New Lodge | Marchday

October 12th, 2010 - Marchday’s Cafe Culture.

1950's style snug at Canteen.

We’re delighted to welcome two new cafe operators to our portfolio; Absolute Taste, the events and hospitality wing of the McLaren racing team at New Lodge Windsor and ‘Canteen’ by Alexander McMurray at Lingfield Point Darlington. Both companies have already really impressed us with the quality of their service.

Both pride themselves on using locally sourced ingredients, so local in fact that they sometimes look no further than the grounds for inspiration. John explains;

We recently had a meeting at New Lodge and were presented with the most amazing selection of beautifully presented canapes. I was particularly taken with some fig and rocket numbers and was knocked out to be told that the figs had come from our own fig trees in the gardens. You can’t get much fresher than that!

Fig rolls - New Lodge style!

| Also posted in General, John Orchard, Lingfield Point | Tagged Customer service, local food production, organic food, Regeneration | +

July 2nd, 2010 - The Marchday Peloton.

Sophie climbs.

Is it just us or is cycling everywhere you look these days? With the Tour de France kicking off tomorrow (and England out of the World Cup) it seems that pedal power is on everybody’s minds.

The Marchday teams at Lingfield Point, Darlington and New Lodge, Windsor have recently taken advantage of the Government’s ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme and have really caught the cycling bug in the process. So far Marchday have bought 8 bikes through the scheme with more in the pipeline. At Lingfield Point the Marchday Peloton can feature up to 7 riders on their regular Tuesday night rides out into Teesdale and Weardale and new ‘rouleurs’ are always welcome.

New Lodge manager Paul Buckley began riding in March and has already taken part in some grueling sportifs including the recent Chilterns 100, a hilly 100 mile course which he completed in 6:26 only four weeks after breaking his wrist in a cycling spill. He’s hard! Speaking of which, the Marchday cycling guru at Lingfield Point is (Hard) Colin who has inspired the boys and Sophie to amazing feats of endurance. Of course Sophie was a professional mountain bike rider so this is all a bit too easy for her.

So, do we cycle to work? Well…. sometimes…. but we all cycle lots, are enjoying every minute of it and feeling (and maybe even looking) better as a result – and that must be the result the Government is after – isn’t it?

[Show as slideshow]

| Also posted in General, Lingfield Point | +

May 4th, 2010 - New Lodge autumn photo winners anounced

The inaugural New Lodge photographic competition entitled ”autumn at New Lodge” is now complete. The judges deliberated long into the night before awarding the top three places. To see the full competition and the judge’s comments please visit www.newl odge.co.uk/art and open each picture.

The winning picture has been mounted and exhibited in the conference room on an easel, and receives a print to take away. Those placed 2nd and 3rd receive a framed print to take away as a memento.

However it doesn’t stop there, the winter/spring season is now upon us and the New Lodge art page on the website is set up ready for new entries, the more the merrier.

The first season has set the bar high as acknowledged by judges and New Lodge staff alike. Enjoy looking through the pictures and reading the judges comments, the closing date for winter/spring is middle of June.

[Show as slideshow]

| Also posted in General, Tim Stephen | +

January 12th, 2010 - The New Lodge Oak

Art in all its manifestations is important to Marchday and none more so than the NEW LODGE OAK TREE. This original “Windsor Oak” was estimated to be at least 400 years old by Bill Cathcart, a Windsor Forest ranger. You can imagine the shock and sadness when a particularly strong gust of wind caused the tree to split down the middle. It turns out that water had been collecting in the heart of the tree for a long long time and it was rotting from the inside out.

The decision about what to do next was made slightly easier by the fact that the tree surgeon deemed the larger branches to be unsafe and they had to be removed. Marchday was left with a 15ft tree stump stripped of its beauty. Although the trees scale and grandeur could never be recreated the history and essence of the tree remained. The challenge was to bring the the tree back to life! ……. Inspiration struck ”how about getting a tree sculpture to look at it?”

Graham Jones, a Birmingham based artist arrived on site in October of 2008 and finished the piece in April 2009. Marchday is exceptionally proud of the tree and hope that it’s essence been recreated … see below and let us know if you think it has worked!