Berkshire


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HOT NEW HOTEL… SOON</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/Fairmount-HOtel-and-Spa-Windsor-Park-720x480.jpg" alt="Fairmount HOtel and Spa Windsor Park digital image" class="wp-image-28893" /></figure>



<p>We&#8217;re suckers for high thread count bed linen and five-star service, so we bobbing up like meerkats when we heard the Savill Court Hotel &amp; Spa in Windsor was having the mother of all facelifts. </p>



<p>Say hello to the new <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Fairmount Windsor Park (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.fairmont-windsorpark.com/" target="_blank">Fairmont Windsor Park</a>, a multi-million pound fully refurbished 210-bed stunner with spa – and one of the hottest new hotel openings. Owned by the Aurora Group (they also have London&#8217;s swish Savoy in their stable) no expense has been spared. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="480" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/Fairmount-Hotel-Bedroom-720x480.jpg" alt="Fairmount Hotel Windsor Park Bedroom" class="wp-image-28892" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/Fairmount-Hotel-Bedroom-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/Fairmount-Hotel-Bedroom-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/Fairmount-Hotel-Bedroom-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/Fairmount-Hotel-Bedroom-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/Fairmount-Hotel-Bedroom.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>What can you expect? It&#8217;s a Generation Game conveyor belt of indulgence – tea lounge, restaurant, Champagne bar, all-day brasserie, gin bar, pillarless ball room, indoor lap pool, outdoor vitality pool, treatment rooms, salt room, Hammam, Japanese foot spa… food processor and a cuddly. </p>



<p><a href="https://www.fairmont-windsorpark.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Fairmont Windsor Park (opens in a new tab)">The Fairmont Windsor Park</a> was due to open this year, but because of the global pandemic, the our date with luxury will have to wait until early 2021. Race you to the Champagne bar.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Nest @ L&#8217;Ortolan</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="481" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/08/LOrtolan-Exterior-1-720x481.jpg" alt="Reading Michelin Star restaurant L'Ortolan period red brick and stone double fronted building and gravel drive" class="wp-image-10084" /></figure>



<p>A brand new launch for Reading&#8217;s one Michelin star restaurant. Following the success of L&#8217;Ortolan&#8217;s family-friendly lockdown home dining menu, they&#8217;ve launched <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Nest @ L'Ortolan (opens in a new tab)" href="https://lortolan.com/s/23/nest-at-lortolan-reading-restaurant-shinfield-berkshire?jssCart=ff616c02cabb8dbb4bd8b27776356639" target="_blank">The Nest @ L&#8217;Ortolan</a>. This will be a new dining space, with a bistro menu that appeals to all ages and tastebuds. The fine dining here is out of this world, but too sophisticated for my kids&#8217; beige palette. So an exciting time to introduce them to crowd-pleasing food cooked with Michelin star panache. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">137 Gin silver awards</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="500" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/Lumbars-Bartholomew-Berkshire-Dry-500x500.jpg" alt="Lumbar's Bartholomew Berkshire Dry Gin" class="wp-image-26730" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/Lumbars-Bartholomew-Berkshire-Dry-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/Lumbars-Bartholomew-Berkshire-Dry-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/Lumbars-Bartholomew-Berkshire-Dry-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/Lumbars-Bartholomew-Berkshire-Dry-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/Lumbars-Bartholomew-Berkshire-Dry-200x200.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/Lumbars-Bartholomew-Berkshire-Dry.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure>



<p>The awards keep coming for Newbury-distilled 137 Gin. At this week&#8217;s London Spirits Competition, they snagged not one but two silver awards for the Lumbar&#8217;s Bartholomew Berkshire Dry and Navy Strength gins. </p>



<p>Founder and chief distiller Peter Lumbar has been making his gin for just under two years and it continues to wow judges and drinkers whenever it is poured. *Pours a double to celebrate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mr Tumble&#8217;s panto postponed for 2020</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="479" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/justin-and-paul-scaled-e1595341425259-720x479.jpg" alt="Mr Tumble Justin Fletcher and Paul Morse" class="wp-image-28894" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/justin-and-paul-scaled-e1595341425259-720x479.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/justin-and-paul-scaled-e1595341425259-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/justin-and-paul-scaled-e1595341425259-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/justin-and-paul-scaled-e1595341425259-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/07/justin-and-paul-scaled-e1595341425259.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>Tough times for theatres right now – and we&#8217;re devastated to learn Christmas is cancelled due to Covid19. OK, so I&#8217;m being dramatic, but it&#8217;s a sad day when you hear Reading&#8217;s panto at The Hexagon Theatre has been postponed until 2021. This year&#8217;s <em>Beauty and the Beast</em> starring Mr Tumble, I mean, Justin Fletcher and Paul Morse, will be put on ice until December 2021. The producers of the show, Imagine Theatre, made the difficult decision in light of current social distancing and safety guidance.</p>



<p>The Hexagon’s box office team will be contacting all current ticket holders with a view to automatically transferring bookings over to next year. However refunds or credit notes for a future booking are available. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Click here for further info (opens in a new tab)" href="https://whatsonreading.com/venues/hexagon/whats-on/beauty-and-beast" target="_blank">Click here for details</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEW OPENINGS</h2>



<p>Exciting times Berkshire, peeps! The owners of healthy fast food restaurant, Leon, read our <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Top 200 places To Live (opens in a new tab)" href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/" target="_blank">Top 200 places To Live</a> feature and have opened a place in Reading. We would love to take credit, but we suspect it has been on the cards for a while. Leon will open later this year in the unit previously occupied by Thomas Cook.</p>



<p>From the new to the nostalgic. Wimpy has announced it will be opening a burger restaurant in Bracknell. Yup, you heard it right, kids. The home of the Knickerbocker Glory and the taste of your childhood will be back in burger flipping action and we&#8217;re here or it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BRINGING OUT THE BIG GUNS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="720" height="480" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/01/Ian-McKellan-on-Stage-720x480.jpg" alt="Sir Ian McKellan 80 t shirt and gold confetti" class="wp-image-19533" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/01/Ian-McKellan-on-Stage-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/01/Ian-McKellan-on-Stage-150x100.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/01/Ian-McKellan-on-Stage-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/01/Ian-McKellan-on-Stage-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/01/Ian-McKellan-on-Stage.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></figure>



<p>The show must go on! No seriously, they really do. We&#8217;re desperate for an IRL culture fix. Theatres have been given the green light to perform outdoors, but no sign of you parking your tush on the red velvet seats anytime soon. But is that about to change? The Theatre Royal Windsor has announced rehearsals for Shakespeare&#8217;s <em>Hamlet</em> and Chekov&#8217;s <em>The Cherry Orchard </em>starring the legendary Sir Ian McKellan have begun under the watchful eye of theatre and film director Sean Mathius. Book up and cross your fingers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AND FINALLY… </h2>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="SAVE SOUTH HILL PARK - A message from Kenneth Branagh" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4E-xrwnWJvU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>Bringing out the big guns to help South Hill Park in Bracknell. The coronavirus has has left a huge whole in finances of all theatres and arts centres, but regional venues are feeling it big time. Take a bow Sir Kenneth Branagh, star of stage and screen, who recorded a message on behalf of South Hill Park appeal to raise £500,000. This is much more than a theatre, South Hill Park is at the heart of Bracknell&#8217;s community. <a href="https://uk.patronbase.com/_SouthHillParkDonate/Products/Donate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="If you can donate, click here (opens in a new tab)">If you can donate, click here</a>.</p>


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