Emma's Blog

Date: 30th December 2010

Happy Belated Christmas to everyone. It was a pretty busy run up to Christmas (which is why this is belated!), but we had SNOW on the ground at Christmas and Christmas Day couldn't have been more perfect - crisp white snow and bright sunshine! I did try to get the kids to go sledging on Christmas Day, but I couldn't tear them away from the presents. I did manage it on Boxing Day, however, and it was fantastic! The first time I have ever seen snow on the ground at Christmas, let alone been able to sledge on it!! We have a wonderful hill called The Worthies, just a few minutes walk from the cottage, where the locals go sledging. It's just about a perfect angle and only has one drawback - the slope ends in a prickly hedge at the bottom - OK if you're good at braking. Not so good if you're not. The only thing we need now is a ski lift...

So, Christmas is over and the snow has melted away. The cottage has been fully occupied for the whole Christmas period and we now have our New Year guests in. It remains for me to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and a relaxing, enjoyable 2011.

Date: 2nd November 2010

All of a sudden, all the leaves have fallen off the trees. Whereas, a week ago, we might have been frogiven for thinking it was 'just the end of summer', it's now definitely autumn. There can be no argument! Halloween is under our belts, with no serious tricks being played. Now it's the turn of bonfire night.

Now, we are proud owners of some lovely pulletts who have never experienced loud banging fireworks before. I know dogs and cats can get pretty freaked out by them, so you have to keep them indoors; there are even some products on the market that somehow produce nice, calming, doggie-friendly sound waves to keep them from panicking, but what on earth do you do with chickens??? I am certainly not going to get them indoors, cosied up in a blanket for the night. Any thoughts on this would be gratefully received.

Our guests in the cottage this week have just asked to book out the same two weeks in October for next year. They love it so much here. They are our third proper set of returning guests and it's SO nice to know people like our cottage so much that they want to come back again and again! More please!

So, fireworks on Saturday. Maybe the loud bangs will cause the chucks to produce a big load eggs...!

Date: 20th September 2010

It's been a grand start to the autumn and it's 'weddings galore'!! Everyone seems to be 'at it' and many of the guests have been staying here. It's a great place to base yourself if you are going to a wedding at the Abbey, The Old Bell Hotel, The Abbey House Gardens or the Town Hall. All are just a few minutes walk away.

We've had a groom and his family stay, but we've yet to have a bride. It really is a gorgeous place to spend your last night of freedom, brides! Beats being crammed into a hotel room and gives you so much freedom. Come on, I'm really looking forward to having a bride collected from our doorstep!! First bride in will get a bottle on Champagne on me!

I really am overdue a visit to Westonbirt. Last year, I tracked the changes over the autumn, but this year I just seem to have little time to visit. The trees are just starting to turn, so the next month will start to look stunning around here. Definitly worth a few trips..

The blackberries have had a great year. We went for a walk at the weekend to the village of Lea and had lunch at the Rose and Crown there (very nice!). On our way back we picked nearly 3 kilos of blackberries. We couldn't help ourselves - the bushes were laden with them. Now we have a freezer stacked full. It will keep us in crumble for the next few months!

I love autumn. Chilly mornings, gorgeous light, stunning colours. Just beautiful...

Date: 20th August 2010

Well, the good start to the summer has somewhat wained. Still warm in Malmesbury, but not the scorching BBQ summer we were 'meant' to be having! Nonetheless, the guests keep coming and keep having a really nice time. We've had wedding guests galore over the last couple of months, and visitors from the US and Germany, as well as all over the UK. A truly cosmopolitan bunch.

Top of the 'to do' list this summer seems to be trips to the beautiful cities around here. Bath, Oxford and Cheltenham being favourites. In Gloucester, the museum is a big hit. Visitors have travelled to Stonehenge and Avebury to take in the wonders of the stone circles (Avebury gets my vote on that one) and taken time to walk along the stunning Ridgeway. Lots have spent the day at Longleat eyeing up the hippos and gorillas! Our last guests said that there was so much to do around here, they would definitely be back next year to 'finish off'.

Malmesbury High Street seems to be in the middle of a style change. All of a sudden, we have new, interesting, independent shops springing up. It's lovely to see and really brings the town back to life. What with several lovely coffee shops, it's a great place to spend a morning just chilling out!

Just a quick note on the swans. I took the little children out on the kayak the other day to fetch some footballs that we'd spied floating in the river. The swans were out with their family. I did think twice about going, but was a bit 'gung ho' and went for it! Off we paddled, only to be chased at great speed by the male swan!! We had to paddle faster and faster to get away from it, and in the end he flew at us...! We managed to get away by talking very calmly to him. Something along the lines of "I won't hurt your babies, if you don't hurt mine!". It seemed to work and he let me go. A bit of a shock, but now I know not to try and share their river while the signets are about!!

Date: 23rd June 2010

I can't believe it has only just been pointed out to me that this page has been called 'Emma's Bog' for the last 3 months!! And I can't believe I never noticed! Tut tut. Apologies to those of my more sensitive readers!

I've just been down to the river to feed the ducks with my little girl. The resident swans were swanning about (as they do) with their two little signets. Only two this year. Last year they produced 5 and kept them safe (they are taken away to be relocated when they get too big for our little stretch of the river). The ducks and morehens have done a remarkable job of keeping their littlies away from harm too. SOOO sweet. Lots of little fluffy things floating about on the water.

Happy days in Malmesbury. What with the sunshine, the green trees and blue skies, the birdsong and the heat, anyone would have thought it was the middle of summer...!

Date: 14th June 2010

I'm a bit behind with my blog! Everything's been so hectic of late! We've been busy, busy, busy with the cottage. I still can't quite believe how successful it's been! Having said that, we have had a few nights with it empty, which has dampened our hopes of having 100% occupancy in our first year, but we really can't complain! On the whole, our most recent guests have had some lovely weather. They've all enjoyed their stay and we're really beginning to get together a good list of the best things to do around these parts. Our couple who stayed last week said they didn't have enough time to do everyting they wanted, so maybe one week here isn't enough!

We had a lovely couple with their baby stay for two weeks in the autumn last year. They have just become our first proper returning guests - they've decided to come for the same two weeks again this year! Proof positive that Braxted Cottage really is a great place for a holiday!

Date: 11th April 2010

Well, we're well into spring now! The temperatures in Malmesbury are SOARING! We've had a succession of really lovely guests staying, including a couple over Easter who ventured out on my bike (not both of them on my bike, you understand, just one of them!). I hope they managed to miss the hail storm that we had. We were in Suffolk holidaying when a big black cloud ascended and dumped tonnes of small, hard balls on our heads. I remember being in Austria once when I was a kid and a similar thing happened (although their balls were more like golf balls) and we were momentarily confused when all the cars around us stopped and threw covers over their cars... nowt so queer as the weather, although the Austrians seemed much better equipped.

Date: 12th March 2010

I was sitting at the hairdressers the other day reading Hello magazine, as you do, and saw an article describing Kate Middleton's birthday party. She, Prince William and some friends popped into the Potting Shed, a pub/restaurant just up the road from here. They, apparently, sat near the fire, had a meal, entertained a hen on her hen night and, at the end, Prince William presented her with a cake (which he'd made himself!) adorned with candles and the pub sang her Happy Birthday. Now isn't that sweet! Nice to know we (almost) brush with Royalty here in North Wiltshire!

Date: 20th February 2010

Well, today's news is that we've just had our Quality in Tourism assessment and we came out as a "top end" 4*. Just a couple of points short of the "Gold" award, so we'll be make a few tweaks here and there to see if we can achieve the gold award for 2011. We're really pleased with the assessment and it just proves what a lovely place it is (but then I would say that, wouldn't I?). On top of this, we now have Wifi installed in the cottage, so you can bring your laptops and gismos and get connected while you're here. A big bonus!

We have a lovely lady in at the moment from Switzerland who got here by plane, bus and train and is intending to explore the Cotswolds by public transport! I am extremely impressed with this lady's sense of adventure and am intrigued to see how she gets on with our fairly antiquated British transport system.

It's beautiful today. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the bulbs are peeping their heads above the ground. There's a whiff of spring in the air. Before we know it, we'll be donning t-shirts and shorts and sunning ourselves in the gardens...!

Date: 11th January 2010

A belated Happy New Year to all our customers! A new year and we've already booked our 12 weeks!!! October seems to be a popular time and I'm guessing that it's Westonbirt Arboretum that's pulling in the customers. The first week in October and the first week in November are still available, so if you want to see the Autumn Colours (and the display is spectacular!), you could still book to stay here! Also still available is Badminton week in early May. It's prime time, so if you're into all things horsey, why not stay at Braxted for the week - it's only 10 miles from Badminton.

This freezing weather doesn't seem to have caused problems to the happy couple who have come to stay for the whole of January. They are very warm and cosy in our holiday cottage - and the heating has certainly been put to the test!

Date: 6th December 2009

Well, we've nearly made it through our first year and, I have to say, we've really enjoyed running Braxted Cottage. We've met some really interesting people, found out lots about our area (which, to be honest, we should probably have known already!) and been incredibly successful, for some reason, at getting people in. Our lovely holiday cottage has stood up well the the many visitors it's seen. We've had very few teething problems, no breakages and only one minor issue with a dodgy shower rail (now resolved!). All in all, a great season! Thank you to everyone who has been and enjoyed Braxted! We truly look forward to seeing you again in the future. Roll on 2010!

Date: 12th November 2009

Wow! It's been a busy few weeks. We've had short break bookings for several weeks now, meaning lots of changeovers! All those lovely visitors who have stayed have been having a great time. We've had a couple here looking after their daughter who has just had a baby; several couples who came to see the autumn colours; a lovely couple from London who just fancied a break from the city... I'm so pleased with how the cottage is shaping up. Its really come into its own on these dark evenings because its so cosy, lit beautifully, comfortable. I really feel like moving out of my draughty, cold house and moving in there for the winter!

I've been helping my parents with the marketing of their holiday cottage of late. There's is similar to ours in that it, too, is converted from a stable. We share the same sort of taste in furnishings so theirs is similarly modern and comfortable. The big difference is that theirs is in Suffolk in the middle of the countryside. Which brings me to the plug. If you fancy a holiday on the east coast, why not give their cottage a try: Boundary Cottage

Date: 12th October 2009

It just so happens that our last two sets of guests had family nearby. Everyone always told us that we would get a lot of visitors from friends and family of locals who didn't have enough room to put their guests up in their own homes. And they were right! Much to our pleasure - it's always lovely to meet new people, but especially when they have contacts in the area. It turns out that some of them know the area much better than us and can teach us a thing or two!! We're now booked until the end of October and have just confirmed a booking for New Year! This is going better than we ever thought it would and we're loving it! Who would have thought I'd enjoy this tourism lark quite so much! Bring it on!
As an aside, the couple in the cottage this week have come specifically to see the autumn colours at Westonbirt... they're in for a real treat - the forecast is good and those trees are looking absolutely stunning!

Date: 25th September 2009

Our weekend guests had a lovely time with their 2 year old son (who slept in graciously all weekend, giving mum and dad a rare treat!), visiting Cheltenham, Tetbury (and the Prince's shop "Highgrove", Westonbirt Aroretum and then the Cotswold Wildlife Park. The weather continues to be gorgeous this week - lucky for our visitors who are staying nearly two weeks with their 7 month old son - doing lots of walking, a bit of biking and thorough exploration of the area. I went out to the arboretum yesterday for a good tramp around the trees. The colours are just starting to turn, so I took a few pics (see photo gallery). The next 2-3 weeks will be glorious there though, so I will be returning, camera at the ready! Watch this space!

Date: 18th September 2009

Our latests guests have just left, having had a wonderful week. They were pretty lucky with the weather - not a drop fell during their stay! Must have brought the dry stuff over from Suffolk! They did a spot of shopping at the MacCarthur Glenn Outlet in Swindon, spent a day in Bath and a day in Malmesbury where they really enjoyed the Abbey House Gardens and the Abbey. So nice when people are so effusively content with their holiday here - it makes the hard work all worth it!

Date: 14th September 2009

We took ourselves off camping this weekend to have a really good look around the northern part of the Cotswolds. Of course, they are easily accessible from here, but the kids really wanted to camp, so we relented. It was a stunning weekend, we had some lovely walks, visited Chipping Campden and Moreton-on-Marsh and wove our way back to the southern parts along the western escarpment - back down to Westonbirt Arboretum, where we had a good tramp around the trees and lunch in the restaurant. Perfect! Anyone visiting the Cotswolds would have agreed they looked absolutely stunning this weekend. The young guests in our cottage went off to the Cotswold Wildlife Park yesterday - about a 45 min drive from here, and a great day out.

Date: 15th August 2009

We're now well into our bookings, with our third set of guests currently staying in the cottage. So far, so good. Everybody likes the place and I'm getting some fantastic comments ("you just sink into those beds, they're so comfortable"). I'm getting a bit of a handle, too, on the good places to go around here - although we've been here nearly 3 years, we are not actually very clued up on the best bits of the Cotswolds to visit. We mean to put that right. The next couple of weeks will see the family 'on tour' so we can experience first hand all the places we keep recommending but have never actually visited! Watch this space - one day soon I will actually update the "Places to Visit" part of the website!

Date: 3rd July 2009

So, the first week's let is under our belts. What a lovely family! They thoroughly enjoyed the champagne and had a good holiday too. They went to all sorts of places - Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Bath, Malmesbury (of course) and even down to Glastonbury! I loved their comment in our Visitor's book "we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in your first class cottage". Now I'm busy doing my first changeover (well, I'm not as I'm writing this!). Just waiting for the first load of many to finish in the washing machine. Nobody in this week which is a shame, but we're on a roll now with bookings and I have every confidence that we'll get busier and busier. Looking forward to our next guests now.

Date: 26th June 2009

All done. The first guests are arriving this afternoon. The champagne is in the fridge and the rain is POURING down. I was going to get their outdoor seating out, but think I might wait until tomorrow! Took some snaps yesterday, so you can now see what it looks like.

Date: 15th June 2009

I meant to write in that it is now finished, bar the continual cleaning. It looks totally gorgeous and am tempted to move in there myself! We're revving up for taking some nice snaps of the place, so watch this space to see the beautiful place you could be staying in...

Date: 2nd June 2009

And then there was light! What a difference having a bit of light makes! All electrics are now fully functioning. Only a small problem with the location of an extractor fan, but, on the whole, it looks a million dollars in there. Lamps are in. Now on to curtains, pictures and mirrors. We've even put the pot plants next to the front door. It must be nearly finished!

Date: 22nd May 2009

I had to write a quickie...the flooring in the bedrooms, lobby, stairs and bathrooms went down yesterday and it looks amazing! Suddenly Braxted Cottage has turned from a building site into a house! I really can visualise it all finished now. Just some little bits and pieces to do and we're there!

Date: 16th May 2009

Well, this has, unintentionally turned into a monthly blog! Several enquirers over the last few days have commented that they like this part of the site, so I thought it prudent to keep it up to date! It's a beautiful sunny morning here at the Braxteds, and, as we approach the end of May, we are all geared up for those June bookings...all plumbing is completed (the heating works a treat!), the builders have pretty much finished, other than prettying up the driveway... we're just waiting for the elusive electrician, Ryan, to finish off. Carpets are to be fitted on Wednesday, so we're frantically oiling every last bit of wood so we're ready for them. The 1st floor is 95% complete and the wooden floors look fab. The main bulk of the work from here will be fixtures and fittings, which I''m sure my better half, Nigel, will be keen to help out with (he likes his power drill!). Nearly ready to buy that bottle of champoo for the first guests...!

Date: 17th April 2009

Work is flying along. We're well into painting now. The only big jobs left to do are the carpentry and final fix of plumbing and electrics (if only the tradesmen would turn up!). Onto the final leg and we're beginning to choose decor... not long now.

Date: 22nd March 2009

Lots of progress this week. The master bedroom is painted and the skirting boards and door frames are about to go on. I have collected all the oak furniture. It looks FANTASTIC in the space. I can't wait to see it finished now. Still quite difficult to get upstairs without any (stairs, that is). They're coming on Tuesday apparently. The kitchen will arrive tomorrow but I've yet to order that very useful piece of kit - the toilet. Builders reckon they're not that far off finishing! We had our first enquiry today from a chap who lives up the street and needs somewhere to put up family for his daughter's wedding in December...!

Date: 15th March 2009

Well, I've managed to get the web site up and running. Meanwhile, work is still in progress on the cottage. The walls are mostly plastered, but it lacks the basic comforts at the moment, like a wc, running water and any sort of kitchen (not to mention the lack of doors!). We're still looking at a June opening, so if you fancy a break in Malmesbury, give me a call! I reckon it would be worth a bottle of champagne to the first customer...! No short breaks are available during these weeks.