Thursday was quite a pleasant day at our peak district cottages after some overnight rain.  One cottage out and one cleaner up to keep up with cleaning.  I popped down to Bakewell to get some provisions for the weekend but found it was so busy I only got a few bits before coming back home.  I spent the afternoon doing some accounts.  Had planned to go back to Bakewell later in the afternoon but before I knew it it was too late.  Chatted to some of the guests as they came back from their day out and did some housework in the evening.  The forecast for Friday showed us being on the border of the wet or sunny weather.  One cottage out and one back in later and one cleaner up.  Another trip down to Bakewell and this time came back with everything I wanted.  It had been drizzly to start with but the weather deteriorated and the rain continued into the afternoon.  Crossed off a few of my ‘to do’ jobs like hanging up some curtains in the spare bedrooms! Cottage guests arrived about 6pm.  At least the forecast is for an improvement in the weather. We have had some lovely sunsets this week.  Its getting more noticable how the evenings are drawing in.  Here is one photo anyway.

Lots more photos of heather, shame we will have to wait another year.  All the places have been easily reached from our peak district cottages.  Here’s the link to the rest and one to wet your appetite!

So Wednesday dawned bright and sunny so dogs in the car, rucksacks packed and this time we headed to the Roaches just over the border in Staffordshire and about 20 minutes from our peak district cottages.  I’ve heard that they are also good for heather but wasn’t sure if we would be too late.  After years of missing the best of the heather, with two good heather walks under our belts already this year would we be lucky enough for a third?  We were able to park in one of the parking bays at the foot of the Roaches as we were there early enough.  We set off and started the climb up to the ridge and with a clear day had some wonderful views towards Titesworth reservoir with Leek in the background on the Staffordshire side and Jodrell Bank and Shuttlingsloe on the Cheshire side.  We were lucky again and the heather was still in good condition but my photos of Hen Cloud havent come out well because of the angle of the sun but I will say it was a blaze of purple.  We passed Doxeys Pool, a small lake on the top that has many ‘dark’ stories associated with it.  The first half of the walk was on the Roaches before dropping down onto the surrounding farmland so I assumed the second half would be the easier bit.  At first it was and we found a nice spot with the Roaches behind us and Titesworth ahead of us for lunch.  After lunch the final part was more of a slog across what could be quite boggy ground in the winter but was very hard ground now and I know I am not the nimblest over stiles but some of the ones we encountered I found really hard to negotiate.  Nevertheless I made it and as we got back to the car I noticed the clouds were starting to gather.  Still there was time for tea and cake at the Roaches tea room.  On the way home we drove via Hartington as the most direct route was closed for roadworks so we popped into the cheese shop to pick up some supper!  Pictures to follow.

Up early and after having put out two lots of laundry Chris dropped me off at Joanna’s at 8.45 and then we went on down to Bakewell to set up our tables.  It was already getting busy in Bakewell itself and after parking at the Methodist Hall we unloaded and set up.  Every Monday there are refreshments at the hall from 10am to midday.  It is always popular and has many regular visitors.  A number of other members brought down some baked goods and bric a brac items and before we knew it we had two tables full of goods.  Two other members came to help which is just as well as when the doors were opened there was a big rush for the tables.  Two hours later we had sold most of the goods and after packing up Joanna dropped me off at home with the unsold goods.  When I totted up our takings I was delighted at what we had made and phoned Joanna.  After lunch caught up with a few jobs before our guests arrived, one cleaner had been up in the morning.  They arrived just after 3pm, they have been before.  As the weather was so nice I suggested a picnic in the evening so at 5pm we set off for Over Haddon where we parked in the car park and walked down to the dale.  We did our usual route to Conksbury Bridge then up to the ridge where made ourselves comfy at our usual spot.  By now it had started to cloud over but it was still warm.  Chris was just wondering why we hadn’t seen any balloons when Blue’s barking alerted us to the Virgin balloon creeping up behind us along with another one.  From where we were sitting it looked like they were flying over Bolehill!  A quick drink at the Lathkil before heading home.  Now the nights are starting to draw in perhaps it was our last evening picnic but hopefully we might get some lunch time ones in.  Tuesday was forecast to be the wettest day and it was raining when I took the dogs out for their walk.  Said goodbye to our Dutch family and one cleaner up whilst I went down to Bakewell to get my hair cut and get some provisions. By the time I got back the sun was out and the rest of the afternoon was quite pleasant.  New guests arrived just after 3pm.  Had planned to get some accounts done but didn’t. (Read recently that we are on average interrupted every 11 minutes these days by technology, eg phones, emails!)  The forecast for Wednesday looked promising so planned a walk just in case.  Also agreed the final proof for our peak district cottages advert in next years tourism brochure. Enjoy the photos.

The forecast for Saturday was fine with a risk for showers in the afternoon at our peak district cottages but luckily they didn’t materialise until much later in the day.  Five cottages out with four back in and three still here for a bit longer.  Said good bye to our Italians as well.  A chance to get some extra jobs done in the cottages too so ready or guests arrival in the afternoon. Cottages arrived between 3 and 5pm, two have been before.  Chris cut the grass on Friday in case it rained on Saturday bu as it turned out he could have cut the grass on Saturday.  Sunday was a lovely day weather wise, perhaps one of the best Sundays this summer.  Just as well as I had organised a BBQ and invited our neighbours.  First though after getting the paper and saying goodbye to one of the cottages Chris and I cleaned the cottage for the next arrivals later in the day.  Finished preparations for the BBQ and then had a plesantt few hours with Andrew and family.  By the way I did the BBQ as I prefer my food to be edible rather than cremated! In the evening I did some more baking for the WI table top sale at Bakewell (I cooked some fairy cakes, Chris said I should call them cup cakes to make more money!)  Guests arrived about 7pm and after having done some of my Monday morning chores finally found an hour or so to relax.

Thursday and Friday disappeared in a combination of WI bits and jobs around the home.  With our WI holding a table top sale next Monday in Bakewell Joanna and I spent some time on Thursday afternoon having a look at the donations and pricing them up.  In the morning Andrew, Ian and Joanna had been rounding up the cows for fly spraying.  At this time of year the flies can cause ‘august bag’ or summer mastitis.  On the local news there were pictures of a number of hay fires all suspected to have been started deliberately.  Further south it had been raining quite heavily but it never got this far north.  I cooked some muffins in the evening as a trial run for baking more over the weekend as we can sell home baked food as well as bric a brac on Monday.  Down to Bakewell early Friday morning to get provisions for the weekend (including a BBQ on Sunday if the weather holds).  Some children found a dead bird in the courtyard which I think was a baby curlew.  Got some more bits ready for Monday as well as preparations for Saturday at our peak district cottages.  Its going to be a busy few days!

Here are some pictures of the walk on Derwent Edge.  To see more please follow the link.  Will we get another heather walk from our peak district cottages before it goes?

Wednesday was forecast to be a fine day at our peak district cottages so we headed for Ladybower Reservoir to walk up to Derwent Edge.  We were off early to get one of the roadside parking spaces but when we parked found we were amongst a group of women walkers but luckily they headed off in a different direction.  We took the path heading up to Whinstone Lee Tor but at the first gate found two notices that meant the dogs had to stay on their leads for the duration of the walk.  One was because of the nesting birds and the other was that a shoot was on.  I had forgotten the grouse season had just began.  Nevertheless off we went and made up to a meeting of paths where we then took the path along to Derwent Edge.  I had always wanted to see the Salt Cellar, one of those iconic rock symbols of the peak district.  Along Derwent Edge there are a number of rock formations with names such as the Wheelstones (aka Coach and Horses) the Cakes of Bread and the Salt Cellar.  There weren’t as many walkers as I expected, probably busier at the weekend and hardly saw any women!  This is the highest we have walked at and being quite clear we had wonderful far reaching views back to Abney Moor where we walked last week, up the Derwent Valley, along the Vale of Edale with Win Hiil. Lose Hill and Mam Tor all lined up.  This is what you call a WOW walk!  And of course the heather!  Probably just peaked but still wonderful to behold.  Just before we stopped for lunch we met a party of beaters with their dogs.  They were all dressed in the livery of a hunting party in plus fours etc.  At lunch on Derwent Edge we were joined by hundreds of heather flies.  They are very big and just appeared each time the sun came out.  The walk we were following was about 10km which is probably too much for me so after lunch we took a short cut to pick up a lower path heading back to the car.  It is a path we have walked before but it seemed strange to be lower down, we still had the fine views but now we were below the summits.  On the way up we had stopped to watch a farmer on the other side of the hill move his sheep, even with a quad we could see his dogs as black blobs moving the sheep.  Later on in the walk a helicopter landed in his field and a couple of times during the walk it took off then returned so we were speculating as to what was going on.  The walk was about 6 miles in the end.  Once back at the car we took a drive up the Ladybower Reservoir and stopped at various points to take some photos.  We were also looking at parking places as I have another couple of walks for the area and where we can park will determine which walk we can do.  When we stopped to take some pictures by Howden Dam  a couple of planes flew over, not sure what they were but I hesitated a guess as Spitfires but probably not!  The water levels are really low in the reservoirs.  We stopped at Hassop Station on the way back for tea and cake, just getting there before they closed so we didn’t need any tea!  When we did get back Chris had to check all the cottage TV’s as it was the first day of the digital changeover.  He will have to do it all again in a few weeks time too!

Some days go as expected.  Monday did.  It was a fine day with usual Monday events and one cottage in later in the day with one cleaner up.  Tuesday did not go to plan but sometimes its for the better.  One cottage out with one back in and one cleaner up.  A bit more showery weather wise. Cottage arrived earlier than expected, they are from Holland and weren’t sure how long it would take to drive here from the ferry.  This meant I had more of the afternoon free than I expected.  Initially I had planned to pop down to Bakewell but decided I had time to go to Matlock and do a supermarket shop.  This meant I would have all day Thursday to do things rather than having to do another visit to Bakewell and a supermarket shop.  Chris came with me to Matlock, we called in to look at the new Recycling Center at Darley Dale, this will save trips to the other side of Buxton in the future.  On the way back we called in to visit the former owners of our peak district cottages. When we got back we had a little mystery as there was a box of plums waiting on the doorstep.  One of our guests told us the ‘mushroom man’ had left them for us.  This didn’t mean anything so we made a few phone calls and discovered that Andrew had met someone as he was driving out of his fields on this side of the road who had spotted the mushrooms in the fields (there are a lot of mushrooms in our fields this year) and Andrew had said he could pick some.  He must have left some plums in return for the mushrooms thinking Andrew lived here.  We gave the plums to Andrew as he likes them more than we do, and we don’t like the taste of the mushrooms in the fields anyway!

Another busy Saturday at our peak district cottages.  Seven cottages out with five back in (one here for a few more nights).  Four cleaners up but after the early start for the last couple of weeks it was a later start so a later finish but everything ready by the time the first guests arrive.  At this time of year a lot more bits get left behind and there are more breakages, although nothing large so far. Chris cut the grass with the weather staying fine and after the poorer weather of last week, the forecast is more promising. Guests arrived between 3 and 5 pm, two have been before.  Sunday was a quiet day with Chris doing some odd jobs around the house and ditto for me.  One cottage in later in the day, the first of our overseas visitors this week, two Italian couples, one of which has been before!  A chance to gossip with my sister on the phone before a quiet evening in.