With the Easter holidays approaching, you are probably starting to think of fun activities to keep your children entertained over the break! If so, you are in luck as we have collated the best activities taking place in and around the city which are sure to have the whole family smiling. If you are local, how wonderful to have so much right on your doorstep! If you are from further afield, why not plan a trip to Plymouth over the Easter break? Here are some of our favourite events, the following information was provided by the event organisers: Quiet at the Aquarium Sunday 2nd ...

We would like to offer a huge congratulations to Drake Circus who have been awarded the prestigious title of Shopping Centre of the Year! We are thrilled for everyone involved and can’t think of a more deserving team, especially following their ten year anniversary! Here’s to the next ten years! The following information was provided by the team at Drake Circus: At a glittering awards event in Brighton last night, Drake Circus scooped the Primary category for best shopping centre customer service, before going onto win the overall award – Top ACE, the best customer service award in the UK. Drake Circus is now the Shopping Centre of the Year in the UK for 2017, out of over 150 entries. The award ...

Today marked a double celebration for the Plymouth Guild, not only are they celebrating their 110th Anniversary, but they also changed their name to Improving Lives Plymouth! It was a true honour for us to be invited to share in the occasion. We enjoyed listened to CEO George Plenderleith, his commitment to the organisation is incredible and his role as CEO for the past 20 years has seen huge changes and developments as required by the people of the city. The organisations response to the needs of individuals and communities has been ...

We were thrilled to support the launch of the The Education through Expeditions (ETE) project last week. The ETE was set up by Antony Jinman and Paul Hart and aims to raise the aspirations of young people from Barne Barton and King’s Tamerton by combining interactive workshops with outdoor learning and confidence building. Following a successful crowdfunding effort raising over £35,000, Antony Jinman and team have embarked on an expedition to Finland along with five students from local Plymouth schools. For full details about the ETE, please click here. Jess Stainsby is one of the teenagers from Tamar View and ...

Kay and John Hughes surprised the team today with a visit to the hotel to celebrate 50 years of marriage. The couple married on 27th March 1967, exactly 50 years ago today! Kay and John fondly recall the day, saying they married on Easter Monday at St Mary’s Church in Plympton. They returned to The Duke for their Wedding Reception in The Restaurant with 40 of their closest family and friends. We visited The Restaurant so that they could reminisce and see how the room had changed over the years. We thought it would be lovely to capture an image of them underneath the magnificent chandelier which was present for their wedding day. The couple have always been ...

For the fourth consecutive year, MTV Crashes is set to return to Plymouth! Previous performers have included a number of chart topping artists – Tinie Tempah, The Kaiser Chiefs, Little Mix, Example, Jess Glynne and Rudimental. The concert takes place on Plymouth Hoe with breathtaking sea views, making this the perfect choice of venue! Thousands of people, both local and travelling from further afield purchase tickets to attend this wonderful event and it is clear to see why! There is always an array of food vans selling a wide variety of cuisines to cater for every taste. The atmosphere is electric, with a sea of people waiting to catch a glimpse of their favourite act. As the sun ...

As if a festival at the Royal William Yard wasn’t already wonderful enough, the organisers have announced that Seth Lakeman will be headlining!! The Royal William Yard is situated in one of the most picturesque locations in Plymouth, overlooking the breath-taking estuary. What better way to spend an afternoon, relaxing in the sun whilst listening to an array of fabulous performers. With all of the amazing restaurants around the Yard, alongside a fabulous offering of locally produced street food, it really is a treat for all the senses! The following information was provided by the fabulous team at Royal William Yard! West Country folk singer Seth Lakeman is to headline the first ever Royal William Yard Festival ...

As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we wanted to celebrate our amazing apprentices, both those who are currently studying at City College and those who started out as Apprentices and have now progressed into management roles! Jonathan Morcom has been Director of The Duke since 2001 having come full circle from working at the hotel as a weekend porter in his mid-teens whilst he was studying hospitality at City College Plymouth. Jon thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on training both students and Apprentices experience at the College and when asked for a quote by the college last year said: “At College, you have a more independent way of learning, in a ...

We were one of almost a hundred fabulous businesses to exhibit at The Big Day Wedding Show at Plymouth Pavilions on Sunday 19th Feb – and what a day it was! We were privileged to be situated at the heart of the arena, directly in front of the catwalk. We wanted our space to look less like a traditional exhibition, but more like a ‘Mini Duke’, which is what we set out to create! Our 3D logo was positioned elegantly above us, which meant that we were visible from every angle of the arena and ready to greet couples! For a dream wedding, collaboration is key and we pride ourselves on working with the very best ...