Welcome to Spring!
Today we have had the arrival of Very Important Guests – our first Swallow has arrived at Harrop Fold Farm. Yes, I know one swallow does not make a summer – however it is certainly the beginning of the arrival of the beautiful birds swooping and diving over the farmyard. Our young kitten Arthur, has not experienced their antics before and is lying mesmerised on the wall with one paw in the air! I love waking in the morning hearing their chirps and cheeps as they nest over our bedroom window frame.
Leah is at home today preparing for the launch of her new website and it is always a treat as she makes our lunch and lots of lovely cakes for afternoon tea – today’s lunch is a lovely Spring Vegetable soup which will be enjoyed with Mark Beeley’s gorgeously soft and delicious home baked bread. Hope David doesn’t notice that Leah and I have pinched the fresh crusts! For later we have some decadent Rocky Road Cakes…must remember to wrap one up for Edward on his way home from school.
Speak again soon.
Love from a gloriously sunny Rainow,
Sue x
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Thursday, 17 April 2008
From Green to Bronze!
Harrop Fold is trying to become Greener…and have succeeded in becoming Bronze!
We believe we are the first Cheshire b&b to be awarded a Green Tourism Business Scheme Award. Prior to Easter we were asked to join the scheme and were visited by their inspector. We know we are strong in certain areas…local food, local shopping (and an excellent local shopping service is provided to our self-catering guests), the walking is excellent as is the wonderful wildlife around the farm; we collect visitors from the railway station whenever we can – and when we can’t, guests can take a taxi from the station. After all, that is good for our local taxi drivers! Cheshire County Council have placed recycle boxes for paper, card, glass and cans actually at the farm for our guests and ourselves to fill. We are trying to become ‘greener’ in our cleaning processes and our lovely Helen is very keen on us using vinegar and baking powder in our daily cleaning chores, she has now suggested that we consider making some of our cleaning products ourselves! And she kindly squirrels away plastic containers to recycle in her village recycle point.
However, certain areas are not as strong…public transport - buses, sadly I believe there are only 2 a working day, one on a Saturday and none on a Sunday and this makes it difficult for visitors to travel by bus! I have thought very hard and very long about the guest products and since I know guests love Molton Brown we have decided to keep this ‘extravagance’! We do invite our guests to share ideas with us regarding environmental issues and we are always eager to learn the ideas of others.
Talking of green…we woke this morning to a sprinkling of the white stuff – the hills were dusted with snowflakes, it looked as though Leah had been out with her icing sugar and sifter! We cannot believe that the day before yesterday we were out in shirtsleeves looking at the garden and this morning – brr! On the way back home from the school run I noticed that Rachel’s ewes had begun lambing in the top field – Dry Earth. A wise ewe had made her bed under the trees along the side of the drive and had just delivered one lovely little lamb, a couple of minutes ago I walked past and there was another suckling with its sibling along with a very proud looking mum!
I love this time of year, the flowers are budding and blossoming and there seems so much to look forward to. David was walking around the fields on Monday and for the first time this year heard and indeed saw the curlews back at Harrop Fold Farm. I know the guests especially love hearing the sound of the sheep and watching the gambolling lambs, hopefully David’s flock will be lambing shortly and the sun will shine on them, welcoming each little creature to the world!
Today’s treat on the Aga is some lovely Cheshire Jerusalem Artichoke soup for David’s and my lunch so I will go and check the seasoning and no doubt we will enjoy this over today’s crossword!
Speak again soon.
Love, Sue
We believe we are the first Cheshire b&b to be awarded a Green Tourism Business Scheme Award. Prior to Easter we were asked to join the scheme and were visited by their inspector. We know we are strong in certain areas…local food, local shopping (and an excellent local shopping service is provided to our self-catering guests), the walking is excellent as is the wonderful wildlife around the farm; we collect visitors from the railway station whenever we can – and when we can’t, guests can take a taxi from the station. After all, that is good for our local taxi drivers! Cheshire County Council have placed recycle boxes for paper, card, glass and cans actually at the farm for our guests and ourselves to fill. We are trying to become ‘greener’ in our cleaning processes and our lovely Helen is very keen on us using vinegar and baking powder in our daily cleaning chores, she has now suggested that we consider making some of our cleaning products ourselves! And she kindly squirrels away plastic containers to recycle in her village recycle point.
However, certain areas are not as strong…public transport - buses, sadly I believe there are only 2 a working day, one on a Saturday and none on a Sunday and this makes it difficult for visitors to travel by bus! I have thought very hard and very long about the guest products and since I know guests love Molton Brown we have decided to keep this ‘extravagance’! We do invite our guests to share ideas with us regarding environmental issues and we are always eager to learn the ideas of others.
Talking of green…we woke this morning to a sprinkling of the white stuff – the hills were dusted with snowflakes, it looked as though Leah had been out with her icing sugar and sifter! We cannot believe that the day before yesterday we were out in shirtsleeves looking at the garden and this morning – brr! On the way back home from the school run I noticed that Rachel’s ewes had begun lambing in the top field – Dry Earth. A wise ewe had made her bed under the trees along the side of the drive and had just delivered one lovely little lamb, a couple of minutes ago I walked past and there was another suckling with its sibling along with a very proud looking mum!
I love this time of year, the flowers are budding and blossoming and there seems so much to look forward to. David was walking around the fields on Monday and for the first time this year heard and indeed saw the curlews back at Harrop Fold Farm. I know the guests especially love hearing the sound of the sheep and watching the gambolling lambs, hopefully David’s flock will be lambing shortly and the sun will shine on them, welcoming each little creature to the world!
Today’s treat on the Aga is some lovely Cheshire Jerusalem Artichoke soup for David’s and my lunch so I will go and check the seasoning and no doubt we will enjoy this over today’s crossword!
Speak again soon.
Love, Sue
Friday, 11 April 2008
Press, Press and more Press!
One thing that always makes my toes curl is drawing attention to our newspaper coverage – don’t take me wrong…we are always first in line at the newsagent on the day of publication to buy enough copies to read, keep and give to family! However, I seem to remember as a child being told not to boast! But due to pressure from certain guests (and you know who you are!) here goes:
Thanks for all the lovely comments from our eagle eyed guests who spotted the wonderful half page article in The Guardian. We had the treat to host Sally Shalam of the Guardian Travel to an artistic break prior to Christmas. A beautiful photograph accompanied the article, which pleased young Alice!
Sally loved her visit to Harrop Fold where she enjoyed dinner, bed and breakfast and a day painting with Mike. 'I’m utterly absorbed and hours go by in a flash. This is such fun. …it’s my brushwork and I love it.’ She also makes mention of our delicious food ‘I’ve done my best to squirrel away Cheshire Smokehouse cod with freshly laid egg, and toast with home-made gooseberry jam …naturally, I stuffed myself at dinner the previous night – Canapés, Delamere Dairy goat’s cheese and dressed leaves, then lovely beef from the Stevensons’ own herd’.
Also with Sally was Sophie Hazan of the Yorkshire Post who fell in love with Lottie the spaniel or did Lottie fall in love with Sophie? They were never far apart, including when Lottie sneaked her way onto Sophie’s walk, I received a phone call from Bollington – ‘Please can you come and collect Lottie, we haven’t got a lead!’ We are looking forward to reading Sophie’s piece as soon as it is published.
January saw a full page on Leah in YQ Magazine, Talent Scout – Leah Stevenson, Chef. As a very proud Mother I loved it and I think we have a magazine in each room of the house!
The Sunday Times Travel in February placed us within the World’s 20 Cool Pads! How fab is that? Cool it certainly was in February but this morning I woke to a beautiful sunny morning that actually tempted me to jump out of bed and put a spring in my step. Just as well really as we have a residential art weekend running this weekend and I think I will require a lot of spring! Leah is at the helm on the food front and I think I have just spotted Mike with an armful of paintbrushes going through to set up the studio.
Must nip off now and check the cakes in the Aga…Speak again soon,
Love, Sue x
Thanks for all the lovely comments from our eagle eyed guests who spotted the wonderful half page article in The Guardian. We had the treat to host Sally Shalam of the Guardian Travel to an artistic break prior to Christmas. A beautiful photograph accompanied the article, which pleased young Alice!
Sally loved her visit to Harrop Fold where she enjoyed dinner, bed and breakfast and a day painting with Mike. 'I’m utterly absorbed and hours go by in a flash. This is such fun. …it’s my brushwork and I love it.’ She also makes mention of our delicious food ‘I’ve done my best to squirrel away Cheshire Smokehouse cod with freshly laid egg, and toast with home-made gooseberry jam …naturally, I stuffed myself at dinner the previous night – Canapés, Delamere Dairy goat’s cheese and dressed leaves, then lovely beef from the Stevensons’ own herd’.
Also with Sally was Sophie Hazan of the Yorkshire Post who fell in love with Lottie the spaniel or did Lottie fall in love with Sophie? They were never far apart, including when Lottie sneaked her way onto Sophie’s walk, I received a phone call from Bollington – ‘Please can you come and collect Lottie, we haven’t got a lead!’ We are looking forward to reading Sophie’s piece as soon as it is published.
January saw a full page on Leah in YQ Magazine, Talent Scout – Leah Stevenson, Chef. As a very proud Mother I loved it and I think we have a magazine in each room of the house!
The Sunday Times Travel in February placed us within the World’s 20 Cool Pads! How fab is that? Cool it certainly was in February but this morning I woke to a beautiful sunny morning that actually tempted me to jump out of bed and put a spring in my step. Just as well really as we have a residential art weekend running this weekend and I think I will require a lot of spring! Leah is at the helm on the food front and I think I have just spotted Mike with an armful of paintbrushes going through to set up the studio.
Must nip off now and check the cakes in the Aga…Speak again soon,
Love, Sue x
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