VALLEY THEATRE
and wine, with renowned Master of Wine Richard Bampfieid, at Stanley House Hotel, Mellor. Richard is one of only 272
occasion F
ift y guests enjoyed an evening celebration of the best in Engiish food
Masters of Wine in the world. He has more than 25 years' experience in the wine business and is a regular on the judging panels for English wine awards. The "Tasting of England"
event was part of this year's Pennine Lancashire Festival of Food and Culture. It was hosted by the award-winning team of Cassis at Stanley House, the fine dining restaurant of Lancashire's top boutique hotel. Stanley House sommelier
Igor Hobot expertly matched wines from four of England's finest vineyards to a four- course dinner menu created for the occasion and inspired by seasonal Lancashire
really enjoyed the event. Great food, great wine - and all from England! It both educated and surprised us and we'll practice opening a bottle of champ-agne with a sword for our next Graham and Brown event!" After a champagne
reception featuring the critically acclaimed Ridgeview Cavendish Sparkling Brut 2005, dinner was served. For starters, "Ham and Eggs", featuring a pressed, smoked ham hock infused with piccalilli flavours, was served with an award-winning Camel Valley Bacchus 2007. The fish course of "Fish and
is set for a SDecia
produce. He wowed guests by skillfully opening bottles of champagne with the aid of a sword. Andrew Graham, chief
executive of Graham and Brown, the world leading wall decoration company, was among the diners on the night. He said: "My guests and I
Master of Wine Richard Bampfieid enjoying the champagne reception with guests Carolyn and Simon Glassbrook. (s)
Chips" with tandoori roast sea courses, before leading an scallops and spicy ketchup, was accompanied by England's best selling rose from the Chapel Down vineyard. This was followed by
"Lancashire Pork" for the main course, paired with a rich Bookers Pinot Noir 2005, voted "Best English Red Wine" in 2008, and "Sticky Toffee Pudding" for dessert with a Chapel Down Nectar 2007. Richard offered insight into each of the wines between
"open floor" question and answer session and mingling with the guests over coffee and treats. Commenting on the ongoing
renaissance in the English wine industry, Richard Bampfieid explained: "There's a great deal of excitement about English wine at the moment, partly because of the wide variety of styles being produced in so many different regions, but also thanks to
Stanley House sommelier Igor Bampfieid. (s)
dramatic improvements in quality we've seen over the past 10 years. "As the climate warms, our
grapes are ripening more consistently and English wine producers are becoming ever more skilled and experienced. I wish more people would visit their local vineyards and give English wine a try, because I'm sure they would be pleasantly surprised." Stanley House Hotel is known regionally and
Hobot (left) with Richard
nationally for the quality of its weddings, corporate hospitality, gourmet and romantic breaks. It won the Small Hotel of the Year title at the Enjoy England for Excellence Awards 2007 and boasts a raft of distinguished guests, including David Cameron, Robbie Williams, Bryan Ferry, Christine Hamilton, Jennie Bond, Sally Gunnell, Laurence Llewelyn- Bowen, Anton du Beke, Erin Boag and Gregg Wallace.
theatrical group. A long-time favourite for fans of all
occasion T
his year marks the 20th anniversary of a well-established
and respected Ribble Valley
ages. Stage Two Downham was formed when it moved to the picturesque village from Waddington in 1989. Previously called theWaddington Players, members used to meet for rehearsals at the village's St Helen's
Sunday school. When it moved to Downham, it made
its debut under it's new name with "Round and Round the Garden". To mark the 20th anniversary,
members thought it was only fitting to once again stage their first drama, which they successfully performed in
April. In the past two decades the group
has gone from strength to strength and developed a reputation for high-quality amateur productions, providing a venue for thespians to participate in the local
theatre and arts scene. TALENTED
Stage Two Downham boasts about
20 talented members, with ages varying from as young as teenagers to sprightly 70-year-olds. Between them they have clocked up an impressive 525 years of
theatrical experience. Apart from the absence of an autumn
play in 2003 due to the filming of BBC drama "Born and Bred", during the past 20 years the hard-working group has put on two performances a year, which have been greatly appreciated by large and enthusiastic audiences. Members of Stage Two Downham
t'f'itxti B o o k y o u r wedding in 2009
) ■ forJZOI 1... . ' . d and enjoy
3^ 20 I 0 prices 3 1 -^ '^
the Coniston Hotel offers the perfect setting for the perfect day. Bookings have already been
taken for 90 weddings next year and to showcase the facilities available to those planning their nuptials, the hotel is hosting a Wedding Open Day on Sunday, October 25th. Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
C o n is to n C o ld , Skipton, N .Y o rk sh ire BD23 4 E A
0 1 7 5 6 7 4 8 0 8 0
weddings@checonisconhotel.com
www.theconistonhotel.com
8 the Valley ( g T h e C on is ton H o te l
brides-to-be and their intendeds will be able to sip Champagne and sample some of the hotel's delightful dishes. As well as showcasing the
high levels of customer service at The Coniston Hotel, and the enduring beauty of the estate.
A perfect setting N
estled in a magnificent country estate and enjoying stunning views,
the Wedding Open Day will also include the very best in local regional suppliers, with everything from gifts and favours to florists and balloon specialists. Throughout the day
representatives from these companies will be available to answer questions, while the venue's dedicated event team will be on hand to showcase the ceremony and function rooms. The following suppliers have
been invited to the open day: Patisserie Viennoise, KK Discos, Kent Photography, Berries Florist of Skipton, Sarah Cox Venue Styling, Helium, La Belle Chaisp, Ogdens Jewellers, Southdene String Duo, Keighley Bus Museum, Exclusive Wedding Cars and Land Rover.
Anyone interested in
attending the event can confirm their place by calling 01755 748080 or by e-mail to weddings@>theconistonhotel.
com ■ The Coniston Hotel is
experienced at ensuring every wedding day is an individual occasion to remember. One couple who benefited
from the wealth of experience on offer said: "Thank you so much for a perfect day. We had a fantastic time as did our guests. We were able to relax and enjoy our day as everything was under control. We have had many wonderful comments from our guests quoting that this was the best wedding that they been to and the best wedding breakfast!"
School uniform
was compulsory for the cast
of another memorable production, "Daisy Pulls It Off".
were involved in a "railway experience" in the early days. They dressed up and entertained passengers at Oakworth Railway Station. It was the 20th anniversary of "The Railway Children" film and they re-enacted scenes from the story at the Station. However, it's not all-singing and all
dancing as it seems and there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes with rehearsals, learning lines, stage management, lighting, finding props.
by Faiza Afzaal
costumes and so on. Secretary and Clitheroe resident Fran Osborne explained: "I think it's a talented group of people that come together and perform really well. However, most members have jobs and families, and a lot of hard work, time and effort is put
into rehearsing. "The way we work in Downham has
been fun and there has rarely been any ill feeling. The teamwork and
friendliness are exemplary." Glen Purchase, ex- chairman added:
"We have more fun during the rehearsals than we ever do actually performing. It's a nice hobby and we like to make everyone welcome." "We have always had a good
relationship with villagers in Downham and those involved with the village hall. Thanks to our productions, we have managed to help to upgrade the village
hall." Bob Cleeve, actor and an original
member of the group, said the group was always on the lookout for fresh
young talent. "For many years 1 was beginning to
think that the prospects for amateur dramatics, whether for straight plays or musicals, were doomed towards the gradual extinction as the audiences
literally, died off," he added. "However, there is tremendous
amount of new, young talent around and it is enthusiastically embracing live theatre and bringing its own audience
with it. "So it is with Stage Two - new people,
new ideas, new audiences all bringing a new vibe to the amateur theatre.
"Long may it continue, but I fear that my ability to recreate roles 20 years
later is beginning to wane!" Bob recalls a classic moment when
rehearsing tor "Noises Off. "It was certainly the most difficult.
m)- \ r / m
Downham Stage Two's production of "Frankenstein" was a monster success
play that I have ever performed and produced many moments of panic, but we managed to struggle through and none of the audience were any the wiser - neither were we for that matter!" he said.
"But it does show that you can fool most of the public, most of the time - so
long as you do it confidently! "I also remember shedding genuine
tears during the closing scene in 'A Pack of Lies' and at the other end of the scale 'corpsing' with Brian Howarth in Move Over Mrs Markham' in 1993 at exactly the same place as during the Waddington Drama Group's production
in 1981. ILLUSION "After all, isn't that what acting is all
about: creating an illusion and convincing the audience that it is real?!
■ Stage Two Downham will be
treading the boards again next month with Alan Bennett's comedy "Habeas Corpus". Fran added: "This is one of Alan Bennett's finest plays. It's a mad, satirical romp, in which we meet the Wicksteed family and friends who put the pleasures of the body above
everything else!" The cast includes, Steve Cooke,
Geraldine Metcalf, Sues! Windle, Richard Sanderson, Glen Purchase, Tom Garner, Andrea Cawley, Kim Croydon, Liz Wrigley, Brian Howarth and Eddie
Booth. it will be staged at 7-30 p.m. between
November 25th to 28th at Downham Village Hall. Tickets are priced E5 on Wednesday and £5 on all other nights. Anyone wanting to buy tickets is asked to contact Fran Osborne on 01200 423301 or the Tourist Information on 01200 425555.
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