Win A Peugeot Rcz For £1 In The National Motor Museum Trust Raffle Draw

This year’s star prize in the 2014 National Motor Museum Trust Raffle Draw is a stunning Peugeot RCZ GT Sports Coupé in Bianca White, generously supplied by Peugeot UK.

This stylish two-door coupé, characterised by its ‘double-bubble’ roofline and aluminium roof arches, boasts a 1.6L petrol engine, able to reach 62mph in 8.3 seconds, high quality sports interior and spacious rear seating. The Peugeot RCZ range starts at £21,600.

Peugeot RCZ GT Sports Coupe

Andrew Didlick, Director of Communications at Peugeot Motor Company, said: “Peugeot is delighted to be supporting the 2014 National Motor Museum Trust Raffle Draw. The RCZ is a fantastic draw in itself and we wish the Museum the very best of luck in all of its 2014 fundraising activities. The RCZ will certainly attract attention as it sits proudly amongst such a fantastic collection of historic automobiles.”

Other prizes on offer include an alternative star prize of £10,000 cash, and runner-up prizes including a seat on the 2015 London to Brighton Run with one night’s accommodation in London and a Garmin Sat-Nav.

Tickets cost just £1 each and can be bought in person from the Information Desk inside the National Motor Museum*. They can also be purchased on application by contacting Theresa Browning by email at theresa.browning@beaulieu.co.uk

The National Motor Museum Trust Raffle Draw takes place annually, with the winning ticket numbers announced in November each year. All monies raised from the sale of tickets go towards furthering the work of the National Motor Museum Trust.

In addition to its world-famous vehicle collection, the National Motor Museum charitable trust is also home to one of the largest historical motoring archives, which includes film, photographs, books and thousands of motoring-related artefacts.

Chief Executive of the Trust, Russell Bowman, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer such a fantastic star prize in our raffle. We would like to thank Peugeot UK for their support of our fundraising activities and we look forward to presenting this wonderful car to the lucky winner following the raffle draw in November. Last year’s draw raised £36,500 and with this great car on offer, we hope that this year will be even more successful.”

Peugeot UK has also sponsored the Current Car Plinth in the Setting the Scene display in the museum’s entrance hall, with a new Peugeot 308.

If any organisations or businesses wish to support the work of the National Motor Museum Trust, please contact Heather Reid on 01590 614634.

Treasure Houses Win at Hudson's Heritage Awards 2014 - WINNER: Chatsworth House for BEST HERITAGE PICNIC SPOT

WINNER:  Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

BEST HERITAGE PICNIC SPOT

Chatsworth House

For the first time in 2014 the winner of this award was nominated by a member of the general public. It is an award for a heritage site which is a special place to have a picnic.  This place for a picnic was nominated by Mrs Olwen Wright, who wins a Hudson’s hamper for 6.

This is an extract from her nomination….

“As we entered the parkland and got our first view of the House and its surrounds, our grandchildren, aged 9 and 14, who would never usually comment, both said “Wow!”
There is something for everybody, whatever their age or inclination on the Estate. So many beautiful designated picnic areas, and even a hut to buy picnic food if you decide on the spur of the moment! Nothing here is forgotten and it adds up to a memorable day.”


2014 Hudson's Heritage Award Winners

About Hudson's Awards

The Treasure Houses Of England

The Treasure Houses of England are 10 of the most magnificent palaces, houses and castles in England today. Together they attract in excess of 2.8 million visitors annually.

Members are Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle and Woburn Abbey.

One of the most compelling features of the Treasure Houses of England is that they all offer the visitor a living history. Most are still homes to the great families who have owned them for generations. Others keep their heritage alive by re-creating scenes and events that have dominated and shaped England from the 9th century to the present day.

Between them they house some of the most important art collections in the world with famous works from artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The connoisseur of fine furniture, porcelain and china will find priceless examples of Chippendale, Wedgwood and Meissen.
Each house is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by beautiful parklands and gardens.

Treasure Houses Win at Hudson's Heritage Awards 2014 - WINNER: Hatfield House for Her Majesty the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant, Looking West BEST NEW COMMISSION

WINNER:  Hatfield House for Her Majesty the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant, Looking West

Hatfield House

BEST NEW COMMISSION Sponsored by Smith & Williamson, accountants and investment consultants

The other contender for Best New Commission is a traditional piece of far sighted patronage by a great landowning family in the long tradition of their ancestors.  It is a painting of the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant on the Thames in June 2012, commissioned personally by the Marquess of Salisbury  for his home, Hatfield House, to commemorate and record this important national event. Lord Salisbury was Chairman of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation which organised the pageant which was itself in part inspired by a painting by Antonio Canaletto of The Lord Mayor’s Day on the Thames, now hanging in Prague.  Appropriately, Lord Salisbury commissioned a new painting of the Queen’s Pageant from artist Nick Botting, who is well known for capturing the moment en plein air in the tradition of the Impressionists. The painting was on public display at Hatfield House for the whole of the 2013 visitor season allowing visitors to share their memories of this great national event while it was still fresh in their minds. The judges were impressed not just with the commission but with the way in which the painting had been immediately incorporated into every visitor’s experience.

2014 Hudson's Heritage Award Winners

About Hudson's Awards

The Treasure Houses Of England

The Treasure Houses of England are 10 of the most magnificent palaces, houses and castles in England today. Together they attract in excess of 2.8 million visitors annually.

Members are Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle and Woburn Abbey.

One of the most compelling features of the Treasure Houses of England is that they all offer the visitor a living history. Most are still homes to the great families who have owned them for generations. Others keep their heritage alive by re-creating scenes and events that have dominated and shaped England from the 9th century to the present day.

Between them they house some of the most important art collections in the world with famous works from artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The connoisseur of fine furniture, porcelain and china will find priceless examples of Chippendale, Wedgwood and Meissen.
Each house is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by beautiful parklands and gardens.

Treasure Houses Win at Hudson's Heritage Awards 2014 - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Woburn Abbey Gardens for The Woburn Abbey Garden Showl Win the Award for BEST EVENT

Woburn Abbey Garden Show

WINNER:  Woburn Abbey for The Woburn Abbey Garden Show

BEST EVENT

The gardens team at Woburn Abbey wants to gain international recognition for the garden in its own right not just as an adjunct to a famous great house. Like all heritage gardens its history is complex, successive designers, including Humphry Repton, Henry Holland, Sir Jeffry Wyattville, and Percy Cane, have all had a hand in it.

The annual Woburn Abbey Garden Show in June is now in its fifth year and is a gardeners’ Garden Show, not only in the practical approach it offers its visitors but because it is an enterprise entirely organised by the gardeners. The show has popular talks by influential contemporary gardeners like Pippa Greenwood and Diarmuid Gavin. In 2013, the team added a Potted History of the Gardens to the Garden Show exhibits, telling the story of the design and restoration of different areas of today’s gardens in a series of 9 giant flower pots specially planned to explain the character and period of each element of the gardens’ history; a simple clever way to tell the story of its past and of the 9 year restoration programme which is still ongoing..

2014 Hudson's Heritage Award Winners

About Hudson's Awards

The Treasure Houses Of England

The Treasure Houses of England are 10 of the most magnificent palaces, houses and castles in England today. Together they attract in excess of 2.8 million visitors annually.

Members are Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle and Woburn Abbey.

One of the most compelling features of the Treasure Houses of England is that they all offer the visitor a living history. Most are still homes to the great families who have owned them for generations. Others keep their heritage alive by re-creating scenes and events that have dominated and shaped England from the 9th century to the present day.

Between them they house some of the most important art collections in the world with famous works from artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The connoisseur of fine furniture, porcelain and china will find priceless examples of Chippendale, Wedgwood and Meissen.
Each house is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by beautiful parklands and gardens.

Treasure Houses Win at Hudson's Heritage Awards 2014 - Holkham Hall Win the Award for BEST FAMILY DAY OUT

WINNER:  Holkham Hall, Norfolk

Holkham Hall

BEST FAMILY DAY OUT

Holkham is one of the great estates of Britain, hidden in the extreme North of Norfolk.  It is in an area of exceptional natural beauty and the estate has been able to encourage a growing tourist market and build strong links with local communities.  Over the last few years, an increasing variety of activities have brought large number’s of young families into the park and innovative exhibitions at all times of year have widened the appeal of the house to younger audiences.

Last year saw the introduction of a new education team, a new woodland play area and tree house, new Discovery and Nature trails and you can now explore the park by bicycle, canoe, kayak or rowing boat or even by water zorbing! They have introduced the ‘wow’ factor to key events in the calendar, with a snowy Forest and Gingerbread Room at Christmas, a giant Chocolate egg to win at Easter, a 3 day May Day cycle festival and spooky tours at Halloween.

The judges recognised that visiting children and adults of all ages, including the local community, had been given new opportunities to engage with the landscape, park, architecture and collections and discover new ways of enjoying this fantastic protected heritage setting.2014 Hudson's Heritage Award Winners

About Hudson's Awards

The Treasure Houses Of England

The Treasure Houses of England are 10 of the most magnificent palaces, houses and castles in England today. Together they attract in excess of 2.8 million visitors annually.

Members are Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle and Woburn Abbey.

One of the most compelling features of the Treasure Houses of England is that they all offer the visitor a living history. Most are still homes to the great families who have owned them for generations. Others keep their heritage alive by re-creating scenes and events that have dominated and shaped England from the 9th century to the present day.

Between them they house some of the most important art collections in the world with famous works from artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The connoisseur of fine furniture, porcelain and china will find priceless examples of Chippendale, Wedgwood and Meissen.

Each house is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by beautiful parklands and garden

Treasure Houses Win at Hudson's Heritage Awards 2014 - Leeds Castle Win the Award for BEST ACCOMMODATION

WINNER:  Leeds Castle, Knights’ Glampsite

BEST ACCOMMODATION sponsored by Signpost Hotel Guide

Leeds Castle Knights' Glampsite

Our winner provides a rather different accommodation. Last year Leeds Castle laid out a ‘Knight’s Glampsite’. The idea came from the fact that Henry VIII’s procession to the famous Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520 stopped at this historic castle en route.  Guests are accommodated in specially commissioned double pavilions in jaunty stripes with really civilised bathrooms, wood burning stoves and luxurious furnishings incorporating silk, wool and fur. The tents are named after Henry VIII’s champions and this year a Knight’s School is planned to give families something extra.

It is camping certainly, but camping with a twist, more reminiscent of a top of the range safari camp but with a distinctly mediaeval flair.  Last year’s Knightly Glampers all particularly enjoyed the experience of having privileged access to the castle after the general public had left and this is all the better now, Leeds Castle opens its restaurant for evening diners.

2014 Hudson's Heritage Award Winners

About Hudson's Awards

The Treasure Houses Of England

The Treasure Houses of England are 10 of the most magnificent palaces, houses and castles in England today. Together they attract in excess of 2.8 million visitors annually.

Members are Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle and Woburn Abbey.

One of the most compelling features of the Treasure Houses of England is that they all offer the visitor a living history. Most are still homes to the great families who have owned them for generations. Others keep their heritage alive by re-creating scenes and events that have dominated and shaped England from the 9th century to the present day.

Between them they house some of the most important art collections in the world with famous works from artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The connoisseur of fine furniture, porcelain and china will find priceless examples of Chippendale, Wedgwood and Meissen.
Each house is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by beautiful parklands and gardens.

Treasure Houses Win at Hudson's Heritage Awards 2014 - HIGHLY COMMENDED: Hatfield House, Hertfordshire

Hatfield House

HIGHLY COMMENDED:  Hatfield House, Hertfordshire

BEST SHOPPING sponsored by Spear’s, the luxury lifestyle media brand

If you want to ask whether Hatfield House is serious about retailing, I only need to tell you that it now has a complex of 10 shops that are open 11 months of the year.

The retail area is in a restored and revitalised Stable Yard with its own access and free parking, giving a previously underused area of the estate a new purpose and new life.

This is a lively space with the atmosphere of a busy market square.  In addition to shops which sell everything from jewellery and antiques to food and toys and gifts, there are monthly farm markets and antiques markets while buskers and face painters provide entertainment. A successful innovation last year was a loyalty card – The Yard Card. This allows a group of regular shoppers to receive privileged discounts and invitations to events and new openings.

2014 Hudson's Heritage Award Winners

About Hudson's Awards

The Treasure Houses Of England

The Treasure Houses of England are 10 of the most magnificent palaces, houses and castles in England today. Together they attract in excess of 2.8 million visitors annually.

Members are Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle and Woburn Abbey.

One of the most compelling features of the Treasure Houses of England is that they all offer the visitor a living history. Most are still homes to the great families who have owned them for generations. Others keep their heritage alive by re-creating scenes and events that have dominated and shaped England from the 9th century to the present day.
Between them they house some of the most important art collections in the world with famous works from artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The connoisseur of fine furniture, porcelain and china will find priceless examples of Chippendale, Wedgwood and Meissen.
Each house is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by beautiful parklands and gardens.

Treasure Houses Win at Hudson's Heritage Awards 2014 - Blenheim Palace Win the Award for BEST SHOPPING

WINNER:  Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
BEST SHOPPING sponsored by Spear’s, the luxury lifestyle media brand

Blenheim Palace Gift Shop

Blenheim Palace won a Commercial Innovation Award here last year, in recognition of a major investment programme which has reinvigorated many of the visitor areas with new buildings, restoration and redevelopment. What impressed the judges is how this programme is continuing with more innovation and continuing attention to detail. 

The team at Blenheim run 3 shops.  The newest is The Children’s Shop, selling pocket money toys, treats and fancy dress that will appeal to kids.  There is a shop selling high quality arts and crafts from the immediate surrounding area, though for 2014 this will be a World War 1 shop specialising in First World War memorabilia to support the major exhibition in the house.  And of course there is an exemplary gift shop which sells a range of items including many carrying the attraction’s own brand. The judges particularly liked a new range of items inspired by the working lives of the household staff, called Below Stairs. And if you need the Valet’s Shoe Polishing Kit or the Housemaid’s Bannister Brush, you can now order it online and have it posted direct.

2014 Hudson's Heritage Award Winners

About Hudson's Awards

The Treasure Houses Of England

The Treasure Houses of England are 10 of the most magnificent palaces, houses and castles in England today. Together they attract in excess of 2.8 million visitors annually.

Members are Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle and Woburn Abbey.

One of the most compelling features of the Treasure Houses of England is that they all offer the visitor a living history. Most are still homes to the great families who have owned them for generations. Others keep their heritage alive by re-creating scenes and events that have dominated and shaped England from the 9th century to the present day.

Between them they house some of the most important art collections in the world with famous works from artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The connoisseur of fine furniture, porcelain and china will find priceless examples of Chippendale, Wedgwood and Meissen.
Each house is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by beautiful parklands and gardens.

Meet Queen Elizabeth… at England’s greatest Elizabethan house - Burghley.

Queen Elizabeth Portrait

Four centuries after it was built in her honour, Queen Elizabeth I is returning to England’s greatest Elizabethan house… well, sort of!

A new event has just been added to Burghley’s 2014 programme offering visitors a chance to not only be amazed by the stunning Elizabethan architecture of the house and estate – but also enjoy ‘An Audience With Elizabeth I’.

Built by her chief minister William Cecil, Burghley House in Lincolnshire was originally designed as a grand tribute to the Queen, and is still lived in by a direct descendant of Lord Burghley.

Despite there being a Queen Elizabeth Bedroom among the magnificent state rooms open to the public, Elizabeth never actually stayed at Burghley, with her one planned visit called off at the last minute because William Cecil’s daughter had smallpox.

But 400 years later, there will be a chance to see Queen Elizabeth at Burghley!

Evening drinks in the Orangery Restaurant – housed in a building that provided space for the family’s love of horticulture and designed by Capability Brown – will be followed by a glittering presentation by Lesley Smith, Curator of Tutbury Castle, in character as Queen Elizabeth I at the special ticketed event on Friday, 23rd May 2014.

Held in the Great Hall – boasting a remarkable double hammer-beam roof 60ft tall that was used as a banqueting hall in Elizabethan days – the lecture will transport guests back to the time of Drake, Raleigh and Shakespeare on England’s voyage into the Renaissance.

Renowned Elizabethan historian Lesley Smith will talk about the profound effects on English and European politics of the Protestant queen who went on to rule England longer than any other monarch before her.

An Audience with Elizabeth I

 starts with drinks in the Orangery at 6pm and the lecture ends around 8.30pm.

Tickets are £14 and include a glass of wine and places are limited so the advice is to book early.

For full details of opening times, events and to book online tickets, visit www.burghley.co.uk or telephone 01780 752451.Burghley, near Stamford in Lincolnshire, has been the home of the Cecil Family for over 400 years and is England’s greatest Elizabethan House. Burghley is owned and maintained by Burghley House Preservation Trust, which looks after a huge collection of great works of art, including one of the most important private collections of 17th century Italian paintings, the earliest inventoried collection of Japanese ceramics in the West, exceptional 18th century furniture and wood carvings by Grinling Gibbons and his followers. The Trust also maintains a 13,000-acre estate including residential, commercial and agricultural lettings, woodland and Burghley Park, which is open daily at no charge.
The House is open from Saturday 15 March to Sunday 2 November 2014, daily (except Fridays) from 11am to 5pm (last admission 4.30pm). Admission: House and The Gardens of Surprise - adults £13; children (3–15 years) £6.50; seniors/students £11.80; family (2 adults & 2 children) £35.

Richard Hammond’s Vauxhall Nova Sri Is The Latest Exhibit Unveiled At World Of Top Gear

Top Gear Vauxhall Nova SRi

New from the latest BBC Top Gear series, Richard Hammond’s Vauxhall Nova SRi, which featured in the opening episode, is now on display to the public at Beaulieu’s World of Top Gear.

Hammond drove this vehicle for Top Gear’s retro hot hatchback challenge, which saw the presenters manoeuvring through the aisles of a supermarket, reminiscing over their teenage years and testing the cars as getaway vehicles in an especially dramatic police chase involving the heavily armed and heavily moustachioed Top Gear Police Department. Hammond lovingly wrapped the car in ‘authentic’ arctic camouflage wrap, to give the car a more modern, showroom fresh look. However, this new pristine look didn’t last long, thanks to the large amount of time the car spent sliding along on its side – an authentic 1980s stance known as ‘the Nova position’. Keen-eared Beaulieu visitors may spot that you cannot hear this car’s engine running. This is because it is broken.

The Vauxhall Nova joins a whole host of vehicles at Beaulieu created by the Top Gear presenters for some of their most ambitious challenges.

The ‘Enormodrome’ recreates the feel of the Top Gear studio with regular features from the programme, including the Cool Wall and the Celebrity ‘Lap Times’ board, kept up to date in line with the show. Visitors can also watch behind-the-scenes footage of the Top Gear production zone and clips of some of the best Top Gear moments.

World of Top Gear can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction which also includes the National Motor Museum, Palace House and Beaulieu Abbey. 

Beaulieu is open every day, except Christmas Day, from 10am. For more information telephone 01590 612345 or visit www.beaulieu.co.uk