Variety is the Spice of Life!

Well, it seems an age since I last ‘blogged’ and things have been extremely busy.

Alongside organising the Open Evening for Drybeck Farm (www.drybeckfarm.co.uk) as an opportunity for people to look around this ‘idyll’, I am very excited as I am working with a brand new national business which is based in Lazonby and soon to be launched in Cumbria and then rolled out nationally.  More of that later!

In my role as Business Ambassador for Eden District Council, I have become part of the team working on a bid for some of the Mary Portas pilot money to improve the high streets.  Now, many would say (and I am one of them!) that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with Penrith high street in its current form – but the formulation of a bid has given EDC, Adrian Lochhead, Peter Ward (and SO many others) the chance to identify and develop innovative schemes to increase footfall to the town and create a real ‘buzz’ about the place.  There is a ‘pot’ of £1.2 million pounds provided by the Government which will be allocated to 12 towns – £100,000 each – and, apparently, there are approximately 300 applications in.  Our Eden applications include Appleby, Alston & Kirkby Stephen – and all bids, I believe, will be ‘viewable’ via YouTube.  The deadline for bids is 31st March – so here’s hoping!!

Also in my role as BA, I have somehow ended up on the Shadow Board preparing the plans for the Penrith Business Improvement District.  The exact area of the B I D has been finalised and will soon be available for businesses to consider.

On Thursday 15th March, I was invited to visit The Butchers Arms at Crosby Ravensworth.  The pub is piloting a scheme whereby the local pubs could be utilised for lunch clubs for the more senior of our citizens.  As I mentioned in a previous post, we are very aware that the rural pubs are struggling in the current climate – to this end I am still looking to organise an event for publicans to get together with Pub is the Hub, and to share diversification and marketing ideas which would enable them to continue in business in our communities.

Personally, it is still a worrying time until my Dad gets his results (see earlier post) but in the absence, to date, of an ‘all clear’, the greatest ‘feel good’ moment in the past two weeks was an email from Sarah Graham at Arragon Cycles (www.arragons.com) …… the contents of which … well I think I shall save that for my next post!

See you then x