The best cosy Windsor pubs to visit this winter

Posted: Sun 2 December 2018 at 12:30

This is the time of year when the traditional English pub really comes into its own, and Windsor pubs are no exception. Yes, we all love long afternoons in a laid-back English pub garden, but nothing really beats a historic interior, a roaring fireplace, and a fabulous welcoming atmosphere.

Windsor and Eton boasts a wealth of fantastic traditional pubs to cosy up in this winter, and here’s a guide to some of our favourites:

The Two Brewers

This tiny, enchanting little pub is a favourite among Windsor locals and visitors alike. Located right at the top of the Long Walk, it can’t fail but to draw you in on a winter’s afternoon before or after a bracing walk.

The pub has three small bars and lovely fireplaces. The Two Brewers offers an incredibly well-stocked bar for its modest size, specialising in wines and gins. The bar staff are all super friendly and the food is to die for, but get in early or try to book ahead as this place is usually packed to the rafters in the evenings and weekends, and understandably so!

The George in Eton

This traditional Georgian pub was built in the 1700s and is the first pub to be owned and operated by the Windsor and Eton Brewery. The Brewery sits just across the Thames from The George, on Windsor’s Duke Street. It brews incredibly popular ales, lagers and stouts that the local and tourists absolutely love.

The George’s food is well-known for its quality, so make sure you book a table so you’re not disappointed.

The Horse and Groom

This is one of the oldest pubs in the Windsor area and has been on the site since the 16th century. The beamed interior reflects this perfectly and the pub also offers roaring fires and lovely little tables dotted around a characterful bar. Locals and visitors are tempted out of the cold weather and through its inviting doors. At Christmas, the pub is particularly popular and its location, right opposite one of the main entrances to Windsor Castle, means it’s easy to find for anyone coming to Windsor for a day trip or a longer stay.

The Alma

Slightly, out of the way, this traditional English boozer is located at the southern end of the town, but it’s worth jumping in a cab for a visit. The atmosphere at the Alma is pretty legendary and you’ll find it heaving with large, friendly groups of regulars.

Its eclectic vintage interior, live music and great pub food make it increasingly popular with those visiting Windsor. The Alma comes into its own on weekend evenings and on Sunday lunch times when it’s usually fully booked thanks to its fabulous Sunday Roasts.

Needless to say, Windsor and Eton are great places to get a taste of a traditional English pub this winter. See you by the fire!

Heathrow Airport strengthens its tech ahead of expansion

Posted: Fri 30 November 2018 at 12:06

Anyone living close to Heathrow Airport will be aware that it is planning to expand with a third runway in the not-to-distant future. It has now teamed up with a company called Copenhagen Optimization to upgrade the technology that forms the backbone of its services in preparation for this expansion.

Copenhagen Optimization offers a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service solution for airports to help them automate processes and better deal with various scenarios. Moving to the cloud-based solution means that Heathrow will be able to cope better with different challenges that its expansion might create. It also means that, for travellers, there are less likely to be delays and the movement through the airport could be quicker and more effective.

Heathrow’s Mark Burgess, the Head of Operational Planning, Performance & Transformation, said the new upgrade “will allow us to decrease wait times and continue to improve operations and passenger experience, as we prepare for the future of airport experience.”

Copenhagen Optimizations managing partner, Kasper Hounsgaard, explained that the ‘Better Airport’ system will mean that Heathrow will be prepared for anything. He said: “With Better Airport, the skilled planning team at Heathrow can optimise and automate their current planning processes, including the ability to quantify any what-if scenarios with hard numbers, which will lead to better resource allocation and higher cost savings. Heathrow is ready for significant future growth.”

Heathrow currently sees some 78 million passengers pass through each year and this is set to increase to a staggering 130 million passengers in the near future.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle set to move to Windsor

Posted: Tue 27 November 2018 at 10:29

A move to Windsor is on the cards for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex come the New Year, according to the Royal household.

An official statement from Buckingham Palace explained:  ‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will move to Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate early next year as they prepare for the arrival of their first child.’

It was widely reported that the Queen had gifted Adelaide Cottage to the couple as a wedding present and that the pair were very fond of Windsor as a place to live and raise children. However, it has now been confirmed that the more modest Frogmore Cottage overlooking Frogmore House will be their first home as a family.

Living away from London, in a more private setting, will help them stay away from unwanted press attention. the couple will also have the pleasure of living within a short walk of the venues for both their wedding ceremony (St George’s Chapel) and their evening wedding reception (Frogmore House) back in May 2018.

The official statement continued: ‘Windsor is a very special place for Their Royal Highnesses and they are grateful that their official residence will be on the estate.

Frogmore cottage is reportedly undergoing renovation in preparation for Harry and Meghan’s move in early 2019. The premises has five bedrooms and has recently been split into separate homes to house Royal staff. Therefore, the renovation is necessary to return the cottage to a single household.

Charity tells public: “feed the Windsor swans!”

Posted: Fri 23 November 2018 at 12:20

A swan conservation organisation, based in Datchet, is urging members of the public and visitors to the town to feed the Windsor swans over the winter.

Without human intervention, some of the swans, who are already dangerously underweight, might not last the colder season, according to the experts at Swan Support.

Windsor is famous for its flock of beautiful swans that gather in great numbers around the riverfront areas and by Windsor Bridge. A few years back, a campaign was launched to try to dissuade the public from feeding bread to ducks, geese and swans. It was claimed that bread was bad for the birds, but Swan Support now suggests that this might be leading to the starvation problem.

“Our concern is that many birds will die throughout the harsh winter months as they have not been fed during the summer and will not be fed over the coming winter,” stated Swan Support. The organisation has now launched a social media campaign to try to promote the feeding of swans in the region.

“Please feed them bread, grains, cereals, swan pellets and leafy greens. Of course they should never be fed mouldy bread.” was the advice given.

So next time you’re admiring the swans at the river in Windsor, take along some food for them and you could help keep them healthy and well fed through the winter.

London will remain top EMEA meetings and events location

Posted: Wed 21 November 2018 at 14:04

A new study suggests that London is likely to be the top events location in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region for businesses next year despite Brexit.

The 2019 Meetings and Events Future Trends Report has been published by CWT Meetings and Events, a division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel. The forecast states that London will remain the favourite destination for meetings and events among business travellers, with Moscow and Barcelona coming in second and third places respectively.

CWT stated that London will retain the position despite some uncertainties about how Brexit will impact business travel to and from the UK from March next year.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on Brexit in the serviced apartment sector, with Hilary Bagshaw, Home Office EU Exit Immigration Policy Stakeholder Engagement Lead, set to speak at the upcoming Association of Serviced Apartment Providers’ (ASAP) convention.

The ASAP chief executive, James Foice, explained that Brexit will impact the sector and that the convention intends to discuss these impacts with those affected. He said: “It’s so important to us that we deliver only the best and most insightful sessions and information to all attendees.”

The aim of the convention this year is to help the services apartment sector focus on diversity and inclusion within its workforce to help everyone feel welcome from all over the world, particularly following the Brexit process.

The ASAP convention is to take place on December 5 and 6 at London’s Institute of Directors.

 

Both male and female business travellers miss home

Posted: Mon 19 November 2018 at 13:20

A new study into how male and female business travellers feel about work trips has been published, showing that both sexes struggle with being away from home the most.

FCM Travel Solutions’s study entitled ‘Women in Business Travel’ questioned both men and women. They asked them about their reasons for travel and what they liked and dislikes about being away for work.

Some 72 per cent of the respondents said that missing family or partners was the main downside of work travel. Some 38 per cent said their work being disrupted was a headache and 14 per cent said they disliked travelling alone.

Interestingly, both men and women had the same list of negatives, while women emerged as being slightly more keen on business travel that men. Only 39 per cent of the male respondents said they take pleasure in their work trips, compared with 45 per cent of women.

The main issue being explored in the study was women’s safety while travelling for work. The study found that only 44 per cent of companies had measures in place to offer female-friendly lodging to female travellers if required.

Accommodation Windsor provides secure individual serviced apartments for business travellers, which can feel safer and more like home than a hotel room.

The UK general manager of FCM Travel Solutions, Jo Greenfield, stated: “We decided to conduct research among our clients’ travellers to gain better insight into the needs and preferences of female travellers versus men and whether corporate travel programmes still need a more tailored approach.”

Heathrow Airport reports record passenger growth

Posted: Sat 17 November 2018 at 13:45

Windsor’s proximity to Heathrow Airport is one of the reasons why it attracts such as large number of tourists and business travellers each year. Now, Heathrow has announced that it is welcoming more passengers all the time, thanks to a greater number of larger aircraft.

In October 2018, Heathrow saw a 4.5 per cent increase in passenger numbers, with some seven million people passing through the airport during the month. The number of passengers travelling to and from North America led the growth, rising by 9.1 per cent last month.

American tourists love visiting the UK, particularly our historic destinations such as the Tower of London, Windsor Castle and Oxford University.

Growth at Heathrow is expected to continue. The airport saw a further boost to its popularity following news in the Autumn Budget that passengers from a number of countries, including New Zealand, the United States and Japan, will now be able to use the eGates at the airport. This will speed up the route through the airport for those travelling from these destinations. Anyone visiting the UK on business is likely to welcome this change in stance, as it will enhance the business travel experience for anyone using Heathrow.

Heathrow also recently announced that it will be boosting its green credentials. It is to waive landing charges for the entire first year of operation for electric-hybrid aircraft when they start to touch down on Heathrow’s runways.

What’s on in Windsor this Christmas?

Posted: Wed 14 November 2018 at 11:05

There’s nothing quite like getting involved in some Christmas events to get you into the spirit of the season. Here’s a quick round up of what’s on in Windsor over the coming weeks.

“He’s behind you!!”

Yes, that’s right, it’s panto season again and Windor’s very own Theatre Royal is celebrating 80 years of pantomime in the town with its version of Dick Whittington. Familiar faces such as Mike Read, Anne Heggerty and, of course, Basil Brush will be starring in this family favourite between 23 November and 6 January. That means there’s plenty of time to get your tickets and enjoy a touch of traditional English nonsense!

Windsor On Ice returns

This is the time of year that Alexandra Gardens turns into a Winter Wonderland, complete with children’s fairground rides, a large ice rink and traditional Bavarian-style Christmas snacks and drinks.

There will be mulled wine galore for the grown ups and enough candy floss to keep the kids buzzing until the 25th! Come along and enjoy the merriment from 17th November until 6 January.

Let there be light!

The annual Christmas lights switch-on in Windsor will be a spectacular event as usual. This year, the lights will be turned on on Saturday 17th November.

The highlight for most visitors will be the children’s lantern parade, which snakes its way through Windsor’s centre and up to the castle from 3:30pm. The event will climax in the switching on itself at 5:30, topped off with the impressive illumination of Windsor Castle’s Garter Tower.

Meet Santa at Daniel

Christmas in Windsor wouldn’t be complete without a trip to our historic department store, Daniel. This year, little ones can meet Santa at the store’s magical grotto every weekend day from 17th November. The grotto will also be open every day in the lead up to Christmas from 17th December. The price for a visit with Santa is just £7 and this includes a gift from the man himself!

And for the crazy…I mean sporty…among you…

Ever wanted to dress up as Santa and run around Windsor town centre with a bunch of other people dressed as Santa? Well here’s your chance. And it’s all for a good cause!

The Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Santa Dash is taking place from 9am on 25th November, from Bachelor’s Acre. It will take in the Long Walk, the Castle area and the shopping streets. Children are welcome to take part in the 5km fun run and the price of entry includes your very own Santa suit!

UK tourism to thrive despite Brexit challenges

Posted: Fri 9 November 2018 at 11:00

UK tourism is going to thrive despite Brexit, claims Michael Ellis, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism.

Writing an opinion piece in the City AM newspaper, the MP said that the World Travel Market, held in London earlier this month, was a fantastic success. He added that deals worth some £3 billion were thought to have been made there.

Ellis wrote: “We have so much to offer international visitors – beautiful landscapes, world-class culture, and unique heritage sites. We are a global country, and have always been a must-visit destination.  We are a global country, and have always been a must-visit destination.”

He explained that he expects UK tourism to continue to thrive despite our exit from the European Union. He pointed out that three quarters of the visitors to the UK in 2017 came from EU member states. Maintaining a good relationship with the EU following Brexit makes sense not just for the UK, but also for other countries who benefit from our tourism Euros, he added.

The World Travel Market saw London’s Excel host some 5,000 travel companies from all over the World between 5 and 7 November. “It has been a great opportunity to show buyers that our destinations, products, and services are worth investing in, and that the UK is, and will continue to be, fully open for business,” said Ellis.