Why the missing blogs ?

Well one of the things that has kept me busy is the new website for the Talbot Arms that Tom and I built last week... take a look, see what you think .
And I am trying to get round to the few B&B providers who are on my website that I have not yet visited. Last week I went along to Brook Farmhouse near to Tedburn St. Mary and was well impressed. Read my review.
Back soon Jill

Multi tasking Granny that's me !

It's been a crazy few weeks. Jennifer, Nancy and Elsie have moved in whilst builders are in their house, so they have been with us for the last month, which has turned our domestic orderliness into complete disarray., Well I say domestic orderliness, but anyone who knows us well, knows that any portrayal of tidy household logic is only apparent for about 20 minutes in any given 2 days. The office is in a shameful state, and never ever gets a proper sort out, as the 6 computer screens are always in need of attention, and any fresh post is sorted into 3 possible landing spots, in the kitchen at Rob's place on the table if it need absolute attention; on the monitor pedestal at my desk (as close to the screen as is possible) if it needs me to file, pay, answer; or on the ever mounting pile of stuff that grows as fast as warm yeast on the desk to my left. This mountain bulges with leaflets, brochures and articles that people send to me; it has intermittant out of date newspapers, each with a turned down page of something that I should pay attention to, and somewhere in that mound is the calendar and our personal telephone book which is sorely in need of an update, as the first entry is for my Mum (Austin) who died in 2004.

But hey, it's autumn and the girls are here and isn't it better for us all to go off for a walk to find some shiny conkers ? They are only little for 5 minutes, so we need to make the most of them don't we? Who cares if there are 3 cheques that need to be entered into the paying in book?
Lets take some of those ginger biscuits that Nancy and I made yesterday, then when we get back we can let them play in the washing baskets with the pegs in again. That kept them busy for a good half an hour.
Do click on the pic of the girls in the baskets and see Elsie's happy little face. She is such a smiler.
Oh well, I had better get off, I'm half way through building a new website for a pub near to Lyme Regis, there is some pork fat rendering down on the aga, the washer has just finished the latest load of nappies, so I had better get them out on the line before Jennifer brings the girls back from pre-school and we tackle peeling, cooking and freezing some of the bucketful of gorgeous cooking apples a kind neighbour gave me yesterday when she came in to cadge a jugful of milk.
I'm off to the theatre tonight with one of my pals to see Top Hat in Plymouth. Just as well it is a lively show that will keep me awake. Will report back on that - if I have any time soon.
Plus I will report on why I have turned into the Princess in the Princess and the pea story !
By the way the ginger biscuit in the G shape is for Grandad not Granny !!!!
Cheerio for now. Jilly

The latest bed and breakfast comes on board.

Back in harness and I nip off to Postbridge to say

Hello to the new people at Beechwood.
Encountering galloping sheep en-route!

I'm so glad that Lynette Lloyd rang me to ask

if they can come on board. They have owned the place for a year and a day, and have made great strides in bringing the building up to scratch. The falling down conservatory has been revamped with double glazing and heating for guests to enjoy their breakfasts in comfort, the bedrooms are slowly being 'made over' and much improved and Lynette and Adam have got a refreshingly positive attitude about welcoming visitors.
Evening meals with home cooking are on offer with 2 courses £17.50 and 3 courses £22 (but let Lynette have some notice please) they welcome families with all ages of children, are happy to take holidaymakers with a dog, and I was very pleased to hear that they actively find beds in other accommodation for people who turn up at the door when they are full.
Only recently I was sitting in a bar of a good class hotel and overheard the receptionist take a call for overnight accommodation. The conversation went ....
"No, sorry we're full tonight, can't take you"
"Thank you, goodbye" !!!!!
How crazy is this ? Why ever didn't she offer a couple of telephone numbers in the area for them to try ?
What goes around comes around. When we had a bed and breakfast we always suggested alternatives, and if we were full at a busy time, say Friday night, one of us would ring around to see what else was on offer as soon as we were full. But sad to say we did know from guests who arrived, this service was not quite so much on offer with our neighbouring outlets, which used to really disappoint us.
In the current economic climate, it is vitally important to keep guests staying locally, so that the shops and tea rooms, adventure parks and historic houses all do well and the community stays buoyant. But as usual people are immensely selfish and not willing to put themselves out. "I'm ok why should I bother about anyone else ?"
What a sad attitude?
However, I detected none of this at the Beechwood household.
Adam and Lynette are keen to work hard and strive for guests to have a good time.
The free range hens are happily pecking away in the paddock, maps are on offer, help yourself to a book to read whilst you are here, everything is spotless, afternoon cream teas are on offer and I just know that they will do well. Welcome aboard Beechwood. Find them on my price range 2 page.

I'm a new Railcard holder - yippee !

Just home from a mammoth cross country journey to see Elizabeth in Norfolk for 4 nights.
We travelled on the train, which involved changing at Paddington then underground to Kings Cross. With 50 minutes to wait we strolled outside and I took a pic of Rob in front of some of the impressive building work.

What you can't see behind his shoulder is a small shed sized space which is behind the barrier.
It's platform 9 3/4 from one of the Harry Potter books, and whilst we were there in the blistering sunshine watching the great Metropolitan community rush by, foreign tourists kept arriving to pose for photos in front of this 'shrine'. Sad to say they never gave a sideways glance to the fabulous architechture adjacent.

Here's the Holmes family from Melbourne, happy to pose for a group shot.
Drop me a line Holmeses and I will send you the file if you would like it.
Luckily for us we chose to go away in the freak sunny weather, so we had a brilliant time taking a look at King's Lynn and returning to the rivers that we cruised on our narrowboat in 2005.
With our newly acquired Senior Railcards we managed to get an incredible price for the return journey on the train of £39 each, which competes very favourably with filling the petrol tank one and half times had we taken the car. We got to see the countryside, upgraded to first class for only £20 each, whole route, for which we were very grateful on the return trip home from Paddington to Exeter, as the poor travellers not in first class seemed to be packed in like sardines in their carriages with shrieking kids, litter and sweaty atmosphere, whilst we reclined on generous leather seats and enjoyed 2 goes at the free drinks trolley and free cake in our air conditioned section.
I ticked the box on the Senior Railcard form that offered e-mail alerts for more wonderful offers, so be prepared for the next dispatch to come from other far flung destinations.... I've got the travel bug (at least for as long as the ticket is valid)