Glenaldor House

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Well Summer has lapsed into Autumn and Winter is almost upon us again!!

Since moving to Glenaldor House in November 09 we have experienced 2 of the coldest winters on record for the region and if I never see another frozen or burst water pipe again it will be too soon. Thank goodness we had a good and reliable plumber on hand to help us out.

Temperatures in January and February 2009 and 2010 reached a low of an incredible -20C for long periods and given the average temperature over the last 50 years for this time is -4C it really shows how cold it was! The last time we saw temperatures like these were in 1995. The coldest recorded temperature for this area was -25C in January 1940, here’s hoping we can have a normal if not milder winter this time around.

Confidence in normal average Winter temperatures would have been pretty low if believing the recent media reports of another terrible winter, however I was glad to read reports from the long range weather forecasters that although it may be colder than average the predicted Snowmaggeddon may not materialise. In fact recent media reports of widespread snow during October have been unfounded and long may it continue.

Lets hope that the weathermen and not the media have got it right and we can get through the Winter without too much hassle.

Roll on the Spring!!!

David

Glenaldor House

In my previous blogs on “Peter Pan” I wrote about J.M.Barrie having lived in the house next door to our Bed and Breakfast in Victoria Terrace and how there is an engraved sandstone plaque to commemorate his time there.

On my next blog on the subject I described how a group of local enthusiasts from Dumfries got together and formed “The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust”. Their timely intervention was instrumental in stopping the demolition of Moat Brae House which is where J.M Barrie played as a youngster and dreamed up his adventures for the writing of Peter Pan.

The latest piece of good news is that after 3 years of campaigning agreement has been reached to site an 11 foot wooden artwork statue in the town to honour the writer, in August this year.

The statue will be officially unveiled by none other than the renowned actress Joanna Lumley. Hopefully this will become another significant tourist attraction in Dumfries and perhaps the mainstay of various places in Dumfries that can be associated with J M Barrie’s time in the town.

Please feel free to contact me – info@glenaldorhouse.co.uk or www.glenaldorhouse.co.uk if I can be of help with any further information

Would you believe it!! Thanks to Radio 1 choosing Carlisle for this year’s Big Weekend the Cumbrian capital will host on stage such illustrious names as Lady Ga Ga, The Foo Fighters, The Black Eyed Peas, The Strokes and many, many more.

Ticket hungry fans jammed the online booking system at an incredible 300 applications per SECOND when the lines opened at 08.15 on April 1st. It is estimated that over half a million people will apply for the 10,000 pairs of tickets available for each day. The tickets are free and everyone can apply before the closing date of April 7th when the big ballot commences to determine the lucky people who will get tickets.

Without doubt accommodation in and around Carlisle will be hard to come by so if you are one of the very lucky people to get tickets why not travel over the border to Bonnie Scotland and enjoy some of the best the South West of Scotland has to offer whilst also enjoying the festival.

Glenaldor House and many other top quality accommodation providers are within a 5 minutes walk of Dumfries train station and with a return ticket costing only £5.50 for the 30 minute trip, it may be a good alternative for your travel plans.

Please feel free to contact us on www.glenaldorhouse.co.uk or info@glenaldorhouse.co.uk if you would like further information.

Congratulations to Dumfries for becoming the first town in Scotland to start a Public, easy accessible, and user friendly Bike Hire Scheme – Bike2 Go.

The initiative is looking to promote fitness and greener travel in and around the town and it certainly looks like a great opportunity for locals and visitors alike.

The bikes will initially be available at various key locations throughout the town and surrounding areas including the Railway Station and the DG1 leisure centre (both less than 5 minutes walk from Glenaldor House).

Hiring seems to be very easy and can be done through the internet or by simply calling 01387 280042 with your credit / debit card details. You will be given a customer ID and pin number which you can then use to release your bike from any of the hire a bike hub locations, another good idea is that when you are finished you can then leave your bike at any of the other key designated areas.

In terms of residents of Dumfries research has shown that 68% of journeys in the town are less than 5 miles making the bike2 go initiative a viable alternative for lots of locals to use a bike for some of their journeys.

For the visitors to Dumfries we have an extensive traffic free cycle network, connecting many of the town’s key locations, therefore it seems like an ideal way to get out and about to explore the town. The cost for visitors also seems very reasonable at £10.00 for a day ticket (with discount for more than 1 bike) and £6.00 for a half day ticket.

Well done Dumfries for the forward thinking and here’s hoping that both locals and visitors use the bikes regularly to ensure the scheme enjoys the success it deserves.

If you need further info on the scheme please visit www.gosmartdumfries.org.uk/bike2go or feel free to contact me at info@glenaldorhouse.co.uk if I can help with further info.

David Irving Glenaldor House Bed and Breakfast www.glenaldorhouse.co.uk

The former Girvan Cycle Race and widely regarded as one of the most prestigious events on the British Cycle Calendar has been relocated to Dumfries for 2010. The 3 day race will be run as the “Tour Doon Hame” and all the details for the event can be found at www.wallacehillevents.info

The race is being staged over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, Sat 3^rd to Mon 5^th April with a stage starting each of the 3 days at the Dock Park Dumfries. The cyclists will cover distances of between 75 and 100 miles on each day which will take them on some scenic routes throughout Dumfries and Galloway taking in some small towns and villages which will allow spectators to get a great view of some of Britain and Europe’s top riders.

The race has attracted over 120 top riders from as far afield as Poland and Holland and includes some exciting teams such as Global Cycling, Endura Racing and many more.

If you are in or around Dumfries over the Easter break it is certainly worth seeing.