Wednesday was a bright and mild day at our Bolehill cottages (see here).  No departures or arrivals but one cleaner up to carry on with cleaning.  For me most of the day went on WI accounts and preparation for the evening meeting as well as some housework.  Paid January bills.  Only one van today with the plasterer hard at work in Dove.  After dinner I collected Joanna and we set up the village hall for the WI meeting.  By now it was raining very heavily.  A good turnout for the first meeting of the year.  Without a president Joanna and I conducted the business part which included me talking through the resolutions that need voting on at the National AGM.  For me it was also a busy evening as I had this years subscription money to collect.  Our speaker was one of the local vets who amused us with his stories of working in a rural practice.   When I got home there were a number of emails that I dealt with before sitting down only to find there were a load more on Thursday morning.  In fact emails and bookings kept me busy all morning and I had the busiest day for bookings for a very long time.  Very unusual for a Thursday.  Fitter and plasterer in Dove.  Found time on Thursday afternoon to stock up on logs.  By Thursday afternoon the River Wye was back on flood alert near Ashford, the fields here are still very soggy.  Even Andrew had to give up on keeping some cows out over winter and took the last of them in just before Christmas.

Sunday was a dismal day weather wise feeling damp and cold. Last two departures from our Bolehill Cottages (see here) so empty for the night. Down to Bakewell for newspaper and called in at Green Cowden Farm to see their new additions (a pair of goats) and stayed for coffee.  Back home plenty to do with our tree and decorations to take down and box up.  I have been sorting out cottage decorations as I have been taking them down and pruning ones that have not used for a while.   A busy day for emails and telephone calls and took a number of bookings.  Monday was a pleasant day, two arrivals and one cleaner up to keep up with cleaning.  With workmen starting on Dove we had three sets of vans on site with fitters, plumbers and plasterers all doing their bit.  We had to make a quick trip to Bakewell as the kitchen worktop had not been ordered and we had to choose a new one!   Both cottages here by 3pm, both have been before.  Another busy day for bookings.  In the evening Chris went to Bakewell for the Photographic Society and I had an evening in dealing with bookings, finally sitting down at 9pm.  Tuesday was another bright day with showers.  In the morning caught up with some bookings and some housework and Chris was tied up with work in Dove.  I had planned on going to Matlock in the afternoon but wasn’t sure how busy we would be for emails and bookings.  In the end I went via the Peak Shopping Village at Rowsley, although I didn’t buy anything.  A walk round Matlock then a walk round Sainsbury’s where I stocked up on groceries.  Back home a few more bookings to deal with before sitting down.  There has been a lot of interest in the sink hole that has appeared at Foolow.  Residents and walkers have been asked to keep away from the hole in case it gets larger, it is already 160 feet wide and nearly as deep and electricity cables have had to be rerouted. It is thought the heavy rain had eroded the land over the old lead mine workings.  I will update the situation if I can find out more.

The change over between Christmas and New Year is always the one I worry about most at our Bolehill Cottages (see here).  It is the week that the ovens get the most hammer with all those Christmas dinners being cooked.  This year I had other things to consider as I had two cottages staying on but not in the cottages they were in for Christmas.  Everything hinged on which cottage would be the first to depart as one of the cottages was moving into one of the other cottages who were staying for a second week.  Luckily I had three cleaners to call on and thankfully the cottage I hoped would go first did so I could put my master plan into operation and the sequence of cleaning went how I planned.  Also the morning was dry so that helped.  Three departures, two cottages moving and two arrivals.  No problems encountered but a few items left behind and a couple of oven gloves bit the dust!  Cottages arrived between 3 and 5 pm, one of which was a friend I worked with many years ago.  Needed a quiet evening in.  Sunday was also a busy day, a bright sunny day with two departures and three arrivals. One cottage already cleaned so one cleaner up to turn round remaining two with some assistance from Team Swaap!  Guests arrived between 4 and 6 pm.  Found time to do some work on a jigsaw friend and I started over Christmas, one of our usual Christmas routines.  Final cottage arrived on Monday.  No departures and one cleaner up.  A more dismal day with wind and rain and unfortunately I started to feel as if I was coming down with a cold.  Typical after such a hectic few weeks.

Christmas Eve started bright breezy at our Bolehill Cottages near Bakewell (see link) and cool and after a little debate we decided to go for a walk at Howden Reservoir. With two cars we parked our friends one at the Fairholmes car park which was virtually empty.  We then piled into the our car and drove along the road until it ended at King’s Tree. From here we walked along the track to Slippery Stones bridge. Our walk kept us on the track all the way back to the Fairholmes car park and with no stiles or slopes to negotiate we made the five miles in just under two hours.  The dogs enjoyed being off the leads all the way.  We hardly met any other walkers or cyclists and even when we got back to the car park it was still quite empty. As we got closer to the car park we let the men go ahead so they could drive to pick up our car and friend and I with dogs added a little extra to our walk so we would not have to wait so long.  When they got back we headed to the Riverside Cafe for a late lunch but they had decided to close although the sign said they were open so we were disappointed.  We had a snack when we got home and I did a final check on emails and chatted to some guests before we set off to Buxton.  I had phoned a few places to see it I could get a table for the evening but everywhere seemed to be booked.  In the end we went to Simply Thai in Buxton where we had a nice meal.  So Christmas Day arrived bright and sunny but not breezy.  The day followed our usual routine and after breakfast we prepared lunch before setting off for the walk down to the Lathkil Hotel for a drink. Wished Merry Xmas to the residents we knew before returning home.  Enjoyed our late lunch of roast beef before opening our presents and a relaxing evening including watching Dr Who.

Now when our friends are here the dogs are not allowed into the living room.  That’s not to say that they don’t try and sneak in!

Just a quick note from our Bolehill Cottages near Bakewell (see here) to wish you all a merry Xmas.  Will be catching up on blogs after Boxing Day.  Seen a few snow flurries today and may see more tomorrow but no white Christmas here.  Phew!  Have a good time everyone.

Friday was forecast to be wet at our Bolehill cottages near bakewell (see here) but in the end it wasn’t to bad. It was also mild for the time of year. One departure and one arrival and one cleaner up. Chris and handyman still working on Sheepfold. Wall tiles on but need to be grouted and new extractor fan installed. A last minute decision to replace the sink entailed a couple of trips to Bakewell and the plumbers merchant. I went down to Bakewell early afternoon to get provisions for the weekend and also called in to one of the WI ladies to drop a diary off. Various jobs around the cottages and guests arrived about 6.30. Joanna collected me just before 7pm and we went off to Youlgreave for the Lathkill Group WI Carol Service. About fifty ladies from the various local WI’s enjoyed an evening of carols and readings rounded off by stollen and mulled wine. Saturday started sunny and dry with a deteriorating forecast. No arrivals or departures so we decided to go out for coffee with a short walk afterwards. We headed for Longnor to the coffee/craft shop but when we we emerged after coffee it had already clouded up and the wind had picked up. So we had a drive round to Hartington where we had a walk around the village and called in a couple of the shops. The cheese shop was too busy but I got some sweets from the sweet shop. They had just put up the village Christmas tree and there were some vintage machines about too. A quiet afternoon. Put up our Christmas tree but didn’t get round to decorating it and had planned to marzipan the cake but had forgotten to get some lemon curd for bonding. Stocked up on logs but it was too windy for the fire to get going. Had put a wreath on the front door earlier in the day but had to take it down as the wind was blowing it around too much. At least my cooking was OK!

Tuesday saw the start of personal preparations for Christmas at our Bolehill Cottages near Bakewell  (see here).  Next week I will concentrate on the cottages. In the morning I went down to Bakewell and ordered our Christmas dinner and got provisions for the next few days. In the afternoon I did a trip to Matlock stopping first at the recycling centre then one of the Builders Merchants.   In Matlock I went to Wilkinsons then did a big non perishable shop at Sainsbury’s. Needed a rest in the evening!  Wednesday morning got off to a misty start but the sun broke through later in the morning.  Stocked up on some logs.  Time for some jobs around the house before preparing all the bits (including a quiz) for the evenings WI meeting.  Also did a few more Xmas cards and drafted my Xmas letter. Later in the afternoon I watched as Andrew took some more cows inside for the winter.  In the evening I collected Joanna and we headed to the hall for the WI Xmas party.  We all bought or made food to bring and Santa left a sack of presses.  I had a nice tree decoration.  An enjoyable evening had by all.  Thursday was a drizzly day.  In the morning I ordered any last supplies I needed on-line and also ordered a new dinner service set for one of the cottages.  If it is as good as it looks on-line then I will be ordering more sets for the rest of the cottages.  One cleaner up and one arrival here just after 3pm.

It was a little breezy when we got up at our Bolehill cottages (see link) and it got worse during the morning. No departures but two arrivals and one cleaner up.  By late morning it was very windy and all Chris’s work of the last few days was undone as what remaining leaves had been on the lawn were being blown into the courtyard with a lot of small branches and twigs.  Over lunch time one of the limbs of a tree in the paddock came down, it fell on the other side of the wall, missing the wall and luckily Andrew had on Wednesday moved the cows from that field into the next one. Our cleaner phoned to let us know that there were a number of trees down in the area causing traffic problems.  Roads affected included the A6 at Ashford and the A515 in a couple of places.  At Dove holes a lorry was blown over and the marquee set up at Matlock for the Christmas Market had collapsed. (luckily they got it back up in time for the weekends festivities).  By the time our guests arrived between 3 and 4 pm the wind had eased but it was colder and flurries of snow were in the air.  We had already been out and cleared some debris from the courtyard.  Time for some accounts before tea.  Friday was a much brighter but colder day.  One cleaner up and one cottage due in later in the day.  Went down to Bakewell to get provisions for the weekend after coffee.  A quiet afternoon starting on Xmas cards and guests arrived about 5pm, they have been before.  The last of the cows on this side of the road went back across to the farm.  This means cow free walks for the dogs so Blue will have a few months before he needs to worry about them coming back.