A COUPLE who appeared on national TV in a search for a new business are planning to move on.

Paula and Graham Smith have put the ‘For Sale’ sign up after five years running Lingmoor Guest House on High Street, Windermere.

The pair found the business as a result of Channel 4 TV series A Place in The Sun Home or Away, presented by Jonnie Irwin.

The couple, originally from Bury, Lancashire, chose the Lakes over a move abroad.

Mrs Smith said “Five years have flown by. We survived the floods of November 2009 and whilst the Lingmoor was not directly affected by the floods, the knock-on effect created by the news did affect us business wise.

“It was like a switch had been turned off,” said Mr Smith. “We had been extremely busy from the day we opened until that day in November 2009 and then all of a sudden no one came and we had empty beds.”

The business marked its first birthday in February 2010 by giving half of its rooms to people from Cumbria whose homes had flooded.

In 2010 and 2011 the couple extensively refurbished the Victorian guest house.

Mrs Smith explained: “We are now ready to move on to a new challenge and are looking for a larger guest house or even a small hotel. If Place in the Sun still did the show we would have contacted them, however we may have to consider contacting Kirstie and Phil from Location Location Location to see if they can help us in our search!”

The pair hope to stay within Cumbria.