Press release -
Virgin Trains backs campaign to Love Wordsworth Country this summer
Virgin Trains has joined forces with the Wordsworth Trust to celebrate the beauty of the Lake District with an exclusive campaign.
The ‘Love Wordsworth Country’ campaign aims to encourage visitors to the region, which inspired the famous writer, William Wordsworth by asking people to share their memories and passion for the Lake District, which he described as “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found”.
Comedian and star of Grumpy Old Men, Arthur Smith, launched the campaign at Euston station by reading Wordsworth’s famous poem, ‘Daffodils’ in front of a giant 3m daffodil garden, signposting the way to ‘Wordsworth Country’.
Members of the Virgin Trains station team at Euston joined Arthur and 100 children and parents from Stagecoach Theatre School to recite the poem, which is synonymous with the Lake District.
Michelle Ragozzino, Virgin Trains Station Manager at Oxenholme, said: “We’re proud to serve the Lake District and are excited to be backing the campaign to put Wordsworth Country on the map. With Oxenholme – the gateway to the Lake District – being only a three hour train journey from London, we hope that many people will get on board to Love Wordsworth Country this summer.”
Comedian, Arthur Smith, said: “I went on school trips to the Lake District when I was a boy and learned to love the dramatic landscapes we walked over: subsequently I came to enjoy the lyrical landscapes of the Romantic poets, especially Wordsworth and Coleridge. I have been back walking there many times since and hope to again soon.”
Paul Kleian, Head of Marketing & Communications at the Wordsworth Trust, said: “When people think of the Lake District they, no doubt, picture green hillsides, beautiful tranquil lakes, quaint villages, daffodils and wandering clouds – we want to make sure they also remember the poet made the Lake District famous all around the world. By promoting ‘Wordsworth Country’ in the same manner as ‘Shakespeare Country’, ‘Hardy Country’ and ‘Bronte Country’, we hope that people will think of the region as a cultural place as well as one for outdoor activities and that future generations visiting the Lake District will understand Wordsworth’s enormous influence on the region.”
As part of the campaign, the Wordsworth Trust has developed an app to provide users with an interactive guide to Wordsworth’s Lake District, which will enable visitors to explore lesser known spots loved by the poet. People can celebrate Wordsworth Country and share their memories via the dedicated website: www.lovewordsworthcountry.com
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Editor's Notes
More images to follow.
The Wordsworth Trust & Love Wordsworth Country
‘The loveliest spot that man hath ever found’. That’s how William Wordsworth described the Lake District.
It’s a passion that millions around the world share. The romantic poet has inspired a love affair with the Lakes for many of us and we want to celebrate this with our Love Wordsworth Country message.
There has never been a better time to Love Wordsworth Country, as we approach Wordsworth’s 250th birthday in 2020 and, this year, mark the 125th anniversary of Wordsworth’s home, Dove Cottage being opened to the public.
At The Wordsworth Trust we are dedicated to preserving Wordsworth’s legacy, his home and his works. Part of that legacy is the enormous influence Wordsworth’s words had on tourism to the Lake District. Through his poems, Wordsworth placed a spotlight on more than 160 areas of natural beauty in the Lake District. This had an immediate impact, bringing early tourists to the region in their throngs from the 1820s. So great was the poet’s influence that the Lake District became known as ‘Wordsworth Country’. The name stuck, with travel brochures, train posters and road signs using it until the 1970s.
And we still love Wordsworth Country today. The stunning scenes Wordsworth describes in his poems bring many of us back to the region time and time again.
The ‘Love Wordsworth Country’ campaign is asking you to give recognition to the poet whose words brought the Lake District to the attention of people all around the world, by sharing Britain’s most beaufitul region and celebrating the wonderful landscapes that inspired him.
The ‘Love Wordsworth Country’ campaign is being supported by a host of Lake District businesses and organisations, including Cumbria Tourism, Lake District National Park and Lakes Culture.
More information about ‘Love Wordsworth Country’ can be found at the dedicated webpage: www.lovewordsworthcountry.com
Stagecoach and Virgin are working in partnership to operate the East Coast and West Coast inter-city routes under the Virgin Trains brand. Together, they are on track to revolutionise rail travel across the UK.
The combined network connects some of the nation’s most iconic destinations including Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, York and London.
Virgin Trains is committed to delivering a high speed, high frequency service, offering shorter journey times, more comfortable travel and excellent customer service. Customers consistently rate Virgin Trains as one of the top long-distance rail franchise operators in the National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) commissioned by industry watchdog, Transport Focus.
On the East Coast route, £140m is being invested to create a more personalised travel experience. This includes a major fleet revamp, smarter stations and exciting new routes. From May 2016, there will be 42 additional services (22,000 extra seats) per week between Edinburgh and London. 2018 will see the introduction of completely new Azuma trains being built in the UK by Hitachi.
The West Coast route has a proud record of challenging the status quo - from introducing tilting Pendolino trains, to a pioneering automated delay repay scheme and becoming the first franchised rail operator to offer m-Tickets for all ticket types.
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