The Inn on the Lake in Glenridding, on the shores of Lake Ullswater, is eager to host its first ladies balcony proposal on 29th February.

In a romantic mood and inspired by the eHarmony.co.uk statistics making the Lake District the most romantic place to propose and the 29th also marks the completion of the hotel’s major refurbishment – but that’s not what has got staff in a spin. It’s the fact it’s Leap Year and a chance for ladies to propose that has excited them – and they are keen to help ladies make their proposal something special. The hotel wants to be the first to have a leap year proposal and they think with new décor and balcony bedrooms overlooking Ullswater, plus a few treats to encourage her, they may just inspire a brave lady.

Gary Wilson General Manager of the Inn on the Lake, part of the Lake District Hotels Ltd group, for 12 years has seen over a hundred and forty proposals and 1500 weddings since he became Manager and knows how to get it right. “We can provide music, champagne and chocolates and we can get the guy onto the balcony, but because tradition dictates that the 29th February is officially ‘the Ladies Privilege’ she gets to pop the question. Imagine how romantic it would be, views across the lake, candles, music playing and the love of your life proposing from the patio whilst you stand on the balcony. What man would say no!”

As a gesture to support nervous ladies, Gary and his team are offering a ‘Ladies Privilege Pack’ – providing the music, champagne and a romantic dinner for free – just as long as they hear the proposal from the patio. And if they end up booking the hotel for their wedding, they will be treated to the honeymoon suite free of charge.

To mark the end of the refurbishment work, and to entice the couple to the hotel for 29th February, there is a special offer – dinner bed and breakfast with a second night bed and breakfast free from only £114pp. If the lady asks the hotel to help propose, they get the second night’s dinner free too.

The Ladies Privilege allowing ladies to propose on 29th February is a tradition that dates back to the 5th century when St Bridget complained to St Patrick that ladies had to wait too long for a proposal. St Patrick said yearning females could propose but only on one day in February every four years and named it ‘The Ladies’ Privilege’.

To book a Ladies Privilege Break and organise a proposal visit the Lake District Hotels Ltd website at http://www.lakedistricthotels.net

How cutting red tape in relation to employment law could turn the economy around.

The Government could go a long way to promoting growth in the economy by making dramatic cuts to the amount of red tape small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have to contend with when taking on new workers, the Managing Director of employment law specialist Bibby Consulting & Support has said.

As the Prime Minister continues to seek opinion from businesses on what legislation they would like to see abolished, Michael Slade said the foreseeable future for the UK economy will continue to be bleak unless the Government can get to grips with employment law immediately.

According to the latest figures the UK economy contracted by 0.2 per cent in the final three months of 2011. Worse still, some observers believe the country has already dipped back into recession and the economy will continue to contract throughout most of 2012.

“Over recent years it has become increasingly difficult for employers to take on new members of staff and even harder to dismiss them if they fail to perform as expected,” Slade said. “All too often, companies view staff recruitment as a process fraught with difficulty and risk. If for any reason the relationship does not work out there is also the perception that ending it can be extremely time consuming and expensive, but it really doesn’t need to be that way.

Slade went on to comment that, “Businesses should be encouraged to take on new recruits. For this to happen there must be financial incentives for SME’s, such as tax relief and reduced administration and immediate changes must be made to the Employment Tribunal system so that employers could worry less about the repercussions of dismissal. The government must also tackle the imbalance in employment law which still sees employee’s rights outweigh those of the employer.”

Slade concluded: “By taking radical action now – and I mean immediately – the government could go a long way to promoting real and sustainable growth in the economy.”

The Inn on the Lake is celebrating 2012 in style with a complete ground floor refurbishment set to be complete by the end of February 2012.

The Lake District hotel, in Glenridding, Ullswater, was taken on by the Lake District Hotels Ltd group 11 years ago and was previously known as the Ullswater Hotel. After a name change to Inn on the Lake and a large investment in renovating most of the interior, the hotel soon became well known for its great hospitality paired with unrivalled views.

Now 11 years on it is getting a fresh new look, which began with phase 1 being completed in November 2011. The Lake View bar lounge and the Glenridding function room were decorated in luxurious fabrics with a mulberry colour running throughout. By the end of February 2012, the main Lake View restaurant, lake view lounge and reception and lobby will also be complete.

And that’s not all the refurbishment work that has already been carried out in 2012. To welcome in the New Year, the Borrowdale Hotel and Skiddaw Hotel are excited to announce 10 new bedrooms have been refurbished.

Lake District Hotels are proud of the fact they consistently invest money into updating and refurbishing their bedrooms, hotel interiors and exteriors. The Inn on the Lake Hotel Ullswater had balconies added to four of its Lake View bedrooms in 2011. The Lake balcony rooms overlook Ullswater giving guests that extra space to their bedroom, and get every opportunity to breathe in the fresh Lake District air. All the balcony rooms have also been refurbished to the Lake District Hotels Ltd usual high standard.

The Kings Arms Hotel Keswick, has also had several of its rooms refurbished in 2011. The comfortable rooms have a cosy feel and mix modern and traditional textures and patterns.

To view the new rooms and keep informed with all the news regarding refurbishment and offers, visit http://www.lakedistricthotels.net

Last few Valentines break rooms remaining Applegarth Villa Hotel in Windermere.

It’s not too late to book a romantic Lake District valentines break at the Applegarth Villa Hotel in Windermere. The last few rooms remain and what a treat is in store.

One the weekend of the 10 and 11 February, Applegarth Villa is offering a dinner bed and breakfast package starting at £105 per person per night.

Added extras can also be ordered including chocolates, roses and champagne for those more romantically inclined!

As a finale guests can book a ninety minute luxury champagne cruise aboard Mistress, the Applegarths privately owned motor yacht around Lake Windermere. Voted one of the most romantic things to do in the Lake District the cost of this exclusive cruise is £50 per couple and is only available to guests of the Applegarth Villa.

Applegarth Villa Hotel in Windermere has seen extensive refurbishment recently and now offers some of the most luxurious hotel rooms in Windermere. Combine that with their award winning restaurant serving locally sourced food, a well stocked bar with local real ales from the Watermill at Ings and even a whiskey bar.

For more information on the Lake District valentines break and for all the information on this luxury Lake District hotel, visit http://www.lakesapplegarth.co.uk

Acolyte Home & Gifts, the unique handmade gifts emporium, announce a tempting membership offer for independent UK designers.

Acolyte Home & Gifts are offering independent UK designers, creatives and producers of handmade home accessories and gifts the chance to showcase and sell their products through the Acolyte website. New designers and artisans excite Acolyte Home & Gifts who are always keen to find people who care passionately about what they create, how it is created and where it is sold.

Here are just a few of the benefits Acolyte offer within their membership package:

•    No restrictions on where else a designers chooses to sell their product.
•    They products are the designers. They keep control of their range and name.
•    The pricing of goods and delivery costs are set by the designer.
•    Acolyte take customer payments on the designer’s behalf and any costs incurred in transactional fees are paid for by Acolyte.
•    The Acolyte team will make sure Acolyte Home & Gifts is marketed and regularly updated. They will also ensure the site maintenance and security is also taken care of.
•    As the Acolyte Home & Gifts membership is a `by invitation only` site, designers are assured that there will never be any cheap imports competing with their products.
•    Acolyte load and list the products for members onto Acolyte Home & Gifts – freeing up valuable time.
•    Offer Acolyte Home & Gifts an exclusive range and there are additional benefits.
•    When an order has been made, funds will be transferred to the member’s account as soon as it has been acknowledged.

Acolyte Home and Gifts is an ethical company ensuring the products offered are produced from sustainable sources and the suppliers and employees are treated with dignity, respect and paid fairly. Acolyte believe their suppliers not only meet these exacting requirements, but offer products that are unique in the marketplace and stand out in terms of quality. In addition to ensuring products are ethically sourced, the Acolyte team also supports a number of charities.

Acolyte offer reasonable membership rates as well as terms and conditions and they would be delighted to hear from any prospective designers and artisans. If you think your handmade home accessories would complement the existing ranges offered by Acolyte Home & Gifts, then get in touch via http://www.acolytehomeandgifts.com

The Castle Inn Hotel is pleased to announce their special romantic Valentine’s dinner.

The Castle Inn Hotel near Bassenthwaite is holding special Valentine’s themed dinners on 11, 14 and 18 February where for just £25 per person where guests can enjoy a delicious four course candlelit dinner.

Surprise your other half with a romantic Valentine’s meal in the lovely setting of Ritson’s Restaurant within this Keswick hotel. Diners will be treated to a delicious menu which features choices such as chicken liver parfait with red onion marmalade and toasted olive bread or rosemary and courgette soup to start followed by a palate cleansing champagne sorbet.  Main dishes include seabass on a bed of spring onion mash with sweet peppers, pak choi, tiger prawns and herb oil or beef medallions with dauphinoise potatoes, glazed carrots and courgettes and a marsala wine sauce.  There are also vegetarian options for starters and mains.

The deserts are equally tempting from the naughty chocolate fondant or blueberry crème brulee through to a lighter passion fruit panacotta.  Cumbrian cheeses are also available.

This lovely dinner costs just £25 per person.  Guests can also upgrade their dinner to include a glass of sparkling wine, a single red rose and a selection of canapés for a further £26 per couple.

The Castle Inn has recently been awarded the ’PLUS’ status by the Best Western group. This Lake District hotel is one of the first in the country to gain the new ‘Best Western Plus’ status from the Best Western group after it was launched to the nation earlier this month. Castle Inn is one of only 10 hotels in the Great Britain and is the only hotel in Cumbria to have been awarded.

For more information including a full menu and reservations for the Castle Inn Hotel Lake District visit http://www.castleinncumbria.co.uk or call 017687 76401.