Magnetic letters on a birthday cake.

Jennifer asked me to make a cake for Nancy's second birthday party and of course I left it very much to the last minute... Firday evening for a party on the Saturday morning 10 to 12. Apparently that's a good time for kids these days to hold a party. In my day of being a party Mum it was 3 o'clock arrive 6 o'clock leave, but no matter. I'm constantly aware of the fact that I am out of touch with modern day child rearing.....

Anyway anyway. I didn't have any of those little plastic 'Happy Birthday' adornments for the top of the cake when I looked into

my cake decoration box at close on midnight, so I pinched a few magnetic letters off the fridge and a number 2 for the top with some only used once pink cake candles and wrapped the whole thing in some left over red ribbon that we'd had at Christmas.
Nancy herself didn't notice the Yuletide overtones and as she and Bethan, fellow 2 year old hostess blew out candles on their respective cake, I was quite satisfied with my effort.

One of the pictures - out of about 70 I took at the party was of Bethan and her Mum and Dad, Caroline and Richard. I'v printed a copy off for them and think it will look good as a sepia or black and white shot. So I will add it to my own website http://www.jillpendleton.co.uk/ in the next day or 2 when I have a minute.

It's all go at the moment. It has taken me an age to get my head around installing Google maps, and with my 100+ page website for http://www.dartmooraccommodation.co.uk/ I have had to construct over 20 different maps showing stuff on each town page, and a page of just B&B's and just self caterings etc. But now if you asked me I can tell you how to add pins to the map and how to fill in the information 'speech bubble' without too much difficulty. I am adding petrol station around Dartmoor as I go along. Anything to add interest to my website.

I can't wait for the better weather to begin as I shall be off over the Moor visiting all our accommodation providers and making sure that the prices on my pages are up to date.
There are pictures to take seemingly at every corner. Nights are drawing out some now and it's almost sunny this afternoon, so hopefully as we reach February the days will be more pleasant...

BUT this is something I say every single year and every year we reach the middle of February and I think - this is a cruel month. Why do I stupidly expect any better ?
Never mind, they say that the recession is drawing to a close in the News .....

We shall see won't we ?

Oh well, on with the Motley.

As Jimmy Clitheroe used to say "Tarraah"

That 'this'll do attitude.

So sorry that I am not keeping up with the blog as often as
I would like, but this week has been spent with me trying to
get my head around the Google maps on my website.

Click here and see the map for yourself. http://www.dartmooraccommodation.co.uk/information/map.html

Getting all those pins in place is no easy matter. There are far more self catering
locations to be added and already I need to add The Three Crowns at Chagford and
The Ring O' Bells in North Bovey, new additions to our listing. Good.
One thing I must show you is the photos that I took at Parford Well last week.

This is one of the best B&B's on Dartmoor and Tim really knows how to make visitors feel welcome.

I'm planning to take hundreds of shots at our accommodation providers this year and add them to some sort of gallery so that potential guests can have a really good snoop inside places to help make up their minds on where to stay.
There is one thing that can't be shown in photos though and that is the attitude of the landlord or landlady. For me owners fall quite distinctly into 2 categories. Those who know how to care and others who just don't 'get it'.
Years ago in the 70's my Mum and Dad used to have a touring caravan, if ever Mum bought something new for our house, a colander, a set of mugs, new breadknife etc. the old one got carried out to the caravan no matter how useless or tatty it was. Mum's attitude was 'it'll do for the caravan.' Maybe that was a throwback from early days of their marriage when we had to go camping in a tent, or stay with relatives or not afford to go on holiday at all. Don't get me wrong, they were deliriously happy times and the stuff that you take camping on an economy holiday can of course be tatty ... then no tears if it gets damaged, because of the make do resourceful style of the holiday. You know, not enough clean bowls mean that you eat your cereals out of a mug, and that makes it even more fun, especially for kids; but Dad and I resented this pile of clutter that seemed to accumulate in the van. And Mum's 'it'll do' attitude really got under Dad's and my skin.

Sad to say this attitude prevails with some of the accommodation providers I come across.
I have actually hear one or two trot out the phrase "It'll do for the visitors" or "It'll do for the guests" and a big red flag waves in front of my face. Strangely the last time I heard it was from one of our holiday cottage ladies. We were talking about providing games and toys for children, and she told me that she had made up a box of toys that she would otherwise have put out for the bin, and as I was thinking to myself - I can't ever remember throwing toys away, they would be better off going to a charity shop, or in our case stowed away in the garage for use as props on Carnival floats, or throwers for the dog ....whatever ..... then she coolly added "and anyway, it's only for the guests, it won't matter"

It's very much an us and them situation that prevails with these kind of people.

Only last year someone was telling me about the equipment that she was putting into her newly converted cottage. "I bought a whole new set of crockery and glasses for us, and the old ones I put into the let" Fancy telling me that ! Me who was there to view it on behalf of my customers - as it were..... Amazing.
Rob and I 'did' Bed and Breakfast for most of the years from 1981 to the last entry in my visitor's book on 10th of August in 2008 and in all that time, if we bought anything new; bedlinen, crockery, towels, the guests took priority and we had second choice. I never thought of it any other way. My guests came first most of the time. Kids come home from school. "Is there anyone in Mum?" , "Yes only play in the orchard, not on the front lawn". The best looking portions of pudding, the full gravy boat, the biggest slice of cake, all went to the guests.

These visitors paid our wages and we went out of our way to make sure that they had the best holiday possible. We once had a really moany Italian couple who when asked if they had slept well, mentioned that they were not used to any light in their bedroom at home as they had shutters at the windows. As soon as they went out for their day, Rob set to and made 2 light wooden frames exactly the right size as their bedroom windows, covered each one in thick black plastic from heavyduty bin liners and later on in the evening as the guests were at dinner, he fixed them into place in their bedroom. Apparently they told all their friends about it for years....

No amount of ticked boxes on a hotel inspector's clipboard can quantify this welcome friend approach that accommodation providers SHOULD ALL HAVE. If you are reading this and you don't much like strangers and you are thinking about running a hotel or B&B then do yourself a favour, cos chum .... guests put money into our pockets and a committed welcoming is one of the top priorities in this trade.
Tim at Parford (pics) has a naturally welcoming manner with guests. I have know him for over 12 years now, and he has been on my website since the off. His house is utterly charming with classy fixtures and fittings. He's not the type to hide his nicer pieces away from the guests. Oh no. I recommend him without hesitation and we hear back from his happy guests all the time.

If only I could say the same for all B&B providers around the country......

Did I tell you about when we booked into a hotel in Tenby ?..... and the nylon sheets ?

No ! Stop me. It's time I went to prepare lunch, and it's supposed to be my day off... Fat chance.

Til the next rant...

Jill

video of our garden in the snow

Rob made me walk into Chagford on Saturday.
On normal days this is no big deal but as you see on the picture above, the snow was very much still apparent.
If you have never seen Peter Randall-Page's 'Granite Song' on the small island in the River Teign, it's worth seeking out. So here is the map reference for it. SX 711 891
During the good weather it looks like a split open brain, or walnut. Two halves rent apart.
I have often drawn people's attention to it if I am there, as it's very easy to miss, but folks are mystified by it once they spot it. On Saturday, the dusting of snow added a further mysterious layer. Impossible for me not to lift the camera.

The main reason for the Chagford visit was to wish Colin and Phill Good Luck in the future, Saturday being the last day that they held the reins at the Old Forge in Chagford. They have been in charge of over 4 years and I have been running their website during that time.

New incumbents are a local family, and as I shall be taking pictures soon for the new updated website to be, I shall leave you dangling in the air as to their identity, but I will tell you that it is to be called the New Forge from the end of January on.

The bowl of soup is one I put together from bits and pieces in the fridge. Made a giant pressure cooker full and it lasted 3 lunchtimes. What with that and a game of Scrabble, who wouldn't look forward to lunch ?

And how about the diet ? I hear you ask. Well I have lost just 4 lbs to date, so not too bad. Smaller portions and a little more exercise seems to be doing the job. But I do seem to be thinking about food more than usual. When I got on the scales at the start I was a hefty 10 stones 13 pounds, perilously close to that embarrassing 11 stone readout. Already I don't feel quite so stodgy, but there's a long way to go yet. If only every tv programme didn't show folks stuffing their faces with food every 2 minutes. ......

We watched the American thriller comedy Midnight run with the smashing Robert De Niro in last week. Brilliant, but they must have filmed in at least 5 diners which under normal circs - when I'm not food restricted, I wouldn't even notice....

This is the link to click if you would like to have a look at the video I made for my niece in Australia to see our snow in the garden on January 6th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GfK7E2cY0I

I'm just off out with the dog now as the light is fading. Surely walking through this snow burns up more calories than without it.... ? Just donning all the layers of clothing must take up more than usual ?

Hey ho ........

I'm outdda here.

Mitsue comes to visit in a gorgeous kimono

What a lovely surprise when our Sunday lunch guests arrived.

June and Kenneth with Mitsue from Japan, and Mitsue wearing her beautiful National dress.
Here she is on arrival in her stylish outdoor clothes.

Beef casserole, roast potatoes with sprouts, cabbage and kidney beans followed by fresh dates mixed into the end of a Victoria Sponge cake which had been soaked in sweet sherry. Topped with vanilla ice cream. Candles on the table and a bottle or two of red wine plus liqueurs to follow.

Everyone seemed to like.

.

Mitsue had a good look at our Christmas tree and I explained that most of the trinkets on it have been bought or made over the years, from the now very tatty angel on the top that Jennifer made almost 30 years ago at Chagford playgroup to the solid Xmas tree 3 inches high that we bought at Lechlade when we had completed our navigation of the River Thames in our narrowboat from Lime House basin through the city and up it as far as you can travel. We walked into town to buy a celebratory bottle of bubbly and there was a shop entirely dedicated to Christmas decorations. Well that was it wasn't it ? Perfect excuse to buy yet another trimming for the tree.

The angel looks good for a few years yet and I won't be throwing her out - ever!

Click on the photos if you wish to see them full size, which in actual fact is about a fifth of the size that I took them.

I'm typing this on January 6th, so after lunch we plan to take all the decorations down, it being Twelfth Night. The ivy that is draped up the staircase and on the tops of pictures makes brilliant kindling for the fire when it has had so long indoors to dry out.

I gave Mitsue the blog details so that she can take a look when she gets back to Japan. We get to see her twice a year when she comes over to visit June and Kenneth at the Mythic Garden, and each year she has something on show in the garden's annual exhibition. This year she is working on some masks with a Japanese friend who lives in Moretonhampstead, and I am looking forward to the results.

This is me on the left.I think I will reduce the photo and add it to my home page on www.dartmooraccommodation.co.uk Nancy has shared the top spot with me for long enough.
I just want to say Goodbye to anyone reading in Japanese ....
so :-

さようなら :-'Sayonara' means 'Good bye' in a formal way.
でわまた :- 'Dewa mata' means 'See you again' in slightly formal way.
またあいましょ :- 'Mata aai masho' means 'Let us meet again' in a informal way.