Plymouth has such a rich history. It also boasts an amazing
list of advocates and pioneers; either calling it their home or going out of
their way to ensure they played a part in the growth of both its social and
economic landscape.
Here at Strathmore House Apartments, we are extremely proud to call Plymouth and Elliot Street our home; and so on this day, that celebrates inspiring women, we look to a neighbour who made not only Plymouth history, but British history too.
Lady Nancy Astor became the first female MP to take a seat in the House Of Commons in 1919, just 100 years ago! Nancy represented the Plymouth ward of Sutton for 25 years. She was also Lady Mayoress of Plymouth during the Blitz.; a lady who had a deep and powerful conviction to help others; pushing for peace, progress and prosperity.
Her ‘Plymouth Home’ was at Number 3 Elliot Terrace. Just a stone’s throw from Strathmore House Apartments. It was designed by George Wightwick, a pupil of John Foulston and built by John Pethick in the 1870’s.
John was a leading Victorian property developer and the property was then acquired in 1908 by Waldorf Astor; when it then became the Astor’s Plymouth home.
The good things we build, end up building us…
Like Elliot Street, Elliot Terrace forms part of Plymouth’s iconic parade of Italianate buildings on the city’s world famous Hoe. And just like the buildings, the occupants of the day have also stood the test of time and are remembered today.
Plymouth is bulging with beautiful buildings steeped in
history, places of both extraordinary beauty but also striking pasts. The area
in and around Elliot Street is no different. Famously standing strong during
the Blitz and being home to some breathtaking moments in time.
A building can be beautiful, but when you understand a little about the part it played in history, suddenly that building becomes epic.
See for yourself…
Join us, come and see for yourself the extraordinary beauty and rich history that Plymouth has to offer; we know you won’t be disappointed.
Five Ways To Ensure Your Out-Of-Town Wedding Guests Feel At Home In Your City…
Over the years we have loved welcoming out-of-town wedding guests to Plymouth. There is something so exciting about sharing a new city and a new life in one weekend! The smell of perfume and aftershave linger in the lift and the outfits are always on-point, stylish and super chic.
But what happens when your wedding guests don’t just live down the road? How do you welcome them and ensure they have a great time while you’re busy getting wedding ready?
We share 5 of our top tips on how to enable your guests to feel at home…
newcontinental.co.uk
1) It’s all in the detail…
Your out-of-town guests will go through a lot of effort, and probably expense to share in your momentous occasion. And they wouldn’t have it any other way. Part of your job though is to welcome them, but that’s easier said than done when you have so much to do before your special day.
To help them get around and ensure they stay entertained during their time in your home town a great tip is to create a wedding itinerary. After sending out your invitations, mail guests an additional clever, elegant or interesting ‘communiquè’ with a complete rundown of the events leading up to and following your walk down the aisle, with tips on what to do in spare time. We love hearing that couples have created a Facebook Wedding Group, or even websites! These are easily referenced one-stop-platforms for guests to check up on everything you have planned. In both cases, include key times, locations, who is hosting, what to wear and how to get there – then get them to tag in any pictures so you don’t miss out on all the fun that the guests have!
2) Welcome Hampers…
We adored the ‘welcome hampers’ left in the apartments for the arrival of a couples out-of-town friends. It was all things Plymouth and really aided their recovery from the long drive down South!
The purpose isn’t to show off or spend loads of money; home made cake or brownies would be perfect. It’s just nice to let guests know you appreciate their effort to join you for your special day.
The hampers that were left with us apparently had phone numbers of the families of the bride and groom, the names of the other guests staying in the apartments with a ‘they said call them when you arrive’ message, nearby hot spots to check out and local maps and transport details. The tear-jerker for this family travelling down was a penned personal note from the bride; thanking her sister and family for making the journey.
Mid-week weddings at the New Continental Hotel, from just £1500 per package.
3) Help Them With Their Home-From-Home…
Overnight accommodations, fuel and transport in general isn’t cheap, so doing some of the leg work for your guests, using your local knowledge, will really help them.
Hunt out important details, like train and coach times and prices, hotels and apartments. Share websites, street addresses, phone numbers, directions and cost information with your guests and even go as far as to take a look around them so you can make personal recommendations.
Look for places to stay near your ceremony and reception sites, if you start calling around six months beforehand to check on availability for the days surrounding your wedding. Always ask about group rates too. Some settings will allow you to block rooms and apartments to ensure they are available and close to one another. Always ask.
Keeping an idea of your guests budget too; and always plan for those guests that may want to make a min-vacation out of your special day.
4) Show Off Your City…
Leading up to your big day, you will have lots to do and time will whizz by! But your out-of-town guests may feel a little stranded. To ensure they have plenty of literature and information visit your Tourist Information Centre and ask for a local pack of things to do, places to go and wheres good to eat. When we live in a city we tend not to ‘tourist’ very well. This way you too may find out some handy information, things for you to do once you’re married!
Make your wedding day extra special at the New Continental Hotel, Plymouth.
5) Enjoy Them…
It may sound daft, but enjoy their company. What better reason to see loved ones than them coming to celebrate with you. Soak in their love, their time and their presence. This is your day and they are beaming that they could make the journey to share it with you.
As many of our guests book to return year on year; we thought we would share some exciting news and dates for 2020.
2020, the year of the Mayflower 400 Celebrations, a year set to be an exciting one for Plymouth and all who visit.
Within the hospitality sector, we are unsure of the ‘true’ impact it will have on Plymouth Tourism and the visitors economy, it’s a once in a lifetime celebration so we have nothing to compare it to!
We therefore don’t know how busy it will be in comparison to other years that you have visited, but what we do know is it will certainly add value to your stay with us here in Plymouth.
Many of our guests have set times of the year that they visit us; but rest assure, no matter when you come in 2020, there WILL be things happening with a Mayflower spin for you to enjoy.
With all this in mind; I thought I would give you a heads up on what we know, and what is planned for the ‘remarkable’ year of history, culture and community!
What is it?
2020 is the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. One of the most integral journeys in global history and a defining moment in the shared history of Britain, the US and the Netherlands.
Plymouth is using this milestone as a unique opportunity to highlight Plymouth’s exceptional heritage; to promote our visitor offer to friends old and new; and to bring communities together to celebrate our city.
What will be happening?
The ‘Mayflower Programme’ will be a year of prime partnerships, of which Strathmore House Apartments will play a significant role. There will be 400 moments to explore all aspects of the Mayflower Voyage throughout the year of 2020, including: art, music, theatre, exhibitions, immersive storytelling, digital innovation, literature, crafts, sports, festivals, debates, business activities and much more.
Overview…
Major new cultural attractions will open in Plymouth for 2020, including The Box, new heritage trails and the Elizabethan House.
Although still not set in stone, the rough date for these things will be March 2020 for the launch of the trails, April 2020 for the opening of The Box and The Elizabethan House early in the year.
The Box is a £38m project, the symbol of 2020, a high profile gallery and history centre that will hold all of the Plymouth and Devon archives; it will be a must see for anyone visiting Plymouth.
By January 2020, there will have been a huge investment in the public realm, with new signage, water taxis and literature for the years events. There is said to be almost £200m to be invested in Plymouth by 2020. For those of you that love it as it is, please don’t worry; you will not miss the old – you will simply celebrate the newly transformed Plymouth.
You may have noticed seeing Plymouth advertised in your home towns; this is due to the national and international marketing programme. The city has been working hard celebrating not only our history, but also our future.
Signature Events…
Mayflower Ocean Festival | 4th-10 May 2020
This will celebrate Plymouth’s status as Britain’s Ocean City, aimed to get people on the water (inc events such as Transat, OSTAR & TWOSTAR races and Pirates weekend)
A four nations civic ceremony. This will be a united, city event, with mass participation throughout sectors, communities, schools and all over the city.
Celebration event of the world’s foremost Navel basis; there will be a host of activities that will be truly breathtaking.
Illuminate will be the book end to the events in November 2019 and November 2020
An there’s more…
Culture…
A production from the Theatre Royal Plymouth from the Wampanoag Tribe; this will be extraordinarily good as they are an amazing producing theatre, plus Arts Council England are supporting a series of events throughout the year.
Culture Fund have also given investment to the city to create provoking experiences throughout the year. Settlement by The Consious Sisters and Cannupa Hanska are creating a large scale ‘radical’ installation in Central Park, it will run for 8 weeks in the summer exploring colonialism, migration and the deep effects of indigenous people.
A local favourite; Street Factory CIC will be bringing the city together with Hip Hop events. Le Navet Bete (a brilliant comedy/clowning theatre company) will be at the Barbican Theatre in August and September for a HILARIOUS production about 4 people trying to flee their past lives. They are BRILLIANT and a real must see! There will also be three major artist events which will profile people of colour in the art sector.
In May, June and July there will be ‘Mayflower Music’ at historic venues in Plymouth, including St Andrews and The Guildhall.
There will be lots of film and video commissioned in art venues and community spaces and there will of course be Pride 2020 and lots more!
As you can see, the city that we all love will be full of vibrant and rich events and activities, many free to attend and all set to be totally inspiring.
We would love for you to join us in 2020, our apartments are listed on our website to give you time to book and plan your trip, and we will update everyone with as much information on the year as we can.
If you would like to keep in touch with the developments as they happen; follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook!
To a year of celebrations; to seeing you again soon!
Here at Strathmore House Apartments we pride ourselves on offering a quality experience for both our leisure and business travellers, in a city we love to call home.
As the end of the first month of 2019 draws to an end and we step closer to 2020, we are having more and more conversations with our guests about the Mayflower 400 celebrations, and what it’s all about!
Strathmore House Apartments offers a great home away from home for guests visiting Britain’s Ocean City. We welcome thousands of guests and enjoy helping them explore our city and our rich history.
We ask Elinor Eaton, our Development Manager, to give us her take on both the planned Mayflower 400 celebrations. To see what she thinks the future holds for Plymouth looking through the lens of ‘Mayflower400’.
She says:
“I think firstly we must acknowledge Plymouth as a city. We saw a tremendous influx of repeat leisure and business travellers in 2018. And we continue to see that in our bookings this year and next. We can’t put this purely on them finding our accommodation – as wonderful as it is – it’s as much to do with Plymouth really shining at the moment.
The work that brilliant organisations such as Visit Plymouth, University of Plymouth, Theatre Royal Plymouth and the Real Ideas Organisation do (to name just a few of course!) is truly remarkable. It’s a privilege to have worked in a city, across all sectors, for the last 20 years and to have experienced first-hand the united sense of pride and passion; as well as the courage and confidence to continually make positive change happen for our city.
By working together as a city, across all sectors, collaborating in the truest of senses, we have passionately and skilfully placed Plymouth on the national and international map for all to see and enjoy. What we are being told by our guests more and more is that Plymouth is a ‘vibrant, inspiring and beautiful destination’.
Strathmore House Apartments offers the space, comfort and overall brilliant experience for our guests, but we are extremely grateful for the dedication of organisations that share our pride for Plymouth. Those who all work so hard to make it shine.
That is ultimately why people want to come to Plymouth to work and play in the first place.”
Here at Strathmore House we are asked on a weekly basis by guests:
‘What is Mayflower 400?’
We are also asked if it’s something they should come back for and if so ‘when’ should they plan to be in Plymouth during 2020.
Elinor explains:
“Sometimes it’s too easy to forget that people don’t all know about Mayflower 400.
It’s so close to our hearts here in Plymouth. Many of us are living in and around it daily. Sometimes we forget to stop, share our successes and celebrate with those outside of our everyday circles.
2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from Plymouth UK to Plymouth Massachusetts. It set sail just moments away from Strathmore House Apartments!
These were an incredibly brave group of people that now have more than 30 million US citizens who are their descendants!
There are still dates and events that are being planned that we don’t know about; but what we do know is it will be a spectacular year of celebration.”
A city blessed with hidden gems and wonderfully rich history, it’s easy to see why people want to explore Plymouth, but we ask Elinor:
“What impact do you think the last 400 years will have on the next?”
“Success breeds success. The harder we all work to make tomorrow better than today, the greater the springboard that will connect us to an even stronger social and economic climate.
I think that more and more people are seeing the city transform; both tangibly (with the landscape changing and developing) but also with how we as ‘locals’ see our city.
2020 has given us a moment in time in which as businesses, organisations, individuals and communities we have the ability to unite and make positive change happen.
Change is sometimes a blessing, but it’s often a conquest. 2020 is our magic moment as a city; a moment that will offer visitors an amazing lens to see Plymouth through, and create real advocates for the future. But it’s also a moment that encourages us all to realise our dreams for the future of Plymouth. What will the next 400 years look like and will we be looked back on as the Pilgrims of our time? I hope so.
All we can be certain of is that like Plymouth in the past; Plymouth in the future will be proud to welcome new friends to our city. And when we watch them leave see them carrying with them fabulous memories of Britain’s Ocean City.”
There is no question, if we could all be guaranteed a couple of weeks a year when we can all diarise the time to take off together we would. Ok, so we would also all diarise non-moody teenagers, tantrum free toddlers and partners with patience – but time at least is something most of us can manage!
Easter is the perfect time to get away; it’s a reward for getting through the first part of the year, and the springboard that connects us to summer being just around the corner!
Staying at the Strathmore House Apartments makes so much sense; it is the perfect home away from home for all the family!
PLUS…Strathmore House Apartment guests get to use Club Continental for FREE!
Meaning parents can have some chill time in the sauna and steam room; and children can have some fun time playing in the heated indoor pool.
Steve’s Brasserie is also just a moment away from the apartments and based in our sister hotel; the New Continental. Great for families, as they not only have an amazing pizza oven (see here for offers) they also have a great children’s menu.
Outside Strathmore House Apartments…
Plymouth as a city offers so much to see, do and be part of. There are lots of free activities as well as theatre fun, the National Marine Aquarium and MUCH, MUCH MORE!
The Theatre Royal Plymouth has these amazing shows coming up this Easter, and it’s just a two minute walk from the apartments:
Saltrum House is an amazing National Trust House & Garden. It was once a home to the Parker family and is now a home to lots of wild animals.
You could easily spend one or two of your days in Plymouth exploring the park, dressing up in the house or finding out all about natures ‘Grand designs’. There is an infamous Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt too.
Easter Egg Hunt | 24 March – 8 April | 10am to 4pm.
£2 per hunt. Normal admission prices into the house and garden apply. There is no admission charge for Under 5s and National Trust members.
Plymouth by Foot & Bike is an amazing FREE activity. Given our cities history; there have been many famous people walking the Plymouth cobbles. Follow in their footsteps of these infamous explorers, pioneers and artists and walk the Southwest coast path from Royal William Yard to the Barbican.
You will encounter iconic naval buildings, breath-taking views over the natural harbour of Plymouth Sound and the intriguing characteristics of the former towns and villages that make up this original marine city.
Also on route are lots of Cafés, restaurants and bars such as The Mission as well as Smeaton’s iconic tower, the Mayflower steps and The Hoe Promenade.
Getting Here By Road…
A city that is easily accessible, the road trip here is good too! And if you want some tips on how to survive ‘The Family Road Trip’, staff at the New Continental Hotel have shared some of their own survival tips! They have added some great printable resources too!!
With so much to see and do; check our availability or contact us for more details?
The start of a new year can often bring with it big, bold, brave new decisions…like relocating!
They say that moving is one of the most stressful things; but fuse that with moving to an entirely new city and things can feel terribly overwhelming.
Fear Not!
Here at Strathmore House Apartments we have worked with individuals, businesses and families who are thinking about Plymouth being their new home.
Over the last 10 years, we have grown to understand all too well that it’s a big step to relocate for work or pleasure. Whether you already have a job offer or are just taking the plunge and moving to look for work in another town or city – it can be really tough.
Yet still, even if you’re relocating for pleasure, to be with family or friends, it still can be hard; to lose the things you are familiar with. Not just friends but also the sense of routine, that scalextric track we all get far too used to driving or walking, the vista, the short cuts, the where to get your hair cut!
Yes, it can be tough, terrifying and totally daunting, but it’s also an extremely exciting time: a time we love to be part of.
Be it that you are striking out on your own, with your family or to start a new career; exploring a new city brings so much opportunity to explore you – as well as a new city!
Meeting new people, experiencing a different place, stumbling on hidden gems; there is so much to look forward to.
How Do We Help..?
A place to call home
In the past, we have had people stay for a month or two; to make sure that before any final decisions are made they are certain that Britain’s Ocean City, is the city for them.
As serviced apartments, we have a flexibility that really works for people relocating. We all know that moving house, be you buying or renting is never straightforward. A date can change three or four times easily. With our 2 nights to 2 year or more attitude we are open, willing and able to offer you a home no matter how many times the dates change. So although still annoying, we will be your safe place, where you can close the door and lock yourself away from the frustrations!
We arrived at the Strathmore in November, as the property we were purchasing was still not completed for us to move into! We were met by Ali, who from the first meeting was very welcoming and made our stresses much more bearable! Ali continued to support us even with the uncertainty of when we would actually leave, nothing was too much trouble at all. The housekeeping staff were extremely efficient, so lovely to come home to a beautifully cleaned apartment with an abundance of towels for our needs. The apartment we had was amazing, four good bedrooms with amazing views of the Sound and our new property! Would recommend for this accommodation for any use, business, holidays or simply temporary home, which was our situation. Thank you to all and especially Ali! Julie, Rik and Family
TRIP ADVISER
New Friends
With our friendly, local knowledge you will always be guaranteed a warm family welcome and a happy information centre for all your local knowledge needs! Doctors & Dentists but also places to eat, explore and learn about our beautiful city and its rich history.
Incredible location on the Hoe, very close to the Barbican, it has an express Tesco market next to it. Apartment is spacious and very clean with all necessary equipment. Very good and reasonable prices, spent almost 2 months there. I would recommend it to anyone as a family, friend or business trip stay, short or long. Excellent services and help provided from Ally is a wonderful host, manager and apartment operator. I came from Saudi with my 2 year-old. Ally made sure everything was available and needed and pops by to see how your doing. She basically makes you feel home away from home (two thumbs up).
TRIP ADVISER
For you to be reading this, Plymouth has probably already captured your heart. We know how easily our city can do that! Still haven’t made your mind up? Do you need a little taster of what living and working in Plymouth might be like? We can help. Here are some links and clips that may just help make your mind up.
Plus, if we can help in any other way, we would love to be one of the first to help welcome you to our spectacular city.
Helpful Links
Great videos with ‘real’ people telling their ‘real’ stories about Plymouth.
