It's the season for change. While most of us shopping around for different clothes to help us sparkle over the festive season, many websites are getting makeovers and coming up with innovative ideas to stand out from the crowd. Some are definitely worth taking a look at or a listen to. It shows that websites are well and truly entrenched in our organisations and our lives, with visible commitments to developing them. Check out the following for an entertaining trip around the web.

Locally, The Armitt centre in Ambleside, combining a gallery, a museum and a library, is dusting off its current web site at http://fp.armitt.plus.com/ to launch the new www.lakesdiscoverymuseum.org. It will be focusing on providing visual tours of its collections and images. According to Frederika Johns this little site runs alongside the more traditional Armitt Museum site. The plan is to move Armitt site information over to the new Lakes Discovery Museum website, part of its project to change the Armitt Museum into something more descriptive and more modern'. Its website was inspired by the new Adopt a Potter' (Beatrix Potter watercolours, of which the Armitt has more 450 - one of her fungi watercolours pictured right)) scheme. This great, fun way to support the trust' uses the web so that people can easily see which paintings have a sponsor and which are still available. It is also the Armitt's first venture into e-commerce. Big things can come in small packages. Stay tuned.

Nationally, The Tate has joined forces with BT providing audiences with a new website offering an accurate online private view of Jeff Wall: Photographs 1978-2004, a major retrospective opening at Tate Modern. The site has been designed to add depth to the exhibition and includes a new interactive guide that takes full advantage of increasing Internet access speeds and monitor sizes.' The site is at http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/jeffwall/ and this will take you to the video section of the site: http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/jeffwall/infocus/flash/broadband.htm . You may need to update your programs to view in Flash, but a link to a download is provided. In the same way you can shop online before you buy, you can now view online before you visit the gallery. A great idea that really works.

For some natural beauty visit the new-look website launched to promote the Dales Way long-distance walk. The website at www.dalesway.org.uk has been given a complete makeover and now includes information about shops and facilities along the 80 miles (130kms) of the route. The site is simple and easy to follow like all good route' maps should be. It proves you don't have to go over the top to provide a great online service to visitors.

As if the Langdales weren't picturesque enough, Langdale Web is now offering even more views adding a new webcam to its collection. The camera, capturing views of Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle in the Langdale Valley, has just gone live, and joins the five other webcams treating visitors to current scenes. Visit http://www.langdaleweb.co.uk/webcampavey.html .

The Cumbria Tourist Board is going verbal' with new podcast audio guides. These files are in MP3 format and can be downloaded from www.golakes.co.uk to your computer, MP3 player or iPod. You may need to update your current software, but they provide the links to what you will need. Happy listening, wherever you are.

Word Market our south Cumbria readers and writers organisation is giving its website a two-part face-lift. The new look design, www.word-market.co.uk, has been implemented and phase two, expected to be complete by Christmas, will be updating all the images, supplied by local photographer Ania, online at http://www.aniaphotography.co.uk/, used on the site.

On our Site...

Go to Photo Gallery for our new E Card service...lots of lovely Lake District scenes...and Christmas ones coming soon. Also in Photo Gallery for images, links to web cam sites and online ordering.

Mary Walsh's walks now join Sean McMahon of Striding Edge's in Lakes Guide Pathfinder.

Our blogging gardener from Rydal Hall (Lifestyle Homes and Gardens) and travel blogger Toby, moving from Thailand into Laos (Travel), are providing images to go along with their online diaries.