Sally Fielding celebrated a fantastic 2017 with a refreshing Boxing Day dip in Derwentwater.

Mum-of-three Sally is the owner of Sally’s Cottages, a family-run holiday cottage letting agency in Keswick.

The business has seen an increase of 30 per cent in bookings in the last year, brought on 85 new holiday cottages, received over 6,000 reviews, and taken bookings to the value of £7.5million.

Sally started with just one holiday cottage in Eskdale and just £1,000 in the bank.

The company is now the largest independent holiday cottage agency in the Lake District and continues to be recognised for its growth and excellent customer service through a number of national and regional awards.

Over the last year, Sally’s Cottages has won in the Cumbrian Family Business Awards, Forward Ladies Awards, and British Travel Awards. It was also a finalist in the Amazon Growing Business Awards 2017.

The agency worked with high-profile companies in 2017, including Penguin books and clothing retailer, Weird Fish, as well as local groups including The World of Beatrix Potter.

In 2018, Sally’s Cottages is partnering with Keswick Film Festival and Go Ape! Whinlatter, as well as sponsoring Keswick Museum and Art Gallery’s Herstory exhibition, celebrating women of Cumbria.

Sally said: "We enjoy working with large, national companies, but it’s the excellent local groups that we really love to support.

"Sally’s Cottages has had a really successful year and we want to continue giving back to the community just as we have always done.

"It’s important that local businesses, groups and individuals work together to ensure that Keswick and the rest of Cumbria and the Lake District continue to thrive."