Chester Town Hall, located next to our hotel Chester to reopen on Saturday after £2m of improvement

RESTORATION work costing £2m has made Chester Town Hall a venue for concerts and weddings and a museum to add to the existing Chester attractions.

On Saturday, the 140-year-old gothic building will reopen after two years of repairs on the roof and stonework, installation of a lift and toilets and refurbishment of the visitor centre.

After being the ceremonial headquarters of Chester City Council, the conversion will make the building a quality cultural and civic centre at the heart of our historic city.

The opening marks the end of phase one of work on the town hall which will not be entirely finished until next winter.

Cllr Richard Short, executive member for culture and recreation, said: “When the work programme is complete – probably during winter next year – the Town Hall will play a leading and vibrant part in the cultural life of the city.

“It is also a vital ingredient in our plan to provide the quality of facilities required for our bid to become UK City of Culture in 2017.

“Whilst we are reopening to the public on Saturday, it may become necessary in the future to close temporally to allow for further stages of the work.”

Phase two later this year will involve the conversion of the council chamber to provide a high quality venue for civic events, receptions and galas. This will hopefully encourage a stay in Chester at our Chester central hotel with all the guests descending on such events.

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress’s parlours will have a high quality refurbishment and the committee room transformed into a high quality museum designed to portray Chester’s long and distinguished civic history.

The Assembly Rooms, which form the heart of the building and can accommodate an audience of 400, will become a small scale concert and recital venue, complementing the larger scale Cathedral and proposed new theatre.

This phase of the work, due to take place by April 2011, will also include improvements to the stage, seating and dressing room facilities and enhanced catering facilities.

Use of the former court and magistrates room as a unique themed café area, with the potential to stage heritage and cultural activities, is currently being investigated.

Restoration to the façade will be complemented by an architectural lighting scheme and public realm works in the Town Hall square.

The newly refurbished Town Hall will resound with the sound of music next week as the city welcomes back the regular lunchtime concerts.

The Chester Federation of Arts presents a piano recital by Manchester artist Laura Hibberd on Tuesday (June 8) at 12.45pm.

The programme, played on the Assembly Room Steinway grand piano, will range from Mozart to Debussy.

The federation has arranged concerts in the Assembly Room for the past 40 years.

Source:  Chester Chronicle

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Scones at dawn: Cornwall and Devon clash over where the ‘cream tea’ was invented

Our b&b Chester has learnt that a farmer has launched a campaign to win ‘geographical protection’ for Devon cream teas - sparking a row with Cornish rivals about which county invented it.

Langage Farm manager Paul Winterton says he is hoping to win the backing of the Department for Food and Rural Affairs to take the proposal to the EU.
If he succeeds, the traditional afternoon combination of tea, scones, clotted cream and jam will become a protected brand. Our bed & breakfast Chester will certainly have a vested interest in these developments.

The regional exclusivity encompassed by EU Protected Designation of Origin is already enjoyed by Melton Mowbray pork pies in Leicestershire, and Newcastle Brown Ale.
This means it would be illegal to sell one under that name using spray cream, or if any ingredients were not made in Devon.

The cream tea already divides Cornwall and Devon, which differ regarding the order in which the ingredients are added together.

The Devon method is to split the scone in two, cover each half with clotted cream, and then add strawberry jam on top.

In Cornwall, the scone is first spread with strawberry jam, with the cream added as the topping.

Mr Winterton said: ‘There is no doubt the cream tea was first made in Devon. Of course the Cornish would claim that theirs is superior. But the truth is that Devon has been producing the ultimate cream tea for centuries.

‘[The Cornish] are just worried because it is obvious our county set the standard when it comes to the cream tea. It’s a compliment really.

‘There are differences between the two in the way they are put together but the most significant difference is in the quality of the ingredients.

‘I feel people are being short-changed. I have seen Devon cream teas with cream from a can in the Lake District, the scone was like a cake.

‘With an excellent food like the Devon cream tea, you need to know its origin. I don’t think they can refuse us. I think the placement of the ingredients is important, to distinguish it from other cream teas.’

Cream tea makers in Cornwall have reacted angrily to the idea and Mike Pearce of Cornishcream.com believes officials in Devon are simply jealous that Cornwall already has several protected products such as Cornish clotted cream and Cornish sardines.

He said yesterday: ‘There is only one cream tea, and that’s the Cornish cream tea.

‘The application should be thrown out. I don’t think Devon has the got the status that Cornwall has got for any products.’

Some historians have claimed to have found evidence of manual workers restoring Tavistock’s Benedictine Abbey in Devon being served bread, clotted cream and strawberry preserves by the monks in 1105.

However, in what could be a major blow to both counties, the UK Tea Council says the first complete cream tea was probably served in Bedford in the 19th Century.

It says the first person to serve tea, scones, jam and cream was Anna Maria Russell, Duchess of Bedford, in the mid 19th Century who served hot tea, cakes, preserves and cream to her friends.

Spokesman Bill Gorman said: ‘Devon may have problems getting protection for a Cream Tea.

‘If by definition a cream tea includes a hot cup of tea it certainly didn’t start in the 1100s.

‘Tea wasn’t served in Britain until the 17th Century and afternoon tea with cakes was first served by the Duchess of Bedford in 1841.

‘Dinner was served so late in those days she wanted an afternoon snack with her friends.’

While Devon and Cornwall fight amongst themselves, come and try the best cream teas and afternoon teas in Chester at The Coach House Hotel.
Click here for Afternoon Tea Menu

Please Continue to visit the hotel and check out our Chester Hotel Reviews

source: Daily Mail

New archdeacon of Chester appointed

Attention to all the b&bs Chester A SENIOR clergyman from County Durham is to become the new Archdeacon of Chester.

The Rev Canon Dr Michael Gilbertson is expected to begin his new role in September, succeeding Donald Allister, who is now the Bishop of Peterborough.

A former senior civil servant in the 1980s and early 1990s, Rev Gilbertson was Private Secretary to three successive Trade and Industry Secretaries before becoming a priest.

As Archdeacon of Chester, Rev Gilbertson will have pastoral and administrative responsibilities for parishes in the western half of the Diocese of Chester, which includes Wirral and the western half Cheshire.

He said: “I feel both humbled and excited at this new opportunity to serve God in the Diocese of Chester.

“This area is where I grew up, so it’s a kind of homecoming for me. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone.”

Aged 48, Rev Gilbertson is married to Jenny, 48, a solicitor, and they have two sons, Matthew, 16, and Duncan, 13.

Source: Liverpool Echo

We welcome our new Cathedral Archdeacon and new neighbour to our Hotel Chester for a pie and a pint or alternatively if you fancy a spot of golf Chester style, visit us.

Chester £1billion redevelopment plans go to consultation

PEOPLE living and working in Chester are being invited to give their views on ambitious plans for a £1bn redevelopment of part of the city. This is great news if you’re a Chester b and b.

Public consultation is to begin next Monday on a “vision document” and development framework to create a Central Business Quarter for Chester.

This is the first stage of a £1bn Cheshire West and Chester Council and Chester Renaissance project that they claim could create thousands of jobs.

The aim is to present an overall picture for the transformation of the area east of the City centre beyond the City Walls and centring around the railway station which is deemed to be ‘critical to Chester’s ambition to be a world class city.’

Regeneration director Charlie Seward said: “The NWDA identification of this area as a Strategic Employment Site provides us with a wonderful opportunity to create a development which will greatly benefit Chester, but also the Cheshire and Warrington Sub Region and the whole of the North West.

“There has been significant interest from the local business community and major regional and national investors.

“We believe that the area is a natural location for a Business District, being served by the Railway Station with its hourly links to London and Crewe and easily accessible motorway complex.”
The council said the new “Business Quarter” will provide Chester with “the opportunity to integrate world class solutions into a historic city – overcoming physical constraints, conserving sensitive assets and promoting sustainable growth”.

Council leader Mike Jones said the plans were “very exciting” although he acknowledged it would take years to bring to fruition.

He said: “We are an ambitious council and we want to see things happening.”

The proposed scheme will focus on low energy consumption, recycling and conservation techniques. Social, economic and environmental sustainability will be key principles in its design.
All will be set within new high quality planned public spaces- greens, plazas, squares gardens and activity parks, with a wide range of amenities.
The public consultation process will involve meetings with local organisations and residents; a four week exhibition at Chester Railway Station and hundreds of letters to local business and residents outlining the aims of the scheme and providing website links to the council’s draft Development Framework .

Chief executive of Chester Renaissance, Rita Waters, said: “This development will secure the future of Chester for generations to come, providing new quality employment opportunities and securing inward investment into the heart of our city.”

The development framework should be complete by July, when the council executive will be asked to endorse the final version.

Please visit us if you’re looking for a budget hotels Chester or visit Our hotel in Chester because we’re looking forward to the increased business in the City

Race Meetings provide a great stay in Chester - as observed by the Old Poacher!

Chester Races got off to a great start last week with the May Festival and sure enough despite the unusually cold weather a good time was had by all here at the Coach House and the other hotels Chester City Centre. It was really good to see old friends and new amongst the race goers. Many guests enjoyed our traditional Cheshire breakfast and others took lunch, dinner and even afternoon tea and left very satisfied with their stay in Chester.  Gianfranco also made sure there wasn’t a dry mouth in the place throughout the 3 day festival with his infamous cocktails

We were also delighted to welcome the famous jockeys Richard and Michael Hills for a short stay in Chester. Richard riding two winners on the first day so many congratulations to him. We were also pleased to see Colin and Roxanne from Newcastle who are old friends to us all at the Coach House but unfortunately due to us being full they had to stay in another hotel near Chester. Still it was good to see them and hopefully we can accommodate the in the best hotel in Chester next year.

The atmosphere was very good throughout the meeting especially on Friday evening with the visit of our old friends from Caldy Rugby Club. Charlie even sang to Annie a sight impossible to be missed from my vantage point!

This week sees the Press launch here at the Coach House for the Halfords Tour Series cycle race on 21st June which will pass right in front of quality hotel Chester.

So enough from me for now I’ll keep in touch.

13.5.2010

Of all the places to stay in Chester, could ours be the best for hopeful parents?

It’s been an exciting 12 months here at the Coach House. Firstly we became a luxury Chester city centre hotel receiving a 4 star rating from the AA, and secondly we won the Gold award for best use of local produce at the Chester Food, Drink & Lifestyle Festival. Accolades aside, we’ve also taken great pleasure in welcoming 5 beautiful bouncing babies within the year!.

In December Diana welcomed Baby Aaron, Sonja’s little girl Libby followed a few months later and in a little over 2 weeks head chef James is expecting his first child, he is yet unnamed but will surely be a well fed little boy!. It seems the baby boom isn’t just confined to the Coach House staff either, even director Neil became a grandfather recently when daughter Katherine gave birth to a tiny baby girl, Emily.
Of all the places to stay in Chester, perhaps ours is the best for hopeful parents, and maybe the real secret behind our award winning menus could be their aphrodisiac properties? (there’s only one way to find out!)

So congratulations to all our new parents at the Coach House, and let’s hope the forthcoming 12 months at our best hotel in Chester will be equally eventful.

The next installment from the ‘Old Poacher’ our hotel chester resident canine gossip mongerer!

Well we have had an interesting week at our little hotel Chester, we had a group of visitors from Castletown Rugby Club in the Isle of Man over for the Chester Tournament and they all had a great time at lunch on Friday last before taking in the Sale v Newcastle game in Stockport.

Continuing the Rugby theme one of our chefs also helped to support the St Georges Day luncheon at Burnage Rugby Club in Manchester whose members often come for our bed & breakfast Chester and once again a great time was had by all.

This week sees our hotel accommodation Chester go live on Laterooms.com which should make it easier for guests to book a hotel room Chester with us, we’ve had a fair few bookings already which has visibly excited the staff, but although this is a good step forward, customers can of course can still book directly by telephone or email.

There are moves afoot to see if we can increase our outside seating area in order to support the anticipated influx of tourists during various Chester Festivals this summer as well as providing an improved facility for visitors and our regular customers.

This week will see the first prize winner in our Chill Out Friday business card draw. The lucky winner will receive a £50 drinks account to spend over the bar. It’s not too late to get your card in the draw, just visit us between 4pm and 8pm this Friday and deposit your business card in the ice bucket for a chance to win. April’s draw will be made at 8pm in the bar but if you can’t make it before then there is always next month.  We have also increased our free nibbles on offer at Chill Out Fridays which has proved very popular with the regulars, it’s a shame I can’t get my gnashers on them, they look yummy.

Anyway it looks like it’s going to be a great summer with the Chester Racing Festival starting next week and with all of the other exiting activities taking place this year. I will keep you posted. Watch out for the marketing team’s Bank Holiday blog which should be published tomorrow to let you know all the events in Chester over the weekend.

On a final note, I am pleased to say that Chris is doing well after his stay in hospital.

Yours faithfully

Old Poacher

27.4.10.