Heather & I got a rare night off on Saturday when my mum offered to look after the kids overnight. A quick scan of the cinema listings and we chose to see ‘The Descendants‘ at Zefferellis in Ambleside but had time for a meal beforehand. Rather than do our usual ‘meal deal’ at Zeffs we thought trying out the new Jintana Thai (just over the road) might be nice. Jintana already have restaurants in Kendal and Bowness & the new one has taken over the building which used to be Lucys Grocers. We arrived for 6.30 and were given a warm welcome. The interior is nicely decorated (if a little over-lit) and the service was quick without being overbearing. Heather & I are quite indecisive when it comes to food and often share our plates so there was a bit of a trade off based on’ if you get that I’ll get this and we’ll swap’. Everything we ordered came quickly, was piping hot and tasted great (although I’ll never get used to the Thai term for Pork being ‘Moo’). All in all a good experience & one we will be repeating. Jintana also do a ‘Take-Away’ menu plus an early evening offer of 2 courses for £11.95 or 3 for £13.95 prior to 6pm

Overlooking Glenridding

Cumbria as a county has so much more to offer than just our Fells and Lakes (although even on their own they are quite impressive). We have hundreds of small businesses that offer everything from clothes to furniture to food & drink. Made in Cumbria is a banner organization which strives to bring many of these goods and services to our attention, from their website, shops or from appearing at many of our rural shows. As a local I was guilty of ignoring the work they do as ‘aimed at tourism’ however I’m as fond of many of our local products as anyone else, so now rather than having to hunt for them or surf numerous websites I can just drop into Made in Cumbria (Kendal) and pick up what I need (I have a weakness for Mr Vikkis sauces and Starleys Spice blends). In our world of big business dominating the market with bland, middle of the road products it’s refreshing to support out local enterprises and have something completely different.

Made in Cumbria also supports and promotes local Artists, Photographers, Designers & other niche businesses. They have a great website and can be followed on Twitter and Facebook.

Made in Cumbria Stands at Whitehaven Festival

Langdale Pikes & Lingmoor Fell

What a week we’ve had. Our first true snowfall this winter provided some real challenges for our guests arriving on Saturday (4th Feb), plenty of exercise (shoveling) for me and lots of excitement for our puppy. Sunday dawned with a heavy mist hanging over Langdale with no views beyond about 12 feet in front. Thankfully by lunchtime the mist had burned away leaving blue sky, powdery snow and sledging opportunities with the kids.

The kids tackle the hill whilst mum drags the sledge

With no further snow during the week but freezing temperatures leaving our countryside looking it’s bright sparkly best, it’s been superb walking weather. Many people have not used the car all week. Wrapping up warm, getting in some good walks and finishing the day with a drink from any one of the valley pubs or sat in front of the fire seemed to be the natural order of things. Even the nights have been spectacular with bright moonlight reflecting off the snow and a clear starlit sky overhead, I managed most of a late evening run (9 ish) without ever having to turn on my head-torch.

Elterwater Common

 

Daw Bank & Holy Trinity Church

I don’t know.. no new cottage news in a while and then two come along at once!

Daw Bank is right in the centre of Chapel Stile, a traditional slate fronted terraced house. During the 1890′s, Daw Bank housed the first Langdale Valley Coop, now loved and cared for by the owners (Howard & Jen), it provides comfortable and spacious accommodation for 6, over 3 floors.
Downstairs Daw Bank has an open plan kitchen / lounge / diner, with an open fire in the lounge area. A separate w.c in the hallway. The first floor has a twin bedroom, a double bedroom, both a good size and a spacious bathroom, overlooking the central village meadow, complete with bath (shower over), sink and w.c. The top floor has a large master bedroom with great views over the village, there’s plenty of room for a cot and it benefits from having its own tv. Just outside the bedroom is a separate sink and w.c.
At the rear of the house is a small garden with paved patio area. A shed is also available for storages of bikes.
Parking is on the village street to the front of Daw Bank, although it isn’t designated.

Available from Easter 2012 after refurbishment and redecoration throughout. Daw Bank is also adding Wifi to the facilities on offer

Underhowe lounge from the front door

In a small departure from our usual cottage locations we have recently taken on Underhowe in central Grasmere. Ideal for families who want to leave the car parked for the week, with numerous walks available straight from the door. Underhowe also offers easy access to the shops, cafes and pubs in Grasmere.

The house comprises of a light and airy lounge, fully fitted modern kitchen / diner, with French doors leading outside to a paved seating area at the rear of the house. Off the lounge, access to the downstairs w.c and sink.
Upstairs there are three bedrooms, the master bedroom has a double bed, views over the front garden towards the village, flat screen tv and an ensuite bathroom with bath, shower over, sink and w.c. The second bedroom has a double bed accessed from one side, this and the third single bedroom share a separate shower room with shower, sink and w.c.
On the ground floor the house benefits from underfloor heating, upstairs temperature controlled radiators, making the house warm and cosy. The lounge has a stereo CD player, flatscreen tv, dvd player, ‘Sky’ basic and WiFi.
Parking outside the front for two cars.

Price reductions now for Jan and Feb weeks, if you haven’t booked for Feb half term, now is the time. After a wet and blustery New Year things seem to have brightened up a bit. With the rivers full and the leaves still off the trees there are some of the best views to be had whilst out walking…… and if it does happen to rain there’s always the pub!

Have a look at the website for the latest offers on individual cottages

Surveys differ in their reports of dog owners visiting The Lake District but even the most conservative estimates shows 30% + will bring a dog. We are happy to accept dogs (sometimes they’re even better behaved than their human counterparts) but we don’t allow them to be left alone in cottages. Being in a strange environment can cause a dog to worry & start chewing/spraying or become nervously aggressive. This does mean if you bring your dog you must be prepared to have it with you at all times.

Ambleside Paws Outdoors is a new service for Ambleside & other villages in the area aiming to help take some of the workload away from pet ownership. Kim Chick will (for a modest fee) come & take your dog(s) out for a walk,look after them for a whole day or even overnight. This can allow you a little freedom whilst ensuring your best friend is getting the care & attention that he/she needs. Kim is a keen walker with a dog of her own so she knows plenty of great routes to take your pet out for a walk, she can arrange pickup & returns to you as well. You never know you may go home with your canine pal having done more miles than you!

I'm biased but here's one of the best views in the world

January is always a busy month for us. Although it’s not traditionally a time for many to take holidays, it is the time when people start to form their plans for later in the year. We spend our time organizing maintenance work & taking bookings for later dates. Over the past few days we have spoken to many regular visitors & it gives us a chance to catch up with what’s going on in their lives since they last visited. Like all businesses we are always striving to reach new customers but there is something great about forming a relationship with customers who visit us time & time again. Our New Years Eve was spent with Martin, Helen & Sophie who have now come so many times we have breached the gap between a working relationship and real friendship.

This year promises to be a hard one for businesses throughout the UK, hopefully we have done enough to attract new customers & keep the ones we’ve had before. Everyone needs a holiday and we try to ensure that if someone has chosen one of our cottages, it lives up to their expectations. Our main aim is to ensure that whatever our customers needs we make our best efforts to accommodate them (We have no say in the weather). We’re not a large concern so to some extent we treat our guests as extended family rather than a reference number on a form. Some of our most loyal guests are those who’ve experienced problems during their stay which we have helped with. Customer service isn’t hard it’s just being nice and making your best efforts to help.

As has been previously mentioned on this blog several of our cottages are undergoing major changes to be ready for the main part of the season and we’re look forward to sharing the results with you all.

Awake, alert and waiting to be fed

New year 2012 & whilst many were waking up with hangovers & slouching in front of the TV we were on our way to pick up the latest addition to our clan. Elsa is a 3 month old mostly Boxer pup (with a little Mastiff thrown in). Heather & I have been wanting a dog for quite some time but we waited until Meri started school full time before we were prepared to commit. Working from home means we can arrange our time to look after her now. Elsa has now been with us for 4 days & has settled in quite well, the kids think she is fantastic & Elsa seems to return this view about all of us. Her arrival has coincided with the worst weather we’ve had in ages so taking her for toilet breaks isn’t much fun at the moment. She shares our lack of enthusiasm & usually backs up in the porch giving us a look that says ‘you’ve got to be kidding, it’s raining & cold’.

The next few months will see a lot of training for her as we need to be able to trust her in an area with a lot of sheep. A little effort now will go a long way, thankfully she seems quite receptive to the idea so long as there are plenty of treats involved.

It's a hard life

To all our guests, cottage owners, neighbors and anyone involved with helping us to get through the year unscathed, Merry Christmas. We shall be having a fairly laid back Christmas Day with just Heather, myself & the kids getting together for Christmas diner. We hope all goes well for everyone (no disastrous cooking  stories hopefully ) & that Santa brings  a little of what you want.

On Christmas day we shall be raising a glass to you all for making it such a good year for our business & our family