BUCKLE YEAT GUESTHOUSE, NEAR SAWREY, CUMBRIA

2009-06-28T12:10:00.002+01:00

Hot and humid this morning in Sawrey.
We have had emails from Japan, Italy and New Zealand today all looking for accommodation at Buckle Yeat.

As I write this there is a small helicopter circling the village presumably taking pictures of Hill Top

2009-06-26T20:59:00.002+01:00

A busy day yesterday with a morning cutting grass and clearing up from breakfast and all the usual stuff, I had to suspend grass cutting for a few minutes at the request of a film crew, they were filming something for the ITV, I requested a mention in the credits but I doubt it

2009-06-24T22:14:00.002+01:00

Two Japanese ladies checked out this morning and three more checked in, we also had a couple from America arrive around tea time.
It was the Hawkshead 10K this evening and the going was hot, we had a walk down to Pigling Bland Corner and watched the runners go through, Roger and Bridget were there cheering on Bridgets sister Rachel and we also gave Kit the painter some encouragement on his way past.

2009-06-23T22:09:00.003+01:00

Another hot and sunny day.
We lit the BBQ and enjoyed our tea in the garden before walking up to the tarns.

The two geese families are growing fast.

2009-06-22T20:54:00.002+01:00

A cloudy muggy start but as the day went on the sunshine burnt away the clouds and it turned into a bit of a scorcher.
We have a full house and 8 of the guests are Japanese 1 is an Aussie and 4 Brits.
We had a walk round by Far Sawrey before tea.

These are shots of the hanging baskets at Buckle Yeat, they are just coming into their best.

2009-06-20T10:57:00.005+01:00

It is the Rose Queen Gala in Hawkshead this afternoon, lets hope it stays dry.
We sold a number of raffle tickets on behalf of Louise from the farm and are looking forward to 1st prize!!.
We took Mr McGregors money over to Rachael the Tarn Hill treasurer,this time the amount raised was just over £400. I have lost count, but in the last 3 years over £3000 has been donated by the Beatrix Potter fans having their photos taken on the bench next to Mr Mac, even if a lot of them think he is a womble!!
I will try to get some photos out and about later.

As promised some shots of Esthwaite Water and Moss Eccles on our walk tonight.

2009-06-16T21:20:00.002+01:00

Tony, Lorna and guide dog Kerry arrived this afternoon in time for tea.
I had to take the car into Kendal for a service so went for the ferry only to meet a massive queue, I dropped the car of and came back to the ferry in the curtesy car and just missed the ferry by seconds!!!
Before tea we went up to the tarns for a walk.

2009-06-15T21:40:00.002+01:00

A good week is unfolding with lots of regular guests arriving.
No photos today, we have had a sunny afternoon and then a thunder storm with hail and torrential rain, we had people in the garden having cream teas when the bad weather arrived.
It has turned into a nice evening so hopefully the sun will be back tomorrow

2009-06-13T21:21:00.002+01:00

We have had a couple of good days on the weather front and I think we have the best forecast for tomorrow.
We had a walk before supper down the dub and through to St Peters

2009-06-11T20:55:00.003+01:00

Its Thursday, D & V are here, so its flower time, this fantastic display turned up on cue from our most regular and long standing guests/friends.

We had a quick trip to Ulverston for some shopping, I briefly caught up with Dorothy formerly of the Tower Bank Arms.
The picture below is Hoad monument shrouded in scaffolding for renovation work.

2009-06-10T19:21:00.002+01:00

I think we have had the best of the weather but as I write this at 7.30pm the rain has just started.We have just got back in time from our walk up to Moss Eccles.
Kit has finished painting Buckle Yeat and it is all looking good and we put the summer hanging baskets up yesterday.

2009-06-08T16:29:00.002+01:00

We had a Japanese couple call for a room last night, they had stayed with us before, the gentleman was a professional photographer and he gave us a brochure with some of his pictures in, they were of the replica Hill Top which has been built in Japan.

This morning in the village there was a rally of vintage Roll Royce's,I sent Brian and Joyce two of our regulars round with my camera to get these shots.

2009-06-07T16:08:00.002+01:00

It has been a better day than Saturday here in Sawrey, breezy but the breeze is a bit warmer.
This week we have had it all, 28 degrees in the shade on Tuesday and snow on the tops on Friday, it is June!!!

2009-06-05T21:06:00.002+01:00

I had to shoot off to Kendal today and just hit the ferry right, the ferry is looking splendid with its new coat of paint and the new improved ramps to enable easier loading and unloading.

Wonders never cease, I hit the ferry right on the way home, this is a swan with its family of signets loitering near the ferry risking life and limb.

2009-06-03T21:16:00.002+01:00

A lot cooler day but dry a plenty of sunshine, we had a visit from some regular guests, one was Michael from Canada who brought me a jar of Maple Syrup and the other was Val from Ilkley.

I overheard a conversation in the dining room this morning, an elderly gentleman here with his son said rather loudly, "I remember coming up to the Lakes in 1924" That is 75 years ago!!!

2009-06-02T14:30:00.003+01:00

Another scorcher with the temperature in the high 20s.

This is a picture of the first poppy to bloom in the back garden at Buckle Yeat and there is lots more to follow.

We had a visit from a couple of characters this morning, they had been sent by Kit the painter to weld the "t" back on the front gate at Buckle Yeat, it has read Buckle Yea for ages and the "t" was in the drawer.
They had a dog with them and said is was a typical blacksmiths dog,they only had to show it a piece of hot metal and it made a bolt for the door. The blacksmith said he was once asked if he had ever shoed horses, no he said but he once told a donkey to **** off. You've got to laugh, I did.

2009-05-31T21:44:00.002+01:00

It has been another fantastic sunny day, the same all over the country I think,but not the same views.

2009-05-30T22:15:00.003+01:00

We had 3 rooms arrive today and guess what they all had sat-nav and guess what they all got lost!!! One of the problems is that the wise Tom Tom man or lady directs people to the ferry and if the ferry is closed or as this afternoon is busy Tom Tom is lost.
Two girls on their way here rang and said the ferry was busy, they insisted they were in Hawkshead and we tried to direct them to Sawrey, after three phone calls we found out they were in fact in Windermere outside the Hawkshead shop.
Anyway everyone arrived safe and well.

A good shot of Sawrey House

Another barbecue tonight and then a walk through the woods to Far Sawrey (we had gammon not the duck)

2009-05-29T22:06:00.002+01:00

The heatwave has arrived in Sawrey,
Kit is here making Buckle Yeat look pristine and he painted the Jemima Puddleduck weather vane and was happy to pose proudly with his work.

After a busy day we had a skewer of tiger prawns on the barbecue and then had a walk up to the tarns.

These kids belong to the kids from the farm.

2009-05-27T17:37:00.002+01:00

We had a couple of interesting calls today, one from a lady who has stayed a number of times before but not for quite a long time, she booked a room and when I asked for her address she started off with Buckle Yeat, I said no your address, she then said that is my address, she had called her house Buckle Yeat! the only thing was she said people keep asking what it means.
The other call was from an American student enquiring about a double room, she insisted she and her friends were really little people and so could 4 of them share a double room, the answer was sorry but no.

2009-05-24T22:27:00.003+01:00

At last some sunshine, we even had a barbecue tonight and then a walk up to the Tarns.
We had a visit from Louise, she lives at the farm and goes to school in Hawkshead, she brought some raffle tickets for us to sell, there is a prize for the pupil who sells the most, 1st prize £100.

2009-05-23T19:30:00.002+01:00

Yet another Bank Holiday, and the weather is not a lot better although the promise for sunshine tomorrow.
Last Sunday we came across an item in the travel section of the Mail on Sunday, it was about holidays at home in the UK and the Lakes in particular and lo and behold the place to stay was recommended as Buckle Yeat, the web site took 50% more hits and we attracted quite a few bookings.

We had a visit from some previous guests,John and Liz from Australia, they tried to book but we could not accommodate them on this occasion but they called in for a cream tea.
They are on a massive 10 week trip and will not be home until August.

This moth/butterfly was flitting about the garden all morning.

2009-05-21T21:43:00.002+01:00

A bit of sunshine so I took the opportunity to take a few pics of the garden at Buckle Yeat.
Then off to Kendal for the big shop.

2009-05-20T20:49:00.003+01:00

Denis and I had an interesting night out last night, we attended the Claife parish meeting, the proposed car parking on Post Office Meadow was likely to be on the agenda so we wanted to see where the Parish Council stood on the matter, it turned out that that particular parking option has now been discounted, however the National Trust still plan to trial some peak time parking in a couple of fields at each end of the village.
The general feeling in the meeting was one of concern and for my part I feel more car parks mean more cars and although we are a business that benefits from the visitors to Hill Top we also live in the village and do not wish to see cars parked all over the place.

At the meeting the web sites of the Parish Council and that of the Braithwaite hall were mentioned and it prompted me to post a link to both on the right of the page.

Another item on the agenda was the new signs that have appeared in the village in an attempt to slow down traffic, this is one of the numerous new signs.
The word is that soon a 20mph limit will be in force through the villages, a good thing but more signs!!!

2009-05-18T20:02:00.002+01:00

No apologies for more Bluebell pictures taken yesterday on our Castle Wood walk.
The walk through Castle Wood is a permitted path but from the end of the month it will be closed by the land owner to prevent it becoming a right of way, however the land owner has said he is still happy for locals and their visitors to use the footpath, to get round the red tape he will issue permits on request which is fair enough.