As the advert says.... even the smallest business will be multinational.

In my post corporate life apart from being second breakfast chef, first dinner chef and chief accountant, I've spent the last six months or so working on plans for my own business. Back in October I wrote about the jam-making side-line (see Even the elephant is redundant) but also mentioned I'd reveal more of my business plans when Gladstone Coaching and Development was ready to launch.

That would have been in November but at the last minute we realised that when I'm coaching people over the phone I can be tied up on the phone line for an hour and a half and that has meant that potential B&B guests weren't able to get through.

So I phoned BT and asked for a second line to be installed. A simple task you'd think but it turns out that it is something that takes six weeks before an engineer can visit. Except that on the due date I get a text saying they've checked their records and they could see that I already had a phone line so they had no need to visit and would just activate the number. One or two hitches with that. Firstly we don't get much of a mobile signal in the house so I don't usually keep the phone on whilst at home. That meant that I didn't get the message until late afternoon. And what was the point of activating a number when I had no way of plugging a phone in to be able to make and receive calls....because I needed another line.

Now I'm not normally an angry or aggressive person but phoning BT has the same effect as if I'd had a personality transplant and become a very vocal, angry old woman! After explaining my situation to one person she tried to get hold of the engineering team to fix a time for an engineer to turn up in person and after a while I get switched from a ringing tone to the standard automated message saying I'm in a queue. After 15 minutes of this I disconnect and try again. I go the whole rigmarole again with a different phone operator and the same thing happens so after slightly less time I disconnect and call again. This time a young man answers, I explain the situation and say, in no uncertain terms, that I do not want to be put on hold but want to speak to his manager. He tells me he will connect me and promises that he'll put me on hold for a few moments only to explain the situation to his manager. Ten minutes later I disconnect, with my blood pressure and voice tone now at fever pitch.

The final lady I spoke to must have wondered what hit her and I finally managed to get the message across that this was their problem and that they had 15 minutes in which they had to find a time for the engineer to call and phone me back or I was reporting them to Ofcom. I was in quite an amenable mood on the first call but an hour and a half later, with what felt like steam coming out of my ears I was fuming. So much for customer service. Each time we moved house in 2010 I had problem after problem with BT trying to get phone lines and internet service, so the moment our contract expires that's it, I'm finding some other phone company, who surely can't be any worse.

Rant over!! Finally a couple of days before Christmas a sub-contractor from BT turned up (the same morning as 3 electricians testing all the new wiring, a carpenter and someone installing our roof insulation - a bit of a chaotic morning!) - and the line was at last installed.

The web-site and the stationery order had been on hold pending knowing what the new number would be. Which is why it has taken until mid January before the web-site could go live. Take a look at www.gladstonecoaching.co.uk

It will take a while to build up business contacts and to finish my coaching qualification so the building of my portfolio career continues and diversifies.

You may think that it is far too soon to be thinking about next Christmas but I've spent the last few days checking Pintrest sites for Christmas patchwork and craft ideas. Next on my to do list is to make some samples of Christmas makes and put together Christmas workshops to offer to WI and other groups across Norfolk in the Autumn.

Meanwhile I'm putting together the content for a course on How to set up and run a successful B&B. We've learnt so much in the last few years and I think with the combination of Mike's and my experience we can really help other people set up their own B&B. I'll also be able to offer ongoing coaching and mentoring support, which will help differentiate us from the couple of other B&Bs in the UK who are offering similar courses.

Meanwhile bookings for the B&B are up on this time last year and we've just taken our first overseas booking, which reminds me of the advert from a well-known bank (and my former employers) who say that..... "In the future, even the smallest business will be multinational"

So whether it is The Old Bakery B&B, The Bakehouse, Gladstone Coaching and Development, The Old Bakery Quilts and Crafts or our jams and preserves sub-division - we say....bring it on, next stop the world!

Of rats, bats, carpets and snow

RATS

A little while ago I opened up one of my garden compost bins and found some pretty large holes in the top of the compost, these (I instantly knew) were rat runs and whilst in general I am not squeamish I will admit that I don't like rats. I don't know why, I can hold in my hands a 6' python and not flinch and I have lost count of how many mice I have had to catch (often with my bare hands) as a result of one of our cats forays into the garden. I have captured a pigeon by hand, I have picked up frogs and dispatched war-torn wildlife from this mortal coil. I've even captured  squirrel on the loose in one of my Supermarkets but for some unfathomable reason   I   DON'T LIKE   RATS.

So I called a pesty man in.

Well we opened up the compost bin and the large holes had gone leaving several small holes instead, quite clearly mouse holes. I, feeling a bit of a fool, tried to defend my judgement by explaining how big the rat holes had been. He obviously sensed that my pride was injured and explained that these are mice holes however he then took me to the back of the bin to a massive pile of earth over a foot deep, "that", he explained, "could only have been made by rats". I felt vindicated. Furthermore the top of the thick plastic bin had been eaten by big, nasty, rat teeth. I left him (with an undignified haste) to do what he does. When he had finished I took the opportunity to show him some droppings by the back door of the cottage which I suspected were mice droppings. There is a small hole just above the door and I assumed that the mice were climbing up into the fabric of the building, although I was surprised that the mice were clambering up so high.


BATS

He picked up the droppings, smelt them, crumbled them between his forefinger and thumb and then declared "Bat droppings". So we now have bats roosting in a cavity above the door. We should have put two and two together as last year Claire was standing close to this area and a couple of times she had a bat fly by almost hitting her head.


CARPETS

After 2 years living with a dirty old carpet in our main living room, always feeling a little uncomfortable when using the room for guests we have now had a new one fitted. The old one was made up of tiles and had no underlay. The cold came up from the damp earth that the concrete floor had been set onto. So we bought the thickest underlay and a fairly thick carpet. The result is a springy plush feel underfoot along with a new found warmth in the room. It is fair to say that we are very happy with it now.


As you can see our cat also seems to enjoy it too. Or else she's having a fit!!

AND SNOW

Norfolk has been under siege this last week by snow. A lot of it at that.

We had a reasonable amount at first and when it let up and the sun came out I decided to put on the snow shoes and head to the coast for some photographs. When I got there I was quite disappointed as they seemed to have had very little snow so I took the opportunity to go to the Cley marshes bird hides instead. The coast had one of those fabulous vast Norfolk skies, totally blue without a cloud in the sky. I was only in the hide for 20 minutes and as I watched a cloud wall started to build up way out in the north sea. Then a flash of light caught my eye which at first I thought was lightening but as this seemed incongruous with the bright sunshine all around me I assumed it was a flash from someone's camera.


I then left the hide and started to walk the quarter of a mile through the reed beds to get back to my car. As I walked on I became aware of deep rumblings of thunder behind me. I turned to face the North sea only to find myself facing a wall of dark, very, very dark storm clouds moving in from the north. It was hard to gauge just how fast they were moving but I felt very small as I looked up at this thunderous mass. The blackened, leaden sky was an exact opposite to my view to the south which was bright sunshine and blue skies. This I thought was a very peculiar storm. I attempted to photograph the storm cloud which was an impossible task as I was right on it's coal face, it was just too so vast. It appeared to me to be moving as a clearly defined entity and the darkest, blackest bit was heading Cromer and Sherringham's way.

Later I found the next photo on the net that someone had taken of the same storm driving in from the North sea seemingly from nowhere. This is an amazing photo because it shows it coming in at Sherringham, exactly where I thought it would hit land and it is not too unlike a tsunami in appearance. The speed at which it moved took me by complete surprise and as I drove southward towards the bright blue skies and home the snow started to fall and this snow storm quickly engulfed me.

By the time I got home there was thick snow bellowing around and the local news started to report major hold ups and road closures all around the Norwich area, the real snow had started in earnest.

The next day the sun shone and the sky was again blue. The storm had deposited several more inches of snow and so at dawn I headed off with my camera. The roads were treacherous as it had been -13c during the night and everything was frozen solid so I did not even risk taking the 4x4 out and I chose to just walk around the fields near us.


These then are a few of those photos...

All done for now, I'll catch up with you all later.





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Winterwatch in deepest Norfolk

Recently my niece and sister-in-law visited us from across 'The pond' and so we needed to find something of interest to do, in the out-back of Norfolk, in the middle of winter.... That will keep a ten year old engaged. Mmmm, tough call.

Well having reviewed all the options (not a lot in January) we decided to go and see the seal colony at Blakeney point. Having been in Norfolk for 2 years we should really have made a point of visiting these seals before as it is one of the biggest breeding colonies in the British aisles and it is right on our door step. As I write this I am watching the BBC Winterwatch programme and they are showing footage of the self same seal colony from earlier this winter. They report that there are 1,200 seals there right at this moment. They breed in winter and the peek time for cubs is November to January so we got to see a lot of cubs albeit that they were more like teenagers.

My niece loved them, as we all did, and it is something that Alison and I intend to do again soon.

Here are some of my favourite photos.

The vast majority of these seals are Grey seals

Smile, you're on candid camera! This is one of the older cubs rapidly losing it's young cub fluffy fur.

A mother takes her cub swimming

 

A manly belly flop

Up to 11ft long the Bull Grey seal can weigh as much as 48 stone and up close they look really formidable

Sealed with a kiss

A seal appears to be in blissful ignorance as a Turnstone scuttles by

A smaller Bull seal showing the scars of previous battles from other Bulls fighting over a female, or just another Saturday night in Essex.

The harsh reality of life and death as a Greater Black backed gull feeds on a Grey seal cub's carcass

The nearby salt marshes are really busy with thousands of migratory birds and vast flocks of geese take to the air every time a Marsh Harrier spooks them, it is just brilliant up on the coast at the moment.











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So very much to do......

To some degree we are still struggling to get the place straight and ready for the new years season. As you know we were once again very busy right up to the 22nd of December with guests in both the cottage and the B&B.

So with Christmas festivities all complete and family gone back to their respective homes Alison and I sat down to write a To Do list. Well actually this list is only a master list of things to do with each heading requiring a further list of tasks. We have then allocated how many days that we think it will take me to complete each area so we can calculate the total work load and also to prioritise them. I say 'me' because we want Alison to concentrate on her Coaching course and setting up her Coaching business although she will also assist when required especially with tasks like sorting the office out which at present is a mess. I think it will take a miracle to restore order there but as it is in our chapel perhaps one will indeed come our way.

DAYS  THE MASTER LIST OF LISTS

3        Catch up with all Laundry & re-organise linen room
8        Allotment
2        Cottage spring clean
1        Cottage Preparation
1        Cottage Maintenance and repairs (internal and external)
2        Garage clear-out and tidy
3        Garden (back, front, side and patio)
7        Weeks holiday
8        Snagging of recent renovations and paint windows in new guest room
7        Re-decorate our bedroom
1        Main house - maintenance and repairs, internal and external(including 1st B&B room)
5        Spring clean of main house (including kitchen and ovens) and ALL windows
2        Replace living room flooring
1        Update Website and other sites (AA  e.t.c.) with info on new B&B room
-----
51  =  Total Days to be ready for guests

Then there's the other stuff that can be done within the season....

• Boarding into the Attic

•  Clearance of two rooms used to store stuff  (better known as our 'Museum of my children's unwanted stuff but that doesn't mean you can throw it away Dad!')

• Construction of a substantial wood store. (That's not wood which is considered substantial but a substantial store in which I will be able to place my wood).

• Re-decorate the bedroom which was made smaller when we moved a wall to allow for our new shower.

• Cut up as much wood as possible from the wood salvaged when I knocked two rooms into one.

• And throughout... Allotment, Allotment, Allotment, Allotment, Allotment, Allotment and then more Allotment.

So you see our work is cut out for us before we even start the new season.

Of course the 51 days is only a rule of thumb because, as I have said, these are only list titles and as such they have yet to be coloured in with the detail which may be far more extensive than we have planned.
To make this all bearable we have decided to do our up most to take weekends off so it is not all work and no play.

SO YOU CAN ADD ON ANOTHER 14 DAYS OF WEEKENDS!!

This, then, will mean that at best the must do's won't be completed until about the 2nd week of March.

The linen was my first task (allowance - 3 days). I started last week on the Monday, washed, dried, ironed and sorted every sheet, duvet cover, pillow case, towel mattress protector and pillow protector that we have for each type of bed :- single, king size and super king size too.


Three days! I hear you exclaim in disbelief. Don't be silly I will answer, of course I didn't take 3 days, naaa.. it took me 4 days actually.

Why?

Because I ironed:-

108sqft  of single sheets,
60sqft   of King size sheets,
108sqft of King size duvets,
234sqft of Super King size sheets,
273sqft of Super King size duvets
270sqft of Pillows
140sqft of Table cloths  

Making a grand total of 1,193sqft (not including the napkins!).

That's nearly one and a half badminton courts!!


So after that I chilled out and did a little colouring in....

This was originally an ink drawing that I did a couple of years ago with the intention of making it a water colour and as a way of chilling out I finally got around to it after finishing my marathon washing and ironing session.

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2012 at The Old Bakery in numbers and other such trivia

Our first full year of trading at The Old Bakery and so we've got something to compare ourselves against in years to come here's what has happened during 2012 in numbers and trivia.

• 105 nights of B&B stays
• August was our busiest month with 23 nights of B&B stays
• No stays in January and February (when we were open) and in October (when we were shut for our building work)
• 114 nights of stays in The Bakehouse as a holiday cottage and 77 nights for the two members of the cast of the Thursford Christmas Show.
• 222 breakfasts served
• Fresh fruit salad followed by The Full Norfolk is the most popular breakfast choice
• Least popular is Brioche French Toast with seasonal fruit (and will be changed for something else in 2013)
• Mike made 30 trips to Thursford and back transporting guests to the Christmas Show before he finally got to see the show himself.
• Our most popular pudding is crumble - evenly balanced between apple and plum
• 18 reviews posted on Trip Advisor (to add to the one review last year) and they all rate us as excellent!
• 4 couples have been back more than once and two more are already booked for the next Thursford season
• Over 150 jars of jam, marmalade, chutney and mincemeat made this year.
• Orange marmalade is the most popular purchase by our guests
• Our eldest guest was 85 and the youngest just 7 weeks old
• More guests have come from Essex than anywhere else
• The oddest coincidence was when a couple from Essex stayed and then the next couple who stayed turned out to be their best friends  (neither couple knew that the others had booked with us). They only found that out when the second couple signed the visitor book and saw the names of their friends immediately preceding theirs.
•  Following our most recent building works we now have guest accommodation for 8 people, 5 toilets, 4 showers and 6 TVs (4 for guests)
• To make life easier we have 6 super king duvet covers, 3 king size duvet covers, 8 single duvet covers, lots and lots of sheets and pillow cases and more than 40 towels - and that is just for the guests!
• The most useful cleaning products we use are Limelight for shiny taps and shower screens and Vanish to get rid of stains - most memorably a table cloth covered in blueberry compote after two young boys came to breakfast, which was immediately restored to pristine whiteness.
• And our biggest challenge for 2013 is to do it all again, with even more guests and deliver an even better experience for everyone that stays.