A square that became a blanket

Crochet was always something I could do! My paternal grandmother was a wonderful and creative craftswoman, making exquisite lace with a crochet hook and fine cotton, which she used to edge her white linen tablecloths. She also embroidered beautifully and knitted many of my childhood 'woollies' .  So it was just a matter of course that she would teach us what she knew, and she did. So as I said crocheting was something that I could do and although I visited it in the 1970's during my 'hippy' period to make shawls and bags etc. it is only in the last few years, since the birth of my first grandchild, that I have started in earnest again with hook and wool.

I started with a plain while shawl for the new baby and subsequently have made a few more as presents. Then I decided to explore more colourful items and, with all the odd bits of wool I have managed to gather, started making granny squares.


I didn't really know when to stop so kept going and after several months of making 2 or 3 in an evening I had enough to make a blanket. I must say I am really pleased with it and it is wonderfully warm and cosy. I have put it on our bed and with the summer we are currently 'enjoying' it is a necessary addition on top of the summer duvet that I confidentially put on all the beds back in June.

So now I am embarking on a bigger project and that is to make covers for all the beds in the B&B.  I really must be mad!!!

30 years today

Thirty years ago today, 1st March Les and I moved to Celyn Villa.  It seems incredible that so much time has gone by so quickly.

It had been Les's long held dream to move to Wales as his  father was from North Wales and he had spent most of his holidays here, hw loved the beautiful countryside and slower pace of life.  Luckily he was able to get a transfer with his engineering job and like any newly married love struck wife I followed : not realising that I was coming to a different world. 

Back then we were living in the 'south of England 'Les being brought up in Kent and me in Sussex and Surrey.  We had both travelled extensively and worked in busy jobs, Les battling the M25 and me in the busy world of advertising and recruitment.   

So moving to a small village in North Wales was indeed a leap of faith.  We brought Celyn Villa, then a old three bed cottage in need of refurbishment and moved in. It was snowing, cold and there was no heating on when we finally arrive after our 250 mile journey. I also remember that there wasn't a light bulb in the place! 

After unloading the lorry (friends had helped us to move) we made up the beds and headed out to find something to eat. We went to the Stamford Gate Hotel, which in those days had a silver service restaurant and and we had Steak Diane and Crepe Suzette - how things have changed. 

Back then, there wasn't a decent pub for miles, no supermarket or A55.  I can remember Les coming home from work and tell me that he had found 'Sainsbury's' near Chester.' Luckily things have changed since then,  but what it did have was the wonderful countryside, seaside, hills and mountains that we love.

Over  the last thirty years we have extended and improved the house beyond recognition.  I worked in Chester for 16 years we had our daughter and are now grandparents.   

But I think Les and I both agree that apart from the big family life changing events, we have both been our happiest since we started the bed and breakfast 14 years ago.

The combination of being able to work from your own home, with each other, and meeting wonderful people from all over the world is one that we didn't even dream about  when moving here 30 years ago.  

I don't envisage for a moment that we will be here for another 30 years but hopefully long enough to keep enjoying this lovely part of Wales, and welcoming guests to our home.

 

 

Les has got his spurtle ready

Suddenly it feels like winter. We have it seems enjoyed the last of the mild autumn days and after a week of high winds and rain, the temperatures have dropped and  it feels like winter is upon us. It dosnt seem possible that Christmas is just around the corner,  but yet the cold weather is somehow reassuring.  I love the changing seasons and it seems wrong to have sunshine at Christmas like they do in so many parts of the world.

But the real treat for winter is porridge.  It's a time when you can tuck into a bowl of yummy, thick goodness that warms you, fills you and nourishes you like no other breakfast can. 

So many people have changed there breakfast habits to include this most simple of morning rituals.   Whether for health reasons or just for the enjoyment of it, it is now one of our most popular breakfast requests from guests. 

Salt or sugar, golden syrup or plain, nuts, yogurt or fruit. There are many ways to enjoy this most humble of morning treats.

We pride ourselves on the breakfasts we serve our guests, and have received many compliments over the years about how good they are. So this time of year why not enjoy a bowl of goodness either before your cooked breakfast or instead of it. 

 

Les has his spurtle all ready. In fact if truth be told we have porridge in summer, winter, spring and autumn. It gets our vote most mornings.

 

 

Presenting our new Blue Room

Over the past few weeks Les and I have been busy getting our new letting room ready.  The Blue Room, it is now up and available to book.  It is a large double with Kingsize bed and modern ensuite shower room.

Whilst Les was busy painting I was making the new window seat, curtains and cushions to complement the room.  It has all the usual requiurements: flatscreen TV, tea and coffee making, hairdryer etc. . 
Les also made the little blue table that holds the kettle and cups etc, which he is particularly proud of.



So the next time you stay with us why not book the Blue Room or any of our other two rooms, Lilac and Rose which are equally comfortable.  They will be having a face lift too during the winter months.

Glorious offerings from the garden

How remiss of me not to have blogged for so long. My excuse is having a new granddaughter who is of course the apple of our eye - 10 months old already where does the time go.

Talking of fruit it is the season for jam making and so far this week Les has picked over 8lbs of gooseberries, 10lbs of blackcurrants and a lot of raspberries. So I have had a couple of days jam making to ensure that there are plenty of supplies for breakfast.

 Have made the gooseberry and blackcurrant ( 2nd batched boiled over though - woops) so far, but am debating whether to try making raspberry jam as I haven’t tried it before. I have a recipe for ‘no cook raspberry jam’ but it doesn’t keep longer than 2 months so I may just freeze them and enjoy them through the year in puddings.

If anyone has a good recipe for raspberry jam I would love to hear from them. 

Oh well that has been my ten minutes sitting down at the computer, back to the cooking now. Evening meals tonight for four guests.

Spring is on its way

 

I am sure I have said this before but Spring is my favourite season.  The hope and anticipation that you feel when the snowdrops start blooming and the daffodils and crocuses are peeping through always fills me with joy and the sure knowledge the circle of life continues.    It’s so reassuring to see the new growth.  When the trees are bare and lonely, they look so sad, as if they have been forgotten and neglected.  But then Spring starts its slow journey and in time all is renewed again. 

The B&B is not too busy at this time of year which gives us the chance to do any decorating or repairs that are needed.  It also gives us time to enjoy our home.  January and February are not really the months for gardening and I look out most days and ‘see’ what needs attention.  However last night’s guests departing words this morning were ‘you have a lovely garden’.  Such a nice thing to say at a time when it is probably at its least colourful – so looking again with fresh eyes this morning I can see that Spring is indeed arriving.

All dressed up

And nowhere to go – thank goodness – we are staying at home this Christmas, which I always love. The family are coming and having a new granddaughter to spoil is going to be wonderful.   I have always loved Christmas but it is so much more magical with young children around.     In our family we have like most, our own little traditions that we enjoy every year which make the festivities extra special. 

I think my favourite is ‘Christmas tree presents’.  We have our main presents when we get up in the morning and then have ‘tree presents’ after lunch.  My mum started this tradition when we were little because in those days we only had a couple of presents – normally one from Father Christmas and a few from family.  The anticipation for the big day was just as exciting as it is now but having opened our presents very quickly, my mum always felt a bit flat – all that planning and preparation for just a few minutes of fun.

So she started ‘tree presents’;  just a small, normally silly gift, worth only a few shillings then and even now only a couple of pounds (although some naughty members of the family spend more).  The sillier the gift the better for added fun. Everyone buys a ‘tree present’ for everyone in the family and they are all piled onto the dining table after lunch.  This year we will be eight so that means there will be a minimum of 64 presents just from us but as all the family buy tree presents I make that about  290  'tree presents’ to be opened!!  Little did my Mum know back then what a tradition ‘tree presents’ would become in our family and how it would grow into such an important part of our Christmas Day?

 

Merry Christmas everyone and a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.