Monday was quite a pleasant day and the first Monday for ages we had no-one in or out!  Could have gone to the market but decided to do the WI annual accounts as the year end approaches (which reminds me that the month and quarter end of accounts is approaching for Bolehill).  Usual Monday routines and time to chat to guests too. There were even some hot air balloons for the dogs to woof at.  The setting sun cast some interesting shadows and with a few sunny days forecast I have put Chris on notice with the camera to get a couple of shots!  Tuesday started misty but it soon cleared and it was a warm day, even in Buxton.  Not that we saw much of it.  On Tuesday we went to Buxton on a ‘familiarisation tour’ organised by the Tourist Board for accommodation providers.  We started in the morning at Poole’s Cavern just outside Buxton where we met up with the others (some we knew from previous events) and had a tour of the cavern.  I went a few years ago with my sister and nieces and nephew but Chris hasn’t been before.  I still think it is the best cave in the area, it doesn’t have the minerals like in the Castleton Caves, but it does have the best stalagmites and stalactites.  We had time before our next stop so we also had a look at the ‘Go Ape’ complex adjacent to the cavern.  This is fine for those who like a bit of ‘extreme sports’ but not for me.  I enjoyed watching though!  After this we were bused to the Dome in Buxton where we had a buffet lunch prepared by the catering students.  We then had a tour of the Dome which is currently the Buxton Campus of the University of Derby with courses on health and beauty, catering and tourism amongst others.  The building was originally the stables for the 5th Duke of Devonshire before it became a hospital.  It was later in its history when the dome part was built and it was hospital until late last century.  One of our group had been a nurse here then. The Dome is open to the public and you can eat at the cafe.  (You can also arrange for Spa or Hair treatments undertaken by the students).  Our next stop was the Crescent where we were allowed inside a part of the building to see its current state and see the plans for it’s future.  We had a talk from the Project Director and heard about its origins, a lot of which I didn’t know, and we had a look at the ballroom which is very impressive.  The news was announced on Tuesday that the next stage of work was about to commence.  All being well the Hotel should open in two years time, but let’s face it, we were expecting it to be open as far back as 2007!  Back home and time to catch up on emails ad phone calls at our peak district cottages.

 Above is a picture of a part of Go Ape and a picture of the ceiling in the ballroom at the Crescent.  My camera was not good enough for shots at Pooles Cavern and we were not allowed to take pictures in the Dome.