The Biddulph Ramblers

This brand new destination is in the Scottish Borders, in Dumfries and Galloway. The distance from Biddulph to Dumfries is 180 miles via the M6 and A75. The only part of the journey which could be considered onerous is the M6 as far as J21A, the intersection with the M62. From here, northwards, the volume of traffic begins to reduce significantly and from J33 for Lancaster, the traffic is normally very light indeed for the scenic journey past the Eastern Fells of The Lake District and over Shap Summit.

If you do not fancy the drive, several members have already indicated that they are very interested in Dumfries and are willing to offer to car share. The hotel is The Cairndale Hotel which has good reports on Trip Advisor. However, as Scotland is quite sparsely populated in The Borders Region, hotels which can take groups are few and far between and this is reflected in the price. The price of the holiday would be £110-00pp per night in a twin or double room and £115-00pp per night in a single. The hotel is able to offer 6 singles, which is more than any other hotel in the area which can accommodate a reasonably sized group.

We would also need to add a very small supplement to cover gratuities but this would not exceed £5-00pp for the whole holiday.

This is a unique opportunity to visit an area where we have never been before and from the guidebooks, there are plenty of walking opportunities available. On route to Dumfries, we could meet at Lochma Read more
Group Biddulph Group
Hotel website https://www.cairndalehotel.co.uk/

I have provisionally secured a booking at the Derwentwater Hotel, Keswick, for 2 nights, from Saturday 20th March to Monday 22nd March 2027.

The Derwentwater Hotel is a charming 3-star country house hotel set in the picturesque village of Portinscale, just outside Keswick in the heart of the Lake District National Park. Situated in 15 acres of beautiful gardens, the hotel lies on the shores of Derwentwater where guests can enjoy the glorious abundance of nature. A gentle stroll through the manicured gardens will take you to the majestic shores of Derwentwater where you can fully take in “The Queen of the Lakes”.

Following a multimillion-pound refurbishment, the property features a new restaurant and a conservatory with lake views.
The cost of the holiday is £114 per person. I have reserved all rooms on a half board basis, which will include a full English Breakfast and a four course evening meal. Also included is a complimentary drink with dinner.

As in all hotels, the number of single rooms is unlikely to meet the demand. With this in mind please book early to avoid disappointment.

To book, you need to do two things:

1. Please pay a deposit of £20.00 per person, by bank transfer, to:

Biddulph Group RCN 1093577
Sort Code: 60-83-01
A/C: 20318248
Ref: Derwent & Your surname

2. Contact me to confirm that deposit payment has been made, and to reserve the room type of your choice, from the lis Read more
Group Biddulph Group

Biddulph Ramblers An Unexpected Holiday Opportunity For 2027

In 2023, about 50 of us had a lovely holiday in Tenby staying at the excellent Giltar Hotel overlooking the South Beach and Caldey Island. Many people had said that they would love to goback but on every occasion that I contacted the hotel, I was told that they could only offer five-night stays because they were doing weddings at the weekend.

Last week, I spent a few nights in the area staying in nearby Manorbier. On three nights, I went into Tenby to have dinner at The Giltar. The food was excellent and no more expensive than at other pubs and restaurants in the area. I was fortunate to meet up with Jo who was working on reception. She is the lady who deals with the coach bookings so I thought I would have one final try to see if I could negotiate a seven-night stay.

Success. She has offered us a seven-night holiday for 51 people from Sunday May 9th 2027 on a half board basis with entertainment included on two nights.

The price of the hotel has increased quite considerably partly because they now charge a slightly higher rate for Fridays and Saturdays when they usually do weddings. In addition to this we will no longer have "the run of the hotel" like last time. When we went in 2023, they charged the same price for everyone and I simply provided the hotel with a list of names and Read more
Group Biddulph Group
Number of bookings 31