More out than in today. A slight covering of snow. One of my business men out (the other went yesterday) plus two other cottages with both B&B and one cottage back in. The early sun started to melt the snow but it clouded up after lunch. Snow was forecast and we kept an eye on advancing clouds. The cottage arrived just after 3pm with my first B&B at 5pm. The final guests turned up at about 7pm as expected. We had a little snow but the bigger worry was ice. Normally the gritters are very good but one set of B&B guests set off for the pub but came back as the road was a bit icy. A flurry of phonecalls in the evening meant I didn’t sit down until 9.30 with the final phone call about 10.15.

Weather stats for Jan: 3rd jan holds 3 records – lowest temp of -2.7 and being the coldest day & night. Warmest night/day was 19/20 Jan with highest temp of 11.3 on 18 Jan. Total 6.9 in rain (6.76 last Jan) with wettest day 15th with 1.13 in.

After all the build up to yesterday I was hoping to catch up with things today. I had even allocated some time to housework but eventually this never happened. After breakfast went down to Bakewell and did my bits. In the greengrocers talk was of what the weather was going to do. One set of my guests were booked in until tomorrow but had hoped to stay until Sunday but were worried about if the weather turned bad. Ater lunch Chris went to Over Haddon. Had an email from my friend near York who had planned to go down to Buckingham today but decided against it in view of the weather. At the time we were in the middle of a blizzard (no-one said it would snow today). At Over Haddon it was raining. Managed to sit down by just after 9 pm and watched Torchwood from yesterday.

Up and dogs for walk. A nice fine morning and signs of spring, snowdrops, greenshoots, my hellebores are flowering, They were here when we moved in but I do love them. One cleaner up to do the public areas, the office, and leisure area. Then we went around the empty cottages to double check. After the cleaner left we had an early lunch and the Inspector turned up just after 1pm. For the last two years I have had the same inspector so it is nice to have a different one. We went up to one of the empty cottages and went through al the papaer work first. She then did an inventory of the kitchen items (there is a standard inventory we should adhere to). Until recently we had to have a rolling pin in each cottage along with cake tins in case guests wished to bake cakes. (We still keep a set in stock just in case). She then went through each room alone making notes but only a few minor points were made. We then went through each cottage in turn, guests were back in one already so she had a quick look in that one. In empty ones she had a more detailed look. We then went and did the B&B rooms. Until this year the inspector would book in anomously but apparantly now or established B&B’s it will now be every three years. She was here about three hours.

In the evening we met up with the previous owners Tony and Jan and went to the Whitworth Hotel at Darley Dale. It changed hands about a year ago and have heard good reports about the food. They have a good menu and we all enjoyed our food. We had a good natter and got home about 11.30 pm due in part to the fact that the bottom of our road was closed and we had to find an alternative route. Coming back we drove through Chatsworth park. There were plenty of sheep around and we saw a couple of deer too.

Up and took the dogs for a walk. One cottage out today with two cleaners up to do the remaining cottages and B&B rooms. I popped down into Bakewell to go to the Bank and a few other odd jobs. After lunch spent most of the afternoon doing final checks in the empty cottages and getting the paperwork ready I need to show the Inspector (Access Statements, Fire Assessments, Certificates of Insurance, examples of our letters, brochures). After tea spent time in the offie just making sure everything was OK then sat down to CSI.

Up and another lovely sunny start. Two cleaners up today. One cottage out but three in and when I checked with one of the other business men I had not heard from it became four in so altogether we will have guests in six cottages tonight! Handyman was up this morning too. There was some siliconing to the new lino in one cottage so it could be cleaned plus a number of odd jobs Chris had accumulated for him over the weekend including chopping wood. Apart from checking the cleaners were OK I had a loaf of tuna sandwiches to make for the WI lunch that we were hosting at the Village Hall. Got to the Village Hall about midday by which time everything had been set out but I had said I would be there to help serve the lunch. The coach party tuned up about 12.30. There was about 50 of them, a mixed church/WI group mainly from Leicestershire who were staying the week in Derbyshire. They had been to Bakewell in the morning. Me and the other Shirley (there are two of us in our small WI) served the soup and tea. The party enjoyed there soup, sandwiches cakes and tea. I helped clear and tidy up and was back by 2.30 just in time to see one of the cleaners before she went and check on the cottages before they arrived. First arrived just before 3pm and the second set about 3.30. They have been here before. The business men arrived later and my laundry was collected about 6.30. Had tea and caught up with myself in time to sit down for 9pm.

Up and decided to have a few hours off. B&B guests both left about 10am as did a set of cottage guests. One set of cottage guests left later in the day. Thought we would be able to get a quick start but had a few phone calls, hung up the washing, got the dogs and lunch ready. Sarah from Ashford Cottages (and Critchlows) dropped by to drop off her laundry for collection tomorrow as she is also going to use the laundry service. She is off to Dubai for a few days. We had a chat before she left. By the time we got the car packed it was time for the weather on Countryfile. We then set off for Great Longstone from where I had planned a three mile walk up to Longstone Edge and back via Rowland. It was not a strenuous walk up to the edge but once up there it was quite windy. The path went close by to the Deep Rake quarry which is quite a controversial one and is still working using old mineral rights that Parliament recently endorsed much to the disgust of the National Park, Council for Protection of Rural England and local residents. It is a visible eyesore for many miles but like many eyesores close up it is hardly visible. Had lunch on the edge with views towards Bakewell, Calver and Monsal Head. As we made the descent the wind got a long stronger and as we left the hamlet of Rowland to cut back to where we started we could hardly walk. It didn’t help coming across a new stile that was very difficult to climb and so high we had to lift the dogs over (much to their dislike) as there was not enough room to squeeze between the rungs. Just when we got back onto the road for the last stretch I looked ahead and missed the fact the tarmac stopped and a gully began and I fell over. I thought I had hurt my ankle but my boots probably saved me from injury. The double patch on the knees similarly saved my knee so just a slight graze on my knee and hand luckily. Drove back via Little Longstone and had an exterior look at some new barn conversions (more competition) before coming back home via Monsal Head which was busy. As we got home Chris pointed out we had been away for three hours. Our longest real break since Boxing Day.

Hadn’t been home long when had a phone call from someone who was looking for a cottage from tonight! They came up and took one of the last available cottages for this week. Took a few more bookings . Had tea then went and finished off the paper work for the day finishing about 9.30. I have a busy day tomorrow

Off to the Farmers market as soon as dogs walked and cleaner here. Not much to clean but the one cottage that did need doing was a bit of a state. The second in two days. Its just as well we don’t get too many as bad as I wonder if my cleaners would stay with me! When I got back the cleaner and I did a couple of inventories and she spruced up a cottage for Mondays guests where Chris had laid the lino. As I had rushed down to the market I didn’t get to do my usual chores like hanging up the washing and servicing the rooms until after lunch. One set of cottage guests in today. Spent a few hours doing some odd jobs in the cottages. Have been washing voiles, nets, throws and cushion covers over the last few weeks and gradually working my way around the cottages. Went into one cottage to change a shower curtain and found a puddle where a shower seemed to have sprung a leak. Another job for Chris! Managed to sit down just after 8pm and cooking a roast dinner but interrupted by two phone calls during the next hour.

More out than in but a busy day nonetheless. A milder but still bright day. Out today were three cottages plus one who were booked in until tomorrow but decided to leave today plus a B&B. In today were two cottages and a B&B. Still two cleaners up as I want to keep on top of cleaning for next week as well as making sure any other jobs are done. One of the cottages took longer to clean, mainly because the oven was left in a bit of a state. Got it done in the end. Sometimes I really feel like charging guests for extra cleaning – we say we can in certain circumstances but perhaps we should in any circumstance. Chris finished laying the lino in one cottage and started another as it was not booked for the weekend. The handyman also came up and did some odd jobs that are starting to accumulate. First guests arrived at 3pm with the B&B guests arriving about 6pm. The final cottage guests arrived about 8pm having had to negotiate the M25, M1 and roadworks at the bottom of the road in Bakewell. Sat down just before 9pm.

Got caught in the only shower of the day when took the dogs for a walk and it would be a hail shower! One cottage guests out and one B&B guest in today. Went down to Bakewell after usual bits and helping Chris put the new lino in place in a cottage. After lunch Chris went to the Over Haddon digital club and I did a bit of housework followed by starting to line a pair of curtains. Hadn’t got very far when the B&B guests arrived. Chris was a little late back as he went and helped someone install a dishwasher, seeing as he has had recent experience! After tea sat down to do the days bookings and brochure requests but an unexpected email that took longer to resolve delayed me from completing bits until about 9.45 pm. Then I sat down!

Guests out after breakfast and one cleaner up to turn room around and do public areas. Had a last minute cancellation due to hospitalisation so started to replace lino in another cottage. Help Chris move bits about and get lino ready for cutting. After lunch started to catch up with myself. Deposits for bookings are starting to come in and I need to try and stay on top of paper work. Despite that I made time to plant the last of my spring bulbs. Unlikely they will flower this year. Have just received the catalogue for summer bedding plants and will have to order those in the next few weeks. Also noticed my linen supplier is having a sale and this includes my usual linen so I must make a decision and order in the next few days. New B&B guests arrived about 3.30pm. Inspector phoned to confirm inspection for next week. She will inspect both the cottages and B&B – usually they stay the night but this time it will be a day inspection. Got some personal work sorted out and sat down in time for Torchwood.