Michelle’s high life in bath

Jan 15 2008 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

TOURISM officials have splashed out in their latest bid to attract visitors to Cumbria.

Restaurant manager Michelle Blignault set a new record for the world’s highest luxury bath 2,000ft up Fleetwood Pike in the Lake District.

The bath shot, taken at Honister, will help publicise the county’s marketing campaign for 2008 which has the theme “Wilderness Refined.”

This will promote Cumbria’s great outdoors and its quality accommodation.

Sheona Southern, marketing director for Cumbria Tourism, said: “As well as retaining our loyal visitors, we want to attract new visitors by opening their eyes to the two sides of the Lake District and Cumbria.”

Images of the Champagne bath will be sent to travel trade Press looking to profile area campaign launch images from around Britain as tourism destinations gear up for the 2008 season.

The bath on a mountain top involved careful planning and Cumbria Tourism drafted in Mark Weir, who runs the Honister Slate Mine to assist photographer Steve Barber in getting the shot.

Michelle, who manages Honister’s Yew Tree Bar and restaurant in Seatoller, bravely agreed to take the plunge – despite temperatures dipping to -5C.

She said: “I have had warmer baths but it was great fun and I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

As proof the bath photo is not a digitally-manipulated fake, staff from Honister Slate Mine were on hand to record the record attempt on video, which can be seen at www.honister.com