Media Room
Latest News
All the latest news from the Industry and the Visit County Durham Grapevine newsletter.
Industry
New Treehouses at Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa
19 May 2023
The Continued success of a County Durham hotel’s unique treehouses has led to the creation of two new properties. Construction is currently underway of Swan and Kingfisher, two additional glass fronted A frame houses at Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa on the outskirts of Durham. The two extra...
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Visit County Durham
Visit County Durham Chair to retire after 14 years
17 May 2023
Visit County Durham’s long-serving Chair has announced he will retire next month after 14 years of dedicated service. Ivor Stolliday was appointed Chair of the Visit County Durham Ltd board in 2009 and has proven a dedicated and inspirational ambassador for the county.
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Industry
Star Quality at Park Head Hotel
17 May 2023
Park Head Hotel & Restaurant, Bishop Auckland, has received a glowing review from Visit England, its first official assessment after reopening in February 2023. The Visit England team have awarded Park Head Hotel a high Three Star Hotel accreditation and a Breakfast Award in recognition of the...
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Industry
Coffee Shop training
10 May 2023
Thinking about opening a coffee shop? VCD Supplier Partner Durham Coffee has just launched a new course 'How to start your own Coffee Shop'. The course introduces you to barista skills and a good coffee bar set-up; creating a business plan, and talks you through the important practical steps and...
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Industry
Chester-le-EATS 2023
10 May 2023
After a hugely successful 2022 event, Chester-le-EATS is back and will take place at Seat Unique Riverside, the home of Durham Cricket, on the weekend of Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October 2023. Event organisers are now welcoming applications from traders for more information and to...
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Industry
Commemorations to leave a lasting Coronation legacy for people and nature
9 May 2023
The Government will leave a lasting public legacy for people and nature with the renaming of the England Coast Path to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. As Prince of Wales, His Majesty expressed a deep love and concern for England’s wildlife, natural and rural places,...
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Industry
New Partnership: Durham Cricket are delighted to welcome Host & Stay as their new staycation partner
4 May 2023
Local North East business Host & Stay, one of the UK’s fastest-growing, family owned, holiday home management businesses, has partnered with Durham Cricket Club in a multi-year deal. The SDDE Smith Group and Host & Stay are now the clubs Principal Partner and Principal...
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Industry
Bank Holiday Tracker
3 May 2023
A VisitEngland survey shows that millions of Brits are definitely planning an overnight holiday break in the UK during the Bank Holiday weekend for the Coronation, bringing an estimated £1.2 billion boost to the economy. VisitEngland's 'Coronation Weekend Trip Tracker' survey also showed that...
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Visit County Durham
DDP Pilot update
3 May 2023
Following the last Destination Development Partnership update in March, a second Zoom online update is being hosted by NewcastleGateshead Initiative on Thursday 11th May between 8:30am and 9:15am. Find out about progress made to date and how businesses can get involved in the pilot. The DDP Pilot...
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Visit County Durham
Group Travel training
3 May 2023
Join us for our Group Travel training on Wednesday 17th May at Hall Garth Hotel, Darlington between 1pm and 4pm. The short, interactive session includes top tips and inspiration to enable you and your business to stand out in a crowded and competitive marketplace.
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Visit County Durham
National Walking Month
3 May 2023
May is National Walking Month and VCD will be promoting walking breaks and activities across County Durham through a series of social media posts and via our dedicated walks page on thisisdurham.com, updated and including a new guide to accessible walks across the county. Apart from taking...
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Industry
First look at Stack Bishop Auckland
3 May 2023
Developers have given the first glimpse of how an exciting County Durham leisure operation will look once it is completed. In March councillors gave the green light to STACK Bishop Auckland, a purpose-built two storey building with a roof terrace at Newgate Street. The mixed use building will house...
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Visit County Durham
High demand for Welcome to Durham customer service training
3 May 2023
Visit County Durham has relaunched its popular customer service course, with demand proving so high, a second session is being delivered next month.
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Industry
With Help from Our Friends…
28 Apr 2023
Beamish Museum has received £225,000 from the Friends of Beamish – taking the Friends’ total donations to an amazing £2.1million. The latest donation, which is from the Friends of Beamish and Business Friends of Beamish, will go towards the Remaking Beamish project, which is currently...
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New website promotes Durham as top destination for business events and conferences
27 Apr 2023
Durham’s conference, meetings and events venues have been brought together on a new website by Visit County Durham.
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