Good Publicity

The HOTEL Magazine for March 2011 has a major feature on the whole sorry story of the delapidation of The Three Cups. Click this link and go to page 12 to read the article. Any prospective buyers are encouraged to contact John Dover via the campaign website, www.savethethreecups.co.uk (phone numbers at bottom of that home page), or by emailing admin@savethethreecups.co.uk .

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Potter and Wordsworth Again

I can't remember how many times I've mentioned Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth as examples of famous names in the realm of cultural tourism ...

but I feel I must mention them again as just last weekend I was in the Lake District and you couldn't get away from tourist attractions with their names on.

Our objective was to take a young Canadian relative to Keswick to introduce her to that charming town with its delightful shops and cafes surrounded by wonderful scenery - much like Lyme Regis. However, it seemed a shame not to make a detour to see Beatrix Potter's Hill Top house and it was well worth it. Interestingly, this National Trust property does not have its own teashop but relies on the excellent Sawrey House Hotel next door which must profit handsomely and deservedly from the literary heritage next door.

I must add that I consider visiting the tea shops at National Trust properties to be one of life's great pleasures. There is one such place of refreshment in the South West which is still on my priority list and that is Castle Drogo, just over the border in Devon. I have heard that it serves the best lemon cake in the world and I intend to investigate and establish for myself the veracity of that claim. However, that ambition pales into insignificance besides my desire to take afternoon tea in the lounge of Three Cups Hotel where Professor Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton enjoyed the hospitality and atmosphere of one of Britain's greatest historical and cultural national treasures.

Meanwhile, back in the Lake District, we drove from Hawkshead to Keswick via Grasmere. If anyone doubts the value of literary heritage to the tourist industry, visit Grasmere. You can't escape Wordsworth there or Sir Walter Scott or Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Go and visit Dove Cottage and The Old Swan. I rest my case.

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Best Western Understands

This week I was at head office in the South East and enjoyed staying at the Bromley Court Hotel owned by Best Western. I noticed that they use the slogan "Hotels with personality" to communicate the attraction of the history of their buildings.

The Bromley Court is an interesting property part of which was built around 1800 and was once the family home of Lord Farnborough. However, I thought it would be more relevant to see what hotels with personality there are in the South West of England owned by this group and I found the White Hart in Exeter on their website. Click this link to see the relevant page.

Wouldn't it be nice to see The Three Cups as a flagship hotel for a successful chain like Best Western who understand the importance of history to the hotel business? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to visit the famous building open to welcome the public? And wouldn't it be fantastic for the business people of Lyme Regis to prosper from having The Three Cups as a magnet for cultural tourists from around the world?

Come on, West Dorset District Council. You have the power to save this most important building for the benefit of your electorate and the English speaking world. You can buy it and sell it in a day and make a profit. What's stopping you?

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