Your East Anglian Wedding - April/May 2020 (Issue 42)

PAMPER PARTY Looking for something different for your hen celebrations? Lush Peterborough has a brand new party space; perfect for pre-wedding fun. The store has recently moved to bigger premises next door to its former shop in the town’s Queensgate shopping centre. As well as a fresh new look, the dedicated party space can host up to ten people. so you and your and your best girls can try your hand at making your own products and enjoy a good old pamper. To find out more visit instagram.com/lushpeterborough THE GREAT ESCAPE A new interactive outdoor escape game is coming to Norfolk turning Norwich into a giant playground; great as a fun pre- wedding hen or stag experience. The Big Escape will involve teams exploring the city centre streets solving puzzles, cracking codes and completing challenges to take down Big Al’s Casino in a classic heist. The GPS activated game can be played any time and is already reported to be a big success in Ireland with thousands enjoying the challenge following its launch there late last year. The creators of the new gaming experience are Dublin company Creative Events. Director Mark French says, "As Norfolk’s biggest city, it makes perfect sense to bring the game to Norwich. It’s a great outdoor activity for team building and discovering the city in a fun way. “Starting at St Peter Mancroft Church, the interactive experience turns the city centre into a giant playground by bringing together the physical and digital worlds into a new easy-to-use group gaming activity. Thousands have already taken up the challenge to take down Big Al’s Casino with reviewers praising the smooth technology and the fact it can be played at their own pace,” he adds. BEST OF THE BEST Luxury 4-star hotel and wedding venue the Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa has been crowned Best Hotel at the Norfolk & Suffolk Tourism Awards 2020. The privately owned hotel scooped the award in the face of stiff competition from hospitality destinations across the region. It was named top in the hotel category after demonstrating an impressive performance across the board in delivering the ultimate guest experience. The Norfolk and Suffolk Tourism Awards celebrates East of England businesses and showcases the very best of the region’s booming tourism industry. Joining Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa in the winner’s enclosure was the Best Small Visitor Attraction, Palace House, the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art, which regularly partners with the hotel for guest experiences. To be considered for the awards Bedford Lodge had to provide a written entry demonstrating excellence across all aspects of the business; from customer service and community initiatives, to hotel amenities and exceptional food and drink. The hotel’s chief executive Noel Byrne comments, "It’s a huge success for Newmarket to win two of the top awards at the Norfolk & Suffolk Tourism Awards 2020. This is a true showcase of our town’s exceptional tourism offering, and really puts us on the map as a fantastic destination for a day or weekend out. I would like to congratulate our team for their ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional service, and their relentless hard work and commitment, as well as the team at Palace House." Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa has been recognised with a variety of prestigious accolades over the years. The hotel has maintained its status as a 4 AA Red Star Hotel since 2014, and is also a member of the Pride of Britain Hotels, a luxury, members only consortium. The only 4-star hotel in Newmarket it boasts 80 suites and superior rooms, a luxury spa on site, indoor swimming pool, gym facilities and an award-winning restaurant. Originally a Georgian hunting lodge built for the Duke of Bedford in the 18 th century, it was converted into a hotel in the 1940s. Nestled in three acres of secluded rose gardens, next to Newmarket racecourse’s famous paddocks and training stables, it’s a destination hotspot for weddings too. YOUR ESSENTIALS 9