A long weekend for some but just another working weekend for us!  Three cottages out this morning, one has booked to come back in September, with three back into our peak district cottages.  One was here before as a B&B guest.  Two cleaners up and a speedy turn round achieved.  A nice sunny start to the weekend and a chance to start putting up some of the hanging baskets.  My greenhouse is beginning to get empty!  First cottage arrived at about 3pm with the second one about 4.30 pm.  The final cottage arrived just after 6.30pm.  A few bits and pieces to do in the evening to prepare for Saturday then sat down about 9pm. A number of well dressings to visit this weekend too. Here are some pics of the plants in the greenhouse.

Tuesday was overcast and cool at our peak district cottages.  In the morning we went to Buxton for a few bits and pieces and a trip round Morrisons.  Called in at our friends at Chelmorton on the way back so it was a late lunch when we got home.  An early dinner then back to Buxton for ‘An evening at the Opera’ at the Opera House.  Wednesday was a busy day for emails and phone calls and took a number of bookings.  We went for a meal to the Royal Oak at Hurdlow, which does good food and later in the evening we watched the programme ‘Three in a bed’ only because one of the participants was a local B&B and the Royal Oak had featured in the programme too. For Chris Wednesday was also a day of moving cows and fixing computers.  When I took the dogs for their morning walk I found a cow had somehow got into the strip behind the car park.  Andrew was due up as the main herd of cows were being moved into the front field. Chris and Andrew moved the rogue cow back but they could not find  how she got in.  Chris had to do ‘cow patrol’ duties to help bring the youngsters over after lunch.  This year they behaved themselves.  On the farming front Andrew’s neighbours on the Over Haddon side have just finished silaging but Andrew is going to wait a bit longer.  Thursday was a quiet day at home with me spending some time in the garden in the afternoon as well as some housework and accounts.  Chris went to Over Haddon for the digital workshop for the first time in ages.

With temperatures set to soar over the weekend Friday was a nice hot start to the weekend.  Dusted off the sundresses.  Three cottages out with two back into our peak district cottages but two cleaners up to keep on top of cleaning.  A new fridge arrived for Honeysuckle so Chris put that in.  A quick trip down to Bakewell to get provisions for the weekend including BBQ food.  First guests arrived about 3pm and the second cottage about 6pm.  Spent some time putting plants where I wanted them planted and Chris put some in but it was too hot to use too much effort.  Spoke to a friend on the phone and later watched the final episode of Ashes to Ashes.  All was explained…I think!

Wednesday was mainly overcast but still warm.  I washed one of the duvets as it will have a few days to dry.  I spent most of the day doing bits around the house but also popped down to Bakewell.  Andrew came up, as did the handyman and the cattle grid at the bottom of the drive got done so the cows can now come into the front field.  Thursday was a lot brighter and very warm and a warm weekend is forecast.  One cottage out of our peak district cottages.  Again bits round the house and also garden and I have felt brave enough to bring a few hanging baskets out of the green house to harden off.  With a number of guests here who have been before we have found ourselves chatting to them during the day which is nice.  Guests who have been here this week have been lucky with the weather, sounds like it will be back to normal next week!

Friday was a quiet day at at our peak district cottages with one cottage out but none back in.  Down to Bakewell for weekend provisions. In the afternoon Andrew came up and helped fix the top cattle grid.  The handyman was also up and apart from helping with the cattle grid helped Chris with log chopping.  I spent most of the afternoon planting on some of the plants I recently acquired and chatting to some of the guests.  Saturday was busy and a nice spring like day. Four cottages out and five back in.  Three cleaners up and a speedy turn round achieved.  A chance to do some inventory checks as well as replace a TV.  Need to replace one of the fridges too.  Guests arrived between 3 & 6 pm.  Three have been here before.  After the last arrival Chris and I set off for Tissington to see the well dressings.  During well dressing week Tissington can expect up to 35 thousand visitors so we always go in the evening when it is less busy.  We thought the dressings this year were very good – their standard is always high – and we enjoyed our walk around the village with the dogs to see the six wells.  Pictures to follow.  On the way back we called into the farm to collect Fay’s computer which does not seem to be working so Chris is going to see what he can do with it.

Thursday dawned bright at our peak district cottages but cool but with the risk of showers.  Nevertheless we set off for Castleton with a pleasant six mile walk planned.  We parked in the main car park by the visitor centre from where we headed out along the pretty back streets and took the footpath that headed to the Speedwell Cavern.  Here we stopped at the foot of the Winnats pass and took some photos looking up the pass and there was also some classic cars there too.  We followed the path on towards Treak Cavern and then the Blue John Mine.  The path then curved uphill and we had some nice views up to Mam Tor. Just as the path reached the farm at the top of the Winnats Pass we then followed the path round Windy Knoll where there were a number of para gliders getting ready to take off.  At the road the path forked and we took the green path rather than the track featured on most walks.  Our views then changed as we left the Hope Valley behind and could see towards Buxton.  Up on the moorlands we were surprised at how noisy it was – all those sheep!  Where this path met the next track we followed this to pick up the Lime stone Way back to Castleton.  At this point we thought it was about time we had lunch so we left the Limestone Way after a short distance and picked up another footpath which we decided would give us some nice views with lunch.  We were right. After lunch we retraced our steps to pick up the Limestone Way.  Apart from one rocky steep section (I could see why most guides start this walk with the Limestone Way from Castleton) it was a nice walk back down into Castleton with views up to Peveril Castle.  We had enough time to visit Peveril Castle, the only thing was it was a long walk up to the Castle.  Credit to English Heritage, we could take the dogs (on their leads).  It has only been 17 years since we first came to Castleton and said we must visit the castle!  We stopped at one of the tea rooms before heading back home.  And it stayed dry. Pictures to follow.

A quiet day on Wednesday at our peak district cottages, mainly spent in finishing off accounts for the month.  It was a cold start again, some of my plants have been garaged overnight, and when I took the dogs for a walk I could see the clouds rolling across the hills Youlgreave way and when they lifted there was a layer of snow on the ground!  It had gone within the hour and there were reports of other snow showers in the area.  One of our guests had got caught in snow on Kinder Scout on Monday!  In the afternoon I went down to Bakewell and got my hair cut and in the evening I picked up Joanna and we went to Over Haddon for the monthly WI meeting.  This month no guests speaker instead we had our usual business then we had a discussion about the resolution to be discussed at the WI AGM.  As this does not take the whole meeting we also had a quiz which we always enjoy. One thing we id discuss during our business is trying to get more members but we do feel hampered by the ‘Jam and Jerusalem’ image.

Maybe part one will be the last part but you never know.  A much brighter day with showers threatened but they seemed to pass us by.  Up early as it was Chris’s turn to have a training day.  One cottage out of our peak district cottages this morning and after they departed loaded the car up and went to Buxton.  First stop was the recycling centre before heading back into Buxton.  Did a few chores in town then raided Waitrose before stopping off at one of the electrical suppliers to pay our bill.  Once home a cleaner came up and turned the cottage round in time for the guests who arrived just before 5pm, just as Chris returned from his course.  I had been doing accounts and some odd jobs.  Just before that Ian had turned out the cows into our front field.  Within an hour some had walked over the cattle grid and into the car park and were munching on my plants.  Chris got them out but a few more times in the next couple of hours so in the end we called Andrew up and got them moved to to an adjacent field.  The trouble with the cattle grid at the entrance to the car park is that it is an older style, the grids are closer together than newer ones and also flatter so easier to walk on. Earlier in the afternoon an emergency ambulance flew over and we heard there had been a serious accident on the road locally referred to as 13 bends.

Here are some pictures from Sudbury Hall, my purchases at the auction and Smudge rounding up cows, taken from or around our peak district cottages, although you may not be able to make him out.

Friday and Saturday saw a complete turnaround with four out on Friday, but with none retuning and thee out on Saturday with five back into our peak district cottages.  Three have been before.  Two cleaners up on both days to keep up with cleaning.  No cleaning problems encountered but time to do a number of jobs on Friday.  Went down to Bakewell on Friday and finished planting up the hanging baskets.  Just a couple of dozen spares to pot on as emergencies!  Friday was quite a pleasant day although you could feel the NE wind.  Saturday was a different scenario with it being cloudy with a few showers and noticeably colder.  It’s supposed to be getting warmer!  Three cottages arrived between 3&4 pm and one just before 5pm and one just before 6pm.  Little chance to do much else!