self-catering holiday cottage, holiday rental near Alton Towers and Peak District

Self-catering near Alton Towers and Peak District - Call Barks Holiday Cottage 01538 703163 email barkshc@gmail.com

Blooming June at the holiday cottage

We came back from holiday to a jungle. Out came the mower and the strimmer and now we have a jungle with clearings.

The holiday cottage terrace is buzzing with activity. Not from holiday guests but from the bees that are loving the pyracanthus flowers.  I have been pruning it a little to keep it in shape.

Flowering pyracanthus being lightly chopped.

And so a decision has to be made...
... is this the year to chop back the hebe? It had a major, to the ground, chopping when we put in the terrace a few years ago. Since then it has pleasantly regrown and reformed. Suddenly, it is a giant bush that is obscuring the view over the valley from the kitchen window. The other factor in this decision is that my husband is in outside mode with garden implements in hand. He just needs directing towards the hebe....
Hebe - about to be majorly chopped??
... today could be the day to chop the hebe. I'll let you know!

For those that actually know something about gardening and are planning a holiday in the Churnet Valley or near Alton Towers, may I suggest Consall Hall Gardens and the National Trust's Biddulph Grange.

Merlin passes

Our half term guests have Merlin passes and made good use of them by all accounts. They built a holiday around daily family trips to Alton Towers. Having said that, they also made daily outings to local attractions - walks, tea rooms, browsing local towns. A good time was had by all, according to their feedback. Personally, I think this is the framework for a brilliant family holiday - something for everyone with never a dull moment. I have just come back from my own family holiday and reviewing it in the light of our departing guests' comments, I can see that we fell into a framework for our time too. Funny how that works out!

I will also mention the other bit of feedback we just received as it is something we were pleased to hear. Our holiday cottage guest was pleased to be able to comfortably accommodate her three children in a bedroom by themselves (so that she had a room to herself) in a sweet cottage that is close, but not too close, to Alton Towers ST10 4DB... all within her budget.

Family time, that's what we believe in.