- Chess, Scrabble, Bridge, Gardening, Lakeland Life Past & Present,Painting, Walking, Antiques and Music

Following the huge success of its Scrabble holiday earlier this year, the Lake District�s Rothay Manor Hotel in Ambleside is launching a brand new Chess holiday for 2009. Chess is just one of nine activity holidays that guests can choose from, others include Lakeland Life Past and Present, Scrabble, Bridge, Gardening, Painting, Walking, Antiques and Music.

�Our Scrabble holiday earlier this year created a huge amount of local and national media interest and as a result, it was completely sold out,� says Rothay Manor�s Anne Marie O'Neil. �Interest started when Scrabble�s corporate owner, Hasbro, threatened to shut down the Facebook game, Scrabulous. Our small Google advert appeared alongside the game, which led to an avalanche of enquiries from national and regional newspapers and radio stations.�

�The media and public reaction to our Scrabble holiday made us realise just how popular traditional games remain, even among the younger generation, despite the popularity of modern interactive computer games.�

The Chess holiday (22 to 27 March 2009) will suit anyone from the novice to club players. Guests take part in an eight-round Swiss Competition, look at famous games from the past and attend tutorial sessions covering various aspects of the game. Prices from �420 per person, or �285 for non-residents.

Scrabble holidays are making a welcome return. Guaranteed to be very popular, so early booking is recommended. Holidays take place 22 to 27 February 2009. Prices from �435 per person, �285 for non-residents. As one of Rothay Manor�s most popular and long-running activity breaks.

Bridge holidays offer something for all levels of players, including a new break for advanced players. They take place 16 to 21 November 2008, 1 to 6 February and 15 to 20 March 2009 (advanced). Prices from �435 per person and �285 for non-residents.

Old favourite, Lakeland Life Past and Present (29 March to 3 April 2009), makes a welcome return. It will explore traditional aspects of Lakeland life through the eyes of early travellers, artists and writers, looking at farming, sport, food, crafts and traditional industries. Visits will include the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry, Stott Park Bobbin Mill and two local farms. Prices from �535 per person, �370 for non-residents.

Some of the subjects covered during the Antiques holiday (23 to 28 November 2008 and 17 to 22 February 2009) will be Great Victorian Collectors; 20th Century Jewellery; Furnishing a Country House Library; Faberg� since Perestroika; Royal Lancastrian Pottery; and The Prince Regent and His Collecting Mania, with visits to Leighton Hall, Carnforth; Carlisle; and Lancaster. Prices are from �545 per person and �380 for non-residents.

The Spring Gardening holiday (26 April to 1 May) will include private visits to a number of local gardens in the company of their owners such as Brackenburn in Manesty, Keswick, Brockhole at Windermere and Lawson Park at Coniston; and Barkhill in Storrs. There will be talks on plant propogation and Mecanopsis (Himalayan poppies) and a Gardener�s Question Time. Prices from �550 per person, �370 for non-residents.

Two new Music holidays will look at early music and Haydn & Mendelssohn: �From Chapel to Tavern: a not-to-serious introduction to early music� takes place 30 November to 5 December 2008. It will trace the development of Western music from its beginnings in plainsong, focusing on one of the �golden ages� of music - the 16th and 17th centuries. �1809 : an end and a beginning (Haydn & Mendelssohn)� will celebrate the bi-centenary of the death of Haydn and the birth of Mendelssohn, looking at the lives and work of these two very different composers. It takes place 1 to 6 March 2009. Prices from �590 per person and �400 for non-residents.

Rothay Manor�s range of Painting holidays cover Oil and Acrylic (2 to 7 November 2008), Watercolour (9 to 14 November 2008, 25 to 30 January and 8 to 13 March 2009) and general Painting (30 January to 1 February 2009). They provide guests with an opportunity to work in the studio and out on location in various inspiring Lake District settings. Prices from �265 per person and �210 for non-residents.

Walking holidays (19 to 24 October 2008, 19 to 24 April and 17 to 22 May 2009) take guests on a variety of delightful routes around the Lake District, some well-known and some more off the beaten track, including Potter Tarn, the Dales Way, Skiddaw, Yewdale, Ullswater and Bassenthwaite Lake. Prices from �590 per person.

Situated in the beautiful setting of Ambleside in the Lake District, Rothay Manor has been running activity holidays for over 20 years. Ideal for groups, people on their own and couples, they include a mix of lectures by professionals and guest speakers, demonstrations, practical sessions and visits around the Lake District. Groups vary from 12 to around 25 people. Five-night and weekend breaks are inclusive of breakfast and dinner.

Rothay Manor is one of the Lake District�s leading country house hotels. Set in its own attractive grounds on the edge of Ambleside, it is close to Lake Windermere. The hotel is renowned for its excellent cuisine � this year it was the only hotel to be a finalist in Cumbria Tourism�s �Taste� awards. It also has an AA Rosette and has been listed in the Good Food Guide for 38 years. It is one of only six establishments to have been listed in the Good Hotel Guide since it began and features in all other major guides. In 2006 it won the �Small Hotel of the Year� category in Cumbria Tourist Board�s �Cumbria for Excellence Awards 2006�.

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For bookings or information, contact 015394 33605, hotel@rothaymanor.co.uk, or go to: www.rothaymanor.co.uk/special

Press contacts: �Caroline Murdoch, Redworks PR, caroline@redworks.co.uk, 01869 810 443

Anne-Marie O�Neill, Rothay Manor, 015394 33605, anne-marie@rothaymanor.co.uk