Another Saturday arrives and a steady departure of guests. Five cottages out and six back into our peak district cottages. One cottages is here for a second week and one cottage is here for a few more days. Two cleaners up today as one is away but no major problems encountered. Nevertheless there were a number of jobs to be done by Chris. An oven to change a shower head to replace and a rug to put in as well as cutting the lawns. Three cottages arrived at 3pm of which two have been before and both are celebrating special events. Two more cottages arrived within an hour and the final one about 8pm. They have also been here before. Fish and chips tonight. Last blog for a few days as I am going down to my dad’s.
Peak District cottages
Buxton & Buxton again! Thursday/Friday 20/21 August
Chris went to York again on Thursday afternoon and I went over to Buxton to get some bits but other than that a quiet day. One of our cottages left this afternoon as they also run a holiday business and have to be back for the morning. On Friday a cleaner came up and cleaned the vacated peak district cottage. In the morning I went down to Bakewell to get provisions for the weekend and got caught in a heavy down pour, as did the bride just as she turned up at the registry office! I spent some of the afternoon preparing for tomorrow and making some arrangements for next week as I plan to go down to my sisters for a few days next week. In the evening we went to the Buxton Opera House for a performance of The Pirates of Penzance. This was a part of the annual International Buxton Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, which follows on from the Buxton Festival, and we went with a group from the WI. Picked up my name sake, Shirley, from Monyash on the way and she was able to update us on Monyash gossip! A full house and a rousing performance.
Out and about Tuesday/Wednesday 18/19 August
Went to Sainsbury’s in Matlock on Tuesday morning and had a little wander around Matlock too. It was busy with holiday makers as expected. Chris came back in the afternoon and I had hoped we could have a BBQ but it was too breezy by the evening. On Wednesday it started off cloudy and it wasn’t until midday the sun finally came out and the temperature shot up. We needed a new oven for one of the cottages in time for the weekend and I was able to reserve one at Currys in Chesterfield so we zipped over there and collected it. Whilst in Chesterfield we called in at a furniture store and half an hour later had ordered two sofa suites for two cottages and to finish of our ‘shopping trip’ we bought a couple of rugs. So a few odd jobs to do at the weekend in our Derbyshire self catering cottages. As the weather stayed nice we decided on a picnic to Lathkill Dale in the evening. We parked at Over Haddon and walked down to the dale. For the time of year there was a lot of water in the dale. At Conksbury Bridge we took the path back up to Over Haddon but stopped at ‘our’ picnic place overlooking the dale. While we ate our picnic we also watched the hay making at Meadow Grange farm on the other side of the dale.
Good news and bad news Sunday/Monday 16/17 August
A day of catch up and tidy up. We have renamed the dining room the ‘probate room’ due to all the paper work from our respective dads. Whilst we were tidying up some old papers we found the ‘for sale’ details of Bolehill Farm from 1974. Andrew had lent us them, so we have scanned them. Back in 1974 it was a four bedroom house with over 90 acres of land. It belonged to the owner of Stanton Hall, a former High Sheriff of Derbyshire, but had a tenant farmer. We don,t know when it passed into the Stanton Estate or why it was sold. We also heard that Chris’s mums health had deteriorated again so Chris’s brother came up and stayed over night so that they could both go up to York on Monday. On Monday I heard that contacts have finally been exchanged on the sale of my dads bungalow. We had one cottage out and one back in our peak district cottages. Chris stayed overnight in York.
Another busy Saturday 15 August
Another bright and warm Saturday and with seven cottages out and eight back in to our Bakewell cottages it was nice to have another dry cleaning day. Most guests out by 10am and three cleaners up for cleaning. No problems encountered and despite a couple of freezer compartments to defrost I had time to get some odd jobs done. Finished with plenty of time to spare for a change. Five cottages in between 3 & 5 pm, of which two have been here before. Another cottage in at 7pm, one at 8pm just as we were about to eat our take away. Final one at 10pm but as they knew where they were staying as they had been before, they let themselves in. Phew, the end of another busy Saturday.
The heather is on its way Friday 14 August
Decided to go for a walk today as we haven’t had any real time off for two weeks now. Had thought about Froggatt Edge but it was a bit hazy so opted for a walk from the Longshaw Estate near Hathersage which included Padley Gorge. Although we have driven past the Longshaw Estate we have never stopped or walked from there. Longshaw Lodge now is private but it was a former hunting Lodge of the Duke of Rutland before it was sold to the National Trust. During the first world war it was used as a military hospital. The walk started at Woodcroft car park and we headed to White Edge Moor. From here we could make out Higger Tor and Carl Wark and in the haze Win and Lose hills. We were surprised to find that heather was starting to bloom and on closer inspection could make out swathes of purple covering the lower slopes of the moorland. This means the heather will be early this year. From White Edge we headed towards the Haywood car park and then down towards Grindleford skirting the edge of Nether Padley. At Grindleford station we stopped for lunch at the cafe, although we had brought sandwiches with us, but the bacon bap had four rashers of bacon and was very tasty. From here we walked up Padley Gorge and though the path was not always beside the gorge Chris found a number of spots to take some photos. I took some too. At the top of the gorge it was quite busy with families enjoying the warm day beside Burbage Brook. We headed back towards the Longshaw Estate and being a National Trust property stopped at the tea room for tea and cake with Higger Tor and Carl Wark as a backdrop. On the way back home we stopped at the Calver Garden Centre to get some bits. In the evening one of the cleaners came up and cleaned a cottage. The German family who had been with us for a fortnight went today and with a busy day tomorrow one cottage less to worry about at our Bakewell cottages is always helpful.
An update Thursday 13 August
Although Tuesday and Wednesday started damp both days developed into lovely summer days. On Tuesday afternoon we ventured to Chesterfield as there were a few things I needed to get before Saturday’s change over. On Wednesday we had planned to go to the Ashover Show as we hadn’t been for a few years. This is a ‘proper‘ agricultural show compared to Bakewell as there isn’t much scope for retail therapy. The guests who went enjoyed it. Chris went to York as his mum was not well leaving me with a day to myself. As this was unexpected I made the most of it by doing some odd jobs on my list and some extra cleaning around the house. By the afternoon I could hear the cutting machines out in the fields and I knew Andrew had started his second cut. Cutting went on till quite late but at least it all got done. The results of my hard labour today meant a number of bags of clothes and soft furnishings for recycling so I did a quick trip down to Bakewell. Thursday was a lovely day from start to finish so it meant the second cut was able to be completed today. Not as many fields get cut as in June and with three collectors working the job was finished late evening. I popped down to Bakewell in the afternoon to get provisions for the weekend. It was busy. When I took the dogs for a late walk to put the chicken and duck away there was a smell of cut grass in the air. In the twilight I enjoyed the smells and ambiance of living here as the lights came on in faraway village such as Stanton and Elton and once again I thought how lucky I was to live here at Bolehill with our peak district cottages.
A couple of quiet days Sunday/Monday 9/10 Aug
Sunday was a warm sunny day and we spent some time in the gardens tidying up and doing a bit of pruning. Final guests for our peak district cottages arrived just after 3pm. They hav been before. Monday was a more dismal day so a chance to catch up with bits inside as well as usual Monday tasks.
Link to Bakewell Show pictures: www.bolehillfarm.co.uk/photo/bakewell-show/index.html
The pictures above are of the spread Over Haddon WI laid on and the view from the hall.
A fine Saturday August 8
A wonderful day for a changeover, so much so that there was no rush of departing guests this morning! Six cottages out with five back in (one arriving tomorrow) and two cottages staying for a second week in our Bakewell cottages. One couple plan to book a week again next year as soon as he knows when he can have his main holiday. They said they enjoyed their week more than they did a recent cruise – obviously not a Saga cruise! No problems encountered but cleaning took a little longer today even with three cleaners and included defrosting two freezer boxes. A couple of bits left behind and a throw that needed cleaning added to the list of things to be dealt with. Just finishing the last cottage when first guest arrived just after 3pm but it was nearly an hour before the next one arrived with two more in quick succession. Final guests didn’t arrive until about 8pm. Had invited friends over for an impromptu BBQ. They planned to cycle over but had to drive over first with the pud. At the end of a lovely evening they felt too full to cycle back so Chris (who had not been drinking) drove them home. They had had good intentions to be carbon negative but in the end were carbon positive!
WI and bits Friday 7 August
Had said I would help out at Over Haddon village hall where our Womens Institute (WI) was hosting a lunch. After usual morning chores at our Bakewell cottages chopped up some cucumber, shredded some lettuce and packed some cherry tomatoes and headed off to the village hall. All preparations done on time but with a few pairs of hands less than usual we didn’t finish until about 3.30pm. At least the food went down well. Our spreads always look good but don’t know if the pics do it justice. Came home via New Close Farm where I picked up some provisions for the weekend. Planted out last of my geraniums and did some preparations for tomorrow. Noticed some local farms are starting their second cut for silage so will have to see when Andrew will be doing his. The weather looks as if it will hold for a few more days. Sat down about 9.30pm.