MAGIC

We have had some wild weather recently and with the log burner comforting us we have watched some  DVDs about Merlin, Prince Arthur and Camelot letting ourselves into a little bit of magic.

Now I am reading The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris – a follow up to the bewitching novel Chocolat.  There is nothing wrong with a little day dreaming and fantasy.

However this morning, again in the wild and windy weather, I went for a walk up through Taddington and came across the most wonderful sight.   We have seen from home over the last few weeks a flock of birds flying past.  Today I saw at least five hundred fieldfares twisting, wheeling and feeding in the fields.  Twice they flew straight over my head whilst I held my breath in admiration.  Now that really did feel like MAGIC.  I can’t wait to go out again and of course I will have my camera next time.

Tomorrow we meet here for our monthly charity walk and lunch and perhaps we might see them again.  After that I am going on the train to Liverpool to listen to the Philharmonic Orchestra – Brahms and Tchaikovsky – conducted by their now celebrated young russian conducter Vasily Petrenko.  Will that be macigal?  I hope so.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

What have we been up since our last blog?  We certainly have been busy with visitors with a good share of repeat bookings – we must be doing something right.  I have had a couple of short mid week breaks away leaving John to look after things here.   What I realise is that once away you quickly become interested in all the local attractions but at home you seem to take them for granted.

Although we never take the splender and variety of nature and the landscape for granted, as we often go out walking and enjoying the Peak District, perhaps we do not take enough advantage of all the area has to offer in the way of houses, museums etc.

So to make amends  last week we have visited the Peak District  Mining Museum and Temple Mine  in Matlock Bath and learnt much more about the lead mining industry www.peakmines.co.uk .

On Friday I visited our wonderful Buxton Opera House for a performance of Cosi fan Tutte by the English Chamber Oper Company.  Every visit there is a great experience as it is so grand and beautiful even before the curtain goes up. www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk .

Before a visit here you can order your copy of the Peak District  and Derbyshire Visitor Guide online at www.visitpeakdistrict.com  or collect information from  a Vistors Centre.  Whist visiting Buxton Tourist Information centre recently I picked up a leaflet called Great Films Great Locations.   It is really good and describes  eleven Houses and the films and TV programmes filmed  at each location:

Haddon Hall     Stanage Edge and North Lees    Chatsworth House   Renishaw Hall    Bolsover Castle       Kedleston Hall    Red House Working Carriage Museum    Sudbury Hall    Ilam Hall and Dovedale    Lyme Hall   and Hadfield House  

All these places are only a short drive from Highfield Bed and Breakfast.

In each of our rooms you will always find lots of maps and local information and we are happy to help you in any way we can.

Enough for now – look forward to your visit!

BOOK LAUNCH AT KEW GARDENS

Recently we visited Kew Gardens on a lovely sunny day.  The occasion was the launch of   a new book entitled The Flower Shop in Your Garden by Sally Page published by Fanahan Books.   Sally has photographed and published four books in her Flower Shop range and this new edition features none other than Highfield Bed and Breakfast.

Sally visited here last autumn interviewing us about our previous career as florists running our own shop for over twenty years.  Our passion for flowers has continued resulting  in our colourful garden, using the flowers to decorate the house.   It is great to see ourselves in print in a real book. 

More information about the books and Sally herself can be found on www.fanhanbooks.com/sallypage

TRIP ADVISOR

We have recently registered our B&B with Trip Advisor and are very keen to get some comments listed.  Having confidence that we are offering a friendly stay for our guests we trust that input will be positive and hopefuly complimentary. If you are reading this after a pleasant stay with us, perhaps you would be kind enough to take the time to visit Trip Advisor’s web site ( using the link above ) and leave a comment as well as on the blog.  New  guests will be encouraged to do the same.     

Messages can also be left on our blog sight. So help us spread the word that Highfield is a great place to stay.

Thankyou

A new page of links on our website

We’ve added a new page to this website with some of our favourite links from around the Internet. There’s lots of information on the sites listed there about some of the great things to see and do and see when visiting us at our bed and breakfast in the Peak District.

Take a look at the links page. If you see something missing, or if you know of another good website, do get in touch and tell us.

 

Image: with thanks to rubybgold on flickr (with CCL).

WELL DRESSING AND PRIZES AT THE VILLAGE FETE

Taddington and Priestcliffe have just celebrated their annual Well Dressing.  If you are not already aware of the Derbyshire tradition of making elaborate pictures from individual flower petals pressed into clay covered boards as a way of giving thanks for the gift of water, go to www.welldressing .com or similar and find out more.

Many people in the village make a supreme effort to create the two floral pictures which stand  – one in the churchyard and one at the real well high up on the hill.  There is a  flower festival inside church and this year the whole theme has been The Tree of Life.  I get involved with the flower arranging and this year it was encouaging to see lots of new young people who will no doubt be carrying the tradition forward into the future.

The first Saturday is the main day of activity at the Fete although there events throughout the whole week.  The churchyard is full of tents and marquees, brass band and children’s entertainment.  A great atmosphere  with lots of people as this year we were lucky enough to have good weather.

Tea, coffee, sandwiches and cakes are available every day for the whole week and it is truly amazing  from where the donated cakes come .  I was helping in the kitchen for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday making sandwiches and washing up.  It is great fun.  At one point we thought we might run out of cakes, the demand being so great;  an alarm went out on the grape vine throughout the village and soon more boxes and trays of delicious goodies arrived.  More would come each day, particularly scones and cream, always fresh and often still warm from the oven.

Now the high point of this blog is to annouce John’s success in the baking and produce tent:

1st prize for carrots       1st prize for cucumber     3rd prize for beetroot      !!!

It is a friendly competition with lots of banter, particularly for the Men Only baking item which this year was for jam tarts.  Because we were particulaly busy the preceeding week and away the day before, John had not entered , although as you can imagine he had plenty to say about the entries and stating   – he would have won if he had entered!  What will it be next year?

Recent comment

Hi Margaret and John

Just a wee note to say how much we enjoyed our stay with you at Highfield. You have a great house and a wonderful garden. It was so nice to have fresh flowers in our room, and fresh fruit at breakfast each morning. You made us feel very welcome, and we are grateful to you both for the help and information you gave us during our stay. After a hectic week with our grandchildren, the peace and quiet at your place was exactly what we needed.

Wishing you continued success – you deserve it !

Connie and Jim M

WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM?

During the last couple of weeks we have had people from different parts of the world and this has made for some very interesting conversations with guests and between guests.

Europeans are finding the value of their euro against sterling greatly to their advantage and many are coming here this summer.  A couple from Belgium included a visit to Lyme Park National Trust property into their itinery because of its Pride and Prejudice connections.  Others come especially to visit Chatsworth House for the same reason.  We have a to thank Mr. Darcy for a lot of our business!

The Chinese and Americans particularly enjoy the garden.    A family from Hong Kong visited for their son’s graduation.  Having no garden at home, because many people there live in tightly packed apartment blocks, they were constantly taking photos and loved the sunflowers.

We are currently entertaining people from London visiting for the Buxton Festival and Americans for some energetic walking.  Last weekend some Indian guests were nearly blown off their feet on Stanage Edge and sought shelter down Speedwell Cavern.

So you see whatever your hobbies and interests you can find something to please here in the Peak District.

OPEN GARDEN UPDATE

As promised I thought I would tell how successful our Open Garden day was.  It was a fine and very sunny day.  John erected a gazebo, not to keep of f any rain but to keep off the sun!

We had put up posters locally  in Buxton and Bakewell and done a leaflet drop throughout Priestcliffe and Taddington.  We had encouraged all our friends and aquaintances to come along and they did.

Friends and neighbours looked after the teas, cake stall, tombola and plant stalls.   John and I seemed to mingle all afternoon and answer questions about the plants and garden construction.  We had prepared a board of photos showing the  ‘field ‘ when we first arrived and some of the stages along the way to how it looks today.

I was delighted some of my friends from Broomfield College Derby , where we did a part time RHS course, came along and made very pleasing comments.

Now for the result.  We made £500.00!

John and I took this along to the Buxton and District Summer Club and they were delighted.  It will be most useful in the financing of their holiday project for children with additional needs so we want to say a great big THANK YOU to everyone who  so generously gave their time,talents and money.

OPEN GARDEN

The garden this week

We are really looking forward to the coming weekend.  On Sunday the 14th June we are opening our garden in the afternoon to raise money for a local children’s charity who are short of sponsers this year for a summer holiday club for children with additional needs.  We look at our own children and are so grateful for their health and strength and it makes you want to help others less fortunate.

The garden is looking good with plenty of flowers.  We are well on top of paths and edges and after these current showers it is easy to weed.  The hens will no doubt be another attraction.

Lots of friends are willing to help with cakes, teas,  plants tombola and car parking so I am sure it will be a success, particularly if we are favoured with a sunny day.

Later we will post the results and some photographs.

Never mind if we missed Chelsea or Gardener’s World Live – Highfield, Priestcliffe will be a local alternative and at £2.50 including tea and biscuits it will be a bargin.