Another bright start and another busy day. Four cottages out of our peak district cottages this morning with two back in this afternoon. Two cleaners up this morning and a chance for some inventory checking. With the changeover spread over two days this weekend I am having a look at what kitchen items need replacing. One set of saucepans was replaced today and a number of utensils are down to be renewed. I have a long shopping list for next week already! First guests arrived just before 3pm. They have been here before. I then had to go down to Bakewell for a hair appointment so also did the banking etc and bought provisions for the weekend. Bakewell was still very busy but I guess a good forecast for the weekend will have brought more visitors to the town. Back home in time for the second cottage to arrive. They have two collies so our dogs have some new friends this weekend. A lovely sunset and actually sat down for 8pm, by which time it was getting dark. The nights are drawing in, another sign of the changing season.
peak cottages
Chatsworth House 10 September
With a nice day forecast Chris suggested a day off from our Peak district cottages although as usual I protested that I had too much to do but having been persuaded had to decide where to go. In the end we decided to go to Chatsworth House, particularly the gardens as from next week the Sothebys ‘Beyond the Limits’ Sculpture Exhibition will be open although the sculptures are already in place so I was informed by one of the guests. So sandwiches packed and dogs in car off we went! Decided to do the gardens first and if we had time we would do a trip around the house. The gardens cover x acres and together with its water features (as seen on the recent ‘Rivers’ series) can take the best part of the day to explore. Every time we go we find something we haven’t seen before and with new features being added continually there is always something new to see. (Chatsworth has been voted one of the best ‘dog friendly’ places to visit too). The exhibition consists of two dozen or so sculptures dotted around the gardens, including one by Henry Moore, which can be purchased but we have to admit though that this year we were not as impressed with the sculptures as last year. Still I will add some photos for you to decide. http://www.bolehillfarm.co.uk/photo/chatsworth09/index.html One bonus was that we got to photograph the Duke and Duchess doing their press call for the exhibition. I had overheard when it was going to take place so apart from the press we were the only visitors to witness this take place! We found a nice sunny spot for lunch and found time to wander round the house. As usual the room guides were a source of information and humour. One of the rooms had an exhibition on recent films which had been shot at Chatsworth which includes ‘The Duchess’ and ‘Wolfman‘ which is to be released soon. We had been to Chatsworth for a tourism seminar and saw them set off the fog making machine for a scene in Wolfman which was quite strange as it was a bright sunny spring day! Home via the Chatsworth Farm shop then catching up with phone calls and emails before dinner and for the third evening this week we saw a balloon drift by.
York & WI Tuesday/Wednesday 8/9 September
A couple of days with no cottage movements. Chris went to York on Tuesday and as I haven’t seen Chris’s mum for a few weeks I went too. She is still in hospital but seems to be stabilising. It turned out to be a warm day. Wednesday was a day of catch up and a trip down to Bakewell. It was still busy -perhaps the nice weather had brought more day trippers into town. Phoned a friend and after dinner picked up Joanna and went to Over Haddon village hall for the first WI meeting of the season. I was confirmed as the new treasurer and I will take up the post after the AGM. Our arranged speaker had to cancel but luckily one of the Bakewell WI members came along to give us a talk on pearls. We all enjoyed this as we did not know there were so many types of pearls around. She also hosts beading parties for girls so we also had the chance to make our our bracelets. We all had great fun with these!
More comings and goings Saturday 5 September
Anther bright start and five cottages out of our Bakewell cottages today with four back in. Two cleaners here today and no problems encountered. Enough time to do some odd jobs around the cottages including changing some sofas over. Three of the cottages have bee here before ad they all arrived between 3 & 4 pm so time to do some jobs and sit down after dinner.
Comings and goings 2-4 September
On Wednesday there was one departure and one cleaner up. We moved a suite into the vacated cottage. On Thursday we had one cottage in, arriving late as they were setting up for the Chatsworth Country Fair which starts tomorrow. Apparently the ground is very wet (not surprisingly) and tractors were having to pull vans around. By Friday morning the wind had deposited a lot of leaves in the courtyard. Its at this time of yrear we want south westerlies so the leaves blow into the fields. Chris had to go out and clear the leaves with the leaf sucker. I went down to Bakewell in the morning, it as noticeably emptier than previous weeks but still busy. One cottage out of our Derbyshire cottages with two back in. One cleaner here today. Both cottages arrived about 4pm. Time for housework and preparing for tomorrow.
It’s all happeneing here! Tuesday 1 September
The first day of the month dawned sunny. One of our Peak District cottages out today. A busy morning with laundry and rubbish to be collected. Also my half lamb for the freezer was ready to be collected from New Close Farm at Over Haddon so I drove over there and collected it. Just before lunch we also had delivery of our two new suites (the older ones are being freecycled). After lunch I set off for Buxton. Chris had gone to York to visit his mum. As it was still sunny and warm in Bakewell I didn’t bother taking my jacket although showers were forecast. As I headed to Chelmorton the sky was very dark and the next thing I knew the heavens opened and I found myself in the middle of the storm. The hail was so hard that I thought my windscreen would break and the road disappeared under the rain and hail. I was really quite worried. Luckily it stopped by the time I parked the car in Buxton. Did my chores then went over to Morrisons and when I emerged it was already starting to rain again and I got caught in another storm driving home – luckily not as bad as the earlier one. When I got home I found two traumatise dogs as they don’t like storms and they stayed close to me for an hour or so until the rumbling finally finished. Chris had unplugged the phones bearing in mind our tendency to suffer near lightening strikes, but I was able to plug them back in later. I spoke to Joanna who had had to get the cows in during the storm and Andrew had been worried they might have a power cut during milking but luckily they didn’t. Chris was home by 10pm. Phew what a day!
Que Sera Sera Sunday 30 August
A wonderful warm sunny start…which did not last! Had planned a walk in Lathkill Dale but Smudge had been limping a little last night and there was still a bit of a hobble there this morning so we decided we would postpone it until tomorrow. As it did rain from mid afternoon perhaps it was just as well. Plan B was tax returns so the ‘probate office’ became the ‘tax office’. Firstly though we did a quick trip down to Bakewell for the Sunday paper and two dustbins of bottles for he bottle bank. Also today one cottage out and two back in to our Derbyshire cottages. Took the dogs out in the fields for a walk before the rain set in. Autumn seems to be in the air and the forecast for later in the week sounds more autumnal so fingers crossed that next weekend will be OK as it is the Chatsworth Country Fair and that always brings a lot of visitors to the area. Still they say we will have a nice day tomorrow…
A mixed week ahead Saturday 29 August
Arrived back late Thursday and Friday went on catching up. After a cold night woke up to a cold morning and a quick trip down to the Farmers Market. Today we had seven cottages out with five back in to our Peek District cottages between Bakewell and Monyash. One arrived last Monday and leaves tomorrow. For the rest of the week we have guests arriving and departing most days. Three cleaners up and apart from the usual minor repairs no problems were encountered. Even managed to finish with time to spare! First cottage arrived just after 3pm and final cottage arrived just after 5pm. Time to catch up on the days emails and post and a steak and kidney pie (from the market) for tea.
Buxton & Buxton again! Thursday/Friday 20/21 August
Chris went to York again on Thursday afternoon and I went over to Buxton to get some bits but other than that a quiet day. One of our cottages left this afternoon as they also run a holiday business and have to be back for the morning. On Friday a cleaner came up and cleaned the vacated peak district cottage. In the morning I went down to Bakewell to get provisions for the weekend and got caught in a heavy down pour, as did the bride just as she turned up at the registry office! I spent some of the afternoon preparing for tomorrow and making some arrangements for next week as I plan to go down to my sisters for a few days next week. In the evening we went to the Buxton Opera House for a performance of The Pirates of Penzance. This was a part of the annual International Buxton Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, which follows on from the Buxton Festival, and we went with a group from the WI. Picked up my name sake, Shirley, from Monyash on the way and she was able to update us on Monyash gossip! A full house and a rousing performance.
Out and about Tuesday/Wednesday 18/19 August
Went to Sainsbury’s in Matlock on Tuesday morning and had a little wander around Matlock too. It was busy with holiday makers as expected. Chris came back in the afternoon and I had hoped we could have a BBQ but it was too breezy by the evening. On Wednesday it started off cloudy and it wasn’t until midday the sun finally came out and the temperature shot up. We needed a new oven for one of the cottages in time for the weekend and I was able to reserve one at Currys in Chesterfield so we zipped over there and collected it. Whilst in Chesterfield we called in at a furniture store and half an hour later had ordered two sofa suites for two cottages and to finish of our ‘shopping trip’ we bought a couple of rugs. So a few odd jobs to do at the weekend in our Derbyshire self catering cottages. As the weather stayed nice we decided on a picnic to Lathkill Dale in the evening. We parked at Over Haddon and walked down to the dale. For the time of year there was a lot of water in the dale. At Conksbury Bridge we took the path back up to Over Haddon but stopped at ‘our’ picnic place overlooking the dale. While we ate our picnic we also watched the hay making at Meadow Grange farm on the other side of the dale.