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!

To find our more about our Breakfast Award, visit our website and like our Facebook

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.

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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.