TLH Leisure Resort, Torquay

Have you heard about our “Pick of the Crop” themed breaks? Last May Bank Holiday we launched this new break on our calendar, designed for guests who wanted to sample good quality food, sourced and produced locally in the West Country. Not only did they get to enjoy some really tasty menus, but there was the opportunity to see and learn more about where our local food and wines come from.

The weekend included a visit to Occombe organic farm, set in a picturesque valley on the outskirts of Torquay, a trip to Old Walls Vineyard near Teignmouth, which included a full ‘vine to wine’ guided tour and a chance to taste the wines! We also held a Sheppy’s Cider and Sharpham’s Cheese tasting in the hotel, featuring Chef’s homemade Onion Marmalade and Fudge, as well as a traditional Devonshire Cream tea. 

The weekend was a roaring success, with some excellent feedback from our guests. So much so we are now going to be running the same break at the Toorak Hotel in October (10^th –12^th). This time the break links in with us hosting our second Farmer’s Market and Craft Fair on Sunday 12th as well as the food and drink tastings. So forget your diet for a weekend and come enjoy a real treat. There seems to be no doubt that this is set to become a regular and very popular holiday in our short breaks calendar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¼/p>

After months of training in the Aztec Gym for the Big Midnight Walk for Macmillan Cancer Support and Rowcroft Hospice, waking up on Saturday 7^th June 2008 to pouring rain and thunderstorms was not a good sign!  Sat at home not wanting to walk the dog in the miserable weather never mind doing the 13mile walk that evening, out of nowhere the rain stopped.  Suddenly there was a lovely evening sky, which gave us positive thoughts for the evening ahead.

 

Turning in to the car park at Clennon Valley the queues had already started, within half an hour the queues were heading out the car park and up the road.

 

After the warm up, registering and making sure we collected our free Galaxy Chocolate Bar, we were ready to go!

 

Waiting for us on the seafront at Pier Point Restaurant, friendly volunteers included staff from TLH Leisure Resort, offering hot drinks and flapjacks – much appreciated just before the killer hill up to Babbacombe, which we were approaching.

 

We received a warm welcome at the Babbacombe Cricket Club with drinks and a generous meal donated by Pasta King…. and of course a well earned sit down.

 

Proud of reaching the half way mark, we started the walk down towards the harbour.  Unfortunately Pier Point had run out of treats for us, so we started on the free Galaxy bar we were given at the start line to give us energy to get back.

 

I have lived in Torquay all my life and never known Paignton seafront to be so long! We were getting tired now and to make matters worse our torch decided to die just by the park leading down to the beach (which was pitch black at this point).  Luckily some other walkers were behind us with a working torch and we headed down to the beach encouraging each other along.

 

The finishing point was in sight now and I could see my car to take us home – at last!

Welcoming staff at Clennon Valley congratulated us on our efforts and headed us in the direction for food, drinks and most importantly chairs! Rummaging round in our goody bags, it was great to see a voucher for a well-earned spot of pampering in the Aztec Spa at TLH Leisure Resort.

 

I walked with my Mum and am really proud that we were involved in such a successful event raising over £179,000.00 for Rowcroft Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support, which are both charities close to our hearts.

 

Well done to everyone involved and see you in 2009!  

This week sees the 100th Anniversary of Torbay Carnival , in the heart of the English Riviera, and part of the events saw a Chefs Chase take place on Paignton Seafront.

 

The Second Chef from the Derwent Hotel, Lee Johnston, represented Torquay’s TLH Leisure Resort in the event and having recently completed the Torbay half marathon, was quietly confident and keen to get his hands on the £150 first prize.

 

The competitors had to weave their way through a course and collect a stack of plates which were precariously balanced, and then weave back to the start. Lee breezed through the first round and finished a comfortable second -  no point over-exerting yourself before you need to.

 

Then there was a mad dash at the start of the final and when Lee got to collect his stack of plates they had been knocked over by other competitors, so by the time they’d been put back together the winners had already finished and Lee trudged back to finish 4th. Disappointed, he made his way back to the Derwent Hotel and started thinking about next year.

 

Lee could still find himself on a winning team before then though, as he is one of 20 people making up two teams from Torquay’s TLH Leisure Resort in the It’s a Knockout Tournament on Sunday 3rd August. Any guests staying at TLH at the weekend are welcome to come along and cheer the team on! As you can see, they have been training hard, with Toby Lee Hound acting as referee during practice sessions.

 

The sun setting in a pink sky, a balmy evening and the chink of glasses on the terrace – well that’s what we were hoping for on the 4^th July when we held our very first Aztec Club members Bar-B-Q in the Aztec Bistro. Sadly it wasn’t quite the night we had planned because of the bad weather, but the Great British spirit kicked in and everyone seemed determined to enjoy themselves in spite of the rain.

 

 

Club members thought the evening was a great success and are looking forward to the next members event. We’ll keep you posted.

The Aztec Bistro lends itself well to this kind of event and it has the flexibility to be an indoor or outdoor venue. The new Bistro Menus is now in place with a wider range of all day dishes giving you more flexibility – if you fancy popping in for a panini at 9pm – now you can! It may seem like we haven’t even had a summer yet, but Christmas Party Menus are available now.  

Call 01803 400145 for more information or go to www.tlh4locals.co.uk

 

¼/p>

Did you know that children under the age of 5 go FREE at our Torquay leisure resort?

The Derwent Hotel has some great offers for families this summer including:

• Kids under 5 FREE!
• Special rates for children aged 6-15 years
• Special rates for teens sharing a twin room

Our family holiday deals are available throughout July and August. We have extensive activities for your children.

There’s our Toby club for children aged 3-9 and the Teenzone for those aged 10 upwards

Activities at Toby Club for Children under 9

Craft and modelling, junior discos, face painting, swimming galas, video time, badge making, talent competitions, wacky games and lots of games and toys.

The activities for under 9s are all supervised and organised by the TLH’s resident entertainment team.

Activities for teenagers include:

Killer pool, tennis coaching, cricket (kwik kricket), 10 pin bowling, snooker, pool, quizzes, competitions and talent competoitions

So if you are feeling the pinch at the moment with the credit crunch, why not take a holiday in beautiful Devon at one of our four family hotels in Torquay.

Call us on 01803 400500 for information on kids free holidays.

The grand doors of Torre Abbey have once again re-opened to the public following a three-year, £6.5 million restoration. The biggest surviving mediaeval monastery in Devon and Cornwall, the Abbey first took shape in 1196 when it was founded as a Premonstratensian Monastery, and today enjoys one of the finest seafront locations on the south west coastline. Pretty impressive or what!

Don’t just take my word for it. When you come and stay here at TLH Leisure Resort, the Abbey is located just across the road from the Toorak Hotel, and is well worth taking the time to pay a visit. You can wander round the cloisters and gardens in the footsteps of the White Canons - the brothers who lived here 800 years ago, when Torquay was just a tiny fishing hamlet . And when you look at Torquay today, it’s hard to think of the jewel in the crown of the English Riviera as a tiny village.

Torre Abbey is just part of the great heritage and culture of Torquay and the surrounding area of South Devon, so if you’re a bit of a culture vulture, there are plenty of places you can visit during your next stay at TLH Leisure Resort.

The Abbey is open every day 10am-6pm (last admission 5pm); and from 10am-5pm from November to February.

A disused door under the porch-tower will be reopened to provide a new entrance for everyone including wheelchair users

Admission prices are: £5.90 adults, £4.90 concessions, £2.50 children.

For further details, visit www.torre-abbey.org.uk.

This August Tor Bay will be awash with hundreds of sailing boats as competitors take to the water during the first ever Torbay Week, sponsored by Ocean BMW of Torbay. The brand new regatta, taking place from 22nd-27th August, has been introduced as a combined event between the Bay’s yacht and sailing clubs to replace the individual sailing regattas of Royal Torbay, Paignton and Brixham.

The exciting programme of world-class sailing includes three packed days of championship racing, two days of Admiral’s Cup racing and three national dinghy championships, but will kick off with the traditional Friday evening RNLI pursuit race that has been a favourite for decades. Other fun and novel races are planned throughout the week, with the last day seeing the Passage Race to Dartmouth in time to tie in with their own town regatta. Yachts and dinghies of all classes will be taking part, and the event is set to be a huge success and a highlight of the annual sailing calendar.

For the land-lubbers among us, the on-shore entertainment during Ocean BMW Torbay Week will not disappoint. This is a brilliant week to take a break in Torquay - and where better to stay than at TLH Leisure Resort where you’ll find some great Summer offers.  Look forward to the customary stunning fireworks displays and exhilarating Red Arrows flyover for which the English Riviera’s regatta season is renowned.

The wonderful, almost tideless waters of Tor Bay make perfect sailing conditions and competitions have been popular since the early nineteenth century, with the first ever race taking place in 1811 and the first regatta in 1886. 2008 will be the first year that the Bay’s four clubs - Babbacombe Corinthian Sailing Club, Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Paignton Sailing Club and Brixham Yacht Club - have pulled their resources together and spectators can expect to see thrilling races of national significance.

If you want to be part of this exciting event there are still a few rooms available at TLH Leisure Resort, Torquay.  Call now on 01803 400500.

The event will be a spectacle for adults and children alike, bringing the summer to a fabulous climax.

Take the hassle of out of your next holiday or break with an all-inclusive break in Torquay.

TLH have all-inclusive 3 night packages at our Derwent Hotel.

Choosing from two superb value drinks inclusive packages, on offer are:

The Great British House Party mid-week break

The house party that celebrates all things Britain. With menus and entertainment themed towards the four corners of the British Isles, during these lively mid-week breaks in Torquay are fun-packed and are completed with a last night Proms Party to remember. The all-inclusive Great British Tea Party includes:

• Welcome drinks reception
• Devonshire cream tea
• Themed nights include - Highland Fling - When Irish Eyes are Smiling - Land of My Fathers - English Proms Party
• Last night bubbly reception and gala dinner with a Proms Party theme

The Euro Cruise Party

Sample the delights of France, Spain and Italy without having to leave the English Riviera. The Euro Cruise Party takes you on a visit of mainland Europe featuring European themed menus and themed European entertainment and the back to Britain for the final gala night.

Come on, come and celebrate the best of Europe with TLH!

Value all-inclusive break at one of Torquay’s finest leisure resorts

These two all-inclusive breaks are from only £139 per person, enjoy 3 nights dinner, bed and breakfast, themed entertainment, plus free drinks from the bar every evening from 6.00-11.00pm.

The available drinks include a draught beer and lager, a range of house spirits, house wines and minerals and soft drinks.

Current available dates of both of these all-inclusive holidays are:

• 21-24 Apr - Great British House Party
• 28 Apr-1 May - Great British House Party
• 5-8 May - Great British House Party
• 12-15 May - Euro Cruise Party

Call TLH Leisure Resort on 01803 400500 to book your all-inclusive break today.

There are an abundance of great things to see and do in and around Torquay - One of the popular places to discover is Babbacombe Model Village.

Situated just 1.5 miles from our Torquay location, the model village at Babbacombe is a great for kids and adults alike!

See the world recreated in miniature form. When visiting the model village you will find hundreds of miniature buildings, people and vehicles which ultimately delivers a snapshot of England’s past, present and future.

The model village is set in four acres of gardens with over 400 models of houses, entertainment venues, environmental features, factories, shops and stately homes and cherished landmarks and monuments which is all livened up by 13,000 miniature people who bring the village to life.

In your journey around the model village at Babbacombe you will find the following:

• Model railways
• Merrivale Castle
• Gardens in miniature
• Sound and animation
• Stonehenge
• Football stadium

Here are some teaser images of some of the great models you will see at the model village

Merrivale castle at Babbacombe Village

Model Stonehenge

Model railway

If you are planning to stay in Torquay you will find the our hotels and self catering accommodation are really close to many major tourist spots including the Babbacombe Model Village as the map below shows:

You can find further information on a day trip to Babbacombe Model Village by visiting their website: www.babbacombemodelvillage.co.uk