Another fine day. By 8am there was three cows with Asbos, two had jumped over the wall into our field and one walked across the cattle grid into the road. This years youngsters are a real bunch of hooligans! Andrew & Joanna came over and sorted them out and late that morning Andrew came up with Ian and built up the bit f wall that was causing the problem. After I had done my usual bits Chris and I had coffee on the patio with our guest who is moving to Ashford. Cannot remember the last time we had coffee on the patio! After that we sat down and got on with he task of filling out all the tax returns. We had just finalised them when we got a phone call from Joanna. A cow about to calf needed to be rolled over as the calf was twisted. This happens occasionally so Chris donned his overalls and went down to help while I finished the tax returns. Luckily the procedure worked and Andrew was further delighted that it was a heifer calf – the third today.

By now it was gone 2.30 and we had not had lunch. As it was nice we drove over Longnor just a few miles away over the border in Staffordshire. It was once a thriving market town but now is a much quieter place. the old Market Hall is a Craft Center and coffee shop and we parked outside on the cobbles and Chris had a ham roll and I had a piece of cake. We had a little wander around Longnor and found the well dressing. (They also have a day of races on Thursday)Longnor as used in the series ‘Peak Practice’ and is the start of some walks along both the upper Dove and Manifold valleys. We then drove over to the Roaches, a rocky outcrop between Buxton and Leek. We had hoped to catch the heather in bloom but it was just past it best. We will come here next year as the heather against the rocky outcrops could make some excellent photos.

We were away for a few hours and came back along roads we had not driven along before. After tea I dealt with a couple of bookings and brochure requests before sitting down at 9.30.

Had planned to catch up on general tasks but with the cleaner not well I had to turn around the B&B rooms after the guests left as well as the usual daily and Monday tasks (bins, laundry). It was 2pm before I finished with a little help from Chris. We knew it was busy in town (Chris went down to the doctors this morning for his blood test and had tried to park in town but found the car parks too busy) but as needed some provisions for breakfast tomorrow Chris dropped me in Bakewell so I could pop into the butchers while he went up to the Plumb Center. A combination of factors, Market day, last day before schools go back, made it busy in town. I had to ‘fight’ my way back to through two coach loads of people to the spot where Chris picked me up.

When we got back our first B&B guests had arrived early but as it had turned into a nice afternoon they were happy to wait on the patio with a cup of tea for their friends. Their friends turned up about an hour later and I made them a cup of tea too. The guests who arrived yesterday bought me some flowers and we had a chat about their house move. We had another chat later as they used our phone to sort out their new phone. Still 9pm before I sat down after answering emails etc.

A sunny start but rain forecast. One cottage and B&B out and one cottage in. Went down to Bakewell to get paper and take glass bottles to bottle bank. O way called in at neighbouring farm to collect some eggs. They have just come back from a week in Jersey. When got back a cleaner was already making good progress with cleaning the cottage for todays guests.

Plenty to do today. Spent the afternoon preparing the information to complete our tax returns. Our guests arrive about 4pm. This will be the last time they stay here, they have been holidaying here since Bolehill Farm first opened but this week are moving to Ashford in the Water. By the time they arrived it was raining proper, 0.32 inches by the time it finished. Turned off reception light at 8.30.

With two cottages already gone the cleaners were able to make an early start. Seven cottages today (one tomorrow) all were left in a good condition. So it was goodbye to some regular guests and to some first time guests. One couple wanted to make a booking for Christmas but I didn’t have anything suitable left for their family. Good progress was made with the cleaning ans it was all done by 1pm. The only blip came when I defrosted a fridge and it did not want to turn back on. Luckily Chris was able to fix it but in the mean time we got a spare fridge out of the garage just in case. I grabbed a slice of toast and an apple for lunch so I could get on with things. My extra job today was to check table mats and coasters and I replaced a few.

It had been a bright morning but started to cloud up after lunch. Chris cut the grass and cleared up some leaves that the wind had blown into the courtyard. A minor diversion by a plane flying around – I did not recognise what type it was but decided it had something to do with the Country Fair at Chatsworth. Guests arrived at a steady pace from 3 to 5.30. Today there was one returning cottage and there was 3 cottages with WI members (but not booked together). Pizza tonight then a little blogging.

It is about to be officially declared as the wettest summer since 1914 but here are the stats for August from Bolehill. Warmest day with high of 24.7 deg was Sunday 5th August – our first BBQ this year. Wettest with 0.57 inches of rain was 14th and coldest was 16th. Total rainfall was 1.29 inches.

So B&B guests departed and guests arriving in both rooms tonight – one of which has been here a few times before. A cleaner came up to do the public rooms and bedrooms and while I was doing the ironing Chris invited Andrew, Joanna and Ian in for coffee. They were up here fly spraying the cows. Also a few went back over the road as their confinement time approaches but in return a bunch of hooligans were brought over into the four acre field. They have been told (not sure if they were listening) that they are not to jump over the wall and we have ASBOs at the ready! I spent a little time in the ‘junk room’ and found the address of someone I used to work with who has moved not to far from here. I have been looking for it since Christmas so now I can make contact with her. (The junk room is the spare bedroom where we have all the belongigs we havent got a home for yet).

Two cottages left today although booked in until tomorrow – although at least the weather was not to blame. One of the fridges needed defrosting so I did that in the evening which meat one less thing to do on Saturday. The guests arrived at the times they expected so I was able to catch up with some accounts at last!

One of those days where in theory I should have time to do things but in practise it does not happen. Only day this week with no-one going in or out but it still takes most of morning to get usual jobs done. No Cleaners today. Also decided to give some of our walking gear a wash or clean. By 2pm I was starting to panic about the laundry when all of a sudden I heard the van come into the courtyard. Not only did I get last weeks laundry back but also this weeks so my linen room is full now! I was then ready to go to Bakewell to pick up provisions for the weekend – decided would be easier today in view of the Chatsworth Show starting tomorrow – but so did a lot of other people as I have never seen Bakewell so busy for a Thursday! Got back and did some paperwork before tea. As it had brightened up I did suggest going to see the heather on the moors but now that the evenings are starting to draw in we decided there would not be enough daylight left. One of the cottages had a problem with the heating and Chris was still sorting this out at 9pm. Sat down at about 9.30 and watched Heroes and blogged.

Doorbell went at 11pm. Someone wanted change for the pool table. The lights were off which means we are not available. We had just gone upstairs to bed.

A busier day today with one cottage and both B&B room out and one cottage and B&B in. The cottage left late and had not left it clean or tidy so I was glad two cleaners had come up today to do the cottage and both rooms (just in case). I gave them a hand tidying up in the cottage but also had to find some spare linen (as the laundry had not returned) and do some ironing. I chased the laundry and was told I would have it back tomorrow. As it was nice I also did some extra washing. The cottage guests phoned just after lunch to say the car had broken down and they were waiting for the AA so they were not sure what time they would turn up. Luckily they arrived later in the afternoon. They have been here before, in fact it is their third stay with us. The B&B guests also arrived later in the afternoon. Chris went down to the farm to get Andrew to sign some paperwork and help Fay decide on a laptop for university. Chris had spent most of the day with the handyman sorting out the felled trees from Monday. The fellers had left the tree in manageable rings, small branches and twigs so the piles needed moving and the bigger logs made smaller. Recorded Heroes as was watching the second part of Silent Witness.

Chris was able to get up this morning and it was nice to have the extra pair of hands. He managed to get an appointment with the doctor who diagnosed two possibilities, back spasm or kidney stones. I believe it is the latter but tests planned for next week will help.

A bit cooler and cloudy today. Said goodbye to one cottage who had left it very clean so the cleaner whizzed through it. They had enquired about coming back and would be most welcome! Caught up on bits I did not get done yesterday but am now behind with this months accounts. Also went to Bakewell to stock up on B&B bits. New cottage guests arrived later in the day and the next thing you know it is time for bed!

What a mixed day. For most it was an extra day off but for me it was like any other Monday. There were some added complications. Chris could not get out of bed due to pain in his lower back. I managed to do breakfast on my own and I also said goodbye to two cottages before taking the dogs out for a walk. Chris stayed in bed and continued to be in pain on and off for the rest of the day. I did consider taking him to hospital but we decided to wait and see. A cleaner came and did the two cottages and as they were left in a good condition they did not take long. I got o with the ususal jobs but also had Chris’s tasks to do as well.

We also had two trees removed today. They spent all morning and worked into the early afternoon to take down the trees. One was already long dead but in an awkward spot. The other looked alive but was going rotten at the bottom so we removed it for safety. Left to season for a year or so we should have some decent firewood. My dirty laundry was collected but the clean laundry was still not ready. Luckily I have enough or the next few days. In the afternoon two cottages arrived to stay until Saturday.

We had tickets for a show at Buxton but I went with Joanna. It was ‘Call Up The Groups’ and featured the Barron Knights, Marmalade, the Fortunes and the Tremeloes. It lasted until nearly 11am and was really good and I had a good singalong to some of the songs! I had already laid the table but still had the washing to put on, the chickens to put away so it was gone midnight before I got to bed having left some jobs for first thing in the morning.