I only went and ran 26.2 miles….

What a day.

Firstly, thank you SO MUCH to EVERYONE who has kindly sponsored Jonathan and myself. We set an ambitious target of raising £2620 for the wonderful Air Ambulance. We (with your kind help and support) absolutely SMASHED IT, with the target at over £2800 currently, with still a couple more sponsorships to come in. This is superb. It means such a lot to me and the charity.

So….onto today…..we only went and bloody did it. 26.2 miles in a time of 4h22 which we are both thrilled with. What an achievement. It’s amazing what you can push your body to do. Well done Jonny, and a pat on the back for me.

Feel emotionally, physically and mentally drained. Have showered and had a cup of tea, and starting to relax now.

Thanks to my parents, the Horsfall’s and the Appleton’s for the encouragement (and banners) along the route. Your support was greatly received.

It’s right to not take my shiny medal or my new t-shirt off all week isn’t it?…..

So very proud of my journey of the last few years with my weight, and over the last 8 months with my fitness. Sorry for all boring updates over my training on social media. I promise not to bombard you anymore.

Thanks to everyone who tweeted, text, whatsapped, FaceTimed, called, emailed etc today and over the weekend. You’re all fab.

More importantly, thank you on behalf of The Air Ambulance Charity.

God bless you all

Xx

The Art of Great Hospitality

Unless you live under a rock, or have been in space for the last five years or so, you will know that I (proudly) work with the Pride of Britain Hotels collection of hotels. I’m generally shouting about them on my social media channels, representing them at consumer shows up and down the country, or possibly even pushing a newsletter or directory of the hotels under your nose (sorry!). I am lucky to have visited all of the hotels within the collection and am extremely passionate about what they offer. I’d like to think I am a great ambassador for the Pride.

The collection is known for its ‘Art of Great Hospitality’ – something that I regularly witness when I visit the hotels. Over the last 7 days I have visited hotels in London, the Yorkshire Dales (See image below the proud owner of Yorebridge House Hotel which is one of our newest PoB members), The Lakes and even Scotland – and they have not failed to deliver on the exceptional (genuine) service you would expect to receive from such a collection. I am a great believer that hospitality is not really something that can be taught – but something that comes natural to a person. It’s about having the genuine willingness to help and assist the guests. I have first hand witnessed the teams going above and beyond, leaving a lasting impression with guests, which of course will most likely mean the guests will return time and time again (what every hotelier wants).

We are lucky to have about 4,000 committed, professional individuals working in the Pride of Britain Hotels (of which there are now 48 – see here) all over the UK – all endorsing and demonstrating ‘The Art of Great Hospitality’.

I have felt immensely proud and ‘buzzed’ from my most recent visits to the hotels, a feeling that I can only imagine the majority of the guests departing the hotels also feel.

Well done Team PoB. Keep up the exceptional work.

Did I mention the hotels are stunning too! Here’s a shot I took today at Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire. Beautiful. Apparently the sun always shines there….

 

Another Great Show

Last week I had the pleasure of representing Pride of Britain Hotels at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, as I have done for the last couple of years. As always, it was a wonderful week. The long days and tiring heat were made easier with the company of the wonderful PoB members that joined me on the stand; the great co-exhibitors which became my ‘family’ for the week; and of course the wonderful public that took out time to come and chat. It’s not difficult talking to people about something I have so much belief in, and so much passion about. I am a very lucky individual indeed.

Those that know me, will appreciate how hot the show must have been in the week, for me to actually lose my jacket – the heat inside the pavilion was certainly no for the faint hearted. I made sure I had my Pride of Britain silver pin badge on my waistcoat though (as always) so normal brand awareness standards remained in place!

Next week sees me do it all over again at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show. Why not come and say hello if you are visiting. We will be with our friends in the Country Living Pavillion.

Why did it take me nearly 40 years to visit!!??

I am embarrassed to say that up until mid-2016 I had never ventured north of the border into Scotland. Then a client of mine started some projects in Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen, and before I knew it I was becoming a bit of regular visitor.

I also enjoyed a holiday in September 2016 to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula (West Coast) for a week – and experienced the true beauty of Scotland. I had a fantastic time, and thought this couldn’t be beaten, that was until recently when I made a 500+mile trip to visit The Torridon hotel (Pride of Britain Hotels) in the Scottish Highlands. I was blessed with the weather for my whole trip, so I got to see the scenery at its best – but cannot believe there is a more beautiful place in the British Isles than here.

The Torridon

Bedroom Views don’t get much better than this…

Breath-taking views; still lochs; snow topped mountains; an abundance of wildlife; stunning sunsets – and above all, complete tranquillity. I have never been anywhere so relaxing. There was something satisfying about not being able to download emails whilst hundreds of feet up a mountain. After all, you wouldn’t want it to disturb the enjoyment of listening to the gentle trickle of water through the hills, or the occasional cuckoo.

The British Isles has some wonderful locations – but this area of Scotland, has to top it for me. Will I be back?…..without a doubt!