It’s payback time - Sunday, March 6 is when we show our mums how much we love them - and we don’t mean a bunch of daffs from the garage forecourt or a half-hearted offer to wash the dishes. The Lancashire Life team has been busy compiling a list of 20 different ways you can delight your mother - from the luxurious to the downright quirky. Whichever you chose, we are sure it will be a day to remember!
5 DISHY DAYS OUT
Join the stars Mum shouldn’t be offended by a cookery course when it’s at the Northcote Cookery School at Langho. Head tutor Michael Vanheste shares some of the secrets stored in Nigel Howarth’s Michelin-starred kitchen. The courses are themed and are perfect for people new to cooking or for those with more experience. www.northcote.com/cookery-school
At home with Paul Having carved a successful career in London cooking for A-list celebrities and royalty, award-winning chef Paul Dickson moved to Lancashire to open his own cookery school from his beautiful home, a converted primary school, in Barrowford. Mum can master magnificent macaroons or create healthy fast food. www.pauls.kitchen.
Ready for Bake Off What better place to learn the ins and outs on how to create the perfect afternoon tea than with former Great British Bake Off winner, John Whaite. Learn to bake like Mary Berry at his beautiful new cookery school, which is based in Wrightington, before sitting down with a glass of fizz and enjoying your creations. www.johnwhaiteskitchen.com
Made with Love Trained food technology teacher, Jill Wilson offers private and group cookery classes from her home kitchen in St Annes. If your mum wants to learn new skills or simply to expand her horizons, there are plenty of courses for her - from cake decoration to an Indian cookery course. www.lovetolearntocook.co.uk
Worth the dough The multi-award winning bakery at Artisan Foodworks, Burscough,is the ideal place to learn how to make perfect bread. They teach beginner’s classes, sourdough tuition and European breads, to name a few. The company is run by Julie and David Peeks, third generation bakers and confectioners. www.artisan-foodworks.co.uk
5 SUMPTUMOUS SPA DAYS
Classic treatments Escape to The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall near Wrea Green for a destination dedicated to relaxation. From the classic facial and body treatments, which include luxury Elemis experiences, to holistic therapy there’s something for all this Mother’s Day. We like the sound of the Aqua Thermal Journey with Afternoon Tea, from £44pp. www.ribbyhall.co.uk/the-spa-hotel
Deliciously decadent For a decadent escape with mum, book an overnight stay in one of five luxurious detached Spa Lodges that were launched at Gilpin Hotel in the Lake District earlier this year. Each with king size beds and gorgeous bathrooms, this is an experience she’ll never forget. www.thegilpin.co.uk
Muddy marvellous Winner of the Global Spa of the Year at the 2015 World Luxury Spa awards, a visit to the Woodland Spa in Burnley is always a treat. This Mother’s Day, why not try the Time for Two spa package? On top of access to the thermal experience, you will enjoy a Rasul Mud Ritual for two. www.thewoodlandspa.com
Tranquil escape With peaceful views over rolling hills of the Ribble Valley, Stanley House is the place for an uplifting escape. The Perfect Pamper package will give you and mum the chance to enjoy a glass of bubbly before two hours of thermal bathing facilities, a Himalayan Salt Foot Ritual, one 60 minute treatments and a light lunch. www.stanleyhouse.co.uk
Hot ticket As well as the traditional ESPA spa treatments, Holbeck Ghyll offers a offer a wide range of complementary therapies for a more holistic approach. Why not try LaStone Therapy, a contemporary approach to alternating temperatures in massage. Afterwards, take a seat in the outdoor hot tub with breathtaking views of Lake Windermere. www.holbeckghyll.com
5 DAYS FOR DAREDEVILS
High days It might not be the right time to suggest pushing our mother out of a plane but this could be your chance! Seriously, plucky mums might enjoy sky diving schools at Flookborough and Cockerham or she might prefer the slightly less adrenalin-fuelled indoor version in Manchester.
Phews and views If your mum has a head for heights but would rather travel at a more sedate pace, ballooning is the answer. There are companies in Lancashire and the Lakes offering rides in hot air balloons which can provide breath-taking views as the region is laid out beneath you like an enormous jigsaw puzzle. Try www.balloonrider.co.uk
Cruise control It is famously claimed that there are more miles of canal in Birmingham than Venice but, as with so many other things, quality trumps quantity. In Lancashire though, we do canals rather well so you could book your mum on a Mother’s Day Lunch Cruise which run from the Canal Boat Cruises base at Riley Green on March 5 and 6. canalboatcruises.co.uk
Get steamed up Ah, the hiss of the steam, the rattle of the tracks, the romance of a bygone age… what mum wouldn’t appreciate a luxury day out? The East Lancashire Railway will hold a Red Rose Diner event on the evening of Friday March 4, which will include a glass of bubbly and top quality food served as you chuff through the beautiful countryside. eastlancsrailway.org.uk for more details.
Racing car Mothers and mothers-in-law have been the butt of jokes for years and many of the gags which made Les Dawson and others star names involved their driving ability. Let her prove Les wrong at The Three Sisters racing circuit at Ashton-in-Makerfield which offers a range of experiences in all manner of supercars. three-sisters.co.uk
5 TASTY TREATS
Nursery food We have some terrific places for afternoon tea but for something out of the ordinary try The Kitchen Garden at Holden Clough Nursery in Bolton-by-Bowland, where you can have tea served on a miniature picnic table. And as it’s based in a lovely garden centre, mum can go home with a nice plant, too. www.holdencloughnursery.com
A Dear place We also love The Dearden Tea Rooms in Haslingden. Here Andrea Britland creates delicious treats and decadent desserts in a traditional Victorian setting with a stunning range as the centre-piece. deardentearooms.co.uk If you want a grand setting, you could try historic, beautiful Bartle Hall just outside Preston. www.bartlehall.co.uk
Fish for compliments If mum wants a memorable lunch, try the Derby Arms at Thornley, just outside Longridge. This is a really smart gastropub specialising in fish dishes - hardly surprising, then, that it is part of the highly successful Seafood Pub Company. seafoodpubcompany.com
Unusual suspect For a trip down memory lane try the historic Midland Hotel in Morecambe. This iconic, Art Deco building was saved from destruction and is now back to its best with some breathtaking views over the bay. If mum is a television fan she might recall it as a regular backdrop to the Poirot stories starring David Suchet. englishlakes.co.uk
Hipping hooray Finally, if you are going to push the boat out and combine dinner with an overnight stay, Hipping Hall is a good bet. This former Lancashire Life award winner, just outside Kirkby Lonsdale, is serving up some seriously good food and the bedrooms are delightfully luxurious. www.hippinghall.com
And if they don’t fit the bill, how about learning to be a blacksmith with John Law at Yew Tree Barn near Grange over Sands; learn to paint wildlife in watercolours and gouache, one of many courses at Greystoke Cafe near Penrith; mums who love beer can learn how to make it with a day at the micro-brewery at The Clarence in Bury. Better still, show her how much you love her by buying her a subscription to Lancashire Life.
