Thoughts on the past and the future…

As we subside gently into the season of peace and goodwill (otherwise known as the frantic period of cleaning, decorating and updating before the guests start coming again), I just thought I’d share a few thoughts.  

First, we’ve now been doing this for 6½ years - and STILL enjoy it.  The variety of delightful people you meet - and with whom we enjoy a pleasantly shallow relationship - is unbounded. In that period, we’ve had nearly 3000 people come to stay, many of them several times.  We can count on fewer than the fingers of one hand those we’ve had a problem with (i.e. less than 5).

Second: we’re still trying very hard.  As a departing guest said this morning: “Everything on the breakfast table had just that little bit extra added to it, which makes such a difference.”  And, when I thought about it, it was largely true.  You don’t just get grilled tomatoes here; you get grilled tomatoes treated with herbs and seasoned.  You get really good bacon & sausages from free-range pigs; the eggs come from a local farm; you get home-baked bread, made with our own blend of flours. Actually, we don’t push the envelope on everything: I can’t think of much to do with Heinz beans other than heat and serve them.  Mind you, they’re pretty good as they are.  The same goes for Heinz ketchup and HP sauce.  BTW, if anyone know of a better way to do beans PLEASE let me know!

Third: the plethora of regulations can be irritating, but they are there for a purpose and most of the officials we have to deal with aim to help us meet their needs in the context of improved safety, quality and reliability that led to their creation in the first place.

So, all in all, I don’t regret a minute of our time here, and I hope it’ll go on for much longer.  It’s a great life, if you don’t weaken.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year - and, keep coming!