The Old Kiln House news and views

Creating a B&B website

 

I ended up in wonderful Shipston upon Stour running a luxury bed and breakfast after leaving the corporate world.

When I escaped to the country, I was running several major local government contracts across the South of England all at the same time. I therefore thought that creating a B&B in the Cotswolds would be a relatively easy project compared to what I was used to. Hmmm ….

So before starting, we analysed the B&B and accommodation market extensively. Over the years we also took extensive notes on places where we stayed and made sure we were clear on what we […]

By |July 17th, 2014|Creating a B&B|0 Comments
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Cotswolds beauty

Although running a B&B in Shipston-On-Stour can be exhausting, one of the things that still strikes us almost daily is how beautiful the countryside around us is.

On a recent early morning trip to Stratford Upon Avon, the mist was out resulting in this shimmering beauty.

 

A good walk in these surroundings is a great way to recharge the batteries.

How could you not love living here?

By |July 16th, 2014|Countryside|0 Comments
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Hidden guests

Following on from our previous post, starting up a new B&B can obviously be challenging with many different issues coming fast and furious.

So far everything is going very well with our B&B in Shipston-On-Stour however we have recently discovered residents who have snuck in unannounced and made themselves comfortable. Whilst pruning one of our Jack-In-The-Beanstalk creepers, I found that the pigeons have built a very cosy little nest and have produced two large handsome offspring sitting quietly and probably demanding food. Although we are not set up to host children, I think I am going to have a problem […]

By |July 9th, 2014|Our garden|0 Comments
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Friday night at Sheldons

Great weather for the re-opening of @Sheldonswine La Rocca Wine Bar tonight pic.twitter.com/iMay8tmNc9

— Shipston Card (@shipstoncard) June 13, 2014

One of our reasons for opening a B&B in Shipston-On-Stour was that Shipston is a delightfully diverse town and there always seems to be something going on. On Friday night we dropped in to the excellent Sheldon Wines which is using the courtyard for a wine bar during the summer.

Sheldon Wines is a very interesting company with a long, rich history including hosting some of the first IRA negotiations in their very impressive board/dining room. They also have extensive cellars which […]

By |July 7th, 2014|Eating Out|0 Comments
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Bird camaraderie

This week my husband witnessed something truly remarkable especially for us ex city dwellers. We have worked hard to make our garden as bird and insect friendly as possible and the delightful result of this is being able to witness the unending antics of a variety of birds.

The birds have also taken advantage of our good nature and, where a full feeder used to last a week, a feeder now lasts a maximum of three days. Fortunately they cannot reach up to ring the doorbell when it is empty but I get the feeling that they will eventually find […]

By |July 4th, 2014|Our garden|0 Comments
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The Blog

 
Here I am on my first blog entry on our sparkling new website. Born in Sussex and grew up by the sea in  Angmering on Sea, I eventually obtained a  Geology  degree  of all things from Kingston University. I then went into the corporate world and ended up lived in London for many years where I worked for a FTSE 100 company.

About two years ago I had a change of perspective and all of a sudden the corporate world lost its sparkle. This coincided with a sweltering day crammed sardine like into a Northern Line tube. Much as we loved London, my […]

By |June 30th, 2014|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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