Lemar to turn on Christmas lights in Plymouth city centre this November

SINGING star and reality TV star Lemar is to turn on the Christmas lights in Plymouth city centre this year.

The singer who shot into the charts after BBC's Fame Academy in 2002 will headline the celebrations in Plymouth on November 18.

Lemar will kick off the Plymouth Winter Festival with songs from his new album as well as old hits.

The London-born soul singer has sold more than two million albums and has won two BRITs and three MOBO awards.

The festive fun starts at 4pm with music and entertainment on the Heart Radio stage at the top of Cornwall Street.

The Urban X Dancers, Roo Mckeller, Zumba Zone and the Beatbreakers will be there to get the crowds warmed up before Lemar takes to the stage at 6pm.

He will be joined by ITV Westcountry to switch on the lights live on ITV1 at 6.20pm before local girl Lauren Francis, who made it through to this year’s X-Factor boot camp, will take to the stage to wrap things up.

The Christmas ice rink on the piazza and the Christmas Market in Armada way will also be opening their doors to coincide with the switch-on celebrations.

The Plymouth Winter Festival is packed with great events and activities for all the family

Late night shopping will run every Thursday from 18 November to 23 December, with most shops open until 9pm. In the week before Christmas (starting 20 December) most shops will be open every night until 8pm.

The festival will start with the Christmas Lights switch-on (Thursday 18 November) and features the Christmas ice rink on the piazza, festive shows at the Pavilions, Christmas markets (18 November to 2 January), Sleeping Beauty at the Theatre Royal (17 December to 22 January), the Christmas Carnival (5 December), late night shopping, street entertainment and a very special Santa fun run

To Book your bed and breakfast in Plymouth please visit www.avalonguesthouse.moonfruit.com 

Plymouth Unveils Plan for Winter Festival with Ice Rink, Markets and Entertainment.

Plans have been unveiled for a Plymouth Winter Festival this year placing Plymouth as the region's top destination for retail and leisure this Christmas.

The Winter Festival will start with the Christmas lights switch-on on Thursday November 18th.  It will feature the Christmas Ice Rink on the Piazza, festive shows at The Plymouth Pavillions, Christmas markets, Sleeping Beauty at The Theatre Royal, the Christmas Carnival, late-night shopping, festive street entertainment and a special Santa fun run.

Another Happy Plymouth Visitor

As the owner of The Avalon Guest House and, indeed, an avid supporter of our beautiful City I am always pleased to receive articles or reviews written by visitors.  I was fortunate enough to recently receive the following article written by Mrs Helen Mollart a regular blogger and travel article writer.

 

Plymouth was superb, really enjoyed ourselves!  Visited the town (much shopping was done!), took a boat trip up the River Tamar to see the Naval Dockyards (4 out of our 6 nuclear-powered subs were in dock, together with assorted Warships, Survey Vessels and Frigates), visited the National Maritime Aquarium, spent an entire day at the Eden Project and a day in picturesque Dartmouth which included a visit to the Castle (600 years of history).  We had 2 meals out (Pizza Hut and Pizza Express - the last of the big spenders, us Mollarts!)  Apart from Monday (when it poured down nearly all day) the weather was sunny, breezy and bright; weren't we lucky!  

 

The Moody Blues* were superb on the Wednesday night (our 26th Wedding Anniversary) - very civilized gig (for musicians in their 60's/70's, it has to be!) started at 8.15pm and finished at 10.30pm sharp!  Very impressed with the venue - Plymouth Pavilions - and no vomit/broken glass/fighting to negotiate on the way out (we usually go to much more uncivilized gigs as you can tell)!.

 

*Many thanks for the tickets which were waiting for us at the venue as you arranged last year.

 

We rounded off each day by taking a coffee from the flat and sitting in the 'Bullring' on the Ho, watching the local lads dicing with death and destruction by 'tombstoning', and the submarines, support vessels and ferries in the Sound as the sun went down - magical.

 

Thanks for extending the speed bumps right along the Ho and behind the flat which we use (which fronts onto Garden Crescent); this seemed to stop all but the most determined speed/noise freaks from accelerating past our bedroom window at 3am, waking up all and sundry.  And for the ones who still 'went for it', I hope their sumps fall off in a very expensive and possibly un-repairable way!

To experience for yourself the delights that Plymouth has to offer please visit our Plymouth Bed and Breakfast website.

Bonfire Night in Plymouth

Join us for a spectacular fifth of November Bonfire and Firework display on Plymouth Hoe.

The bonfire will be lit at 7:30pm with the firework display starting at 8:00pm.

Entertainment will start from 6:30pm courtesy of Heart Radio, there will also be fairground rides and refreshments stalls. 

Plymouth Mega Ride

Plymouth Mega Ride on Sunday 13th June.This year will see the 16th Mega-Ride and hopefully with the sun shining we will see an impressive turn out on the day.

To book your overnight stay please visit our Plymouth Bed and Breakfast website at www.avalonguesthouse.moonfruit.com 

Plymouth Jazz Festival 2010

This Weekend sees the start of the annual Plymouth Jazz and Blues Festival.  Now in its fourth year the Barbican International Jazz & Blues Festival brings together leading artists from Europe and America at a variety of venues throughout the historic Barbican – and many of the events are free. International names are heading to this year's celebration from May 1-9, which is the first event in the Plymouth Summer Festival.  A detailed event diary can be viewed by visiting the Festival Website at  http://www.barbicanjazzandbluesfestival.com/.  Plymouth is a wonderful place to visit with our waterfront, Dartmoor and the beaches and villages of Devon and Cornwall close by.The train journey to London, along the South Devon coast, is inspirational.

Our roads make it is easy to get to Exeter and Bristol Airports and Plymouth Airport has a great service into Gatwick and London City.
Other air services and our ferry links to Brittany and Santander add that European dimension.
Our naval base adds something special to the city, which, when added to our Elizabethan heritage and our historical links to America, makes this a uniquely fascinating destination.
The Avalon Guest House is ideally situated for visitors to take full advantage of all that Plymouth has to offer.  Our website at http://www.avalonguesthouse.moonfruit.com/ has a wealth of visitor information and transport information and you can even check the weather.  To check availability, book online or see our direct contact details please do not hesitate to visit our Plymouth Bed and Breakfast Website.

Plymouth Summer Festival

As a city Plymouth is unique in the number and range of events which it hosts throughout the summer months from May until September. To capture the spirit, and help co-ordination of the events for visitors, the Plymouth Summer Festival was created a number of years ago. Plymouth Summer Festival 2010 promises to be even bigger and better hosting a huge range of events and festivals begining with the Jazz and Blues Festival starting on the 1st May and running until the 9th May.

Visitors can view a full diary of events at http://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/site/whats-on/plymouth-summer-festival-2010 helping you combine your stay in Plymouth with an event to suit.

The Avalon Guest House is ideally located for visitors to enjoy Plymouth Summer Festival without the stress of a journey by car with most of the events situated within easy walking distance.  To book your bed and breakfast in Plymouth take a look at our website at http://www.avalonguesthouse.moonfruit.com/ to find details of the excellent bed and breakfast accommodation we provide.

Plymouth and The Avalon Guest House looks forward to welcoming you.

Virtual Tours

Most recent Virtual Tour now available on our website at www.avalonguesthouse.moonfruit.com

Avalon Guest House Virtual Tours

Check our our new Virtual Tours on our website at
http://www.avalonguesthouse.moonfruit.com/#/virtual-tour/4540045135

More to come over the next few weeks.

John Barrowman Returns to Plymouth

Actor, singer, TV and West End star John Barrowman is set to return to Plymouth this autumn.

Best known on British television for his acting and presenting work for the BBC, his most prominent role has been as Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood.
He has featured in shows such as Live & Kicking, Any Dream Will Do, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, and I'd Do Anything as well as appearing on the celebrity ice skating show Dancing on Ice.
John recently announced he has accepted a role in the hit TV show Desperate Housewives and will start filming imminently.
His latest tour will feature songs from his third solo album, the self-titled John Barrowman, released on March 1.
It's John's most personal record to date – the album he has always wanted to make.
As with 2007's Another Side and 2008's Music Music Music, it is an evocative and uplifting journey into his first love, musical theatre, comprising his favourite moments from Cats, Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys and Mack and Mabel among others.
The album is filled with instantly familiar standards like Memory, The Winner Takes It All and My Eyes Adored You and also includes the less immediately familiar, such as So Close, a spine-tingling duet with Jodie Prenger lifted from the recent Disney movie Enchanted.
Also included is a beautiful version of You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel, a song which his mother sang to him as a child.
Barrowman last visited the Pavilions in 2008. He returns to the venue on October 21. Tickets go on sale at 10am on March 5.
They cost: £37.50, £29.50, £19.50 on 0845 146 1460 and http://www.plymouthpavilions.com/
To book your overnight stay in a Plymouth Bed and Breakfast please visit http://www.avalonguesthouse.moonfruit.com/

Snooker Legends Show at Plymouth Pavillions Rescheduled

The snooker legends show at Plymouth Pavilions on July 24 has been rescheduled due to a booking clash.


One of the show's stars, Jimmy White, is contractually obliged to defend his Samsung Bangkok 6 Reds Championship title this year.

Unfortunately, the Thailand Authority announced the dates this week and they clashed with the Pavilions show.


Therefore, Jimmy and Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins, John ‘The Entertainer’ Parrott and Cliff ‘The Grinder’ Thorburn will be visiting the venue two weeks earlier than originally planned.

Plymouth Pavilions marketing officer Robert Maltby said "Tickets already purchased will be valid for the rescheduled date.

"However, if you are unfortunately unable to make this new date, please contact a member of the Box Office team and they will be happy to arrange a full refund.

"We apologise for any inconvenience that this change in scheduling may cause, and look forward to welcoming customers to see the show on the new date."

The snooker legends will now visit Plymouth Pavilions on July 10. Tickets cost £20 on 0845 146 1460 and http://www.plymouthpavilions.com/

Gest Plan for Devon Jacko Site

ECCENTRIC reality star David Gest plans to create a museum dedicated to dead pal Michael Jackson - in Plymouth.

The former I'm a Celebrity contestant is in talks to buy a historic seafront hotel in the Devon town to fill with his Jacko memorabilia.

Gest, 56, said: "I've always loved Plymouth. I want to bring a little bit of showbiz to the city."

Alongside items from the King of Pop - David's best friend - the 300-piece exhibit would include pieces once owned by late The Doors frontman Jim Morrison.

The ex-husband of singer Liza Minnelli, 63, stayed at the hotel he has his eye on - St Elizabeth's House - for two nights at Christmas.

He plans to keep the hotel side open and turn it into a five-star venue with top chefs and jazz acts.

David said: "I think my name would make it work. I've always wanted to own a hotel."