Sunday 2nd August

I picked up three guests as prearranged outside the café Milk in Balham, yesterday.  A lovely Dutch family – the first time for two members of the family coming to London and only the second time the husband had ever been in a plane and he was born in the 1960s!  They checked in, I had Oyster cards ready and waiting and gave them directions for Camden Market and the Chin Chin Laboratory Ice Cream Parlour, and to top off their day with a walk from London Bridge to Waterloo, taking in The London Eye if there was no queue.  I always like hearing from guests either that evening or at breakfast the next day of how their day went and what impressions they had formed.

The Dutch couple that I picked up are gluten/dairy free!  They had forgotten to tell me until late last night so I went through my store cupboard and found a packet of mixed seeds/nuts/mangos – bought in Lidl (great value and delicious).  I added the cashews I had bought earlier in the week.  (500g of unsalted cashews from Lidl at 90p for 100g – I highly recommend them).   I served it with Greek Yogurt and a lighter one that I had bought in the Polish shop – again very affordable 350g for 49p.

I also made a platter of cherry tomatoes, avocado, buffalo mozzarella and mustard dressing to go with it.   I made a fresh fruit platter and with the leftovers will make a fresh fruit compote or smoothie for the next day’s breakfast.

I tidy bedrooms and clean bathrooms each day – that’s the service that I prefer when I stay in a bed and breakfast, and I top up anything that may be needed.  Most guests have left by 10.30am, so on the whole everything is done and dusted by midday.  I have an office at home as well and it’s a good thing not to sit down for hours so the interruptions of doing physical work fits in well.

One thing I have been paying more attention to is the garden, I have large glass doors opening out onto the garden and also a secluded seating area.  I find that if guests come down before breakfast is served, especially in the warm summer months they tend to really appreciate sitting in the garden with their morning tea or coffee.

UNITED KINGDOM, London :