Ramada Plaza scoops double awards success

A leading Merseyside hotel has picked up two accolades at the Southport Ambassador Awards 2011.

The Ramada Plaza hotel in Southport celebrated after Lisa Ray was victorious in the Most Professional Chef category and John Rigby won the Best Bartender award. Four other members were also shortlisted for the awards which took place at the

General Manager Enda Rylands said:- “We’re all very proud of Lisa and John for winning these awards. We received more nominations than any other venue in this year’s competition and to win two categories shows the great work the team is putting in at the Ramada Plaza.”

The annual awards recognise exceptional service to the public in the tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail sectors across Southport. The other Ramada Plaza staff on the shortlist for the Ambassador Awards, dubbed the ‘Ammies’ were Kirsty Bevington (Most Welcoming Receptionist), Lucy Prescot (Young Person of the Year), Martin Godfrey (Most Supportive Manager) and John Cooper (Unseen Hero).

Mr Rylands added:- “Last year we won the Unseen Hero category and we were also runners up in the Most Supportive Manager award so it was great to go one better this year and pick up two awards. All six finalists from the hotel showed great enthusiasm and passion for our customers and we are honoured to have their talents in our hotel.”

The Ramada Plaza, which is under the management of then hospitality, is set in the heart of the new waterfront development on Southport’s promenade close to the Victorian pier. It boasts 133 stylish rooms including eight with floor to ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the coastline.

Other facilities include a fitness suite, four meeting rooms and a brassiere. It is ideally situated next to Southport Theatre and Convention Centre and the Portland Hall Spa.

For more information about staying at the Ramada Plaza visit:- ramadaplazasouthport.co.uk.

Book Signing - St George's Day in Formby

JOAN Rimmer will be Prichards Books, Formby on St George's Day, 23 April 2011, from 10am to 11pm and 2pm to 3pm to sign copies of her "Village that was Formby." Also Michael Kelly will be at the shop from 11am to 12pm (noon) for "Kitty Wilkinson", "Mothers of the City" and "Liverpool's Irish Connection". Also as an extra John Rapilliard will be attending from 11.30am to 1.30am for British Viking. That's not forgetting Stephen Bayley will also be at the Pool Cafe for "Astrobods" a fun series akin to Mr Men with a space theme from 11am to 1pm.

Southport pupils prove how easy it is to pedal – Big Pedal results

PUPILS from 11 schools in Southport made an astonishing 28,916 journeys by bike to school and back, over three weeks in March as part of a national cycle race called the Big Pedal, which saw over 800 schools across the UK compete to be the fastest.

The race, powered by UK charity Sustrans and funded by the cycle industry through its Bike Hub, was created to inspire and encourage children to cycle on a regular basis, to show just how easy and cheap it is to swap the car for a bike for shorter journeys. Nationally, over 1.2 million journeys were made by bike to and from school by teachers, children and parents in just three weeks.

Larkfield Primary school won first prize in the Sefton regional category after finishing in 59th place, out of 828 schools that entered from across the country. The school will receive a new bike to raffle to all children that took part, in the summer term.

Mary Kelland, Sustrans Bike It officer for Southport comments:- “I was amazed at the effort from children, parents and teachers for this year’s race, it was a huge success. It was brilliant to see bike sheds and playgrounds full of bikes from children who had got to school under their own steam. Cycling really helps to improve a child’s confidence, independence and health, not to mention the environment in which we live. The race has encouraged many children and their parents to use two wheels instead of four on the school run, demonstrating just how easy it is to cycle to school.”

Pontrhydyfen Primary School in Port Talbot, Wales, claimed first prize for the fastest national time.

This year’s race followed a similar format to the Tour de France; each day was a different time trial, with different stages, from long flat sprints to hillier mountainous climbs. The more children, parents and teachers that cycled in to school on each day, the quicker time the school was awarded for each stage.

For more information please go to:- thebigpedal.org.uk.

WARNING - Emails are NOT from the British Red Cross!

WITH in hours of the Tsunami the fake emails started flowing and we put out a warning to be aware.  Sadly these emails are still doing the rounds and The British Red Cross have issued a new warning that about email using their name fraudulently in a SPAM email campaign. Emails are being sent out claiming to be raising money for the Japan Tsunami Appeal. "The emails received will appear to be from the genuine supportcare@redcross.org.uk email address. The Red Cross will never ask for people to donate through companies such as Western Union or Money Bookers. The British Red Cross has not sent any emails soliciting donations for the Japan Tsunami Appeal." said the Read Cross. If you do want to make donations to the Japan Tsunami Appeal, you can do so on the official British Red Cross site:- redcross.org.uk.