Stonyhurst to host Food & Drink Festival

Set in the grounds of the magnificent grade 1 listed building, Stonyhurst college near Clitheroe in Lancashire has been chosen as the home for a Food & Drink Festival, which will be held for three days between the 8th - 10th April 2016. Gates open at 10am each day.

The Great British Food Festival organisers have added a number of new attractions for this year and Daniel Maycock, organiser said, '' We really enjoyed last Easter holidays here at Stonyhurst and we are back bigger than ever. We've added a BBQ demo area and cooking from a camper demo, as well as even more tasty street food and top producers. Again this year we are incorporating the popular Stonyhurst Spring Fayre so there will also be lots of gifts and craft stalls inside the college as well.''

As well as stalls, there are demonstrations taking place from local and celebrity chefs showcasing their signature dishes and bakes. Local chefs include Patrick Beaume from the award-winning Cartford Inn and Maurizo Bocchi from restaurant La Locanda. Lovers of the Great British Bake Off will be able to see Luis Troyano - finalist from 2014, sharing his baking passion. 

BBQ lovers will recognise Tony Smith - finalist of ITV's BBQ Champ, who will be running demonstrations throughout the weekend, with tips to get the most flavour. 

Each day, bakers will have the chance to enter the Cake Off, which will be held at 1.30pm each day with prizes for the winners.

Kids Cookery Classes will also be taking place and can be booked on-line or on the day at the Information Point for £3.50 per child. There's also a 'kids come free day' on Friday 8th.

There will also, of course, be a variety of great food and drink exhibitors show casing a range of delicious local and regional products.

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Team Building Afternoon

FootGolf team building afternoons are just perfect for your company's away day. You can arrive from lunch time and enjoy 9 or 18 holes of FootGolf on our glorious golf course, accompanied by your very own course marshal who will guide you around the course and offer help, or another football should yours end up in a pond! Enjoy our views over Pendle Hill and if you're lucky, on a clear day you might even see Blackpool Tower. Our FootGolf course is changeling enough for the keen sports person but also fun enough for those beginners amongst the ranks.

After FootGolf, you have use of our changing facilities to glam up, ready for our buffet which includes a wide selection of food to suit all tastes, and is just what you need after working up an appetite. Relax and unwind in our court yard garden which is the perfect sun trap on summer days.

'I really enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of FootGolf with work colleagues. The setting was beautiful and helped along by a glorious afternoon of sunshine. The staff were extremely helpful and happy which made the experience even more pleasurable. I personally neither play golf or football but still had a lot of fun. I would highly recommend to all.' Claire

'What a truly fantastic way to spend our Summer Company Afternoon out! Had a fantastic time, ...It was so straightforward to organise and the staff at the hotel and golf resort were 100%, couldn't fault them. The buffet was delicious and we picked a lovely day weather-wise, which made it absolutely spot on! Well done Mytton Fold,... we'll be back I'm sure.' Jayne

Disabled Access Day

The first Disabled Access Day was held on Saturday 17th January 2015. It saw an amazing 261 venue taking place, spreading across 11 countries. Following on from this success the second event has been arranged for Saturday 12th March 2016, and it looks set to be bigger and better than last year.

Disabled Access Day was created when Paul Ralph, a power-chair user's local bus company held a 'try it out day'. Paul explained: ''Prior to this, I had not used the bus network in my home-town because I was unsure how the ramp operated, how ticketing worked and if my power-chair would fit.

I attended a demonstration organised by the local bus company with the opportunity to explore a stationary bus. Extra staff were on hand to explain the process of getting on and off safely. There was ample time to become familiar with the layout of the bus and with what you need to know as a wheelchair using passenger - I'm now a frequent bus user.

Chatting with friends, I thought how great it would be if there was similar initiatives, including some more informal events, happening across the country on one specific day.

The idea of encouraging disabled people to also try something new that day appeared and out of it came the idea of Disabled Access Day.''

Disabled Access Day is sponsored by Euan's Guide - which is a listing and review site that helps disabled people and their families know which venues are truly accessible.

Co-Founder of Euan's Guide, Kiki MacDonald explains: ''We were inspired by the idea of Disabled Access Day and the potential for it to increase the numbers of conversations between venues and disabled people, as well as to raise the profile of disabled access. We were delighted by the backing from many venues, organisations and businesses that got involved, in particular their appetite to improve their own accessibility and to get more feedback from disabled people.

The first Disabled Access Day was really a pilot, achieved with very little resources but lots of drive to improve disabled access, to showcase some of the good practice and to try out some new places! Given the limited resources the project had, we were blown away by the results, and hope that next time will be much, much bigger.''

Here at Mytton Fold, we are proud of our NAS (National Accessible Scheme) Level 2 Award. We have 3 fully accessible bedrooms which feature wet-room's. Our lounge bar and restaurant are both located on the ground floor and our reception desk has a lowed desk.

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Chipping Steam Fair

Chipping Steam Fair was first held in 1998 to raise funds for a new village hall. It has since grown year after year and is now a firm fixture in the calendar of many enthusiasts.

The fair is held each year, spanning three days over the last Bank Holiday weekend in May. It takes place at the Green Lane Show ground which is just under a mile outside the village of Chipping towards Clitheroe.

Attractions such as full sized and miniature steam engines, military vehicles and classic cars, to name but a few, along with a large climbing wall and fairground rides ensure there is something to keep all the family entertained.

2016 dates have been confirmed as Saturday 28th, Sunday 29th and Monday 30th May and it looks set to be bigger and better than ever before.

Mother's Day Breakfast Ideas

Want to say thanks to mum for being one in a million. Start the day as you mean to go on and treat her to a delicious breakfast in bed. 

Here's a few ideas you could try:

Pear & Cinnamon Bircher Muesli

Oaty Chocolate Mocha

Eggy Brekkie Bread with Fruit Kebabs

Oaty Yoghurt with Nuts

Maybe, mum would prefer brunch, with all the family around the table after a leisurely lie in. 

Here's some idea's for you to choose:

Granola Pancakes

Sausage and Tomato Frittata

Breakfast Topped Bread

Scrambled Omelette with Cherry Tomatoes

There's always the traditional full English breakfast, or if your cooking skills leave a lot to be desired simple toast and cereal will be appreciated!

However you decide to treat your mum this Mother's Day, we hope she has a wonderful day!

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FootGolf

Simply take two great sports, football and golf and combine them to create FootGolf, the fastest growing sport in the world. To put it simply, you play golf with your feet. There's no heavy clubs to carry around and no need to speed hours on the course. All you need is some trainers, a size 5 football, your friends and an hour or two.

There are 10 basic rules to follow:

1. Wear golf apparel all the time
2. Your ball must be easy to identify
3. Review the score card and wait your turn. Make sure your kick will not interfere with other players.
4. The ball must be played in a single movement. Your foot should be set separate from the ball, clearly behind, before the kick.
5. Wait to play until the ball has completely come to rest. (It is not legal to stop the ball from rolling with the wind)
6. Kick off your ball from a position up to two meters behind round markers
7. Play the ball from where it lies: it's not allowed to move the ball or remove jammed objects.
8. The player farthest from the hole, is the first to kick the ball.
9. If the ball lands in a water hazard, retrieve it within 2 steps from the closest land point from where the ball entered the water.
10. Only on the greens may the balls be picked up to be cleaned or replaced.  

If you fancy giving it a go, we play each Sunday from 2pm and it's just £10 per person for 18 holes.

Mytton Fold Golf News

Great finale to the Winter Season

Only 7 points separated the top 4 in this year's Winter Pairs, after Saturday's final Winter series round. Wayne Ivinson / John Welch, Richard Greaves / Gary Aldred, John Whittaker / Paul Clegg and Nick Avino / Martin Holden contested the Sunday final.
The cream rising to the top were John Whittaker and Paul Clegg shooting 38 on Sunday, complementing the 41 they scored on Saturday.
Second was Richard Greaves and Gary Aldred just three shots behind, topping off a great Winter Series for Gary, who also took top honours in the Winter Order of Merit, a full 30 points ahead of second place Michael Kelbie, with John Berry third.
Taking third place in the Pairs was long time leaders Wayne Ivinson and John Welch, with Captain Nick Avino and Martin Holden taking fourth.
With the Summer season due to start this weekend, this year's summer handicaps will be published on the notice board before this weekend's Texas Scramble. Also a new competition has been added to the honours list sponsored by Captain Nick Avino, the ''King of Birdies'' will be awarded to the player who scores, wait for it, the most birdies in the season. Table will be published in the newsletter.

Attention - Attention - Attention

This year's first Summer season competition has had the date brought forward from Sunday 6th March to Saturday 5th March; 09:30 shotgun start time remains the same.

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This week's golf news!

Serpentine Swim Applicants only!

Amazingly Golf was still available at Mytton Fold this weekend, with 5 hardy swimmers/golfers managing to complete a round of Golf. Not surprisingly the scores were not going to break records, but great credit goes to all players that took part. Gary Aldred took 1st, Richard Graves 2nd and Peter main coming 3rd, special mention to David Bolton, Mike Chatburn and Gary Davies for also venturing out in the rain.

The winter pairs final appears to be any 4 from 5 depending on the last possible qualifying round on Saturday 27th, with only 5 points separating them. The final is to be played on Sunday 28th with 2nd in the table out with 3rd in the table at 9:00 and 1st in the table out with 4th in the table at 9:10.

The Mail on Sunday competition 2nd round draw has pitched Mytton Fold Men's team against Clitheroe, at home, this is the second time in three years our two clubs have been drawn together, Mytton Fold Ladies have been drawn against Nelson GC, both ties to be played by the 13th March.

While playing last Sunday, Tinky Winky (John Berry), smashed a drive off the 5th Tee, hitting the first tree on the left, ricocheting across the course stopping just short of the pond on the 2nd. Amazingly, his second shot, his trusty 3 wood, finds the green, with the telly tubby managing a par!! All witnessed by Ladies Captain and Ladies Captain Elect, Tarja Wilson and Brenda Griffith.

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Lancashire leads in English Tourism

Four winners from the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2015 have beaten strong competition from across the country to represent Lancashire, in the prestigious Visit England Awards for Excellence 2016. These awards are taking place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Tuesday 8th March.

The finalists include: Browsholme Hall, Clitheroe in the Sustainable Tourism category, The Catford Inn, Little Eccleston in the Tourism Pub category, La Locanda, Gisburn in the Taste of England category and Morecambe Bay Cycle Way in the Tourism Experience Category.

Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire commenting on the news said: ''It's a proud day for Lancashire tourism as we hear that four of our Lancashire Tourism Award winners will be returning to the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, this time as finalists in the national Visit England Awards for Excellence. Lancashire is renowned for authentic, world class food and drink so, we're thrilled to see La Locanda and The Catford Inn going forward in the Taste of England and Tourism Pub categories. Our love of the great outdoors and respect for the environment will also be superbly represented by the Morecambe Bay Cycle Way and Browsholme Hall, finalists in the Tourism Experience and Sustainable Tourism categories.

Lancashire leads the way with more finalists than any other North West destination, our heartfelt congratulations to each of them and their teams for achieving the highest level of industry recognition, and for continuing to make Lancashire a place where life feels good.''

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Half -term fun this February

The Mall Blackburn have a jam packed half-term planned for this February with crafts for Mother's Day, a Chinese lantern parade and fairy tales for all ages.

From Monday 15th to Friday 19th February, free crafts sessions will be held in Victoria Court between 10am and 4pm.

There's even a special prince and princess taking up residence in The Mall on Monday and Tuesday and they will be helping children to make fairy wands and crowns.

Craft classes dedicated to making Chinese Lanterns will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, while Friday will be spent helping the little ones get ready for Mother's Day, with card and basket making classes.

Loraine Jones, General Manager at The Mall Blackburn, said: ''With the first school holiday of the year already upon us we wanted to give parents the chance to get the kids out and about to enjoy some free fun.
Our craft sessions are always really popular so we are looking forward to seeing lots of children having a great time.''

Blackpool Zoo also have plenty of family fun planned for this half-term!

There will be chances to fly a barn owl, feed one of the zoo's majestic giraffes and meet a family of Californian sealions to name but a few of the daily animal encounters you could get involved with from Saturday 13th to Sunday 21st February.

A jam packed programme of talks are also happening throughout the week along with a Valentines zoo trail for those loved-up couples.

There's lots of extra's you could enjoy, if you like to plan ahead, such as fence feeding a tiger and tickling a tapir. These are available all year round and can be booked at the zoo's reception.

Jude Rothwell, Marketing and PR Co-ordinator at Blackpool Zoo, said: ''There really is something for everyone this February half-term here at Blackpool Zoo.
Our daily animal encounters are always popular and as they can only be booked on the day, we kindly ask those who are interested to get here early to avoid disappointment.
It's set to be a wild week and we're very much looking forward to welcoming our visitors through the zoo's gates!''

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This Week's Golf News

Weather or not!

A hardy few battled through the wet and windy weather (again) to take part in this weeks winter competition. Hats off again to the ground staff for keeping the course open in such awful weather. Winning with a creditable 31 points was Dave Clegg (9), one point ahead of Mick Kelbie (11) who recorded 30 points. Third place went to Winter series leader Gary Aldred on 29 points. In the doubles Phil Ryan (15) and musical partner Peter Fox (14) reached 37 points to win from Wayne Iverson (4) and John Welch (14), with 36 points.

Big changes to the winter pairs table, as the majority have now recorded 9 scores and started to drop their lowest score from the best 9 total (Pairs results show later record the last 8 rounds) - 3 more weeks to go before the big final for the top 4.

Quiz and Pre-Season Get Together

There was an excellent turn-out for this year's Pre-Season Quiz Night with a total of 14 teams competing for the coveted title of Quiz Champions. Previous winners, DACT took an early look an early lead and, despite a couple of lower scoring rounds, came out on top at the end of the night with 75 points, 7 points clear of their closest contenders, Captain's Choice. The wooden spoon went to Two Men and Birdies for the third year. Frank Havard and Tony Wilson did a magnificent job as Quiz-masters and Ann Almond kept a close eye on the scoreboard, tallying up the rounds. Both Captains would like to thank all those who supported the event either through raffle donations or attending on the night. In total, £325 was raised for Anxiety UK.

 

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British Yorkshire Pudding Day

British Yorkshire Pudding Day is the first Sunday in February each year - this year it's Sunday 7th February 2016.

The Yorkshire pudding is a traditional British dish which is enjoyed by most Britons at least once in their lives. Although its name would suggest it was created in the North-east of England, its ancestry isn't really known, but it has become a firm favourite across the UK.
Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding is one of the most famous of British meals, however, many people in the UK eat Yorkshire puddings with other meats such as chicken, pork and turkey to name but a few. Its safe to say the Yorkshire pudding is here to stay.

No-one really knows how far back the recipe goes, as some form of batter or dripping pudding as it was originally named, has been enjoyed for centuries.
Originally, it was flatter than today's version, and was cooked in a tin underneath meat which was being roasted over a fire, this allowed it to catch all the drippings from the meat.
It was often served before the meat with some gravy to part-fill the stomach so that less meat would be needed. If there wasn't sufficient meat to go around, children were often fed Yorkshire pudding and gravy as their main meal.

The name change to Yorkshire Pudding took place in 1747. Hannah Glasse wrote a cookery book called 'The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Simple' and she is credited for having changed the name.

Yorkshire puddings were traditionally made in a large tin, today many prefer individual-sized puddings, which are made in special 4-hole tins. In Northern England, some pubs serve individual puddings with onion gravy as a light snack.

 
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Blackburn's festival and events programme

Blackburn has an exciting calendar of family-friendly festivals and events planned across the town centre in 2016, thanks to Blackburn BID. These festivals and events will be funded by local businesses and will complement events which are being held by Blackburn Council, Blackburn Cathedral, The Mall and Blackburn Market.

Saturday 25th June will see a flower theme take over the streets with a day filled with family activities and the return of 'Countryside comes to Town' featuring CBeebies favourite, Mr Bloom. This event was a finalist in last year's Lancashire Tourism awards and attracted over 76,000 visitors to the town. This year will also feature a pop up farm yard, travelling insect circus museum, 30 foot sleeping pig, the BID summer bash, and an evening programme of home grown talent. The event will be officially opened by The Great British Bake Off winner, Nadiya Hussain.

Blackburn Cathedral Flower Festival runs from 23rd - 26th June, and main sponsor the BID are hosting a Friday night twilight event. 'The Secret Garden' will include a licenced bar and live music where visitors will be able to enjoy cocktails, wine and speciality beers amongst stunning floral displays.

The Easter trail around the shops will be launched by Plucky the Hen, and takes place between 12th March and 1st April, when a dozen 3 foot giant chocolate eggs will be hidden across Blackburn with a series of clues. The star prize will be an edible 3 foot jewel-encrusted golden egg and £500 worth of shopping vouchers to spend in town centre businesses.

Saturday 23rd April is St George's Day, and visitors will be invited to follow the dragons trail to see live street theatre and musical performances with human size puppet actors from different internationally acclaimed production companies. 'Here Be Dragons' includes shows in The Mall, Blackburn Market and on the Cathedral grounds, and feature a visit by the Thwaites Shire Horses, the distribution of roses by the Royal Society of St George, clog dancing, a town crier, roundabouts, rides and street food stalls.

Sunday 9th October is Steam Sunday. Local specialists, Heritage Painting bring together a convoy of enthusiasts from across the county, who showcase their personal collection of steam powered vehicles from the workshops in Darwen to Blackburn town centre.

BID Manager, Harriet Roberts who is organising the events explained, ''The festival programme is part of a five year business plan to market the town and attract new visitors by animating the spaces with high quality, vibrant events. We're keen to move people around the town to experience some of the independent specialist shops a stone's throw away from the main centre. There is also a will to extend the daytime events into the evening by experimenting with twilight activities to encourage dwell time beyond 5pm.''

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This week's golf round-up!

John P Stirs Up a Storm!

Saturday saw a small break in the rain which favoured the low handicap players in the gale force winds but despite recording the lowest gross of 68 John Berry (8) was relegated to third place in the individual medal competition; John Parkinson (10) recording a net 59 to take the honours; tied on nett 60 along with John Berry was playing partner Tony Cross (12) who chipped in twice for birdies to take second spot. John did however take a share of the two's on the first and recorded another two birdies on his card. His downfall was the seventeenth where it took him seven shots to complete the hole after successfully finding the fairway with his drive.

In the doubles, early starters Wayne Iverson (4) along with John Welch (14) again recorded a creditable 37 points. Phil Ryan (15) and Peter Fox (14) recorded 34 points as did Paul Clegg and John Whittaker.

2016 Women's Daily Mail Foursomes Competition

The draw for the first round of the 2016 women's Daily Mail Foursomes competition has been completed and Mytton Fold Golf Club has been given a bye through to the second round. The first round matches are due to be played by Sunday 20th March. The club will be sent details of the second round draw shortly after that.

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The real taste of Lancashire

Lancashire has so much more to offer than hotpot and black pudding - even though they are delicious. Is a county of taste and is home to some of the nation's finest food producers, chefs and traditional brewers. It is famed far and wide for its traditional produce and dishes, here's some to get those taste bud tingling.....

Lancashire Cheeses: Most are familiar with the tangy crumbly Lancs, but there are also tasty and creamy varieties of this premier food produce. It's made from the milk of cows raised on rich pastures of the county and the art of cheese-making in Lancashire goes back centuries. Today's cheese-makers can all be found in and around the Forest of Bowland and many are family businesses stretching back three or four generations, meaning the art of cheese-making has passed down through time.

Lancashire Hotpot: A dish which has warmed the hearts and filled the stomachs of Lancastrians for generations. It is named after the brown dish used to slowly bake in the oven. The main ingredients are neck of lamb, onions and potatoes, which come together to produce a steaming, savoury delight. It is best served with pickled red cabbage. Hotpot suppers are still popular at many social events around the county.

Lancashire Black Pudding: Dating back from Roman times, Lancashire black pudding has become a popular delicacy, pudding makers guard their secret recipes closely. Competition is fierce and awards for pudding making highly prized. Black pudding can be found on many menus throughout Lancashire - often as a starter and on the plate of any self-respecting English breakfast.

Goosnargh Chicken: The picturesque village of Goosnargh sits on the edge of the Ribble Valley. For 30 years local farmers Johnson and Swarbrick have been producing their top quality, corn-fed poultry, which can be found at many eateries throughout Lancashire.

Morecambe Bay Shrimps: Another historic Lancashire dish which is great as a starter for any meal. The brown shrimps are harvested by the hardy fishermen of Morecambe Bay, who brave its wild and treacherous sands for the world's finest seafood. The shrimps are then potted to create a buttery, full-flavoured dish that's as breathtaking as the spectacular coastline it comes from.

Sarsaparilla: Once a very popular non-alcoholic drink, similar to root-beer is brewed to a secret recipe. The teetotal movement has its origins in Lancashire and Sarsaparilla was served in temperance bars across the county. The last one still exists in Rawtenstall.

Pendle Witches Brew: Created in honour of the famous Lancashire witches of Pendle Hill by a local brewer - Moorhouses. This hand-pumped beer has a touch of magic and is served in pubs across the county.

Lancaster Bomber: Created in Blackburn by independent brewers Daniel Thwaites, is a real winner with its chestnut-coloured, full-flavoured beer. It shot to fame in 2015 when Lancashire cricket legend Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff endorsed it during the Ashes series.

There are many award-winning rural restaurants to enjoy throughout Lancashire, you'll soon come across an historic inn or majestic country hotel serving up great food. They pride themselves on using the finest, local ingredients to create delicious, home-cooked dishes.

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Dog Friendly Lancashire

Did you know, Lancashire is one of the most dog-friendly places to visit in the UK. Maybe its being able to take to our coast and hills for fresh-air fun with your dog or that we have some of the best outdoor activities around.

It isn't any wonder that many of our visitors return year after year and are now staying for longer breaks and holidays with their dogs because a day visiting Lancashire, just isn't long enough!

Most dog owners will know the common struggle of accommodation providers being unable to cater for pets. Here at Mytton Fold Hotel, we are dog-friendly! We understand how important it is to have your canine friend stay with you and to both be comfortable. This we can promise during your stay. We have a selection of dog-friendly bedrooms which all have patio doors which open up straight onto our courtyard garden - perfect for those muddy paws. In your room you will find a dog bed and treats plus a doggy pack waiting for you to ensure you make the most of your time with us.

 With the flat plains in the west through to the rugged moorland of the Forest of Bowland  and on to the west Pennine Moors in the east, there is no shortage of choice for places to walk your dog. You'll also get a warm Lancashire welcome at almost all our pubs, with many allowing dogs indoors as well as outdoors, with water bowl provided and maybe even a treat or two.

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Warming Winter Breakfasts

To celebrate 'Breakfast Week' we thought we would share with you some breakfast ideas to warm up these chilly winter mornings!

Porridge, it's the ultimate winter warmer at breakfast time. The oats are not only a strong nutritional source but there is lots of choice for different flavours too! Why not try:

Marbled fruity yoghurt

Chocolate orange

Cranberry spice

Hot drinks are another way to warm up your winter mornings, but they don't offer the same nutrients which healthy breakfasts do. A couple of alternative hot drinks for you to try are:

Hot chocolate and raspberry shake

Warm porridge smoothie

Then, there's always the family favourite...toast! A couple of different options to try are:

Roast tomato rubbed toast

Smoked salmon and egg brunch

Chutney toast with scrambled egg

Whether your favourite breakfast choice is hot or cold, make sure it is part of your morning routine - its the most important meal of the day!

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This Week's Golf Round-Up

This Weeks Competition
Playing on the winter course with temporary greens due to the recent sub-zero temperatures, the scoring was unexpectedly very high in Saturday's medal competition. Two players were tied on nett 54, Gary Aldred and Steve Worral. Gary emerged the winner and retains top spot on the order of merit table. Steve Worrall would have had a much lower score had he not recorded a TEN on the tenth hole, followed by a birdie two on the 11th. Don't feel too bad for him, as his scooped the 'Two's Pot!' Third was Keith Fitzhenry with a nett 57.
In the doubles, early starters Phil Hammond and Peter Main, recorded 39 points, matching fellow big hitters Wayne Ivinson and John Welch, with Paul Clegg and John Whittaker close behind with 38 points, the same score as Club Captain Nick Avino and Martin Holden.

Quiz and Pre-Season Get Together
Don't forget that Friday 5th February sees the Pre-Season Get-Together and Quiz starting at 7.30pm. Teams of four (maximum) and an entry fee of just £10 per team. All proceeds are in aid of the Captains' charity, Anxiety UK, so come along for a light-hearted fun evening and contribute to a great cause. It would be very helpful if you could indicate your intention to bring along a team (or teams!) by completing the list on the Club's Noticeboard. This will help us in planning for the evening.

Charity of the Year!
Published in the latest Anxiety UK newsletter, Captain, Nick Avino and Ladies Captain, Tarja Wilson explain how events and fundraising will raise funds and awareness of Anxiety at Mytton Fold Golf Club.
'Golf Club captains ''Pitch'' in for Anxiety UK.
Anxiety UK is delighted to have been chosen as the Captain's Charity for the year by both the Men's and Ladies' Captains of Mytton Fold Golf Club for 2016.
Nick Avino (Men's Captain) and Tarja Wilson (Ladies' Captain) will be organising a series of fundraising events during the course of their tenure at the Mytton Fold Golf Club, and will use the opportunity to not only raise funds for Anxiety UK but also to raise awareness of who we are, the services we offer and how important these are to those experiencing anxiety.
Anxiety UK Chief Executive Nicky Lidbetter said: 'We are delighted that Nick and Tarja have both chosen Anxiety UK as their nominated charity during their year as respective captains at Mytton Fold Golf Club. It is a wonderful gesture and we look forward to working with them both to maximise and promote the good work we do.''

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National Pie Day

Saturday 23rd January 2016 is National Pie Day and what better way to celebrate than sharing the recipe of a Lancashire favourite - the Butter Pie!
Butter Pie is also known as Catholic pie or Friday pie, and is an age-old dish, from around the Chorley and Preston area or, for the non-Lancastrians, a potato pie.

Details
Cooking Time: 30-60 mins
Cuisine: Other
Main Ingredient: Potato
Preparation Time: 30-60 mins
Serves: 4+

Ingredients
For the pastry:
225g/8oz Plain flour
50g/2oz Butter, salted or unsalted, you can adjust to taste at the table
50g/2oz Lard, vegetable fat, or dripping
A pinch of salt, if used, and white pepper
Ice cold water
For the filling:
3 Large potatoes - a King Edward/Maris Piper type
1 Large onion
50g/8oz Butter, plus 100g/4oz for softening the onions

Method
1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and stir in the butter and lard (I tried with all butter and found this microwaved really well, about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on the wattage, for each quarter of a pie).
Using your fingertips, or a fork, incorporate in the butter until it resembles fine crumbs, then drizzle in just enough cold water to make the pastry form a ball, pop into a plastic bag, press out the air, and leave in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, peel the three large potatoes and the onion, cut the potato into thick slices, a little thicker than a pound coin, and the onion in to half rings. Parboil the potatoes until they are just soft but still holding their shape, about 8-10 minutes. Saute the onions, over a low heat, in the butter until soft, but not browned, as this will spoil the end flavour.
3. Roll out about two thirds of the pastry, to line a pie dish, and trim the edges.
4. Drain the potatoes, let the steam leave the pan, then, in the lined pie dish, layer the potatoes, onions and butter flakes, season with salt and pepper and top off with the rolled remains of the pastry, 'stab' the top to make air vents.
5. Bake at 180 degrees for about half an hour until golden, and serve immediately, with pickled red cabbage.

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North West Air Ambulance Charity

For over 15 years the North West Air Ambulance Charity has provided the rapid pre-hospital care needed to make a life changing difference. They operate three helicopters, flying 365 days a year with doctors and paramedics on board providing emergency medical treatment when time is critical.

Anyone, of any age, anywhere may one day need their care. Because they can avoid problems of distance and congestion, they're never further than 10 minutes to the nearest hospital in the region. However, it is the speed in which they can travel to the region's specialist trauma hospitals that can make a life changing difference. Trauma patients need to receive treatment quickly in order to prevent death or long-term disability.

In the cases of major trauma, minutes can make a difference in terms of survival and early recovery. Working closely with the North West Ambulance Service, their advanced trauma team of doctors and paramedics can provide effective treatment within the vital minutes after an injury or severe illness.

This often requires their doctors and paramedics to stabilise a patient's condition, undertaking an initial assessment and often delivering early lifesaving treatment. Information then can be fed directly to the designated trauma hospital, saving seconds when you or a loved one need it the most.

Whether flying to the North West's busy motorways, remote countryside or city centres, they cover 5,500 square miles and provide an urgent lifesaving service to the 8 million people of the North West and its visitors each year.

You never know when you will need them, and as a charity they are reliant on the generosity of the people like you, to keep their helicopters flying.

As a hotel, we are proud to support The North West Air Ambulance Charity and have recently made a donation of £145.00 from selling North West Air Ambulance Bears. These bears are available from reception.

For all the latest news, visit our Website, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Golf

The breath taking backdrop of the Ribble Valley and Pendle Hill makes playing our 18 hole par 70 course an unforgettable experience. The course is laid into the hillside above the hotel and the reward of the game is to enjoy the stunning views over the Ribble Valley from all over the course. This is the icing on the cake to a great round of golf at Mytton Fold.

A new fleet of buggies will help to make your golf more relaxing and with their on board, innovative and exciting GPS satellite range-finder facility, you can see the distances to the front, middle and back of the greens, Our all-weather buggy tacks around the course, mean they are never out of play!

The 19th hole is a relaxing lounge bar serving wholesome bar meals, drinks and snacks - with a wide choice of options so you can mix and match as you wish.

With a great three star hotel as part of the complex, it's a perfect time to get together with friends and colleagues for a couple of games of golf, a convivial dinner in the restaurant and a relaxing overnight stay with breakfast.

Mytton Fold Wedding Fair

Our annual Wedding Fair was held on Sunday 10th January 2016 and even the overnight flooding didn't put anyone off. Our wonderful recommended suppliers arrived from 9am and ensured their stalls looked too tempting to miss.

There was:

Andrew's Carriage Masters

Andrew Whalley Photographer

Happy Days

Your Dream Dress

Love Sweet Things

Hayley Louise Photography

Victoria Flower Shop

Fresh Perspective Brides

Roland Hailwood

All-Track DJ Promotions

Coach House Limousines

Gavin Young

Winstanley's Morning Wear

Abbey Promotions

Stems Floral Design

Whalley The Chocolatiers

Grande Touche by Guy Porteous

Cooljoolz

Our Abbey Suite looked fantastic and we were ready to go when the doors opened at 11am. Each couple received a goody bag which was filled with special offers and even chocolate! 

We had lots of lovely couples join us for the day along with their bridal parties, family and friends. It was lovely to see everyone and there was certainly a buzz around Mytton Fold. But, before we knew it, time had reached 3pm and it was time for us to close our doors and reflect on such a great day.

If you were unable to make our wedding fair and see our stunning, award-winning, family run hotel you can book a show-round appointment with our wedding co-ordinators at any time.

For more information, please visit our website and Facebook.

Happy New Year!

A double celebration was held at Mytton Fold Golf Club on the 31st. As well as bringing in the New Year with fellow members, we also celebrated Jim Bridge's 70th Birthday. A fantastic night was had by all, continuing into the early hours for those that could keep up, meaning the course was nearly empty on New Years Day. Credit and many thanks go to Jan Van Boeckel, Carole Maher, Nigel Fairhurst, Dave Griffiths and especially Lady Captain Elect, Brenda Griffiths for organising a superb night.

Lady Captain Elect, Brenda said: ''On behalf of myself, Jan, Carole and Nigel, a big thank you to everyone who supported the New Year's Eve party. Without that support the night would not have been such a success. I personally would like to thank my husband, Dave, for all this efforts in making the props and 'propping me up' all the way. I am overwhelmed by the feedback and can't thank you all enough for coming along and joining in with the fun.

Happy New Year to you and yours, let's hope 2016 is kind to us all!''

Tourists Predicted Spend in 2016

Visit Britain have predicted that tourism spend will hit a record high in 2016 and forecasts that overseas visitors will spend £23 billion this year, which is a 4.2% increase on last year. 2015 finished with a spend of £22 billion by overseas visitors.

2015 saw 35.4 million visitors to Britain, and they expect this to rise to 36.7 million this year. It looks like we are back on track to reach 42 million visitors by 2020.

Sally Balcombe, Chief Executive of Visit Britain said: ''Everything we do it motivated by the goal to add value to the tourism industry by building our competitive tourism offer and driving economic growth and jobs across all our nations and regions, so that the benefits of tourism are felt across the whole of Britain. We are competing in a tough international environment and these results highlight how strongly the tourism sector, one of the UK's fastest growing export industries, has performed and how the Government's tourism strategy, supported by the 'Great' campaign, is producing results.''

Visit Britain claims to have generated an extra £2.5 billion in visitor spends over the last four years through it's marketing campaigns.

The main focus for Visit Britain this year is to promote England's natural beauty through its Year of the Great English Garden, promote Wales' Year of Adventure, and showcase Northern Ireland's cuisine with the Year of Food and Drink, while Scotland celebrates a Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.

I wonder how many visitors we will get to the beautiful Ribble Valley this year.

To find our more, visit our Website and Facebook pages.

Obsession Food Festival 16

Each January, Northcote holds its annual food festival - Obsession. It has become a homage to the finest food and wine since it was established in 2001, and is now renowned as one of Europe's premier gastronomic events where guest chefs, travel from around the world to host an evening.

Each chef has an evening to take over the Northcote kitchen and challenge themselves to produce a unique Obsession menu for that evening's guests, which is a showcase for great chefs, a celebration of great food and wine, and a meeting of friends. A must for all Obsession chefs is to create a dish that is meticulous in construction and a feast for all the senses.

Obsession, now in its 16th year, grows and grows each year. Not only does it see guest chefs from around the world, it also brings guests to the Ribble Valley from far and wide and we just love showing them what we have to offer.

Obsession 16 looks set to top last year with a total of 16 evenings planned and a wide range of cuisines to please all taste buds including, Modern French, British, Italian, Indian, South African and Polish, Japanese Haute, Peruvian and Mexican with flavours from Asia and the Mediterranean.