Many of our golfers return year after year to enjoy golf in the sunshine, beer in the hotel garden and our delicious Brasserie food and wines.
Golfers Welcome at Maitlandfield House Hotel
Autumn Leaves Charity Fayre
A CHARITY EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED! 27th October 2011, 5-9pm organised by libranetwork.co.uk being held at Maitlandfield House Hotel, Haddington.
Our charity event is designed to be a useful way to market your business and meet like-minded people. For just £25 you can book a stall to display your business to the public, perhaps offering demonstrations, tasters or free samples. Only one stall from each type of business will be accepted so don’t delay.
During the evening there will be entertainment by musicians Jonathan Gibb and Coreen Scott and friends followed by a display of Captain Tortue’s latest colloection of ladies fashion from France.
There will be a glass of wine on arrival from 5pm onwards included in the entry ticket price of just £5 per person.
Those attending will have the opportunity to take part in small group networking which will give you a chance to meet everyone personally and to exchange business cards, company information etc.
We will be advertising the event in the local newspaper and on various websites to stimulate interest and would like you to help by displaying the Autumn Leaves Charity Fayre Posterin your neighbourhood.
All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to charity. Both Breast Cancer Campaign and Parkinsons UK have been selected as our chosen charities. Your support will help find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s or Breast Cancer.
BOOK NOW by emailing the attached Autumn Leaves Charity Fayre registration form to pauline@libranetwork.co.uk or telephone 01620 826513 to find out more. Tickets are available in advance and on the door. We look forward to seeing you there!
Autumn Leaves Charity Fayre raises £546 for charity.We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported our Autumn Leaves Charity Fayre. The Great Hall at Maitlandfield House Hotel looked fabulous with the great variety of stalls in place and the atmosphere was very relaxed. We had music from Jonathan Gibbs, Coreen Scott and friends followed by a fashion show from Captain Tortue French disigner clothing. The event was extremely successful and raised £546 which shall be split between Parkinson’s UK and Breast Cancer Campaign.
Thank you for your support
Pauline De Freitas
Libra Network pauline@libranetwork.co.uk www.libranetwork.co.uk
Maitlandfield House Hotel, 24 Sidegate, Haddington EH41 4BZ info@maitlandfieldhouse.co.uk
Reach for your diary and check Saturday 20th August 2011. If you are free why not come along to Maitlandfield House Hotel, Haddington and join our knowledgable wine enthusiast for a 4 course dinner matched with some very exciting Portuguese wines. This event suits both wine novice and connoisseur alike and promises to be both educational and fun. Priced at just £35 per person including seductive wines of great character with your delicious 4 course meal, offering excellent value. Stay overnight for just an extra £30 per person including a Scottish buffet breakfast. Make your telephone reservation now on 01620 826513 or email info@maitlanfieldhouse.co.uk
Grapes on vine
Portuguese Red Grapes
Touriga Nacional floral (violets) and ripe fruit aromas(plum, blackberry, bergamot), in an elegant and concentrated style
Alfrocheiro wild berries aroma, blackberry and strawberry, resulting in a balanced and concentrated wine
Alicante Bouschet Herbaceous and red fruit aromas, strong structure, complexity and concentrated colour
Aragones (Tinta Roriz or Tempronillo) floral aromas, wild fruit and pepper, producing complex and full bodied wines
Castelao Periquita redcurrant, raspberry, plum and wild fruit aromas, with accentuated structure and ageing capability
Trincadeira fruit and vegetal aromas producing wines of intense colour with great ageing potential
Portuguese White Grapes
Antao Vaz exotic and tropical fruit aromas producing firm, structured and full bodied wines
Arinto lime lemon, green apple and some vegetal aromas, resulting in fresh wines, high in acidity pronounced mineral profile and good ageing potential
Roupeiro floral and tropical fruit aromas and also citrus, peach and melon. Delicate and elegant structure
These’s no need to go to Portugal to enjoy the countries wines, let them come to you at Maitlandfield House Hotel, Haddington.
4 Course Dinner with Wine
Price: £35.00 per person – Time: 7pm for 7.30pm
Book now +44(0)1620 826513 or info@maitlandfieldhouse.co.uk
Maitlandfield House Hotel, 24 Sidegate, Haddington, EH41 4LE Scotland
5,000 purple crocus bulbs were planted by The Rotary Club of Haddington to represent the colour of ink dabbed on a child’s little finger to indicate that they have been immunised against polio.
Purple crocus
Maitlandfield House Hotel Crocus flowers
Traprain Law is a mushroom-shaped intrusion caused by a bubble of magma being squeezed close to the surface and lifting the surface rock to about 221m in elevation. It is located just 3 miles from Maitlandfield House Hotel, East Lothian, Scotland. It is the site of a hill fort and covers about 40 acres. Excavations have shown it was inhabited in the late Iron Age from about AD 40 through the last quarter of the 2nd century. In the 1st century the Romans recorded the Votadini as a British tribe in the area and Traprain Law is generally thought to have been one of their major settlements before they moved to Edinburgh Castle.
In 1914 excavations revealed fragmented stone and timber houses under the turf and in 1919 they recovered a hoard of treasure. This consisted of 53 lbs of sliced-up Roman era silver. Four coins were in this hoard which dated from 5th century AD possibly coming from as far afield as Rome, Antioch, Ravenna and Constantinople. A great deal of the find was table silver along with early christian items and remnants of a Roman Officer’s uniform. Where appropriate the treasure has been restored and is now in the care of the Royal Museum of Scotland.
Traprain Law is a distinctive, conical -shaped hill rising abruptly above the lowlands of East Lothian and can be seen from miles around. The short but steep climb to the summit of Traprain Law affords you a stunning 360 degree view of East Lothian, Arthur’s seat and the Firth of Forth coastline with the prominent Bass Rock and North Berwick Law in full view on a clear day. To the south the Lammermuir Hills provide a backdrop for Nunraw Abbey where the Cistercian Monks enjoy their view of Traprain law and beyond. If you fancy a guided walk on June 28th 2011 you can book with www.geowalks.demon.co.uk and come along to the Maitlandfield House Hotel for a refreshment afterwards to share your story with us.
Maitlandfield House Hotel, Haddington, like many parts of Britain has been hit by an exceptionally cold snap with heavy snowfall for several weeks now. It’s business as usual, with the warm coal fire a welcome sight on arrival. The outlook from our brasserie and lounge is picture perfect and with the weather forecast for the holidays expected to be bright and sunny Santa Claus is looking forward to welcoming all our guests on Christmas Day. We hope you have been finding some enjoyment in this very crisp winter weather and would like to share some of the photographs taken in the hotel garden this week. Our fountain has continued to work and has created a beautiful work of art in ice. It reminds me of a wedding cake and of the many Maitlandfield House Hotel wedding photos taken at this spot in the milder months.
Our friendly snowman has been affectionately named ‘Bearford’ after the original House which was built in 1654. The house was re-named about 100 years later when ownership transferred to Lieutenant Thomas Maitland. Our website has a detailed history of the house for those who would like to learn more. If you are coming to visit us at Christmas perhaps you would like to build him a friend!
There is no time more appropriate than this to send a warm greeting to all our customers and friends to say a ‘big thank you’ for your continued support throughout the year. We send our best wishes for 2011 and look forward to welcoming you to Maitlandfield House Hotel in the future, whatever the weather.
We hope to see you soon.
Pauline and Nco De Freitas
Merry Christmas
After spending the weekend with friends in the seaside town of North Berwick, only 8 miles from Haddington, I realised the reason why for 100′s of years it has been a tourist hotspot. Located on the shores of the Firth of Forth the bracing fresh air awakens you to the fact that North Berwick is still the most fashionable watering-place on the East Coast. With the Bass Rock lying just off-shore we are reminded that the 16th Century high security prison has been replaced with almost 100,000 gannets, who share the island with a variety of other seabirds, who can all be viewed close up from the Scottish Seabird Centre on the remote cameras.
According to Blacks Guide to Scotland 1883, North Berwick was No.1 in the Posh Charts for holiday destinations where visitors dipped into the healthy seawater from their bathing machines, dressed in their less than flattering bathing costumes.
With the invention of maps (for those who take the time to read them) and of course the motor car complete with sat nav, we can all find this delightful seaside destination without the mystery tour or daring to go where no-one has gone before. So do as I have done over last week-end and venture out to enjoy the simple pleasure of a day at the seaside, which can be enjoyed by everyone. Don’t wait for the summer as we al know how disappointed we get when a well planned summer excursion is s quickly quashed by the elements. Wrap up prepared for the worst and when the sun shines in East Lothian, and it’s nowhere to be seen in the rest of Scotland you will be glad you chose Scotland’s sunniest coastline as your detination.
Combine your trip with the 21st Century’s most visited European city of Edinburgh which has the finest views of any capital city in Europe. Soak up the atmosphere of this vibrant city, become immersed in the culture and actually feel like you are living the history, before returning to your oasis of calm…East Lothian’s Maitlandfield House Hotel where the elegance of yesterday meets with all the modern-day traveller’s requirements.
Maitlandfield House Hotel has won an award! The fifth East Lothian Food and Drink Awards dinner was held on 5th October 2010 and we were awarded ‘Winner ‘ in the Best Hotel Meal category. The event is an integral part of an ongoing initiative led by East Lothian Council to establish East Lothian as the premier county in Scotland for local quality food, drink and hospitality. Improvements to the hotel, how it’s run and our involvement with the local community have paid off. It is our aim to continue these efforts to provide a top quality experience for all our guests.
Scottish Parliament Minister of Environment, Roseanna Cunningham, presented the award to our Head Chef Billy Black and our Brasserie Manager Lee Nelson. The smiles on their faces show how delighted they are to receive this prestigious award and both, along with their team, will be working hard to retain the award in the future.
Not only the food and it’s service are taken into account when the judges make a surprise visit. We are marked on exterior and public areas, which includes cleanliness and presentation of our car park, hotel entrance and toilet facilities. Customer care and well presented staff with excellent product knowledge are a major element in the overall scoring, so a big thank you goes to every member of our team for their continued efforts.
East Lothian is known as the ‘bread basket of Scotland’ so major emphasis for this award is placed on how well we promote and serve local produce. We have a wealth of local food and drink on our menu and congratulations go to both Anderson’s Butcher who won ‘ best local supplier’ and Belhaven Smokehouse who won ‘best East Lothian producer’. Both Anderson’s Ribeye Steaks and Belhaven hot smoked salmon are permanent features on our brasserie menu, with Anderson’s roast beef taking centre stage as our Sunday roast.
Congratulations to all the winners, we know how much effort is put into achieving these awards and this would not be possible without the support from our suppliers, award sponsors and the Economic Developement for organising this event, which is putting East Lothian on the map for local quality food, drink and hospitality.
Here’s what the judges had to say:- Starters, Salmon Salad and Soup, both were prepared well and full of flavour. Mains, local Ballencrieff sausages-wonderful, mash was perfect with onions and garlic! Perfectly cooked steak- asked for medium and it was excellent. Desserts, Apple tart, lovely pastry, very full flavour. Berry pudding, local produce-fresh and tasty.
East Lothian is becoming increasingly recognised as a top foodie destination and this is certainly reflected in the judges’ scores.
Tea dances are back! No longer are they the province of senior dancers – all generations are getting involved in this resurgence.
When we say tea dance, we’re not talking about community-centre, sequence dancing-type affairs. There is a definite return to the original tea dances, where folk came to enjoy some pleasant social dancing accompanied usually by some live music and, of course, some light refreshment. These events usually took place in a respectable local hostelry, sometime in the late afternoon to early evening, and were open to all who could pay the modest entrance sum – opening up such gatherings to a wider audience and, significantly, unchaperoned women. Once people discovered the innocent delights of taking to the floor with perhaps a different partner for each dance, and with ballroom dancing gaining respectability from famous dance couples such as Irene and Vernon Castle*, the popularity of tea dances grew, perhaps reaching its zenith during World War II. Chances are, some of your more recent antecedents met at a tea dance – or certainly a dance of some kind!
For entire generations, dancing was an essential social skill and without some basic moves, it was difficult if not impossible to hook up with a member of the opposite sex! At some point in history, perhaps around the advent of such lone dances as the Twist, the popularity of whizzing round the dance floor, wrapped up in the arms of another person, seemed to wane as a social activity. But now, a whole new generation of people are rediscovering the joys of social dancing. So off they go to classes to learn some skills in their chosen dance poison… But what many social dance students do not realise is that all these classes count for nothing without using the dance “in anger” on the dance floor. There’s plenty of choice if you take up a specific style, such as salsa, tango or French jive – but very little opportunity to strut your stuff if you’ve been learning how to foxtrot, quickstep or waltz – certainly if you live in a rural area like East Lothian.
Never fear! Help is at hand. Those lovely people at the Maitlandfield House Hotel are opening up their Great Hall for monthly tea dances. The idea is to give people the chance to come along to a social dance where a range of music will be played, covering ballroom, swing and Latin, there is the chance to get dressed up (relive those glamour days!), help is at hand for dance novices in the form of short taster sessions in a dance style from the Fly Right Dance Company (famous for their Fifteen-Minute Foxtrot (c) lesson!), and to cap it all, the obligatory tea and scones will be served! The atmosphere will be relaxed and sociable, and it is hoped that these convivial surroundings will encourage dancers of all skill levels to come and enjoy themselves!
*Irene and Vernon Castle – a married couple who had a stellar career between 1911 and 1918 and who made dancing respectable. Often described as the Posh and Becks of their day, their lives were immortalised by Fred Astaire (who spent some time learning from the Castles) and Ginger Rodgers in the film, “The Irene and Vernon Castle Story”.
