All my good intentions to keep this blog up to date...and it is now December! Another good couple of months have been enjoyed here with Leah winning the Cheshire Rural Woman of the Year Award for her contribution to food and drink; I was a very proud Mum and clapped very hard indeed to see Leah walk up to collect a lovely clock, some beautiful flowers and of course, the all important certificate! November saw the Cheshire Awards for Tourism Skills, another fantastic party night organised by Visit Chester and Cheshire, at Tatton Park, and once again Leah was successful in being presented with another award, this time for Best New Entrant to the Industry. There is going to be abit of competition here between Mother and Daughter I feel!!
Talking about Awards, we had a fabulous evening at St George's Hall at the end of October for the NWRDA North West England Tourism Awards. Sadly we did not win, however, being a part of this prestigious event for the 3rd year running is indeed an achievement. 2006 saw us there with the B&B and we did receive Highly Commended, 2007 with Painting at Harrop Fold Farm and then this year we were representing Cheshire with Self-catering Holiday Experience with Mellow Brook Cottage here at Harrop Fold Farm. The cottage looks beautiful following its complete redecoration and refurb, and guest's feedback is brilliant.
We have had our first substantial snowfall this week; on Tuesday morning David had to bring out the tractor to pull out two of our guest’s cars! It adds to the adventure...so I am told! What is so funny is that just 2 miles down the road there was no snow at all! Anyway, it arrived quickly and left quickly...much to Edward’s disgust as he quite fancied a couple of days off school.
Leah began her Christmas Cookery Demonstrations and Dine yesterday, it was really well received, and the dining room looked beautiful with the Christmas tree in situ. Perhaps this weekend will see us decorate the other tree in the cottage. The family are enjoying all this seasonal food especially the turkey as Leah keeps trying many different recipes out on us...I really must try to exercise or I will not be fitting into my Christmas party dresses!
Mincemeat has been on Leah’s mind as she has been making the most delicious mincemeat over the last couple of weeks, and so today’s job is making a few more mince pies for this weekend’s visitors. Oh the temptations I am faced with...will anyone notice how many I actually made?!
The animals are all well, the peacocks have settled and now entertain the guests over breakfast, I am not quite sure whether they are admiring themselves by viewing their reflections in the windows or are hoping for treats from guests! Emmie is delightful and so good, she has loved seeing her first snow this week, she made everyone laugh when she jumped onto the wall not realising of course that she would then skid along it and land on the ground! Arthur has taken to his job of patrolling the buildings looking for anything interesting (and tasty!) and spends a great deal of the day in this way.
The cows came in for the winter after the bonfire party, I love hearing their low mooing sounds when I wake up in the morning. They are so happy when they first come in, but by spring start trying to break out again...the grass is always greener...!
Must set to now to prepare the rooms for today’s guests and then start to organise our Christmas orders to ensure we have plenty of delicious food to offer our guests.
Catch up again very soon,
Sue x
Sue's News (Tag: painting)
Leah's First Awards...From September to our first snowfall!
- 5 December 2008, 13:00
- Permalink
Wild Times at Harrop!
- 7 May 2008, 18:00
- Permalink
A number of wild happenings here at Harrop Fold…firstly our wild visitors. This weekend our golden pheasant has been spotted criss crossing the field, he lives in the woods near the brook and is certainly a spectacle to be seen. Other golden visitors returning have been the Goldfinches, last year they nested in the ivy on the barn wall, they obviously were so happy they have returned with friends. This year they are continuing to nest in their old spot and their chums are nesting in the ivy on the house outside our bathroom window! Let’s hope this year they will entertain our visitors again at breakfast time – better than a cabaret was one comment on Sunday morning!
The house martins have also returned and this morning their antics were delightful as they were diving around me as I pegged out the sheets on the line to dry. David also spotted the buzzards in the bottom meadow and on Monday morning we saw the bottom meadow resembling a scene from Monarch of the Glen as around 10 deer from neighbouring Lyme Park joined the natives for bed & breakfast. They are such grand beasts and we were able to photograph them looking up at us from the old Oak tree – hopefully we will work out soon how to add photos to our blog!
Continuing with a wild outdoors theme David, Edward and I were guests at the Preview of the inaugural Tatton Park Biennial on Friday evening. We enjoyed a glass of champagne and canapés in the beautiful Tenants’ Hall prior to roaming the gardens in search of the specially commissioned artworks, some hidden and some easily found. We set off exploring ourselves, led very ably by Edward who fancied rather more of an orienteering experience rather than the footpaths! The shingles sculpture is so wonderful – one could imagine spending a lovely evening overlooking the lake in this beautiful structure – I wonder if Tatton are thinking of b&b! Seriously, it is fantastic and we are looking forward to returning to see the structure erected overlooking the Japanese garden that is a particular favourite of ours. This trip will certainly be recommended to our guests.
Our wildly exciting end to the week was being visited and reviewed by Judith from Good Housekeeping – yes THE Good Housekeeping magazine! Judith stayed Thursday and Friday night and enjoyed a day of watercolour painting on Friday with Mike. Leah enjoyed cooking and serving some delicious treats – ah! Judith was a dream to share the dinner table with! Do please remember to buy the September edition to read about Judith’s visit…her comment in the visitor’s book reads…
‘The perfect family and delicious stay. Thank you!’
Along with a little picture and the words… ‘What Mike taught me’
Good Housekeeping.
Our wildly thrilling surprise has been to be announced as finalists again in the Cheshire Tourism Awards for the 3rd year running, so fingers crossed please, and let’s hope we win another award to make a hat trick!
On a final wild note, Sunday evening was so beautiful we decided that after such a busy few days we deserved a stroll up to the local inn for a beer and a viewing of the most beautiful sunset of the year. Yes, this could have been enjoyed from our gardens but I needed some rhubarb to make more jam for this week’s visitors, so stopping in the field on the way home we whiled away a few minutes pulling the beautiful spring rhubarb, having just prepared it now I must nip off as it is ready for bottling. Next on the agenda is to make a fresh batch of our lovely Amalfi lemon curd – combined with this glorious weather the smell and touch of these divine Amalfi lemons have put me in the mood for a holiday….and hopefully you too may wish for a holiday...here at Harrop Fold!
Speak again soon.
Love, Sue x
Press, press and more press
- 11 April 2008, 18:00
- Permalink
One thing that always makes my toes curl is drawing attention to our newspaper coverage – don’t take me wrong…we are always first in line at the newsagent on the day of publication to buy enough copies to read, keep and give to family! However, I seem to remember as a child being told not to boast! But due to pressure from certain guests (and you know who you are!) here goes:
Thanks for all the lovely comments from our eagle eyed guests who spotted the wonderful half page article in The Guardian. We had the treat to host Sally Shalam of the Guardian Travel to an artistic break prior to Christmas. A beautiful photograph accompanied the article, which pleased young Alice!
Sally loved her visit to Harrop Fold where she enjoyed dinner, bed and breakfast and a day painting with Mike. 'I’m utterly absorbed and hours go by in a flash. This is such fun. …it’s my brushwork and I love it.’ She also makes mention of our delicious food ‘I’ve done my best to squirrel away Cheshire Smokehouse cod with freshly laid egg, and toast with home-made gooseberry jam …naturally, I stuffed myself at dinner the previous night – Canapés, Delamere Dairy goat’s cheese and dressed leaves, then lovely beef from the Stevensons’ own herd’.
Also with Sally was Sophie Hazan of the Yorkshire Post who fell in love with Lottie the spaniel or did Lottie fall in love with Sophie? They were never far apart, including when Lottie sneaked her way onto Sophie’s walk, I received a phone call from Bollington – ‘Please can you come and collect Lottie, we haven’t got a lead!’ We are looking forward to reading Sophie’s piece as soon as it is published.
January saw a full page on Leah in YQ Magazine, Talent Scout – Leah Stevenson, Chef. As a very proud Mother I loved it and I think we have a magazine in each room of the house!
The Sunday Times Travel in February placed us within the World’s 20 Cool Pads! How fab is that? Cool it certainly was in February but this morning I woke to a beautiful sunny morning that actually tempted me to jump out of bed and put a spring in my step. Just as well really as we have a residential art weekend running this weekend and I think I will require a lot of spring! Leah is at the helm on the food front and I think I have just spotted Mike with an armful of paintbrushes going through to set up the studio.
Must nip off now and check the cakes in the Aga…Speak again soon,
Love, Sue x
Nature Trail
Download a free nature trail map of Harrop Fold Farm's beautiful hillside surroundings
Join the Mailing List
Find Us
Harrop Fold Farm
Macclesfield Road
Rainow
Macclesfield
SK10 5UU
T: 01625 560085
E: stay@harropfoldfarm.co.uk
