The only day with no one due in but with the Australians due out. The weather forecast had kept changing and we had hoped to go for a walk but by 8am it had started to rain. So it was plan B. Today plan B was Derby. We haven’t been there for a couple of years and recently a new shopping centre opened. Also we haven’t been to the cathedral. Able to leave quite early as we had early breakfasts again Managed to find a car park in central Derby at the Assembly Rooms. Had a coffee in a nearby coffee shop before visiting the cathedral. Bess of Hardwick is buried here and there was an exhibition on as it is 400 years since her death. Another point of interest is the falcons that are nesting in the tower. We then wandered around some of the lanes before ending up at the new Westfield Centre. Apart from some cottage bits from Wilkinson my only other purchase was a Take That CD from last year. I remember them being popular the first time around, particularly with the young girls at the school where I worked. They would probably laugh now if they knew I had bought one of their CD’s but then they have reinvented themselves! A good drive back home although it did rain quite heavily for a while. Watched another episode of Jimmy Doherty’s Farming Heroes. Interesting to learn how prevalent potato blight still is.

Another pleasant day forecast. One cleaner up with one B&B due in, the wife has been here before and this time is coming with her daughter. The day disappeared with usual Monday tasks. Went down to Bakewell late afternoon to get usual bits. Have to plan this week around comings, goings and the Bakewell Show as many shops will close on show days and there will not be any parking. When I got back the B&B guests arrived about 5pm. In the early we joined our Australian guests for a BBQ. We had a very enjoyable evening but I got bitten by insects. Ouch!

Another day of 8am breakfasts so able to head down town early for papers, petrol and bottle bank. One B&B out and none back in. Got some lunch together and then headed over to Blore Pastures near Ilam with our friends for the English National Sheepdog trials.  This was the first of the nationals with the Welsh, Scottish and Irish to follow during August and the World and International to be held in September. We had an enjoyable time with the weather holding. A chance to look around the stalls introduced us to a lady who creates yarn out of pet hair and knits them into bears! We gave our dogs a brush and she spun it into 2 metres of yarn (very much like 2 ply wool). We were surprised so little could be spun into so much! 2oz of hair could make a small bear! We didn’t stay until the end as it was not expected to finish until quite late in the evening as they still had to have a run off with the winners of the previous two days. Came back and had a quiet evening.

Up early with both sets of B&B guests having 8am breakfasts. Early walk for dogs and with timely departures we were able to get a good start. Seven cottages out with seven back in and one staying for another week. Two cleaners up today as one had other commitments but Fay came up too and helped with beds. I also helped with dusting and bedrooms and as the cottages had all been left in a good state we made good progress. Our friends went out for the day. Finished about 1.30 and just finishing lunch when the first guests arrived early. They were a family from Holland, our European guests for this week. Got them settled in case we had a 3pm rush but as it happened the guests arrived steadily between 3 and 5.30 pm. our friends came back shortly after that so we headed down to the Lathkill Hotel for a drink before picking up a chinese takeaway from Bakewell.

Another pleasant day with one B&B guest out and both back in. Went down to Bakewell but there seemed to be road works everywhere so it took ages. After doing my usual bits headed off to the Chatsworth Farm shop to buy some bits as we had our friends Steve and Anne calling in for lunch on their way back home from visiting friends. By the time I got home they were already here. After a quick lunch they were back on their way. One cleaner up to do both rooms in the morning but she came back in the evening to do one of the cottages as they left in the evening (this was planned) but it gave us a start on tomorrow as there will only be two cleaners. Defrosted the freezer in the cottage as well. Late afternoon another set of friends arrived for a couple of nights. I cooked us all a dinner. Our first set of B&B guests arrived just after 6pm. They are from Australia and have arrived via Europe. Our second guests arrived about 9pm.
Weather stats for July. Warmest day was 27th with that night being the warmest too. Highest temperature was 25 deg C. Coldest day was the 12th with that night being the coldest with lowest overall temp of 7.4 deg C recorded on the 4th. Wettest day was 6th with .41 in rain. Total rain was 2.87 in compared with 5.72 last year. Highest UV was 9.4 on the 30th.

End of the month and a day off. After an early breakfast, so the departing B&B guests could go to Alton Towers, took the dogs for their walk while Andrew, Joanna and Ian were spraying some cows. No one back in so we had planned a day out. The forecast was for rain later in the day but it had started raining by the time we left for the National Stone Center at Wirksworth (www.nationalstonecentre.org.uk). It was one of those places we have been meaning to visit and today’s outing was prompted by an article on TV last night. If going to Wirksworth it is worth a detour. It is free to walk the trail but it is best to invest in one of the leaflets which gives a full explanation of the site. A fact worth mentioning is that 330 million years ago Britain used to be just below the Equator and Derbyshire was a series of sub tropical seas! Bakewell would have been on the coast! There is a shop and cafe area and a Story of Stone Exhibition (entrance fee). Dogs are welcome too! We then drove down to Arkwrights Mill at Cromford(www.arkwrightsociety.org.uk) and had a quick look round and then lunch at the Wheatcroft Cafe. It’s always nice to see the work going on at the Mill. The first time we came here in 1993 it was still very much a derelict site. One day it will be interesting to take one of the guided tours. We then drove over to Tissington to make a long overdue tour of the Tissington Hall. (www.tissington-hall.com). By now light rain had set in and we were with a small group on the tour of the hall with time to wander in the gardens afterwards. After that we stopped at the nearby Coach House for a cup of tea before paying the village church a visit. Back home and after a busy day a quiet evening in.

An early breakfast for the departing B&B guests who were replaced by guests later in the day. One cleaner up to do room and the games room. Chris had some bits to do and I spent a bit of time in the afternoon picking blackcurrants – the first time since we have lived here that I have had a chance to pick them! Got on with some other personal bits too before guests arrived. Quiet evening and sat down to watch House of Saddam.

Some rain during the night but a bright start . A quiet day with Chris and the handyman carrying on their work and me getting on with general bits. A busier day for phone calls and emails after a quiet weekend – guess everyone was enjoying the weather! Went down to Bakewell in the afternoon. It was busy and on the way back it looked quite threatening. A few rumbles of thunder but no further rain. Sat down about 9pm and watched Jimmy Doherty’s Farming Heroes which was very interesting despite a number of phone interruptions.

A quiet day at home with no one in or out so a chance to ensure accounts up to date and usual Monday tasks. Had hoped to get into the garden while the weather was holding and pick some blackcurrants and rhubarb before it disappears but phone calls and emails and general interruptions meant the afternoon went very quickly. Handyman up and with Chris spent most of the day doing work to the entrance to the courtyard where rain keeps washing away the gravel. After dinner went to the Over Haddon Hall where the villagers were treated to a preview of a play to be aired at the Edinburgh Fringe. The Frogman, by the Meanwhile Theatre Company was funny (but with some strong language) and any takings went to the benefit of the Village Hall.

Thought it was going to be cooler than yesterday but it turned out to be the warmest day so far. One B&B out with one back in and after fetching the paper from Ashford (the road down to Bakewell is closed for repair which means we have a diversion in place) we turned the room around. We also packed a lunch and walked down to Lathkill Dale and did a short walk (in the opposite direction to last nights walk) stopping at Batemans House to eat lunch. Back just as the B&B guests arrived. Read the paper outside and had a BBQ in the evening. It started to look a bit threatening about 8pm but it passed us by (but apparently chucked it down in Buxton).