Buckingham Lodge Bed and Breakfast Guest House

Well, its Tuesday and we're hurtling towards the busiest weekend in the year for our bed and breakfast business, www.buckinghamlodge.co.uk packed to the rafters after Friday so praying for some sunshine for our guests to enjoy Theres quite a bit happening in Torquay over the Bank Holiday.  Take a look at the following and see if anything is there to tempt you down to our lovely English Riviera. Torbay Classic Powerboat Race Will take place in Torquay on 25th and 26th May 2013.  Meet the teams and view the raceboats from Friday 24th May on Haldon Pier. First race is Saturday 25th May at 3.00pm. Sunday racing starts at 12.30pm. English Riviera Geopark Festival 25/5/2013 - 2/6/2013 During the annual festival, there’s fun for all the family with music, entertainment, arts and crafts in celebration of our incredible geology, landscape, culture and heritage. The annual festival really brings the Geopark to life, with an amazing range of activities to enjoy, from walks ...

The Devon County Show takes place on 16th, 17th and 18th May at Westpoint Exeter. Livestock and animals, stunts, JCB Dancing Diggers, beer tent, honey, stalls clothes, Falconer, Food and drink, horses, sheep shearing, steam engines, vintage cars, and crafts to name just a few of the attractions taking place.  A fantastic day out for all the family. We have accommodation available at the Buckingham Lodge www.buckinghamlodge.co.uk so why not combine a visit to the show with a stay on the beautiful Riviera in Torquay.  Contact us direct and let us know you are going to the County Show to receive a discount on accommodation. 01803 293538 or stay@buckinghamlodge.co.uk For more information about the show follow this link www.http://www.devoncountyshow.co.uk/attractions Tariff Adults £19.00 £17.00 Family (Saturday - 3 children per adult enter FOC) £45.00 £40.00 Children (Saturday - 3 children per adult enter FOC) £7.00 £6.50 Senior Citizens £17.00 (per person) £17.0...

Dartmoor can be a most inhospitable place when the weather is bad and this weekend its not the best for the 2,400 youngsters undertaking the Ten Tors Challenge. The event is organised by the British Army and is mainly attended by teenagers aged 14 to 19 from schools, colleges, scout groups and army cadets, although entrants have been limited this year from the South West due to increasing numbers interested in undertaking the challenge. The event will see the participants trekking in teams of six up to 55 miles (89km). The teams will camp overnight in what could be very wet and windy conditions this weekend and should arrive back at the starting point at 9am tomorrow Sunday 12th May. . Almost 300 youngsters with special physical or educational needs will also take part in the Jubilee Challenge, completing routes of up to 15 miles (24km). Troops involved in the event include members of the Army, the Territorial Army and the Royal Navy.

One of  Britain’s leading televised cycle race series will return to Torquay on 28th May as the country’s leading professional cycling teams battle it out on the English Riviera in Round Six of the Series. This event was very well attended last year with Over 12,500 spectators lining the streets of Torquay and this year numbers are expected to increase. The Pearl Izumi Tour Series taking place in the southwest event will be televised on ITV4 on at 10pm on Wednesday 29th May. The Tour Series celebrates its fifth season of competition in 2013.  Past winners of the unique competition include Team Halfords Bikehut (2009), Motorpoint Marshalls Pasta (2010), Rapha Condor Sharp (2011) and Endura Racing (2012). The itinerary for the event are as follows: Details 11:00 to 12:30 British Cycling Go Ride Children’s Races for under 16s.  No experience necessary. Events can be entered on the day. Between Kings Drive Traffic lights and Belgrave Road. 12:30 to 13:30 Sa...

Cockington Ceramic Festival 10th and 11th May 2013 The beautiful village of Cockington is only a mile away from our bed and breakfast www.buckinghamlodge.co.uk and taking place this week is the Ceramic Festival. This two day festival will showcase local talent and will re-enforce Cockington Court’s growing reputation as cultural centre of excellence. Cockington’s Kitchen Gallery is known in the arts world as a contemporary gallery space of regional significance, having exhibited work by artists of international acclaim as well as emerging local talent. The festival will offer yet another high quality, accessible event, and will include an interactive and informative programme, designed to encourage the engagement of both amateurs and professionals involved in art and crafts. The programme and festival will celebrate all aspects of clay, and there will be outreach sessions for local schools and community groups in the run up to the event, as well as workshops and demonstrat...

Feeling very nostalgic today. Think its because I have been reading a friend's blog on how she has set about writing her first novel based on her grandmother's journey from India to start a new life in England. My friend (Jane) is blogging about the whole process of writing the book, how she has gathered her research and what inspires her to write. She has also invited other guest writers to be interviewed on how they go about their writing too. One guest writer (Dean) talks about how he is  keen on keeping diaries and this got me thinking about all the diaries I have stashed in my attic from my teenage years. I would religiously set out in January down to WH Smiths or Woolworths to purchase the nicest diary my meagre pocket money would buy. I didnt write in it every day and looking back over the entries made me realise how simplistic life was back then. The months of the summer holidays were filled with entries such as "got up (obviously) went round to Janes, liste...

The Buckingham Lodge   guest house is a 5 minute walk from the Riviera Conference Centre which means no need to pay for parking if travelling to Torquay for a conference this year. If you are attending any of the following conferences please free feel to get in touch to find out our special rate, we offer a breakfast to suit delegates schedules, free wi-fi, free fax or printing service, collection service to and from the railway or coach station and as mentioned earlier free parking. Forthcoming Conferences at the Riviera Centre 1st and 2nd March Rotary International District 1100.   www.rotary1100.org 9th and 10th March West of England Brass Band Contest.  http://www.webba.org.uk/2013.html 7th - 9th May Independant Schools' Bursar Association.  www.theisba.org.uk 10th - 12th May Toastmasters International Conference.  www.toastmasters.org 13th - 17th June Miss England.  27th July to 10th August The 100th Chess Cha...

If you love the small theatre experience attending a show at the Princess Theatre Torquay will be right up your street and with only a 10 minute stroll from our guest house the Buckingham Lodge www.buckinghamlodge.co.uk makes it a must do activity whilst visting Torbay. Here's a flavour of whats on in the next few months to enable you to plan your stay with us at our Bed and Breakfast on the English Riviera.  For more information on dates and prices http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/princess-theatre-torquay/ February 2013 Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" show  The Rise and Fal of Little Voice March 2013 Moscow State Circus Harry Bikers Larger Than Life Milton Jones On the Road Carmen Vienna Festival Ballet - Sleeping Beauty Showstopper - The Imrovished Musical Mother Africa Joe Brown in Concert That'll Be The Day April 2013 Derren Brown Infamous The Solid Silver 60's Show Bill Bailey Qualmpeddler Priscilla Queen of the Desert May 2013 Swan Lak...

The Seville orange season is upon us which means its time to make the very popular and tasty homemade marmalade to serve with our scrummy breakfasts.  The recipe is simple, the hardest part is actually cutting up the orange peel which is quite labour intensive but the resulting taste is well worth it.  This time, instead of just making plain orange marmalade I am also going to make a batch of ginger and whiskey marmalade, will let you know how I get on. Recipe for Seville Orange Marmalade or Three Fruit Maramalade makes about 12 x 450 g jars This traditional marmalade can only be made in season- usually January to early February. Wash and cut in half : 1.4 kg (3lb) Seville oranges (or 1 grapefruit and 3 large oranges) 2 large lemons Cover a plate or small bowl with a piece of muslin. Squeeze out the juice then strain the pips and any membrane or pulp you can remove from the skin in your muslin. Tie up the pips and pulp and put in your p...

Happy New Year to all our guests past and hopefully future! 2012 seems to have flown by, cant quite believe we are now in 2013, where has the time gone?  We've enjoyed the Queen's Jubilee with celebrations here in Torquay, and of course the Olympics with all the success that this has bought to our small country in the way of tourism, prestige and rejuvenation. On a smaller scale we are always looking at ways to improve our accommodation, service and overall experience here at the Buckingham Lodge Bed and Breakfast. Whilst we are closed at the moment, this doesnt mean we are resting on our laurels.  Scaffolding has gone up at the rear of the property with new rendering completed, double glazing going in next week.  This means our family room, superior room and kingsize double will now be snug and warm in the winter helping the environment and of course our fuel bills! Added to that we are decorating/carpeting our twin room which makes up part of our suite, a fam...