A varied day. Up early (6.10 am old time) for 8 am breakfast new time. It’s going to be a long day! Took dogs out for their walk before going to Bakewell for the paper. One B&B out but no-one in. With the clocks going forward Chris had to start changing all the heating timers, immersion heater clocks, light sensor switches and various other electrical bits. We know we will be finding ones we have forgotten for days! Went to Focus near Buxton for a few bits then came back and had lunch. It was pleasant enough to sit outside – with a jacket on! After lunch started to ‘conclude’ this quarters accounts going through the check lists of accounts to reconcile or finish entering. Had hoped to tie it all up by the evening but with cooking diner and emails and phone calls I did not make the progress I had hoped. Never mind.

An early breakfast so dogs walked before three cottages left this morning. One cleaner up whilst I went down to the Farmers Market at Bakewell . Back in time for coffee then serviced the B&B room before starting the final checks for the arriving cottages. Five cottages and one B&B in today. Everything finished before first guests arrived just before 3pm. They were here last year as B&B guests when we had all that rain and flooding. Needless to say it was chucking it down when they arrived. The rest of the guests including the B&B guests were all in by 4pm so a busy hour but then I could get on with things. After dinner went to the village hall at Over Haddon to see a play by the New Perspectives Theatre Company called In Search of Pontiflunk. It was a one man dialogue recounting the steps of the same walk taken through Derbyshire en route to Lincolnshire from Manchester. The first walk was undertaken a hundred years ago by an Edwardian who was worried about the pollution created by industrialisation, and as he walked he planted acorns. The second walk was by a writer retracing the steps last year to see the outcome of the original walk. He did actually find some of the acorns had become oak tees! Pontiflunk was the name of the dog the original walker adopted. It was very interesting.

Another Friday another changeover! A wet start and Chris took the dogs for their morning constitution while I got on with bits. One cottage out with three cottages and one B&B back in. Two cleaners up today and apart from doing the usual bits I spent some time defrosting fridges and changing lampshades and other general bits. Chris went down to Bakewell for me. I will be going down tomorrow. First guests arrived about 3pm. I then had a few hours before the rest arrived within a short period of time. After dinner I spent some time reviewing the new B&B website and listing what I needed to do tomorrow.

Had planned to do more curtains and other things today but as it dawned sunny we decided it was about time we had a day off! (Last one was 26 February, four weeks ago). So up and Chris took his car round to the garage with Blue and walked back home while I did the usual bits. Rucksacks packed and dogs loaded we set off about 10.45am. Went to Alstonefield where we parked. It is a good starting point for walks into Dovedale in both directions. We headed off towards Coldeaton Bridge with a light shower but by the time we reached Gypsy Bank it had stopped. There were some nice views ahead of the steep descent. The walk allowed 4 minutes for the descent bit I took 10 minutes, but there included a chat with a couple walking up. At the bridge we turned left to walk the middle part of Dovedale. This is a quieter but I think more scenic part of the dale. We stopped for lunch just before the dale became Wolfscote Dale which was just as well as just afterwards we had a heavy shower. At least when the sun was out it did feel as if spring was in the air! Where the dale became Beresford Dale we turned and headed back towards Alstonefield via Narrowdale. This stretch was quite muddy, even Blue began to panic as he started to sink into the mud. From the head of Narrowdale we had some lovely views back towards Hartington and the upper Dovedale. Back at Alstonefield we walked around to the church where they had an ‘Images of Spring’ exhibition by the villagers. It was very good. We then drove to Hartington to try out a recently opened tea room but this was unfortunately closed due to family funeral. We popped into the famous Hartington Cheese Shop and bought some cheeses. Back home one of the cleaners was just finishing cleaning a couple of cottages. Dealt with emails and phone calls and after dinner prepared a few things for tomorrow as well as listing things I need to do tomorrow.

Another quiet but busy day if that is not too much of a contradiction. Morning went with usual tasks and interruptions and afternoon spent on curtains again. After dinner caught up with the days paper work. Another day over. Sat down 9.30pm next phone call at 9.45pm.

A quieter day but plenty to do. After taking dogs out caught up with emails and got post ready to go. Laundry collected and rubbish also taken away. A late booking for one of the cottages and one cleaner up to start some cleaning. Spent some time during the afternoon sorting out bits to do over the next few days in the couple of empty cottages. Guests arrived at 3.30pm. After dinner checked what accounts still need to be done for the end of the month and planned tomorrow. Sat down just before 9pm.

Having mentioned the opening of Chatsworth House a few weeks ago I should also mention our other historic house in the area. Haddon Hall (www.haddonhall.co.uk) opened for the Easter weekend and will be open for weekends for the next month before opening daily in May. It also looks like they will do what Chatsworth House does and decorate the Hall for a period leading up to Xmas. This has worked well at Chatsworth and I’m sure it will do he same for Haddon Hall. Haddon Hall has also been the setting for many period dramas such as last years successful adaptation of Jane Eyre. The recently released ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ was also filmed here and other locations in the area.

End of the long weekend for some so it was three cottages and both B&B out. One B&B has already booked again for next year. No-one back in so no cleaners today. Still a bit of snow left from yesterday and a few flurries but more melted during the day. Still some snowmen left! A mixed day of usual bits, stripped beds of departed guests so laundry was ready for collection, washing, tidying up and planning the cleaning for the next few days. Chris sent some time entering accounts while I did some bits around the house. Took the dogs out for some air although they had spent some time outside during the morning. Chris has been working hard on developing the new web site and I should be able to look at it soon to give my opinion. A rush of emails and phone calls later in the afternoon and evening. Sat down for 8.30.

A quieter day after yesterday. Awoke to a small dusting of snow but nothing to worry about. No-one out but three in, two of which have been here before. One cleaner up this morning. The first cottage arrived about 11am, they had booked from yesterday but chose to arrive this morning. Had planned to do a bit of paper work but somehow the day seemed to go. It stayed nice until just before 3pm then we had a blizzard, after which the next guests arrived. As the dogs had been cooped up took them out for a walk around the fields. The last guests arrived about 6.30 having encountered bad weather on the way up from the south coast. At 7pm we left for Buxton as we had tickets for Madam Butterfly. This was another Ellen Kent production and as usual was up to the usual high standards. We had taken the discovery just in case the weather turned bad during the course of the evening but luckily it didn’t.