Eventually after almost three hours, we were asked if we
would like to go to our cottage. Out we went into the fresh air the sun was
shining but the cool air bit through us. I hoped our dogs wouldn’t do their
business before we got to the cottage. Through the grounds we went. Passing by,
em, not sure but I think loads of trees and a coach house. We remembered the
layout of the cottage very well. I left the gang in the kitchen whilst I dealt
with the important things. The TV. The porter tried to turn the TV on. After a
while he didn’t understand why he couldn’t switch the thing on; I asked if he
had it plugged in? He replied, no. It’s not plugged in… Then this sound
zzzizzzz jijijijj zzzizzzz jijijijj
kept going on. Gosh, what on earth? He said. Oh, it’s the
DVD. So, I suggested he had the wrong remote. He had. And he got it on for us
by this point.
The cottage was absolutely freezing cold. I asked if he
could show us how to turn the heating on. Well, poor man, from guiding blind
people smile, to being an electrician with the TV to now being asked to be a
gas engineer. Again, eventually after me being convinced that there would be no
heating for us all weekend. The guy learned how to switch it on. But the house
took ages to get warm and this isn’t like that place at all. At that point, we
thought we were the first people in the house for a very long time. What we
learned next was a little sad and worrying.
The kettle went on and we warmed up. We laughed so much
because the last time we were there, bear in mind this was nine months before,
Like found a shell down the chair in the sitting room. He put it back joking
that he would leave it there to see if it would be there next time, just to see
if the cleaners would vacuum down the sofas. It was a clean cottage. Just what
I would expect at such a high regarded location.
So, the shell? Yep, it was still there. Can you believe
this? Oh, my word. Dirty and shameful. And the work tops in the kitchen were filthy.
The dust on the hearth was really bad too, but the bedding and bathroom was
clean.
We got ready for dinner. The kind porter came for us, but
the Little Fella remembered his way, so guided the group. The night air was
cutting. It is very dark there are no lights from the cottage to the hotel.
Didn’t make a difference to us, but the porter would struggle as for our dogs?
We were taken to our table in the restaurant. It was warm
clean and cosy. The smells of the delicious food were gorgeous. Our waiter and
waitress were attentive. We chose a starter and main course. I had something
very posh, but basically it was mushroom soup. We were given a plate with small
tasters on. The other guys had three tasters but I had two and one I gave to
Hub as I didn’t fancy it. We had delicious breads of all kinds. My main course
was really tasty. It was gnocchi with beetroot and mushrooms. Our besties and
Hub had meat dishes. Everyone enjoyed their meal. We had dessert too, Hub had a
cheese board and asked for no goat’s cheese.
He got goats cheese.
We went back to our cottage kindly being taking there by the
receptionist. She was lovely. It was a long walk for her I thought. As she kept
saying she has never been there and how she should have brought the car… it was
about a five-minute walk. The dogs loved it. All those country smells of
pheasants and rabbits. Gosh have you ever heard the sound of a pheasant? I
hadn’t until this weekend.
I love it there as there are so many sounds of beautiful
birds you just don’t hear in the city. Trix closed all the curtains to make the
cottage cosier. As you enter the hall way, on the left is a large bathroom and
to the right is a large kitchen. The doors are on the corners of the room so
when we first went this was interesting but as we knew and remembered it, we
managed fine. Another cup of tea for me and Trix and the boys had beer. We sat
in the sitting room. The sofas are comfortable and just enjoyed each other’s
company. We are best friends for a reason.
We let the dogs out
in the huge garden they loved it and The Little Fella kept bringing us apples
from the near by tree. Off to bed and I had a good night sleep only my asthma
was so bad. I could hardly breathe. I had got over my dreadfully painful throat
before I left but it had come back and I coughed badly. Typical. During the
night, I wanted to go to the toilet. Just I didn’t want to bother the others. Needs
must along the small landing, down the twisting stairs, through the small hall
along the sitting room into the dining room through the kitchen passing many
fireplaces, into the entrance hall and at last into the bathroom. Only one bathroom,
and it’s downstairs. Crazy.
And then to remember the reverse route back.
The next day we woke for breakfast. Already we had laughed
our socks off, but quickly put them on as it was so cold. Haha. My Husband and
Like are birds of a feather, in other words, they share the same kind of
humour. And through our bedroom door, they made bird sounds to each other. As Like
did his scarily realistic impression of an owl, he dropped his toothbrush down
the stairs. Hahahhahahaha. When he told me, I said as you would? “How by
whistling, did you drop your toothbrush?”” Well, it’s a perfectly normal question
don’t you think? His reply was, well, I whistled and it was under my arm and it
just dropped.
Right.
OK Like.
He did explain that he used his fingers to whistle. He put
his toothbrush under his arm to hold it.
Hmm.
No one came to show us to breakfast, and this
just wouldn’t have happened before. But we decided to make it on our own. So,
along the wide path to the bottom of the garden, through a little outhouse with
double doors to go through. So, through one door and out from another. Out into
the vast space of a treelined avenue. Turning left and kept walking. Not a
soul. No one. We kept walking, Little Fella leading the troops and Waggs behind
him. Our friends behind me and the Wagging one. Just like ants. Smile. But it was a pleasant
walk. A twist here and a turn there, over cobbled paths and Like found a seat
that would be lovely to sit on in the summer. The autumn leaves were forming a
crunch like carpet on the ground and I was enjoying our walk. Would we be able
to find where we needed to go? Well I heard cups, this is a good sign, cups,
plates, whatever the sound was, it was a sound of action which there was non-before,
we were in the wild. Then a lovely young man called Dan who we remembered from
last time, and, he remembered us, I can’t think why, can you? Guided us into
the dining room. LF did well getting us there. Oh, and let the good old English
breakfast begin. As my Darling Husband says. “Bring it on!””
I was grateful that I was offered vegetarian sausage. I
chose scrambled egg with mine. Stupidly I don’t eat eggs at home, but when I am
out I do. I love them and I only buy free range but I don’t like eating them.
Anyway, my scrambled egg didn’t turn up so I had beans, mushroom and two
sausages and a delicious potato cake. Hub and the gang had bacon, eggs,
sausage, beans, tomato, potato cake and black pudding. Last time we were
offered cereal, not this time. Hub had pastries and we had toast. Loads of tea
and coffee.
Off we went to our cottage and spent the day laughing and
chatting. We ate biscuits and cake. And then it was time to get ready for the
evening. If we could see a trip to the local beach would have been a beautiful
walk, but there you go. It was just lovely to spend time with our besties not
having to rush off to the train station to go home.
I took a shower. Or, I had a shower, I didn’t take a shower
from the wall and drag it up to the hotel. Haha. The shower is a work of art.
You either burn or get frost bite.
We went to the bar this time for a bar meal. The guy came
for us because I phoned up the reception as I wasn’t convinced that anyone
would come and I didn’t fancy touring the vast grounds looking for our
restaurant. If we got lost can you imagine? I would call the hotel if I had
reception. They would ask, where are you?
“Em.
Well there are trees…””
The staff in the bar were fantastic. My choice of food was the
same as the night before. I have always said that place doesn’t like vegetarians.
Trix and Hub had the biggest fish and a portion of chips and Like had steak and
chips. For Likes dessert, he had sticky toffee pudding with ginger ice-cream. I
had cheese again as did Hub. and Trix had the same as Like!
Though the staff were lovely, there was just
something in the air. I wanted to know what it was, why our delay getting into
our cottage? Why the porter acted as if they weren’t expecting us? Why was it
not clean? And, what was wrong with the staff? I can only say the atmosphere
was as if someone had been given the worst news. I did learn what was going on
and I was very shocked.
To be continued.
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