Comfort food

We had a really busy weekend and top category on both days was food. We don't sell many food lines that are particularly Christmassy so I wonder if it's an inbuilt subliminal need that we have, once it turns colder, to start squirrelling away provisions! There are still lots of visitors around today and the weather is fabulous. The Lakes Hospitality Association, which works really hard to help its members, has encouraged guest houses and hotels to reduce their rates up to Christmas in light of the recent bad weather and it seems to be having the desired effect. We're forecasted to have heavy snow tomorrow afternoon: it would be nice to have a real wintry feel on the run up to Christmas as long as it doesn't cause any travel problems. We have late night shopping in Bowness this Thursday and next and most shops are putting on mulled wine and mince pies - hopefully we'll have some very merry folk around!
Louise

There's snow in them there hills

What a contrast to last Saturday. It's 3 degrees ('When will I see you again' as Sean would say!) here in Bowness and snow has sprinkled the fells. On the way here I could see a white Langdales and pockets of mist hanging lazily over the valleys: stunning! The sun is shining, so far, and there are lots of people around. In the shop at the moment is a coach party from St. Helens  - with all the pick ups they've made en route it's taken them 4 hours to get here and they're ladies on a mission to do all their Christmas shopping in Bowness and Ambleside. Great.

Last night the Christmas lights switch on in Keswick was a treat. The town centre was packed and the Prince Charles and Julia Bradbury double act was brilliant. Of course, the Prince's bodyguards were working hard to keep the space around him clear so it was a surprise to see Julia moving alone amongst the crowd. I asked her where her bodyguards were and she replied that she didn't need them and it was a delight to talk to people she regarded as her friends. She stopped for photos with anyone who wanted one (see stridingedge.net for evidence of our family shots) and was, in fact, a charming, natural lady, just like she is on TV.

Louise 

Royal visit for switching on of Christmas Lights

Bowness and Windermere Christmas lights get switched on tomorrow by Father Christmas but we've been upstaged by Keswick where tonight, at 5.30 pm., the lights are being switched on by Julia Bradbury, ably assisted by Prince Charles who is up here showing his support for the county over the next couple of days. Needless to say, we're going to watch. The weather forecast for the next four days is for sunshine with a few showers: the temperature has dropped a lot over the past 24 hours and Sean has reported sightings of snow on his walk this morning. See you there!

Louise

How do solve a problem like Dou-ou-gal?

You may remember Dougal's top trick of digging up the plant troughs on our patio. Yesterday he surpassed himself. After I took both dogs for a long walk in a local wood, I left them outside to dry off. Half an hour later I looked out of the back door and found pieces of grey plastic scattered around and saw a bushy tail disappearing around the corner of the house...mmmm. The plastic turned out to be the remains of the grille at the end of the tumble dryer venting hose. How he managed to get it off the wall and destroy it in so little time is beyond me: maybe he had been digging at it for weeks, Great Escape style, carrying off the evidence and burying it in the far reaches of the patio. Anyway, he got a good telling off and then I left him outside again, figuring that there was nothing else he could harm. How wrong I was! Another half an hour later I looked outside again and the ground was covered in slivers of curled up aluminium, like small beached fish. The little beggar had dug his head into the hole once covered by the grille, pulled out the venting pipe and shredded it! Aaggghhhh! This is the puppy I hope to bring to the shop with me sometime soon...I think not.
Meanwhile in Bowness, it's good to see that the water has receded to below the main pier and that the ferries are running again.
Louise

Open for business!

Today's hot topic in Bowness is the lack of visitors around. We've been quite busy for the past few days but today we've only had a handful of customers so far! I've just checked out the website of one of the loveliest small hotels in Bowness, The Cranleigh, and they have rooms available for this weekend which is unusual for them. I guess people have been put off by the weather warnings and travel problems but my mission today is to tell you that all roads in and around Bowness are open. The weather is windy, but dry and the BBC weather for the weekend is cold and sunny. Businesses in the Lakes need people to visit now more than ever and some unusual and spectacular views are guaranteed!
Louise

The effects of the flood start to hit home

I heard from Adam at Mr Vikki's last night. He's based at Eamont Bridge near Penrith and couldn't get insurance after the last floods in 2005. Unfortunately, he's been flooded again and now has to start up his business all over again. His range of hot pickles, relishes and jams is fantastic and he was going from strength to strength after winning a plethora of national Gold Taste awards. He and his partner, Mary, are dynamic entrepreneurs and I sincerely hope they're up and running very quickly. Here in the south of the Lakes the rainfall predicted for today is light so far and it's quite warm, around 13 degrees. Other than the Windermere Marina, where I noticed today on my journey in that they've erected portacabins whilst the offices are cleared out, the biggest casualties in our area seem to be 3 large hotels at the foot of the lake (Whitewater, The Swan and Lakeside), all of whom are predicting that it will be weeks until they're fully operational again, and the Lakeside Aquarium which only escaped last year's flood by a couple of inches. It's supposed to get colder by the end of the week and Metcheck is showing snow showers over the weekend. Whatever next? A plague of locusts? We still have plenty of visitors around and yesterday our sales were 25% up over last year. Lots of customers are reporting that low level walks are quite interesting in these conditions!
Louise

Bring me sunshine

According to the forecast we're in for another battering tomorrow but today the sun is shining and all is calm. The news from the marina is that 28 boats were sunk on Thursday and today they're clearing out the houses and offices as well as towing away the cars that were caught in the water. The local Chamber of Trade has been in touch informing us of rates rebates for businesses affected by the flood and also £5k interest free loans for emergency repairs. A notice on the Newby Bridge roundabout says that the road to Bowness is open for residents' access only!

Louise