created in May 2000 with an aim to provide a new kind of pet-sitting service, and have now expanded across the UK and overseas. It has been an amazing success and has even featured on TV. Right from the start, Lee Southern the Managing Director knew it was a great idea, “Because we’ve all been there. If you have dogs, and you just can’t leave them in boarding kennels or impose on your family or friends once again, what do you do?”.

And so, Barking Mad was set up. A home-from-home pet care service: pet sitting with a difference, or dog holidays as people call them. Based on owner-operated franchises around the country, Barking Mad arrange for dogs to stay with loving host families who can match the sort of environment and routine the dogs are used to.

To learn more about using their home-from-home pet sitting service as an alternative to kennels, to find out about becoming one of our host families offering dog holidays – or even to discover how you could soon be running a Barking Mad franchise yourself – visit http://www.barkingmad.uk.com.

Gilpin Lodge hotel in Windermere are delighted to be the winner of this year’s Small Hotel of the Year 2010 at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence.

Gilpin Lodge have been announced The Small Hotel of the Year 2010 winner at The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010 ceremony organized by VisitEngland and held in Brighton on Friday night.  The finalists were selected by a panel of tourism industry judges which included previous Gold winners, travel journalists and industry experts.

Barney and Zoe Cunliffe were delighted to receive the award on behalf of the Cunliffe family, and longstanding team whom have been running this Lake District, Relais and Chateaux hotel, since 1987. Having won Cumbria Hotel of the year in 2009 and Northwest hotel of the year in 2010, Gilpin was shortlisted with 2 other England based hotels for the award. Gilpin were judged on their excellent standards of hospitality, which combines family-run hospitality with relaxed but professional service, contemporary designs in a stunning location 2 miles from Windermere.

Gilpin Lodge Hotel Windermere has undergone considerable investment over the last few years with all areas having undergone exciting new interiors whilst remaining warm and comfortable and includes 6 garden suites, each with private gardens and hot tubs. Whilst the family remains fully owner-operated, Tom Lewis joined as General Manager in 2010 and was formally General Manager of the Le Manoir. The announcement also coincides with the immanent launch of the Gilpin Lake House, a 6-suite hotel with Spa set on a beautiful private lake in 100 acres of grounds and woodland within half mile of Gilpin and designed for the ultimate relaxing retreat.

Based on 2 sharing, rates are per person per night including 5-course dinner, full English breakfast and Windermere hotel accommodation from £145. For further information visit http://www.gilpinlodge.co.uk or call 015394 88818.

The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010 celebrate the best of English tourism. They promote healthy industry competition and high standards, helping to ensure England’s place as a world-class destination. http://www.enjoyengland.com/corporate/corporate-information/excellence-awards/2010-awards.aspx and sponsored by the Caravan club.

Want to watch Will Young from the comfort of your roll-top bath?  See Scouting for Girls and Escala whilst lounging in the hot tub of one of the UK’s most glamorous spa terraces?  All possibilities care of the Brooklands Hotel Weybridge this July!

For 2010 the Mercedes-Benz World Summer Concert Series will include two special outdoor evenings with exclusive live performances featuring rock, pop and classical artists.  The two day Summer Concert Series kicks off on Saturday 3rd July with Will Young, The Saturdays, Scouting for Girls, Alexandra Burke and X-Factor finalist Olly Murs,  Day two sees an eclectic mix of classical music with performances from Russell Watson, recent Popstar to Operastar winner Darius, Myleene Klass, Blake, Escala Faryl Smith and Camilla Kerslake.  Headlining Saturday’s line up is award-winning multi-platinum selling artist Will Young who began his career as winner of the now global phenomenon ‘Pop Idol’.  Russell Watson, who with his unique style has achieved phenomenal status as an award-winning platinum selling artist, will be headlining Sunday’s Classical evening line up.

Hospitality packages will be available in their Panoramic Suites, complete with vast decked Balconies with space for up to 30 friends or colleagues, with full view of the concert in all its Glory!
The Brooklands Hotel is offering also overnight accommodation from £137.50 per person during the Mercedes-Benz World Summer Concert (weekend of Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th July 2010).

The Brooklands Hotel Surrey is located right next door to Mercedes-Benz World and with an iconic, art deco inspired interior, the world’s most historic motor racing track running through the reception, uber-contemporary conference facilities, top class Italian brasserie, spa facilities and super suites. The new Brooklands Hotel in Weybridge, Surrey has to be seen to be believed.

Please contact Reservations on reservations@brooklandshotelsurrey.com or 01932 335 710 for availability and prices or visit http://www.brooklandshotelsurrey.com. Tickets for the concert are priced from £40.00 and are available from Ticketmaster online or by calling 0844 463 1875.