Flood-hit hotel invests in conservatory

A Cumbria hotel damaged in last year's floods is set to reopen tomorrow (March 12th) after repairs and upgrades were carried out to the facilities, including the conservatory.

The entire ground floor of the Lakeside Hotel was flooded in November when Lake Windermere burst its banks near Newby Bridge.

Since then, £200,000 has been invested to return the business to a position where it can reopen to the public, the Westmorland Gazette reported.

Operations manager Jonathan Robb told the newspaper that the firm had taken a gamble on the investment, but that it would pay off if visitors returned to the area.

"I think it is going to be an important year," he said. "It is crucial to the business to keep busy. The floods have given us the opportunity to renovate and it is important to get that back."

Mr Robb added that the unfavourable exchange rate with the euro could benefit UK tourism as people may be more inclined to holiday at home.

In other news, the Met Office has decided to stop making seasonal forecasts after failing to predict one of the coldest winters in recent history.

Posted by David Waxman