Get into shape for 2012

Yes.. I know we're already here! I just wanted to draw your attention to the People 1st website, as it has developed a number of useful resources to help hospitality businesses 'get into shape' for 2012.. a huge year, with the Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics and Paralympics!

New Journal - Hospitality & Society

Hospitality & Society is a new international social sciences journal which looks at the industry’s connections with social and cultural processes and structures which will hopefully lead to the developing of new approaches to the study of hospitality

You can view the contents of the first issue here:

The editors are also keen for you to submit your own papers:

I’ve had a quick peruse of the contents of the 1st issue and it does look like it will be a very interesting new title..

As far as the book reviews are concerned, we have several copies of O’Gorman; I’m not sure if the ‘Extending Hospitality’ title is entirely relevant, but I think I’ll order a copy of ‘Kitchens’ by Gary Fine.. Please speak up if you’d like to see ‘Extending Hospitality’ in the library stock !

Hospitality Action Week

This week (16th - 22nd May) is Hospitality Action week. Hospitality Action is the trade charity for the hospitality industry, and offers a range of services to past and present employees in the industry. All week, organisations and individuals up and down the country will be fundraising in a huge variety of ways!

Maybe you're doing something that you could tell the College about?

Find out more about the charity and how you can help here

Connect@UCB

This semester all UCB students have access to a new service from the library. Connect@UCB is an online help desk which you can visit to get support in finding useful information. Simply log on during the advertised hours and a member of staff will be available to help with your enquiry - perfect if you're unable to make it into College!

The desk will initially be open each weekday from 10am - 12pm and 2pm - 4pm.

To access Connect@UCB, you will first need a Wimba Pronto account - information about this software and getting a free account is available from UCBOnline.

A user guide for Connect@UCB is available from this link.

TripAdvisor's Top 25

London has been well and truly overlooked in the recent TripAdvisor awards. The results do not bode well for the Olympics, now just 2 years away, and it would appear London need to substantially up their game in order to provide the standard of accommodation expected.

Top of Trip Advisors list was Rudding Park near Harrogate, which was also voted 6th in the list of Best Luxury Hotels in the World! Manor Coach House in Worcester was placed 2nd. The full list of 25 can be found here

Cherry ripe...

The previous posting lead me here... Yes, for a mere £30 a year you can rent your own cherry tree! For that, you will receive 6 newsletters in the year updating you on the progress of the crop, a blossom walk to enjoy in the spring along with your own personal (human?!) point of contact! The site claims that the average tree's yield is something like 20 kilos and considering you pay upwards of £6 a kilo in the shops on average, it looks like this is pretty good value, assuming you are able to get to the orchard of course!

Summer is icumen in?

Well, it may not seem like it at the moment, but Summer is theoretically upon us! and food festivals are taking place around the country as we speak. The Hampshire Food Festival began just yesterday (July 8th) and continues to the end of the month; but if you head a little further south you could check out the seafood village at the Dorset Seafood Festival (11th - 13th July). Alternatively, if you're planning a northerly trip this weekend, how does the Pontefract Liquorice Festival sound? Enjoy the famous Liquorice Day in the Town Centre, and sample fresh locally produced, and international Liquorice products.

If you're looking for something to tickle your taste buds next weekend, Saturday (19th July) is the first ever National Cherry Day... The culmination of 'CherryAid', a Foodloversbritain.com campaign to save the British cherry industry. There will be events up and down the country including demonstrations, orchard walks and cherry tastings at selected Marks and Spencer stores.

And talking of cherries... Actually, I think this warrants a separate posting!