Number Fifteen B and B

Hoylake Holiday part 3

2011-09-05T11:33:00.003+01:00

Day 5

My suggestions for day 5 of the Hoylake holiday are Chester Zoo, the Outlet Village, or the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port. Or you could do what I did one day this summer and spend the day in the Lake District.

Day 6

Next I suggest a day out in Wales. You could take a scenic drive through Snowdonia and then walk or take the train up Snowdon itself. Or maybe you'd like a trip along the North Wales Coast with a tramride up the Great Orme in Llandudno, followed by a visit to Conwy and the impressive castle. Or spend the day in Llangollen taking a horse-drawn canal boat trip or a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine.

Day 7

Two suggestions for today. The first is to spend the day in Cheshire, maybe touring round the pretty little villages and pubs, the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm or Tatton Park. Or spend your last day at leisure back in Hoylake with a stroll on the beach and lunch in another of our lovely restaurants.

Hoylake Holiday part 2

2011-08-08T17:00:00.003+01:00

Day 3 - Chester. If you don't want to drive you can leave the car at Number Fifteen and take the train from Hoylake. Walk round the walls, see the clock, listen to the Town Crier, explore the rows, the cathedral, the amphitheatre...

Day 4 - Wirral wandering day. Suggestions include Port Sunlight museum and village, the Lady Lever art gallery, Ness Gardens, Parkgate (including a Nicholls' icecream), Church Farm, Thurstaston Hill, plus a stop for lunch in a traditional pub. Lots more suggestions on http://www.visitwirral.com/ .

Hoylake Holiday

2011-08-07T14:56:00.003+01:00

We're now at the stage of the year when more of our guests tend to come for a week, so my next few blog posts will be suggestions of what to do during a holiday in Hoylake.

Day 1 - Why not start with a day in Hoylake and West Kirby? Suggestions include a walk along the promenade, or down the beach to West Kirby past the natterjack toad reserve, a stroll round the lake, and a walk or a boat trip out to Hilbre Island nature reserve to see the seals. Have lunch in one of the lovely cafes or pubs and dinner in one of several excellent restaurants, all within walking distance. And you should sleep well!

Day 2 - The next Hoylake holiday suggestion is to take the "Ferry 'cross the Mersey" and visit Liverpool. You'll be spoilt for choice for what to do - two cathedrals to visit, Anfield tour, Albert Dock and waterfront with several fabulous museums, Beatles tour, shopping in Liverpool One and lots more... Then get the train back to Hoylake in time to eat in another of our local restaurants or pubs.

To the beach!

2011-07-04T17:02:00.002+01:00

We've had some lovely weather over the last few days. Once the B & B jobs were done it was nice to get out for some long walks on the beach. Even better, we managed to pick our routes so that we could have a glass of something chilled in the garden of our local pub on the way back. This morning for a change we cycled along the beach to West Kirby and back. We are very fortunate to have the beach so close.

Young breakfast guests

2011-06-08T11:19:00.002+01:00

This morning there were five young goldfinches on the feeders. The older goldfinches feed there frequently, but don't stay still for very long. These youngsters sat for several minutes watching me watching them.

We've had family groups of guests too. Some have booked the whole place and then had a meal altogether here. Last week we had three generations of a French family staying.

In between looking after all our guests I have managed a few nights away in fascinating Edinburgh and a day in London, including lunch at Jamie's Fifteen.

Wirral Golf Classic

2011-05-18T08:29:00.002+01:00

I notice there is a competition in Golf Monthly to win a place in the Wirral Golf Classic in September. I only have one room left for that week, so if anybody would like B & B overlooking the Royal Liverpool Golf Course..book soon. We've got the Army Strokeplay Championships here this week so breakfasts have been early and all guests out on the course by 7.30am. Other guests have also arrived - wrens have taken over the nest in our front porch which is usually inhabited by swallows. They've done a bit of maintenance on their new home, including blocking up most of the opening so there is just a tiny wren-sized entrance now. I hope they and their family will be very happy at Number Fifteen!

Garden visitors

2011-04-10T18:02:00.002+01:00

We've had some interesting visitors to the garden over the last week or so. The goldfinches now come every day and we have feeders for them in both the front and back gardens. Then a couple of ducks came to explore the garden. Finally room changing slowed down this morning as I watched what I think was a female sparrowhawk, sitting in the tree for 20 minutes or so. The weather has been wonderful again so I've taken full advantage of the opportunities to walk on the beach. Others have reported lots of natterjack toads to be seen but personally I haven't spotted one yet this year. If you've been watching Candy Cabs you'll have seen plenty of shots of this part of the Wirral, particularly the seafronts of Hoylake and West Kirby.

Cycling in the sun

2011-03-29T10:02:00.002+01:00

The weather has been gorgeous for the last week so it has encouraged me to walk and cycle. I've dusted the bike down after the winter and have been out on it a few times. Yesterday's ride was great - I went down the old cinder path to West Kirby, did my shopping, put it in my basket and cycled back. The cinder path has been resurfaced and has a cycle lane. This then links up with the Wirral Way cycle route, so once I build up some stamina(!) I can cycle to Hooton and back...

European Land Yacht Championship

2011-03-18T17:23:00.002Z

In September 2011 this is once again being held in Hoylake. I've just had a booking enquiry from a competitor. One of the great things of being a B & B owner is that you suddenly become interested in things that have passed you by for 50 years, or things you didn't know existed (like the guy who has the fab job of delivering chocolate to certain holes during golf competitions, by remote control truck!). The Land Yacht Championship coincides with the Wirral Golf Classic, so we are in for a busy time. If you are thinking of coming to either I recommend that you book your accommodation early, wherever you choose to stay.

Bird watching

2011-03-08T16:49:00.003Z

This beautiful pheasant has become a frequent visitor to our garden. He enjoys clearing up the bird food from under the feeder. We've had small flocks of goldfinch coming to feed every morning too. I'll try and get a photo but mornings tend to be busy in a B & B! One Sunday a couple of weeks ago we went to a high tide birdwatch at Parkgate, just a few miles away from here. There were lots of birds to see including several short-eared owls. We sometimes see them flying over the golf course in the spring so I must keep an eye out for them over the next few weeks.

Wirral Circular Trail

2011-02-17T16:26:00.002Z

The Wirral Circular Trail passes in front of Number Fifteen. We did this walk last weekend and added in a circuit of the lake in West Kirby too. It is a gorgeous walk at any time of year, with interest added by the changing tides, light, weather and wildlife. There was much going on at the lake too, with sailing, windsurfing and people enjoying a walk in the sunshine. Just occasionally it is hard to remember it is February!

"Wildlife Wonderland"

2011-02-09T09:33:00.003Z

The Wirral was on Countryfile on Sunday night and they filmed so close to Number Fifteen. Matt Baker described this area as a "Wildlife Wonderland" with 120,000 waders and wildfowl visiting during winter. He took a boat over to Hilbre Island (the rest of us have to walk!), where, as well as the birds, you can see seals both on the sandbank and swimming around the island. My photo shows the island as seen from the end of my road.

New breakfast facilities

2011-01-03T10:29:00.002Z

As you can see from the photo we've extended our breakfast facilities and menus for 2011 and already a good number of birds have dropped by to feed. We look forward to welcoming guests old and new during 2011.

Happy Christmas

2010-12-20T12:12:00.002Z

Having worked in Hoylake for over 13 years I know that it is unusual for us to get much snow here. However we've now had significant snow for three years on the run. Once again this weekend guests' plans had to be adapted because of the weather. I hope our Christmas and New Year guests who are all coming to the area to visit family and friends are able to make it. This afternoon is going to be my next round of Christmas baking - time to make the mince pies and a cranberry and orange cake. The rooms are decorated for Christmas and each of the bedrooms has their own little tree. I'd like to wish all Number Fifteen's guests a Happy Christmas and a special hello to those of you who have spent your Christmas here with us over the past couple of years. I look forward to hearing your news and welcoming you back to Number Fifteen before too long.

The "Green"?

2010-11-28T10:26:00.003Z

This was the view of the "green" out of the lounge window yesterday afternoon. We don't get much snow in Hoylake, but we have had a sprinkling this weekend. Wirral's Year of Food is coming to an end with a Christmas Food Fayre next weekend in Port Sunlight. Claire Lara, this year's winner of Masterchef - The Professionals, is one of several local chefs demonstrating on the Christmas Hamper Stage. We still have availability if you fancy making a weekend of it.

Winter Sunrise

2010-11-25T08:02:00.003Z

One of the nice things about getting up early to cook breakfasts is that I see things that those still with their curtains (or even eyes) closed may miss. We get the most amazing winter sunrises over the golf course and on this occasion I had my camera handy. The view is always different, whether it is the light, the golfers or the wildlife and our guests seem to love it.

Bonfire night

2010-11-06T10:28:00.002Z

I love living in Hoylake. There always seems to be something going on. This weekend we've had the bonfire and fireworks on the beach, followed by "Sparks in the Park" on Sunday. Market Street now has fabulous banners hanging from the lampposts with some great photos of the events and attractions of the area. And yesterday morning I saw something I though was wonderful....a group of 30 or so cycling along the promenade at 8am. Not the local cycling club this time, but a group of Mums, Dads and kids cycling to school in convoy. What a cool way to get to school!

Pumpkin Soup

2010-10-22T15:03:00.004+01:00

This week's flower arranging task was such fun. The lantern-like stems are physallis, also known as cape gooseberries I think. They look stunning. And even better, once the arrangement was made I used the remaining flesh of the pumpkin to make soup. Waste not want not!

Sunny October

2010-10-15T11:27:00.003+01:00

September was a very busy month here, right to the end. So, at the beginning of October, we took some time off and went for a lovely sunny week in Portugal. An unexpected bonus was coming back from holiday to some still-warm October weather and the sight of people swimming in the sea at the end of our road. We're almost fully booked through till the end of October. This weekend we have wedding guests, hence the heart-shaped flower arrangement. I've decided flowers and food are both very hard for an amateur to photograph well, so you'll have to believe me that the arrangement looks good on the bookcase and that Nigella's rocky road bars are being consumed at a rate that suggest the guests like them!

Yet more food!

2010-09-17T12:19:00.002+01:00

Last weekend I had a day out at the Ludlow Food Festival. The sun shone, the place was buzzing and, importantly, there was lots of lovely food to sample both in the Festival site and around the town. Back at the B and B we've been busy with international guests. The Wirral Golf Classic is on and over the week we'll have had American, Dutch and Swedish golfers here, along with some more local guests too. As ever the chocolate brownies seem to have gone down well. I've also been making breakfast dishes from the local fruit, damson compote and spiced plums.

Bank Holiday Weekend

2010-09-01T09:02:00.003+01:00

As predicted it was a busy time. We were full here with golfers for the competition plus there was a lot going on in the area. On Sunday we went to the Wirral Food and Drink Festival at Claremont Farm. I thoroughly enjoyed the three cookery demonstrations we saw, including one by Aiden Byrne (Britain's youngest Michelin starred chef, who now has a restaurant in the Wirral). The place was buzzing with lots of great food stalls, local restaurants cooking al fresco, and people eating lunch in the large teepees or sitting on hay bales listening to live music in the sun. I'd happily have gone back for the second day on the Monday as there was lots more to see, but it was Lifeboat Day here in Hoylake which is always a big event. The weather was glorious and large numbers of people came to visit the lifeboat and watch the amazing aerial displays.

High Tides

2010-08-22T17:08:00.003+01:00

It has continued to be a busy summer here and we've welcomed lots of guests, some of them newcomers but also many who have stayed here previously. Next weekend we have the Open Scratch Mixed Foursomes, plus Lifeboat Day in Hoylake and the Wirral Food and Drink Festival. I am full with guests of course but I hope to get the opportunity to visit the Festival and also to see some of the aerial displays over the beach here. Talking of the beach - we had some very high tides a week or so ago. I had to chuckle when I passed one of the Hoylake bars, Tides, to see they had a big sign outside saying "Hire Tides".

Wirral wildlife

2010-07-23T17:38:00.003+01:00

Over the last few weeks we've been watching the development of a family of pheasants who live out on the golf course. On a couple of occasions the parents and three little balls of fluff were seen at breakfast time. Mum stayed on one side of the path that runs behind our house, Dad on the other, and the babies scuttled between the two. Makes a change from watching the golf whilst you eat! I saw the babies with their Mum again today and they are now small pheasants and wonderfully camouflaged. It has been a good week for wildlife..we were walking along the beach one evening and spotted a natterjack toad. Then our longer walk this week was to Hilbre Island where there were plenty of seals to watch, both on the sandbank and swimming close to the shore. If you look carefully at the photo you may spot the pheasant..I have an equally challenging one of the natterjack toad!

Wirral walks

2010-07-14T11:34:00.004+01:00

Gosh, over a month since I last posted. You can probably guess that it has been a busy one at Number Fifteen with a wide variety of guests, including competitors for the Brabazon Trophy. I've managed a few other things inbetween beds and breakfasts, including a walk down the beach to check on the natterjack tadpoles. When I last went to look they had become tiny toads. That was an easy walk on a beautiful sunny day. This week's walk was rather longer - we took the train to Hamilton Square in Birkenhead and walked back along the River Mersey, via New Brighton, and along the coastal path to Number Fifteen. Slightly stiff legs after the 12 mile walk, but I've recovered now.

Perfect pasta?

2010-06-08T08:37:00.004+01:00

I've just spent five wonderful days in Tuscany. The places we visited were superb and there is so much more to see that I can't wait to go back. The food also was fabulous - we had so many great meals, including a fantastic ravioli with truffles in the main square in Siena. One of my favourite parts of the trip was the cookery lesson in the hotel kitchen. We all got involved making pasta dough and then each had to make our short fat strip of pasta into spaghetti (see mine in the photo!). A very tasty tomato sauce was made, the pasta cooked, and we all stood in the kitchen eating our handiwork. Fab!

It was straight back into a busy weekend when I got home. The Royal Liverpool Golf Club was holding the Harold Hilton Tournament and we had American, Swedish and British competitors staying here. This week we have a mixture of guests here for different reasons, including one who is on a course at Hoylake Sailing School. I just love the variety of this job.

Wirral ways

2010-05-19T12:47:00.002+01:00

On Sunday I walked with a group of friends on one of my favourite local walks, along the beach to West Kirby and back. The tide was in and, thankfully, the weather was sunnier and warmer than on the day I took this photo. The kite surfers were out and, by the time we got to West Kirby, groups of walkers were gathering to walk out to Hilbre Island. On our walk we passed the Natterjack Toad Reserve. We were delighted to see the little stream by the reserve full of tadpoles and, putting two and two together, it seems likely they are junior natterjacks. I must go back and see how they progress in a week or two.

I also paid a visit to Church Farm Thurstaton to buy some of their wonderful Wirral asparagus. It was cut, graded, cooked and eaten on the same day, and tasted delicious too. If you visit Wirral during the asparagus season, do go and buy some.

Another boating lake

2010-05-09T17:55:00.005+01:00

Last week's photo was of the large Marine Lake in West Kirby. This week things are on a smaller scale, with a photo of the newly refurbished boating lake next to Hoylake Lifeboat Station. It was a lovely sunny day and we walked along the promenade to see the boats in action. You might just be able to make out the sand yacht and parakarts far out on the beach.

Dining in West Kirby

2010-05-03T09:07:00.004+01:00

There are so many great places to eat in Hoylake that when we do go out for a meal we tend to choose somewhere here, our favourite being the Portrait House which I've mentioned before in this blog. Last night we decided to go the extra mile (approximately!) and we went to West Kirby. It was a bit chilly to walk round the marine lake but we had plenty of choices of where to eat. We decided to go to the Indian restaurant Karma which has an excellent reputation. We weren't disappointed, the decor was stylish, the service excellent and the food delicious. I hope it won't be long before we have another evening free to go back.

A vase full of golf balls

2010-04-22T18:46:00.004+01:00

For years I've been buying flower arrangements from the wonderful Eden Floral Design (http://www.edenfloraldesign.co.uk/) in West Kirby. When I popped in a few weeks ago they were advertising a flower arranging course. I've been wanting to do one for a long time and their designs are so modern that I knew it would be good. But it is better than good, it is amazing. This week we made our first proper arrangement, to a theme of our own choice. Mine was themed around the B and B, with haricot beans and a baked bean tin involved. Trish is a brilliant teacher and I came home astounded that anybody could teach me so much in such a short time! The photo is of the arrangement I made in the lesson. Just to prove it was all my own work I came home and made a second one, this time with golf balls in the vase.

Cycling at 7am

2010-04-15T16:52:00.004+01:00

We were busy last weekend with visitors to the Grand National. This weekend we have mainly golfers staying. For the last two mornings my guests have all been up and out to work early. I've taken advantage of the sunny mornings to go for an early morning bike ride, along the Hoylake promenade to Meols, and continuing on towards Leasowe lighthouse. The views have been absolutely beautiful and I'm sure the exercise has done me good too. The photo of the lighthouse isn't very good as my batteries were running out (the camera ones that is, not my own!).

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T14:20:00.003+01:00

Happy Easter everyone. Isn't it nice now the days are brighter and longer and the spring flowers are blooming? Number Fifteen is busy with Easter guests. It seems incredible that this is the third Easter we've been open. The time has gone so quickly. And I've just realised that all our guests this weekend are on at least their third visit to Number Fifteen.

The generation game

2010-03-18T12:33:00.004Z

This last weekend we had two separate sets of people staying at Number Fifteen. Not unusual, but what was rather nice was that in both cases their parents had also stayed here. Good to know that we get recommended to other family members. Although we've been full all week once again it was a quiet one on the catering front, with all our guests just requiring breakfast. I have however sorted out the photos from the afternoon tea I did the previous week and thought I would post one here. I'm taking a weekend off myself and am going to Nice. Nice has something like 300 sunny days a year and yet there is heavy rain forecast for both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. And what is more it has been sunny most of this week in Hoylake!

Hilbre Island Walk

2010-03-11T15:13:00.005Z

We had a great group of people here this weekend, a family meeting up to celebrate a 50th birthday. They had grown up in Hoylake and were full of interesting stories of Hoylake 40 or so years ago. One had delivered newspapers to Number Fifteen when he was a boy, several of the group had been in this house as youngsters, and between them they remembered much about the various houses and occupants of Stanley Road in those days.

Saturday morning, at low tide, the whole family walked out to Hilbre Island Nature Reserve, armed with packed lunches from Number Fifteen. They returned in time for afternoon tea and birthday cake served in the lounge here, before heading out to dinner in one of the Hoylake restaurants.

Open Golf 2014

2010-02-17T16:54:00.003Z

We had very exciting news yesterday when it was announced that the Royal Liverpool Golf Club will host the Open Championship in 2014. Our guest bedrooms and lounge overlook the course so there will be great views from Number Fifteen.

Spring is in the air

2010-02-11T14:08:00.003Z

It is a beautiful day here, crisp and cold but with blue sky and sunshine. The views look great and it is lovely to see all the spring bulbs we planted last year gradually appearing around the garden. We've bought all our summer bedding as plug plants and are gradually bringing these on. The really time-consuming bit comes later in the spring when all two hundred of them need to be put outside every morning and brought in at night.

Happy Birthday

2010-01-18T10:24:00.004Z

The last two weeks have certainly been busy. I had one of those special birthdays (half a century) which happened to be on the day that the snow first fell heavily on the Wirral. After receiving a fabulous surprise present from my family (which I'll show you in a future post) we then spent 6 hours in the car on a journey that normally takes an hour. We did get back just in time to go out for dinner at The Portrait House http://www.theportraithouse.co.uk/ . We are so lucky to have such a lovely restaurant within walking distance. A few days later came the birthday party, at Number Fifteen, which was another lovely evening, notable amongst other things for several guests arriving in the unusual combination of black ties and walking boots.

Family reunions

2010-01-01T10:53:00.003Z

Amongst our other guests this Christmas season we welcomed a lady from America and her mother who lives in Lincolnshire. This lovely lady used to live on the Wirral but had lost touch with her relatives, including her sisters, over 40 years ago when she moved away. Her daughter had discovered via the Internet that many relatives were still in this area and arrangements were put in place from America for an exciting series of reunions. Number Fifteen was the venue for several gatherings of relatives, some of whom had never met our guests before, and it certainly was a memorable Christmas for this particular family.

Happy Christmas

2009-12-23T19:44:00.003Z

Look what I saw in Liverpool the other day!

Just a quick post this week to wish a Happy Christmas to all our guests, past, present and yet to come.

Christmas Preparations

2009-12-13T11:16:00.005Z

This has been my Christmas preparation week. I've decorated the trees, one in the guest lounge and one in our lounge, and placed decorated smaller trees in each of the guest bedrooms. The main Christmas baking is done and the Christmas meals planned. I've been into both Chester and Liverpool shopping and have bought most of the presents now. The wheel in Liverpool One looks magnificent, although I was definitely not brave enough to go on it!

918 meals

2009-12-06T11:56:00.003Z

It has been a while since I last posted. The main reason is that, in addition to running the B & B, I was doing the catering for a residential trip with the school where I used to teach. This involved making hot meals for 102 people for two nights in a log cabin in the Lake District, and catering for 918 meals in total! I turned to my favourite chefs for recipes and the children enjoyed Delia Smith, James Martin and Nigella Lawson dishes. One of the favourites, and very popular with B & B guests too, was James Martin's chocolate brownie recipe, available here at http://www.uktv.co.uk/ . I make this a lot, it freezes well, you can double up the quantities, it is very good served at room temperature, and even better warmed.

Outside my log cabin there were pheasants and when I got home I was delighted to see that the pheasants have returned to our garden at Number Fifteen. I haven't managed to get a good photo of them in the garden yet, but these three were just by the golf course.

A busy week

2009-11-16T07:59:00.003Z

It has been a busy week in the B & B and an even busier weekend all round. Friday night I went to see Ralph McTell as part of the annual Wirral Guitar Festival. As ever, he gave a very entertaining performance. Then on Sunday I went to another concert in the festival, this time by John Williams. It was a real privilege to hear one of the best guitarists in the world. Both concerts were at the excellent Pacific Road Theatre in Birkenhead. Between concerts I managed to fit in a trip to Bridgnorth, followed by wine tasting at a Shropshire vineyard. Today I have lots of beds to change and rooms to do, ready for new guests.

Bonfire on the Beach

2009-11-09T15:09:00.003Z

I was away this weekend and so missed the annual bonfire on the beach by the Sailing Club in Hoylake. I gather it rained, but John just about managed to take a photo of the bonfire and fireworks. Last year I did go, and so did some of our B and B guests. It was chilly rather than wet, and we all came back to Number Fifteen for homemade soup and a cheesy leek pasta dish.

This morning the sun was shining and, once the B and B rooms were all done, I went out on my bike for a lovely ride along the promenade and past Hoylake lifeboat station. There were quite a few shelducks amongst the birds on the sands today.

Recipe of the month - Fruity Flapjack

2009-11-02T16:31:00.005Z

I'm often asked for recipes by guests who stay at Number Fifteen. This flapjack recipe currently holds the record for being the most frequently requested.

Fruity Flapjack

12oz oats

6oz butter

2oz sugar

3 tablespoons golden syrup

dried fruit - I add chopped dried apricots and chopped dates

Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan.

Mix in the oats and dried fruit.

Put into a greased swiss roll tin and bake at 160° for 20 minutes.

Bedrooms with a View

2009-10-24T14:18:00.003+01:00

One thing our guests comment on are the views – the rooms look over the Royal Liverpool Golf Course and, depending on where you are in the house, you can see the Clubhouse, the River Dee, Hilbre Island, the sea, the Welsh Hills, plenty of golfers and a variety of birds, including on occasions pheasants in the garden and, if you are very fortunate, owls flying over the course. Now we have a new “View” in each of the rooms. West Wirral magazine “View” recently featured an editorial about Number Fifteen and copies have joined our coffee table reading selection. This glossy magazine also includes articles about several of the high quality eating establishments in the area, something which is always of interest to the guests.

Oh, and I got the bike and have been for my first ride down to the beach in Hoylake.

On your bike!

2009-10-17T14:48:00.002+01:00

Right from the planning stage for the B and B I had always intended to get a new bike, with, and this is vital to me, a wicker basket on the front. It has taken me well over two years to get round to it as other jobs always seemed more urgent, but finally this week I have chosen the bike, and the basket, and should be able to collect on Thursday. We have excellent local shops where I am able to buy good quality breakfast ingredients and the bike will give me another option when I haven’t got time to walk but don’t really need to take the car.

Talking of walking, the weather was so beautiful this week that I decided to stroll along the beach to West Kirby and visit one of the many good cafés there. Half way along the beach I bumped into a former colleague, who I haven’t seen for years, and she told me that 40 something years ago she held her 21st birthday party in the lounge at Number Fifteen. Another idea that I’ve had for a while (like buying a bike) is to try and piece together the history of the house and discovering this may just spur me on.

The MP visits

2009-10-09T16:05:00.003+01:00

Number Fifteen had another special visitor this week when Wirral West MP Stephen Hesford called in to have a look round. He was very complimentary about the place and even suggested that he might mention us to the Parliamentary golf team.

I love the coincidences that emerge when I talk to the B and B guests. One of my favourites concerns two ladies who live in Reigate, Surrey, and who bumped into each other in the High Street one morning. One, having just been on holiday here, recommended Number Fifteen to the other, who had announced she was shortly to visit Hoylake. Both ladies have now made repeat visits here, although not yet both at the same time.

There was another coincidence this week. A couple of guests from Bedfordshire had told us about their labrador which was being looked after back at home. They were out for a walk yesterday and stopped to chat to one of our neighbours who happened to be walking his golden labrador. They commented on how very similar the neighbour’s dog was to theirs. Incredibly it turned out that the two dogs were sisters and had come originally from Preston.

A novel week

2009-10-03T14:59:00.001+01:00

It is fair to say that every week at Number Fifteen is different. This week certainly had a "novel" feature. I'd been contacted by Liverpool journalist Jane, who is researching material for a novel she is writing featuring a 40 something year old woman (rather closer to 50 in my case!) who makes a career change and opens a B and B. Having discovered that I had done this myself just over two years ago she came out to interview me and to get a feel for what running a B and B is like. Even better, she's offered her services to help out for a day later in the autumn.

Earlier in the week we were delighted to receive the photo souvenirs of Number Fifteen's team win at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Congratulations to Chris, a guest, and Colin, our wonderfully supportive bank manager. We hope you enjoy the photos and also your prize golf bags.