Another fine day so guests able to make most of last day. One B&B out but none back in. With a warm day ahead I decided to wash the spare cottage doormats so at least they are ready when needed. Handyman up today to do some work including some gardening. Usual chores completed and one cleaner up. After lunch went to Chatsworth Farm Shop then onto Bakewell. It was busy in town but then I am not usually in town on a Friday afternoon. A couple of bookings when I got back. After dinner did some preparation for tomorrow and as the road from Bakewell is still closed phoned guests who are arriving tomorrow before sitting down for 9pm.

Our ‘day off’ and luckily a good day weather wise was forecast. If it’s Thursday it must be spraying day and the Buntings were up to do some more spraying and move the cows to another field so the front field can ‘rest’ for a few weeks. By the time we were ready to leave it was nearly 11.30. I had chosen a walk from Hartington which we had done a number of years ago, but not since we moved here. We parked and got out the boots only to discover that both pairs were mine. Luckily Hartington is not that far away so we drove back to collect Chris’s boots. Another guest had had problems with the washing machine this morning and a quick check revealed a child’s sock in the filter! By the time we got back to Hartington and started our walk it was gone midday. The hardest part of the walk was the first 250 yards to the Hartington Youth Hostel. We stopped and admired this wonderful building when we noticed it had a cafe. As we had not had anything since breakfast we had a coffee stop! It was nice enough to sit outside. We then continued along a lane to just outside Biggin where we turned into Biggin Dale. This is a dry dale but can get boggy after prolonged rain. It is also quite rocky but not enough to spoil the walk. Before we turned into Wolfscote Dale we stopped for lunch. We had walked this stretch of Wolfscote Dale back in the spring when the daffs were out. Today there were a lot of fishermen out. The final part of the walk was though Beresford Dale and back to Hartington. This is also Charles Cotton country (friend of Izaak Walton – The Compleat Angler) who lived at Beresford Hall and there is a fishing temple in the grounds – although this is not open to the public. Back at Hartington we stopped for a cup of tea then popped into the Cheese shop for some cheese. There are concerns in the village as the cheese factory has just been sold to another dairy firm and they are worried about what will happen to the factory and the jobs there. Picked up a few supplies from the village shop before heading home. Driving back the sky was very black over our way but luckily it had stayed dry. I had left washing out with fingers crossed it would stay dry. A light dinner and after watching the Olympic highlights and doing today’s paper work then sat down and watched the recorded episode of House of Saddam.

Another one of those days that just seem to go with nothing achieved. Both B&B guests out today with both back in later today. After usual chores and coffee got salad bits ready for the WI tea. After an early lunch went down to the Village Hall to drop my bits off with Joanna. We stayed to help set up the hall and had planned to come back after that but there weren’t enough pair of hands to help with the tea so we stayed and helped until Joanna needed to come back for milking. By the time I got back our guests had arrived. One is the daughter of one of our cottage guests. After dinner caught up on the days paper work but also spent some time with one of the guests chatting in the laundry because the washing machine appeared to be playing up. In the end did not sit down until 10.15pm.

A wet start but it had stopped by 10am even if it didn’t brighten up until lunchtime. After breakfast did my usual chores before heading down to Bakewell to have my hair done and do the usual banking and shopping. After a late lunch caught up with outstanding chores. I also need to replace all the bed linen for the cottages and I will be buying from the same company I bought the last lot from as they have lasted well. The company specialises in goods for B&B’s and guest houses so I will use this opportunity to stock up on some other goods. A passing storm provided a bit of interest and a photo opportunity and after dinner sat down and watched (a recorded) Jimmy Doherty’s Farming Heros. Now you know what a Belted Galloway looks like. (They have some near Edale).

A quieter day but plenty done. After breakfast took dogs for walk. Breezy but dry and mild. A mixed week of weather is forecast. Handyman up today to carry on from where I left off with the weeding (said I hadn’t done a good job!) and also look at a couple of suspect roof tiles. After usual Monday tasks had early lunch as Chris wanted to collect and oven and hob from a local wholesale outlet as well as get some prices for some stoneware and look at some electrical items. I started work on next years prices, a little earlier than usual but we have already started getting enquiries for next year. The ‘big boys’ as we called them, eg English Country Cottages, have already fixed their prices for next year. I have a couple of web sites I check for school term dates and produced my ‘first cut’ with dates. Most of the afternoon went in research and dealing with phone calls and emails. I have had a couple of cancellations in the last few days but luckily have managed to relet them. During my research I came across a blog of another cottage owner which I enjoyed reading. I also noticed he ‘named and shamed’ a guest who had smoked in their non smoking cottage. It was nice to see Britain winning a gold medal for swimming. She is one of many competitors from the East Midlands who has done or is doing well. After dinner we had a visit from a guy who has set up a business producing videos for accommodation businesses like us. We have considered the 360 degree views but sometimes they distort features and we think a video would work better so watch this space. Sat down for 9pm and watched New Tricks followed by Britain from Above (the BBC2 part from yesterday).

Both B&B guests out today (one left us a bottle of wine and some biscuits for the dogs!) with both rooms back in later today – they are all together. One cleaner up about midday having collected the Sunday paper for us. After lunch did some paper work and the afternoon seemed to fly by. Guests still not arrived by 7pm and when I phoned they hadn’t even left for here. They weren’t expecting to arrive until about 9pm. We do ask guests to let us know their expected time of arrival, if we had known they were going to be so late we could have gone out for a few hours. In the end they arrived about 10pm – the detour from Bakewell having thrown them. Watched Britain from Above which was fascinating.

At least the guests were able to depart before the rain set in. Six cottages out and the Dutch guests changing cottages and one family in same cottage for a second week. So 7 cottages to clean and whilst they were out we changed the bedding in the cottage where they were staying on. Three cleaners but no Fay today. We always hate cleaning on wet days. If you keep doors open to air cottages then carpets, mats and floors get wet which they do to an extent by walking in and out. Trying to keep clean linen dry when taking them to cottages is a nuisance but we often us things like shower curtains to keep dry. For me doing my final checks going back and forth to cottages and back to the office and trying to keep dry is impossible. I end up with wet shoes because I wont wear them into a cleaned cottage so they stay on door steps. Included in today’s tasks was the defrosting of two freezer units. With no major problems encountered work completed by 1.30. Had lunch then did the B&B rooms and my final checks which I didn’t finish until gone 3pm. By 3.30 no guests had arrived and in fact the first guests didn’t arrive until 3.45 by which time I was starting to worry. It was then an hour before the next guests arrive, and like buses three arrived at once! One has been here before. Two sets of guests will arrive tomorrow. All in by 5.30. Watched highlights of today’s Olympics. It was about the time of the Athens Olympics that we started doing B&B. I believe we will still be here during the 2012 Olympics too! Chris went to get some fish and chips during which time there was a heavy down pour. So I donned my raincoat and inspected the gutters and the soak aways. These are the times problems are visible. Sat down about 8.30.

8 is a lucky number in the Orient so it is befitting that the opening of the Olympics in Beijing was on 8/8/08! A quiet day with one B&B out and one back in. One cleaner up to turn room round and do the public areas. The B&B guests arrived early (by arrangement) to drop off some bags in between a wedding and the reception. We’ll see them next at breakfast tomorrow. Went down to Bakewell late morning for usual bits. Also checked on the road closure that has been in effect for the last couple of weeks. King Street, beside the Rutland Arms, also known as the B5055 has been closed whilst repairs to chimneys have been carried out. There were reports that the situation was worse than feared (bits of masonry falling off) and I saw that the road was to remain closed for another three week (should have reopened today). This has meant an inconvenient detour at a busy time but so be it. Phoned all the guests who are due in tomorrow to advise them of the situation. Otherwise nothing else to report.

Another warm day with showers forecast. One B&B out with one due back in. Chris and I turned the room round as our cleaners had other commitments such as visiting the Bakewell Show! One of our guests had entered their dog in one of the classes at the show and it won reserve. I then spent an hour or so doing some weeding whilst it was nice. Nice enough for lunch on the patio with Andrews cows providing a diversion. Today is the day for booster jabs so all the cows on this side of the road had to be taken back across the road and into the barn for their jab before being returned back here. The hooligans were taken across yesterday afternoon – Chris helped them cross the road – and they came back late morning. The small group of advanced mums to be were taken over late morning and came back after lunch. Then the dry cows were taken across, this was a larger group and had their own ideas as to where they wanted to go! (One damaged gate was the result). I decided to catch up on some sewing jobs, like a pair of Chris’s overalls that have been waiting for ages to have the hem done. So I did them only to find they were a pair of my overalls! Still I eventually did Chris’s later in the evening. Guests turned up about 5pm. They have been here before and live not far from where we used to live. As it was nice they had a cup of tea on the patio and we chatted with them for a while. A later dinner then had a lot of phone calls before finally sitting down about 9.30.

A quieter day with early breakfasts again. First day of Bakewell Show and over 60,000 people are expected to attend over the next couple of days. Needed to go to the supermarket so went to Morrisons in Buxton. On cleaner up to get room ready for B&B guests arriving today. A pleasant afternoon with guests arriving about 4pm. Spent some time paying this months bills ad doing some accounts. A report from the Bakewell Show on the local news (TV) showed the lady who made yarn from pet hair. After dinner watched the next episode of The House of Saddam.