British Anniversaries and Openings

Celebrate British anniversaries and openings with Pride of Britain Hotels

Milestone celebrations abound in 2016, from HM The Queen’s 90^th birthday to several notable literary anniversaries and new openings.  Celebrate these events with a stay at a Pride of Britain Hotel – where guests can be assured of some superb British hospitality.

200^th anniversary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth: 21 April 2016

Visitors to the picturesque village of Haworth in West Yorkshire can discover more about the writer Charlotte Brontë at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, which was once the family’s home.  Running until 1^st January 2017,  the Charlotte Great & Small Exhibition (£7.50 per adult) will display tiny books and paintings from her childhood, a moving love letter loaned by the British Library, a knitted Jane Eyre doll and much more.  An overnight night stay at Middlethorpe Hall in nearby York costs from £199 per room (two sharing), including a full Yorkshire breakfast.

400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death: 23 April 2016

It’s not only Stratford-Upon-Avon that is celebrating Shakespeare’s 400^th anniversary this year. Shakespeare’s death will be commemorated in theatres across the world, including Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London which has a whole host of performances, exhibitions, talks and workshops to mark the anniversary.  The theatre’s 1616: A Momentous Year will also honour other playwrights who died in the same year.  An overnight stay at The Arch, a luxury townhouse hotel set in a tree-lined street close to Marble Arch, Hyde Park and the West End costs from £290 per room (two sharing).

The Rolling Stones at the Saatchi Gallery: 5 April – 4 September 2016

The Rolling Stones’ first-ever major exhibition will launch this spring at The Saachi Gallery.  Known as Exhibitionism, nine thematic galleries will house over 500 original Stones artefacts over two floors.  From rare instruments and personal diaries, to striking cinematic experiences and original stage designs, this is a fascinating insight into one of Britain’s most successful rock bands. An overnight stay at The Capital, a family-owned hotel with Michelin-starred restaurant (Outlaw’s at The Capital), just moments from Harrods, costs from £295 per night (two sharing) on a room-only basis.

HM The Queen’s 90^th birthday: 11 June 2016

The Queen turns 90 on 21 April but national commemorations will centre on her official birthday (11 June), with the festivities taking place over the entire weekend (10-12 June).  Events include a mass street party on the Mall called The Patron’s Lunch, a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony.  Combine with an overnight stay at The Goring in London – the only hotel to be granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen – from £430 per night (two sharing) on a room-only basis. Alternatively, book a celebratory cruise on the Hebridean Princess, which carries a maximum of 50 guests and is a firm favourite amongst the Royal family. Prices start from £2,235 pp (two sharing) for a seven-night cruise. 

Beatrix Potter’s 150^th anniversary: 28 July 2016

A newly discovered story, The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots, written by the beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter, will be published this year to mark the 150^th anniversary of her birth. Potter was born in London but moved to the Lake District in 1905 and her former homes, Hill Top Farm and Castle Cottage, both open to the public, will be holding various events this year to mark the anniversary. Stay nearby at Armathwaite Hall in Keswick where an overnight stay costs from £200 per room (two sharing), including full Cumbrian breakfast and use of the spa.

NEW: The Etches Collection, The Kimmeridge Museum, Dorset: Opening Summer 2016

The Etches Collection will form the centrepiece of a new state-of-the-art museum at Kimmeridge Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Dorset’s Isle of Purbeck.  Set to showcase more than 2,000 fossils and marine treasures painstakingly gathered by local collector Steve Etches over a 30-year period, the museum will tell the story of marine life along the Jurassic coastline dating back 150 million years.  An overnight stay at The Priory in nearby Wareham costs £220 per room (two sharing), including full English breakfast.

Capability Brown’s 300^th anniversary: 30 August 2016

This year marks the 300^th anniversary since the birth of the highly-acclaimed garden designer Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
Capability Brown was instrumental in the garden design at Pride of Britain Hotels Luton Hoo, Hartwell House and Stapleford Park. At Luton Hoo, Brown designed a walled garden, a dell, a lake which is a quarter of a mile wide in places, and various gently sloping lawns.  An overnight stay at Luton Hoo costs from £280 per room (two sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the spa and wellness facilities. 

Winnie-the-Pooh’s 90^th anniversary: October 2016

This year marks the 90^th anniversary since the publication of AA Milne’s legendary Winnie the Pooh stories. Loved by all generations, why not explore Pooh Bear’s 100 Acre Wood whilst staying in luxury nearby at Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club? An overnight stay costs from £445 (family of four sharing a Junior Suite), including a welcome goody bag for children on arrival, tickets to a nearby llama park, dinner, full English breakfast and use of the indoor swimming pool.

BOOKINGS: To book an overnight stay, and for the best available price, call Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).