Jack and the Beanstalk attracts over 200 in a packed panto at the Lodore Falls Hotel in the Lake District.

The week before Christmas saw a saw a full house of 204 guests gather at the Lodore Falls Hotel, Borrowdale for this year’s pantomime performance “Jack and the Beanstalk”. This is the third year successive year that the hotel has played host to a Christmas pantomime and they provided even more cushions to fill the front row so children could have the best seats in the house.

Mesmerising adults and children alike, the cast of Chaplin’s created a buzz throughout the audience with raucous laughter and children eagerly shouting at the performers.

General Manager Stephen Johnson said “The hotel is magical at Christmas, it looks like a scene from a fairytale and it was lovely to see children dressed up for the occasion. During the interval we provided hot snacks that were pre-ordered, it worked very well and we had some excellent feedback. This is the third time we have worked with Chaplin’s – a specialist pantomime company and they just seem to get better every year. They certainly hit the right note with our younger guests who had giant laughs throughout!

For more information about events in the New Year, contact the Lodore Falls Hotel Keswick part of the Lake District Hotels Ltd group on 017687 77285 or visit http://www.lakedistricthotels.net/lodorefalls/index.php

Goosemire Cottages are pleased to announce discounts on remaining New Year weeks as well as short breaks available.

Goosemire Cottages, based in Kendal, know all too well that New Year celebrations and plans can often be overlooked due to the organisation of Christmas festivities. But there needn’t be any worry of what to do for New Year as Goosemire Cottages are not only offering discounts on the remaining Lake District cottages available for the New Year week but short breaks are available on selected properties too.

Even though Christmas has fallen on a weekend this year meaning many people in employment have the enjoyment of over a week off work, with family commitments and parties it isn’t always possible to be away for a whole week. Get the best of both worlds with a New Year short break in one of Goosemire’s stunning Lake District cottages. The Lake District is a year round destination but it really comes into its own over the festive period due to its great hospitality and stunning views. What better than to walk off those days of over indulgence on the endless paths and fells throughout this region.

It’s simple to check availability for the New Year period through Goosemire’s live availability charts and booking system. Short breaks are clearly marked and can either be booked online or by telephone.

Goosemire have a varied selection of Lake District cottages to choose from including rustic 17th century cottages through to modern interior barn conversions. What they all have in common are high standards and spectacular locations such as within the Eden Valley across to the Western Lake District in the Wasdale area. Being a small, family business, Goosemire Cottages are able to offer low prices without any slip in standard of property or service. As well as offering low prices, Goosemire also have a “Pets Go Free” policy in most of their Lake District cottages meaning even Fido can join in the New Year celebrations. A note regarding the properties allowing pets can be found next to each cottage description.

For further information on the full range of services and cottages in the Lake District available from Goosemire as well as New Year availability visit http://www.goosemirecottages.co.uk

Employment law specialist and health and safety advisor Bibby Consulting & Support had a record sales month in October – its best month in nearly four years.

At the same time, the Newcastle-under-Lyme Company has created a number of new posts over the last few months, including a head of projects, Steven Attwood, to manage long-term in-house investments in systems and processes, and a dedicated training manager, Jon Hughes, to further expand their training services.

A key factor in Bibby Consulting & Support’s growth has been its continued expansion into major target markets such as care homes and franchising. Major contract wins from big names like Select Healthcare and the Domino’s Pizza Group have reflected the increasing demand for the company’s expertise in specific market sectors.
Understanding the needs of a sector and being able to deliver skills and solutions that have been refined over the years are the main reasons Bibby Consulting & Support has seen such impressive growth, according to Managing Director Michael Slade.

“By specialising, we have been able to show that we can clearly provide our client base with a level of service and support that is specific to their business needs,” he says. “As a result, confidence is very high within the company and we are achieving all of our goals.”

As well as supporting customers, Bibby Consulting & Support has put long-term investment into its own staff. This includes a programme of having all of its Tele-marketing team in Newcastle under Lyme accompany field sales people to gain a deeper understanding of customer’s needs. The company has also provided funding and support to enable staff to secure further qualifications. This has included training courses for people within support functions, as well as studies leading to qualifications for client facing staff, through the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

“We see this as succession planning,” says Slade. “We have some very gifted individuals who, having initially joined the business via the Tele-marketing team, have then gone onto use their degrees to great effect within other departments, such as our Business Improvement function or others who have qualified in specific areas of Employment Law to help run our indemnity activity. We see investment in staff as a great way to prepare the next generation. Whilst some businesses are cutting training budgets, we believe investment in our people is exactly what is needed to create a successful business.”

Bibby Consulting & Support’s parent company the Bibby Line Group has once again won a National Business Award 2011 in partnership with Orange. The judges said: “Demonstrating that a large and diverse business can deliver consistent growth with family values at its core, Bibby Line Group has demonstrated a recognised commitment to staff, and ethical practice has been driven by strong leadership and management.” Slade concludes: “If you are recognised as a good company to work you will attract the best people and that’s vitally important to ensure we continue to provide a top quality service to our customers.”

For further information about Bibby Consulting & Support employment law specialists and health and safety advisors, visit http://www.bibbycas.com