Front of House Operations Manager at Lancaster House Lynn Porter took her children for a big day out in Lancaster at the Williamson Park’s Butterfly house and mini zoo.

It’s not always easy to find interactive activities which are fun, immersive and educational for your children, especially during the school holidays.

But there’s a little treat in store for kids of all ages at Williamson Park in Lancaster, where they can extend their science and biology knowledge in a little oasis of wildlife, thanks to the Butterfly House and mini zoo.

Once an Edwardian tropical palm house, families can now explore the building which is a maze of different habitats for a diverse range of butterfly species.  And children can quickly learn about the life cycles of the butterflies, caterpillars and pupae, as well as catching a glimpse of exotic animals such as a marmoset, Koi carp or a tortoise.

“One of the most challenging things we found was trying to photograph the butterflies – it’s pretty tricky trying to get them to pose or be still for very long!  But the kids were thrilled with the experience and it’s a great environment for them to explore and find out more about nature.  All in all, they had a great time, and loved the mini beasts as well, although Arlo wasn’t that keen when a butterfly landed on him.”

Lynn Porter

Read the story behind Christmas Wreaths and find out how you too can join in the fun at Lancaster House with one of our workshops.

You probably wouldn’t associate learning about Christmas craftwork with a stay at a North Lancashire hotel.

But that’s a possibility now in the lead up to the festive season as the Lancaster House Hotel is offering guests and members of the local community the chance to try their hand at designing and making their own Christmas wreaths.

How much more rewarding would it feel when you hang your Christmas wreath up in the hallway or at the front door to welcome festive visitors, knowing that you created it yourself?

Well now you have the chance, learning from expert wreath designer and creator Alison Beacham from Lune Valley Home & Garden Florist.

Take a wreath making workshop whilst enjoying a spot of afternoon tea

The team at Lancaster House have organised the wreath making workshops with afternoon tea and a glass of mulled wine, so that participants can get into the Christmas spirit, share ideas and enjoy a creative, interactive afternoon together.

The hands-on, interactive sessions commence at 11am with tea and coffee as an easy introduction and ice breaker.  Then our instructor Alison will lead you through the process of making your very own Christmas wreath.

The activity starts with a simple golden decorated ring as a base from which to build the wreath.  Key plant materials in the step-by-step manufacture include spruce, conifer, holly and ivy, with the addition of cones, berries, eucalyptus and an ornamental Christmas bow.

Alison has over 35 years of experience of designing and creating these beautiful festive wreaths.  She will demonstrate each stage of the process and be on hand to help participants get the best possible results.

You will come away not only with your own wreath to mark the day and make this Christmas a bit more special, but you will also have learned all the skills and techniques you need to make a different wreath every year – or for other special occasions.

These fun sessions conclude with Lancaster House’s own festive afternoon tea, and a warming glass of mulled wine to get the Christmas season off to a memorable start.

The history behind wreath making and what it means

Christmas wreaths have long been a tradition in households up and down the country.  Whilst serving as decorative and welcoming additions to household Christmas decorations, not many people know of their origins, meanings and purposes.

According to historians, you can trace the social importance of wreaths back to classical times as a status symbol. The Greeks used wreaths to crown the first Olympic Games winners.  The Romans ensured that generals and soldiers returning from battle were garlanded with them in thanks for their military prowess and success.

Wreaths were typically made from laurel or olive cuts and they were often exchanged at certain times of year, notably at Kalends, the New Year festival celebrated by the Romans.

The tradition of making and hanging wreaths at Christmas time may have its origins from sixteenth century Germany, with the Lutheran custom becoming ever more popular by the mid-1800s.  By that time, wreaths were pinned to the front door of homes as a ‘welcome ring’, often constructed from holly, ivy, pine cones and ribbons.

In that Germanic culture, the wreath was also a reminder of renewal and the unbroken cycle of the seasons, that although cold winter had come, it would soon be back to spring again.

The Wild Boar’s intimate, cosy & relaxed atmosphere ensures everyone feels an integral part of your wedding celebrations.

Jodie & Jesna’s Wedding

As a wedding venue in the Lake District, The Wild Boar Inn near Windermere is establishing an international reputation.  And why not?  Set in the leafy woodlands of the Gilpin Valley with 72 acres of private grounds for newlywed couples and their guests to enjoy, the venue gives you an intimate, cosy and relaxed atmosphere to ensure everyone feels an integral part of your wedding celebrations.

Recently married couple Jodie and Jesna from Bali certainly enjoyed their nuptials at our traditional Lakeland inn.

The couple first met at a mural event in Bali. Jesna is an artist and was painting a huge mural.  Jenna was on holiday and had gone along to photograph the event.  Jesna spoke little English but with some charades and the help of Google Translate, they quickly overcame the language barrier and the rest, as they say, is history!

Finding the Ideal Wedding Venue

Jodie and Jesna hadn’t been able to find a UK wedding venue that suited, but a chance internet search for an Easter weekend family meal alerted them to The Wild Boar’s wedding offering.

We’d almost booked somewhere else, but when we looked around, it didn’t really fit,” explains Jodie.  “I was then just looking for somewhere to go out for a meal with my family and Google brought up The Wild Boar.  The food looked delectable and I was incredibly intrigued by the photos of the dining room, bar, decoration and bedrooms.  And then I saw The Wild Boar did weddings!

The couple quickly arranged a visit to have a look around and Jodie says that as soon as they walked through the door, they both knew it was the right place for them.

The inn’s traditional soul can still be felt and the mixture of old beams, the stove, the slabs on the floor and the thick walls were perfect. We needed somewhere which could give us an intimate, relaxed, soulful environment, and also had rooms close enough to our guests. It was also really important that the venue could accommodate all our guests overnight. We wanted to prolong the time that we all had together by being able to have breakfast the next day.

Jodie

The Wedding Day

The couple put a lot of planning and hard work into their ceremony with the help of the wedding co-ordinators at The Wild Boar.

Jesna’s suit was custom-made in Bali, whilst Jenna undertook the challenge of designing and embroidering her own wedding bodice and skirt.  Jesna designed Jodie’s shoes as per her request with a blue eye on one to match her own and a brown eye on the other to match his.

The couple also made all the decorations for the wedding themselves and have set up their own business as a result. You can see examples of their creative event decorations, murals and art installations on Instagram @ coconut_queen_x

They brought some traditional Indonesian ceremonial decorations to incorporate the Balinese culture into their wedding.  Fresh flowers were used for the table centrepiece and the arrangement placed in front of the fire.

There were other special touches too.  Table settings featured dried flowers wrapped in a paper bio-degradable name card with flower seeds in it so all of the guests could plant them and grow wildflowers.

The newlyweds wanted to give everyone something from Indonesia that they could keep, presenting gifts in bamboo baskets which they had decorated with a traditional Balinese embroidery motif. Inside was an incense stick, a wooden ‘bottle stopper’ carved into the shape of the Balinese god Garuda, and a small wall hanging made from palm leaves and bamboo with traditional Balinese images and the date of the wedding etched on them.

Guests enjoyed a three course wedding breakfast using the most popular choices of their guests who had seen the Wild Boar’s full menu.  And a specially designed, delicious wedding cake was provided by the incredibly talented Derrienne at The Cat’s Meow in Ulverston.

Jesna says the highlight for him was seeing everyone sitting together in the Undermill Beck room ready for the ceremony: 

They were smiling and chatting before Jodie came down and it was obvious that everyone was happy to be there. It made all our decorations come to life and made me realise all of our hard work had paid off.

Jesna

Planning Your Wedding at The Wild Boar

So if you’re planning your wedding and looking for a venue with a spacious bridal suite, flavoursome food, individually designed rooms, a host of outdoor activities and a cosy atmosphere, The Wild Boar fits the bill.

From smaller, more intimate ceremonies to larger weddings and exclusive use of the venue, we can cater for up to 90 guests for wedding breakfast and up to 130 for evening buffets.

Everything clicked into place for us at The Wild Boar. The grounds were beautiful, the energy and feeling was right, the staff were brilliant, and the Land Rover was a massive bonus!

Jodie

English Lakes re-started their quarterly service awards lunch in July 2022. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Directors to say ‘thank you’ to employees of English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues for their dedication and loyalty.

English Lakes Annual Service Awards Lunch

During the Covid pandemic, reluctantly we had to suspend our quarterly Service Awards lunches (usually held in January, April, July and October). It was, therefore, even more of a celebration than usual when they restarted this month. All those in attendance at The Wild Boar enjoyed a sumptuous three course dinner, and the all-important award ceremony.

After each year of service, every employee of English Lakes Hotels is invited to an Service Award lunch. This is a great opportunity to meet colleagues from your hotel, or any of the other hotels in the English Lakes Group. The atmosphere is informal and friendly. It is an event that the Directors of English Lakes take very seriously as it is their chance to show appreciation to their teams and reward them for their previous year’s hard work.

New Benefits for All English Lakes Employees

English Lakes Managing Director, Ben Berry, hosted the recent Awards Lunch and presented English Lakes vouchers and +1 Awards to those in attendance. He also launched a new package of benefits to be enjoyed by the employees of English Lakes Hotels.

English Lakes Loyalty Rewarded

Every full year of service with English Lakes is rewarded with English Lakes Vouchers, worth between £100 and £350 for full-time employees, depending on length of service. These are presented at a Service Award lunch.

Free Bed & Breakfast Stay for Two People

This is a fantastic opportunity for every employee to be on the receiving end of English Lakes service. What a great way to discover what it is like for our guests. After a full year of service, and every year thereafter, the employee can book a night’s bed and breakfast accommodation. They are invited to bring their partner, or a friend or family member and stay in an English Lakes hotel overnight, and enjoy breakfast the next morning.

Enjoy a Thermal Spa Experience on Us

A little cosy treat that can be enjoyed as part of working for English Lakes Hotels. Each year, employees can enjoy the benefit of a three-hour Thermal Journey at The Spa at Low Wood Bay. A spa experience voucher for two people becomes part of the benefits of working for the hotel group.

+ 1 Awards

Every month team members are nominated for activities or performance that exceeds guest or colleague expectations. Successful +1 nominees are awarded a certificate and first-time winners also receive a +1 lapel pin.

Special Silver and Gold and Champions awards are made for those team members who achieve 10, 25 and 50 +1s respectively.

Prizes for Creativity

Creativity is what we do at English Lakes. If an employee has a great idea that has the potential to transform the way we do things, we invite their ideas! We call these people our ‘Imaginators’! When these ideas become a reality within the business, the employee is invited to an Awards lunch and receives a VIP treat.

Be Our Guest

After successful completion of six-week review, new employees are invited to enjoy a Bed and Breakfast stay as our guest at the Hotel where they work. We include the employee’s partner and children, or a friend.

Twice yearly we will also run a ‘Flash Sale’ for employees only so that you can treat your family and close friends.

And Lots More Benefits…

There are also extra holidays each year of continuous service, up to an extra 5 days. Employees can recommend a friend and receive £250 English Lakes Vouchers and there is a Personal Development Fund that workers at English Lakes Hotels can apply for.

A very popular benefit is the complimentary access to English Lakes Health Clubs and Spas at specific times of the day, as well as significant discounts off spa treatments, guest fees, watersports equipment hire and dining in our restaurants.

Find A Job at English Lakes Hotels

Take a look at English Lakes Jobs page to find out what opportunities there are available in the different hotels and departments. A job at English Lakes opens the door to lots of additional benefits.  

We are delighted to introduce Emma Underwood as the first female General Manager of Lancaster House. Emma brings a wealth of experience to the role, including almost fourteen years working for English Lakes Hotels. She tells us a bit about herself.

Thoroughly Lancashire Lass 

Home for me is Lancaster and I’ve lived all my life here. My home is close to the beautiful Williamson Park. Even when I worked in the city of Manchester, I would commute so that I would get home to my beloved Red Rose county.

When I’m not working, I enjoy going to the theatre, and travelling to experience new cultures. I am a regular at Sandpiper Club exercise classes. 

I spend a lot of time with my family and friends, and socialising is a big part of any downtime I have. In particular, I love to be around my Mum, my sister and Holly, my niece. Holly is definitely a mini me, and she thinks she is the little boss of Lancaster House! She is certainly full of character and is lots of fun to be around.
“Work Hard, and Be Kind”

Emma and Holly

In terms of hobbies, when conditions are right, I do very much enjoy a spot of open water swimming. 

A Career in Hospitality

Working backwards in my career, I’ve spent almost fourteen years at English Lakes Hotels as Deputy Manager of Lancaster House. I’m thrilled to be taking the reigns as General Manager and it feels very apt as I know the hotel and the team inside out. 

Other roles include a time in a large conference and banqueting hotel in Manchester. It would be quite normal for us to do three to four weddings each week, and host conferences for up to 250 people. The hotel also had a Spa which brought in different clientele and lots of day visitors. Prior to that, I worked as Reservations Manager for Holiday Inn, and then took a position as Operations Manager. I thought that moving to operations was a great idea at the time, but I missed the revenue side of the business. Now, as General Manager, I get the best of both worlds!

I started my hospitality career as a waitress. It didn’t take me long to realise that although it was great fun and enjoyable, it was also extremely hard work. I treasure my Dad’s words of wisdom when he told me to ‘Work hard, be kind, and you will reap the rewards!’

Favourite Lancaster House Moments

Some of my favourite parts of the job have been working with a great team, and in particular interviewing many different people for roles in the hotel. I’ve learned to go through the recruitment process but also to trust my gut as to whether the person will be a good fit in the Lancaster House team.

I’ve also enjoyed getting involved in the creative decisions around refurbishments and upgrades – choosing wallpaper and carpets for the Dalton suite was an enjoyable experience. Other stand out moments are when we host the Lancaster Food and Drinks Festivals.#

Looking After our Guests and our Team

I love the English Lakes + 1 culture which is about going the extra mile to deliver the best standards in every aspect of the business. It is also about caring for our guests and looking after our team. I believe it is this culture that makes us stand out from the competition, and I truly hope that everybody that walks through the doors of Lancaster House experiences this type of welcome and service that goes above and beyond expectations.

Top Priorities

I’ve got to say, ‘ensuring Lancaster House is the best hotel in Lancashire’. That is my passion and I hope to do this through creating leisure and corporate packages that people love, as well as delivering the best customer service. Continuing to develop the Lancaster House team is also key for me, and I’m happy to pass on any wisdom I’ve accumulated through my career to date. I like to be approachable and transparent about the direction I am taking the hotel. We can all achieve the vision if the vision is clearly defined and communicated to the whole team.

My first objective is to look again at our offering. Does it need to change? There is the old adage, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! But like everything, adjustments and improvements can always be made and found. I want to develop relationships further with local suppliers and to ensure that when it comes to weddings, events and functions, Lancaster House is always at the forefront of the minds of those in our local community. I believe that everyone in the county should try which I believe to be Lancashire’s finest Afternoon Tea!

Lancashire Afternoon Tea

A Great Team

Emma Celebrating 25 years of Lancaster House with the team

Lancaster House is a great place to work, not just because I work there!! We are a family. Most of the team are happy to get involved in other areas of the operation as and when required. I believe this gives us an appreciation of different jobs, and the challenges as well as the joys that each role presents. We only recruit people with the right attitude, and it is very much the case that the people make Lancaster House tick! Guests are always remarking about the way the team interacts and comment about the friendly camaraderie between us. My hope is that every team member will continue to feel value and have a good and positive work life balance.

Looking for a New Opportunity?

Perhaps it’s time for a new challenge and to be part of a great team. Take a look at the hospitality job opportunities at Lancaster House and our three other English Lakes hotels.  

We like to keep up to date with things going on around the area so that you can plan your holiday activities. Here are a few events worth checking out in the Lancashire area, close to Lancaster House and The Midland in Morecambe.

Easter Eggstravaganza

Happy Mount Park, Morecambe

Saturday 15^th April, from 12 noon

Free Admission

Meet the Easter Bunny for lots of fun and games, including an Easter egg hunt, colouring competition, races and much more. Remember to bring your handmade Easter Bonnet – adults and children – .

The Normans are Coming

Lancaster Castle

Friday, 14th – Monday, 17th April 

Adults £5; Children £3

Lancaster Castle, John of Gaunt’s gatehouse

Historia Normmanis, the historical re-enactment Society, will be invading Lancaster Castle over Easter weekend. Experience how a medieval castle was run, discover life on the battlefield, combat displays, demonstrations and talks and have-a-go activities.

Morecambe Bay Brass Band

Happy Mount Park, Morecambe

Sunday, 16th April from 2.30 pm

Free Admission

Come hear some of the areas best musicians as they fill the park with lively music for all the family to enjoy. Open air event.

Comic-Con Festival

The Platform, Morecambe

Monday, 17th April, 10 am – 4 pm

Adults £5.00; Children under 12 £3.00; under 5 Free

A fun-filled family day out, bringing together TV and films stars with prop displays, stalls, and question and answer sessions. Dress up as a Star Wars or Marvel character and experience what it is like to take to the stage.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Attic Door Theatre at Lancaster Castle

 Tuesday, 18th April  – Saturday, 29th April

£22.50 – £25 (£12.50 Saturday matinee)

Shakespeare’s first play, an exuberant comedy of love charting the twists and turns of the faithful Valentine and the fickle Proteus as they pursue their dreams of love through town and country.

Performances are in the grand historic setting of the Shire Hall of Lancaster Castle, and are promenade.

And a Little Something After …

Make a day of it and drop in to either the Sandeman’s Bar at Lancaster House, or the Rotunda Bar at The Midland for refreshments.

Here’s a few more suggestions for days out for all the family in Lancashire …

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We like to keep our visitors to Lancaster House informed of what’s going on in the area. We’ve selected just a few activities in and around Lancaster to suit different interests, price ranges and age levels. Take your pick …
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Visitors to English Lakes have donated an incredible £187,500 to date through our Visitor Giving scheme. If you ever wondered about how that money is used and if it’s making a difference, our Green Team went to find out. They spent a day with Rob Clarke, National Trust Basecamp Community Ranger and a wonderful team of Fix the Fells volunteers committed to keeping the Lake District hills maintained and accessible for millions of walkers each year. (more…)

When I heard that Luis Marcoleta of Rioja Vega was visiting Lancaster House with Tony Jackson and Sandy Potts of Lakeland Vintners, the diary was cleared for the afternoon so that I could join the celebration of wines from this delightful part of the world.

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