Another cold day but plenty happening. After doing breakfast took dogs for walk. Three cottages out with four back in so two cleaners up this morning. I went down to Bakewell to get bits for weekend. Cleaning finished before lunch and I did my bits well before time. Three sets of guests in between 3&4 pm. One set has been here before and have already booked for a week when I a away. The final set arrived about 6pm. In between sorted all the bits out like laundry, post and cooked an early tea. We’d been invited to the Bakewell Young Farmers Annual Showcase at Buxton with Joanna and Andrew. (Ian was performing). The Young Farmers is a way of the youngsters learning practical and social skills. They practise stock judging and other farming related topics and through this and other more social events learn interpersonal skills. The Showcase was a example of the ‘talents’ the group have. The showcase was also performed at local and national Young Farmers competition level and we were treated to singing, dancing, public speaking and a play. During the interval we had a chat with the Rigley’s from Green Cowden, their sons were in the play. Lambing is almost complete and apparently there are some lambs that do need looking after if I wanted to help! We also chatted with Andrews neighbours on the Over Haddon side of the farm. It was interesing to look around and realise that I recognised a lot of the farmimg families, mainly through social events with Joanna and Andrew. Not a late night, after all most of the guests would have to be up early for milking etc.

Could somebody tell the weather it is supposed to be spring? The first day of spring was nearly a month ago but the weather seems to be stuck in a winter time warp. Woke to a covering of snow which soon went but it felt cold all day (nagging easterly wind) even with the sun out. (Guest did not get his balloon ride needless to say). One B&B out with two back in so one cleaner up to do B&B rooms and public areas. Everything done by lunchtime and Chris went off to his digital photography at Over Haddon. I did some housework and bits around the house and took the dogs out for a short walk. Both sets of B&B guests arrived not long after 4pm so I still had some time to sort out some filing. After dinner made sure today’s paper work was up straight before sitting down just before 9pm.

A busier day with two cottages and one B&B out with two cottages back in. One cleaner up and I went down to Bakewell to get a few bits. Came back and got on with usual bits and by lunchtime the cottages were ready for the arriving guests, both of whom have been here before. Spent some time in the afternoon in the greenhouse. First guests arrived about 3.30, he has a balloon ride for tomorrow morning, with the second guests arriving about an hour later. Spent some time later in the afternoon and evening tidying up in the house before belatedly watching the last of this series of Torchwood. Also spoke to my dad who might come up for a few days next week.

A hazy start but when took dogs out noticed a hot air balloon. After usual tasks decided to go to Sainsbury’s at Matlock. Chris decided to come to so we stopped for lunch at ‘Peli Deli’ in Matlock. This cafe was highly commended in the Derbyshire Food Awards last year. Also walked round to one of my favourite stores, the Matlock Antiques Center. Got back just before our cottage guests arrived at three pm. Spent some time doing bits and pieces in the afternoon. Chris had to spend some time sorting out a computer problem so I put the chickens to bed and took the dogs for a late evening stroll. Sat down for Waking the Dead

Another bright but cool start. After an early breakfast took the dogs for their walk. The grass is starting to grow but is still not long enough for the cows to come out yet but Andrew is getting low on hay. Ian and Andrew have been out everyday doing all the jobs that need to be done before the girls come back out. Today three cottages out and two back in plus a B&B in too. Two cleaners up this morning and everything finished on time. Both cottages in just after three pm and the B&B guests arrived just after 4pm. It was pleasant enough for them to be the first B&B guests this year to have their welcome cup of tea on the patio! After dinner caught up on a bit of paper work from the weekend before sitting down for ‘Waking the Dead’.

A day of bits and pieces. Said goodbye to one B&B guest who has booked the room she was in for the next time it was available – 12 weeks time! Our B&B rooms are quite well booked for the weekends for the next few months. They say in his business the one thing you can predict is that you cant predict anything! This year we are taking more bookings from Europe than we have done before. This is probably because the £ is so weak to the Euro. This weekend we have a family from the Netherlands visiting their daughter in Sheffield, they have booked to come back again in September, and I have taken bookings for the summer from families from Belgium and Germany. There was also one cottage departing. After everyone had left the couple who have moved to Ashford called in so we had coffee before we went and got the paper. When we came back I got on with my usual tasks before a late lunch. I then spent a little time up in the greenhouse doing a bit of tidying up and planting on the plants that arrived a few days ago. Saw the first hot air balloon of the season. Cooked a roast dinner and sat down about 8.30 pm.

Another Saturday another big changeover. Three cottages out and four cottages and one BB back in. Two of the cottages and the B&B have been here before. Two cleaners up and during coffee it transpired it was the birthday of one of them, which was a coincidence as it also happens to be Chris’s birthday! Nevertheless work goes on and managed to defrost two fridges. With no problems encountered everything was completed on time. First guests arrived early at 2.30 but as their cottage was ready I showed them in. The next guests arrived at 3pm. It was then a few hours before the B&B and the remaining two cottages arrived in quick succession. It was even pleasant enough to have a cup of tea on the patio! After an early dinner we headed off to Sheffield, well Eccleshall Parish Church to be precise, to see the Spring Concert by the Baslow Choir. It is a lovely church, sympathetically modernised on the inside, either that or it was made to look old on the outside! At least it has comfortable seats! A good concert as usual.

An early breakfast for our departing B&B guests. Also four cottages out with three due back in. Two cleaners up this morning. Chris could not get the temperature probe to work so the weather station is still not working. At lunch I managed to let the B&B room for two nights to a single lady so at least a part of the cancelled booking has been recouped. It was a miserable morning but the afternoon turned out to be quite pleasant again. Two of the cottage guests arrived between 3-4 pm with the final one at 6.30. They have a collie like ours. The B&B guest arrived about 5pm. After dinner I did the paperwork for the bookings and brochure requests that I had taken then sat down about 9pm.

Up and after breakfast one set of B&B guests left. Spent the morning catching up on bits I hadn’t done over the last few days. After lunch Chris went to his digital photography session at Over Haddon and I did a bit more housework. First of my summer plants arrived and also the temperature probe returned in the post so hopefully we can get the weather station working again. Despite the forecast being for a miserable day it turned out nice so I took the dogs for an extra walk in the afternoon. Just a stroll around the fields but it felt like spring and suddenly I was planing summer picnics! When Chris got back I popped down to Bakewell to get provisions for the weekend. Called into the hairdressers as the other day they had been talking about an advert I had not seen. This was the advert for the Polo car with the singing dog and they had been wondering who sang the original soundtrack. I had found it on the Internet and told them. After dinner Chris went to the Bakewell Photographic Society, meeting this time on a Thursday. As I had not filed my paper work from last quarter I made a start on that and also chased a couple of overdue payments.

I just shouldn’t wake up and say today I am going to do this this & this because as usual a spanner gets thrown in the works. One cleaner up to do a cottage as guests in later today. It seemed to take forever to service the rooms and do the usual tasks. Then I get a phone call. One of my bookings for the B&B for the weekend is cancelling due to ‘family crisis’. I point out that under our terms and conditions we will have to charge if we cannot relet the room. We do advise guests to take out insurance to cover such eventualities but most don’t. This is the second cancellation in two weeks. So we went into ‘cancellation mode’ – updating websites where we have availability showing and putting a notice on our website. All this takes time so by the time we had lunch I really hadn’t done much. Did a bit of housework in the afternoon and a few odd jobs and the guests arrived mid afternoon. After dinner I collected Joanna and we went to the WI. This month it was a demo we like – a cooking demo. She did a curried tuna starter, chicken in cider, and an apple trifle pudding and the best bit is we get to sample the end results!