25Aug 10 Catstycam Outdoor - 21 Years
Filed under Press
Catstycam The Outdoor Shop which has shops in Glenridding and Pooley Bridge on Ullswater, are celebrating their 21st birthday this year. Richard Laverick started the business with his parents Malcolm and Dorothy in 1989 in Glenridding, taking over what was then The Outdoor Equipment Centre. The shop was renamed Catstycam after the pyramid shaped mountain next to Helvellyn, that leads onto Swirral Edge high above the village. After 10 years at Glenridding Richard left to run the Troutbeck Inn and his younger brother Andrew took over the business in 1999.
In 2003 Andrew expanded the business by taking over Ullswater Marine and Mountain in Pooley Bridge and opened the second Catstycam shop.
Now, with help from Cumbria Chamber of Commerce after the floods last November, Catstycam.com has gone live!
“I have wanted to take the shops online for a while but never had the time or the funding to do it. Now I have some great colleagues who have taken some of my workload and given me time to write descriptions for the 6000 plus products we sell. Because of this, and the Flood Recovery Grant from Cumbria Chamber of Commerce I have had the time and funding to build and promote an excellent website that reflects the quality products and service we have always offered through the shops” says Andrew.
“The economic downturn has hit us hard this year so another outlet without the overheads of a third shop is very appealing. What makes this exciting is that how well it performs is down to us. With the shops, we choose the best products we can and train the staff to a very high level, but it is down to the weather and how many people are in the valley that dictates how busy we are. With the website we have the whole country as possible customers and it is down to how well we promote ourselves whether we succeed or not. It is something we can keep trying and changing until we get it right.”
Catstycam has a great record of training and retaining staff. Georgia Roper has been there on the shop floor since the start in 1989, and David Gartside was a runner up in the national “Outdoor Retail Staff of the Year” competition in his second year with the business.
To promote the launch of catstycam.com they have put together a Free Outdoor Competition with a prize fund of over £900 to be won by registering your details online at www.catstycam.com The prize is everything you need to get out on the hill in safety and comfort made up from their favorite clothing and equipment.
25Aug 10 Waterproofs!
It may be Summer, but it is definitely a "British Summer"!
So don't get hoodwinked by some early morning blue sky and sunshine and go steam-rolling out the door in shorts and a t-shirt. Make sure you're prepped for anything and everything!
James and Catherine are pictured here in our Mens and Womens Hydrolite Jackets, the ideal multi-activity jacket, as tested by Nik Allen at the Travel Editor here.
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23Aug 10 Ullswater Outdoor Festival - Programme of Events
Filed under Events
The full programme of events for the Ullswater Outdoor Festival has now been completed so you can check it out here.
Remember all the events can be booked ahead of time just use follow the instructions for the event of your choice on the event programme.
The talk with Stuart Maconie is likely to fill up extra quick so call Catstycam Outdoor on 017684 82351 or 017684 86401 to book your space.
Image: Grisedale Valley, Patterdale in late Summer
19Aug 10 Ullswater - Weekend 1 Highlights
Filed under Events
As promised here are some of the things we are absolutely itching in our seats to get up to over the first weekend of the Ullswater Outdoor Festival!
Saturday 25th September
Walking highlights have got to include "Askham and Lowther Park" which will provide fantastic views both Lowther Park and the magnificent castle. Perfect if you plan on taking your dog with you, however a packed lunch and a waterproof are highly recommended! Places can be booked by caling 017684 82414.
Or, if you'd rather try something a bit different Distant Horizons will be providing Beginners Sea Kayak Tours throughout the day.
And if you've not got time for any of that, there will be a mobile climbing wall at the Glenridding Green all day, so if you've got a spare half hour, pop along!
Sunday 26th September
For a challenging but hugely fascinating 7.5 miles, the Green Side & Keppel Cove volunteer led walk is perfect. An above ground tour of the extensive remains of the Green Side mining activities set amongst stunning mountain scenery. Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome, and packed lunches are highly recommended! Call 017684 82414 to book your place.
If you'd like to infinitely increase your chances of getting wet, regardless of the weather, then try the 500m or 1 mile swim in Ullswater! This Open Water swim will take in some stunning scenery (if you take the time to look around), however it's filling fast, so call 01768 351689 to book.
This is just the tiniest glimpse of what's on offer over the first weekend, so check our Ullswater Activity Guide for the full list. And if you're keen to come along, get booking!
12Aug 10 Sprayway Drawing Competition Closing!
Filed under Competitions
There's less than 2 weeks left to get your entries in for the Sprayway Kids Drawing competition!
We've had some fantastic entries so far, and already the competition is looking very, VERY close. Seems there are quite a few little Van Gogh's in Sprayway out there!
But there's still time to get your entries in for your chance to win some great Sprayway gear and to have your entry on our kids summer t-shirts!!
All you have to do is visit the competitions page, and follow the instructions.
Good Luck!
11Aug 10 Amazing Back to School Offer!
Filed under Events
It's that time of year of again. Three words every school - aged kid is dreading to hear..."Back. To. School."
Yes, somehow already, it is time to be getting the kids ready for heading back to school. So not only have we got a special collection of back to school jackets and fleeces this Winter, but we've got an outstanding promotion on as well.
If you visit any of the selected retailers listed below and spend over £60 on Kids gear you'll be entitled to a free Sprayway Back to School Pack!
That includes a Sprayway Duffel Bag, Sprayway Waterbottle, Sprayway Pencil Case and Sprayway High-Viz Snapband! So you'll be sorted inside and outside the classroom, and safe on the way to school!
Participating Retailers in England & Wales:
South
- Ashburton - Trailventure - Tel: 01364 652522, TQ13 7QJ, website
- Guildford - Mountain Trek & Travel - Tel: 01483 577793, GU1 4AA
- Swanage - Jurassic - Tel: 01929 424366, BH19 2LP
- Trowbridge - BCH Camping - Tel: 01225 764977, BA14 8QE, website
- Truro - Penrose Outdoor - Tel: 01872 270213, TR1 2HJ
North East & The Lakes
- Bakewell - Edge of the World - Tel: 016298 15115, DE45 1BZ, website
- Bowness - Edge of the World - Tel: 015394 48933, LA23 5BY, website
- Grasmere - Edge of the World - Tel: 015394 35614, LA22 9SP, website
- Newcastle - Market Leisure - Tel: 0191 2618371, NE1 5QQ, website
- Newcastle (Shiremoor) - Great Outdoors Superstore - Tel: 0191 2527624, NE27 0TQ, website
- Sunderland - Market Leisure - Tel: 0191 5672727, SR1 3LB, website
North West
- Bradford (Saltaire) - Trek & Trail - Tel: 01274 589692, BD18 3LA, website
- Haslingden - Winfields - Tel: 0170 683 1952, BB4 5JW, website
- Leeds (Garforth) - Winfields - Tel: 0170 683 1952, LS25 2AQ, website
- Liverpool (Centre) - Alive & Dirty (Dirty Kidz) - Tel: 0151 708 4010, L1 1LH
- Liverpool (Huyton) - Alive & Dirty - Tel: 0151 489 4048, L36 9UR
- Ramsbottom (Bury) - Whites of Ramsbottom - Tel: 01706 823311, BL0 9BJ, website
- Redditch - Winfields - Tel: 0170 683 1952, B96 6HQ, website
Midlands & Wales
- Ceredigion (Aberystwyth) - Teifi Trails - Tel: 01239 623751, SA43 1EZ
- Derby - Little Terra - website
- Swadlincote (Measham) - Winfields - Tel: 0170 683 1952, DE12 7QX, website
- Swansea - Leisurequest - Tel: 01792 646 647, SA1 1LE, website
- Swansea - Mike Davies Leisure - Tel: 01792 203177, SA2 7HE, website
- Telford - All Terrain - Tel: 01952 210046, TF3 4BX
11Aug 10 New Retailer of the Month and Retailer Walk
Filed under Press
Check out the new Blog Area for our first Retailer of the Month winner and his selected local walk!!
After much deliberation, voting and an awful lot of good retailers to choose from, we finally came to a decision for the first ever Sprayway Retailer of the Month! Click here for the full blog!
10Aug 10 Pateley Bridge Walking Festival
Filed under Events
Just a little healthy reminder, as if you've forgotten, that the Pateley Bridge Walking Festival is just around the corner!
From the 23rd - 26th September, at Nidderdale there will be 3 walks a day, including special interest and guided tours.
Not only that but with evening talks and your chance to win some great outdoor gear it's a perfect excuse to get to one of Britain's Area's of Outstanding Beauty.
One of our retailers, Sypeland Outdoor will be one of the key sponsors at the event. They can be found here and stock a number of fantastic new Autumn 2010 Sprayway products.
6Aug 10 August Camping Product of the Month
Filed under Products
No matter whether you’re heading to the New Forest for a week in the Southern Sun, or Shell Island for the August Bank Holiday weekend the Valley 6 is perfect! Easy to erect and packed full of the kind of features you will come to expect from Sprayway’s premium camping tents.
The tent is pitched outer first and as a fully sewn in groundsheet, making the whole process of pitching up your tent incredibly easy. And once it’s up, the removable bedrooms, fully opening windows for extra ventilation and dedicated living space make the tent a joy to stay in when you’re out enjoying the great outdoors.
To complete your camping experience, why not check out our Valley canopies, to great a sheltered space right outside your own tent front door?
6Aug 10 August Product of the Month
Filed under Products
New for Summer 2010, the Sprayway Fortuna softshell is highly wind resistant and water repellent, making it the perfect jacket for getting out in the unpredictable British summer-time weather. Not only that but the TecWeavePro fabric is highly breathable, so you can keep it on for any warmer summer showers.
The stretch fabric and articulated sleeves, allow for maximum movement whether you’re walking, trekking or scrambling. Rated 4/5 by Coast, TGO and BBC Countryfile, the Fortuna Softshell is the perfect lightweight walking softshell.
Also available in mens as the Solo Softshell.
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