From the Lakes to Leicester Square.

Here's a change from my usual blog topics.

Our son, Nick Dixon has been making a career in stand up comedy for the last few years. Last weekend he was supporting Tom Stade at Leicester Square Theatre. Was he terrified? Not at all.

We don't know how he does it but we're very proud of him. Here's a review of Tom Stade's show from today's The Times.  

You can only access this online if you are a Times subscriber, so in case you're not, I've cut and pasted it for you.

His agents are Comedy Store Management  and he'll be supporting Tom Stade at Leicester Square again this weekend, and the weekend after he's on the Best In Stand Up show at The Comedy Store, London. 

Tom Stade at the Leicester Square Theatre, WC2

Clive Davis

April 5 2016, 5:00pm,

The Times

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★★★☆☆

If you read a transcript of Tom Stade’s monologues, you might easily conclude that his material is a little ho-hum. Doesn’t every other stand-up make jokes about Marks & Spencer and daytime television schedules?

What gives his performance an extra charge is the manic energy. A Canadian who has long made his home in this country, he swaggers and staggers around the stage like a dude who has spent too much time propping up the bar in some godforsaken town in deepest Nevada.

The f-word flies in all directions, yet he can be a sentimental, almost self-pitying soul too. You can never quite be sure whether he is squaring up for a fist-fight or going to pull out a photo of his mother.

At the centre of his latest show, You’re Welcome!, is an account of a less than earth-shattering stand-up gig at Glastonbury. Expecting to find the spirit of peace and love wafting over the West Country meadows, Stade was duly confronted with the realities of the festival industry. Surprise, surprise, most of the people had come to hear rock dinosaurs rather than a comic they may have glimpsed on Live at the Apollo.

It didn’t really matter that he soon wandered off in other directions. While there was nothing out of the ordinary about his thoughts on jay-walking or immigration, that dissolute sandpaper voice carried you along.

The bouts of audience interaction were a shrewd mix of bluster and bonhomie. And there was a hugely engaging support act from the soft-spoken Nick Dixon, providing everyman glimpses of London life from the vantage point of a cheerless bedsit and a seat on the Tube. Naturally, the capital was not seen at its best. A refugee from the Lake District, Dixon cheerfully and effortlessly rubbed our noses in the grime.

Box office: 020 7734 2222, to April 9, then touring. tomstade.co.uk

It's a Bank Holiday and it's not raining in the Lakes.

So far this Bank Holiday Weekend we've had NO RAIN in the Lakes, at least not during the day. It may have rained at night, but that doesn't spoil anyone's enjoyment. Saturday was gloriously sunny, yesterday we had some sun, and although today is a bit dull it's not putting of the hikers. In fact, it's ideal hiking weather.

We've just updated our Brockstone Grasmere Cottage website, and there is a fabulous picture on there of a buzzard , taken by one of our guests. She gave us permission to use it on the website, but not on our blog here, so you'll have to click through to see it.

Here are some photos taken last year of the bluebells- they are looking wonderful right now, so get out and about in the Lakes with your camera and see what you can find.

Last minute reduction for a week from 17 May in our Lake District Cottage

Brockstone Cottage is available from 17 to 24 May, and we have reduced the rate to just £550 for the week.

We've just checked the weather forecast and it's looking pretty good. The Lakes are looking amazing. My brother, who is a horticulturalist says it's a "mast year" when all the elements combine to give greater abundance than usual. This explains the amazing number and colour of bluebells, and the wonderful blossom and flowers on the camellias, magnolia, azaleas and rhododendrons.

If you can take advantage of our last minute special offer you'll see the Lakes at their colourful best.

Here's a photo I took last week in Rydal Village, just a beautiful short walk from Brockstone Grasmere holiday cottage.

If you have a spare minute, please could you visit our Brockstone Lake district holiday cottage page on Facebook and give it a Like please? Thank you.

Just 1 room left now for this weekend, 1 and 2 November in the Lakes.

We now only have 1 room left for this weekend.

You can book Room 4 at the last minute offer  rate of £129 for 2 guests, for 2 night, including breakfasts. Please ring or email us to book at these rates.

Bank Holiday at White Moss House- a guest blog with beautiful photos.

We said goodbye this morning to 3 generations of a delightful family who have just spent 4 nights at White Moss House. During this time, two family birthdays were celebrated, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the Lakes.

The weather was dry and sunny, and all this has been documented on the pages of the guest's personal blog. You can click here to take a look at this fascinating record of a stay in the Lakes.

As a dedicated blogger myself ( you can see more of my blogs via the links on the right), it was great fun to swap notes with a fellow blogger . It seems both our spouses complain that we "spend too long on the computer"

August Bank Holiday this year was possibly the best in our recent memory. Lovely weather , lovely guests, contentment all round.

Sun, lavender, butterflies and bees

Has there ever been a better August Bank Holiday for sunshine? Here in the Lakes we've had wall to wall sun. The forecasters said "west is best" and as we watched the pictures from a washed out Oval on Saturday we were amazed- they were so right!

We've noticed more bees and butterflies than usual in the past few days. That's good news. I watched about 6 white butterflies chasing around the lavender this morning. They tend to move away whenever I get near, but I managed this photo on the lavender by the front door.

Butterflies on White Moss lavender

There are more photos of lavender, plus lots of tips on growing lavender via this link

We are fully booked at White Moss House until Thursday, but we do have rooms for the weekend. It should be a good weekend to visit the Lakes, as the crowds will have gone and the weather still looks good. We have reduced our rates for last minute bookings so please check here.

Our cottage is available for 1 week from Saturday 7 September. We have just reduced the rate from £690 to £590 for last minute bookings. If you would like to stay 2 extra nights, leaving on the monrnng of Monday 16 September, we can offer you all 9 nights fo only £690. Here's a link if you want to find out more about our Grasmere holiday cottage with amazing views.

There's lots going on the in Lakes right now

As well as all the usual walking, boating, eating and drinking there's lots going on to entertain you in the Lakes right now.

Take a look here at the Calender from the Go Lakes website ( the official Cumbria Tourism website) to get a taste of what's on. Music, theatre, guided walks, poetry, crafts, Lakeland shows, supper cruises and lots of other great ideas.

The sun has brought lots of visitors to the Lakes, but you can still find peace and quiet . We've got a few days from Monday 29 July to Thursday 1 August where we have of rooms still available last minute, so we've reduced our rates. Check our special offers page here to find out about our last minute rates.

 

 This lovely picture of a steamer on Ullswater is thanks to David Willis and Cumbria Tourism. May not be used without permission of Cumbria Tourism.

It's nearly 200 years since Wordsworth moved to Rydal Mount

White Moss House is situated halfway between William Wordsworth's two famous homes, Dove Cottage, Grasmere and Rydal Mount in the village of Rydal.

It was in May 2013 that Wordsworth moved to Rydal Mount, and he lived there until his death in 1850 at the age of 80. The village of Rydal is celebrating this event on 4 May 2013. You can read more about this here.

Visitors come to stay with us at White Moss House from all over the world to get a piece of the Wordsworth experience. We believe that White Moss House is the only house that Wordsworth owned where guests can stay. The Wordsworth family owned White Moss House until the 1930s. We have lived here for 33 years now, and although it may sound a little pretentious, we do really feel that we are holding onto and passing along a slice of history. We have deeds signed by William Wordsworth- how wonderful is that!

Here's a picture of Rydal Mount, courtesy of David Willis and Cumbria Tourism, not for reuse without permission of Cumbria Tourism.

Visitors to White Moss House can stroll along Rydal Water to Rydal Mount. Why not follow the Walk around Rydal Water from White Moss that I've published here?

You can check our website ( link on the right) to see our rates and availabilty.

This is a wonderful time to visit the Lakes

April and early May 2013 is a great time to visit the Lakes.

Why?

Here are some of the reasons;

• The children are all back in school, so the area is quiet.
• People are feeling the economic pich so the area is quiet
• Most overseas visitors don't come until the summer, so the area is quiet
• It's Quiet- that's great for those of you who make it here!

Also-

• The daffodils are still out because it's been so cold
• The cherry blossom is coming along and will soon look great
• The azaleas and rhododendrons are just waiting to burst into life

Click down the blog to this post which shows Sizergh Castle Gardens on 5 May 2010 . to get an idea of what you could see in the next few weeks.

Then there are

• Great walks from the door
• Wordsworth's homes nearby to visit, along with Beatrix Potter's (Hill Top) and  John Ruskin's (Brantwood) homes
• Many cultural events- festivals, theatre, music- there's always something going on
• And of course the Lakes themselves- boat, sail, row or just admire.

View of Rydal Water from White Moss viewpoint, April

I could go on- I often do......but let's just say- try to fit in a visit to the Lakes. Ideally, visit White Moss House ( owned by Wordsworth) for B & B or Brockstone Holiday Cottage perched above Rydal Water for self catering. We're offering special rates at both places- did I mention that's it's quiet here- that means you can grab a bargain!