A very happy day!

We had a wonderful day on Saturday when we attended the wedding of Adam and Kate. Adam is the eldest son of our friends of nearly 40 years, Alyson and Martyn. Needless to say we were worried in the morning as we looked out onto a very snowy Exmoor but the sun came out and everything about the day was perfect.

Kate looked beautiful, Adam handsome and even Martyn scrubbed up well and looked the part in his morning suit (although this was swopped for a more comfortable outfit once the meal was over)! Alyson certainly didn’t look old enough to be mother of the bridegroom especially as she danced the night away – where does she get her energy from? She was invited to the hen weekend in Bournemouth where they all had a go at pole dancing. Apparently Alyson was so good at it that she ended up upside down on said pole - Bournemouth has yet to recover!

I had a very special dance (not to be forgotten in a hurry) with gorgeous Duncan (middle son) who whirled me around the dance floor and then was mortified when he was informed that I am in fact his Godmother! Barnaby (youngest son) was the ‘mister cool’ of the whole day - both witty and debonair (so like his dad)!

We drove home across the moor in the early hours. A beautiful moonlit and frost laden night and we had to stop on a couple of occasions to let deer cross the road safely in front of us. As we dropped down towards home, the lights along the Welsh coastline were so clear– a fitting end to a wonderful day.

Our bed and breakfast guests enjoyed the beautiful weekend weather and did some serious walking to Dunster, up over Dunkery Beacon, Selworthy and Hurlestone Point. As they walked through the lovely National Trust village of Luccombe, a couple of our guests heard music coming from the church and said it was ‘magical’. A perfect way to describe Exmoor!

Busy days!

Although it’s supposed to be our quietest period, Derek and I seem to be continually busy with many different things. We have already had quite a few guests staying with us for bed and breakfast and we are getting bookings from guests who have stayed before, new enquiries and from recommendations. We also have some walking groups booked in. Our bed and breakfast accommodation has 8 bedrooms and is an ideal size for parties and being at the foot of Dunkery, we are in a perfect spot for walking and exploring Exmoor.

The weather has been great for this time of year and everyone has been able to enjoy beautiful walks. The Dunkery Beacon is such a lovely home to come back to after a day’s exploring and to relax in front of the log fire with a cup of tea. As a reminder of what we have to look forward to this summer, I have included a photo Derek took near Winsford - can't wait!

We are both in a murder mystery play in the village. It is quite complex and Derek was completely in the dark as to what was going on until we sat down and went through it and he learnt his lines – things then became rapidly clearer! Derek does like to do his own interpretation on things so I am a little concerned that come the night, the wrong character will be murdered!

Our daughter Lucy is starting a full time job in Exeter at the beginning of March and we have been down a few times for the interview and to sort out her accommodation. We are all very excited about it but I know we shall miss her (if not her washing)!

I have started doing some voluntary work with the West Somerset Advice Bureau in Minehead (same as CAB). It is very interesting and really makes me use the old brain box. We are also finishing off lots of jobs in and around the house and Derek has been very busy pruning in the garden. In amongst the work we have been walking the dogs, riding, playing tennis and attending Pilates classes (me, not Derek)!

Signs of Spring.

After such a hard winter, I can start to believe that spring is just around the corner. We have lots of snowdrops out in the garden and we have even seen daffodils and primroses. In the morning the birds are starting to sing earlier and earlier and the nights are definitely drawing out a little more each day. The robins are starting their mating rituals and there are several male robins that look considerable worse for wear! There are a few newly born lambs in the fields and things definitely feel on the up.

After being closed in January for decorating, it’s good to be open again and welcoming our bed and breakfast guests. We are looking forward to our first weekend of the year and the telephone has been ringing with lots of enquiries.

On Saturday I was upstairs cleaning and I looked out and the view of the sun shining over Dunkery and Robin How was just too much – I had to get out and walk! Needless to say the dogs were up for up it so off we went following the footpath over the fields and up onto the moor. We went up to Span Gate and over towards Dunkery Hill Gate – it was so warm and it really felt like spring. I had planned to walk down through Snowdrop Valley but time was against us so we came home down through the fields and into Annacombe and then Ford and home for a very welcome cup of tea!

On Sunday, we went over to Hurlestone Point which is on the cliffs above Porlock. As you can see, the views looking down over the bay and across to Wales are quite stunning.