6 Weeks to Christmas
This autumn feels like it has gone in the blink of an eye, after such a long, hot summer which extended well into October. I got a bit of a shock when I looked at my diary and saw that it was only 6 weeks to Christmas!
I thought HELP! We had better release the rooms for New Year, which we did and all of them were booked in less than 18 hours as well as start prepping for the Christmas Cakes. For the last few years, we have been trying to make as many of our gifts and presents as possible, with the Christmas Cakes being the most in demand out of them all.
Last year Paul and I, spent weeks prepping and baking dozens of individual cakes – too many! This time around we have gone for an alternative method, baking bigger but fewer cakes which we will then cut to size before we ice and marzipan them. We have already saved ourselves a lot of time already, so the plan is working.
Many of our guests are here to visit their children or relatives and lots of them are returning for their second or third time, which is lovely as their relaxed, excitable comfort spreads to the other guests.
Breakfast, especially, is a much calmer affair and the conversation flows between people who were until an hour beforehand complete strangers. I have overheard lots of conversations about the theatre these past weeks, Harry Potter seems to be the most popular with many of our guests braving the double show all in one day! Some because they have to, others because they are such big fans. I am not sure I could sit through 8 hours of theatre in one but those who did said it was totally worth it.
I got a chance to visit a new bar this month, as my dear friend Heidy came to stay and we decided to grab a bellini at Harry’s Bar, after visiting the Freida Kahlo exhibition. I have been to the one in Venice many moons ago and this is the first bar they have opened in London despite being an internationally famous haunt for many decades.
The exhibition was great, I can see why they extended it. I enjoyed the huge array of mixed media from early images, video, her personal defects, ending in a huge collection of her clothes. For someone who suffered from mobility issues for most of her life, she held herself with great poise and really was a fashion icon to be admired. A truly remarkable woman, who lived a truly remarkable life.
Till next time,
Sally