Sunday 18 May 2014

Life is like a box of chocolates................

Hallbottom Farm, Stokenchurch.
To misquote Forrest, Forrest Gump............... finding accommodation on the internet "is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get".

Our visit to Hallbottom Farm in Buckinghamshire, the place I'd chosen for our first night in the UK, didn't get off to the best of starts.
We arrived during a terrible downpour to discover that the house was locked up tight, nobody home but the doggies in the kitchen who were not best pleased to be disturbed.
After waiting 20 minutes for someone to arrive we decided to leave and try and find somewhere else to rest our weary heads. On our way back to the village of Stokenchurch we met another vehicle coming the opposite way, was this our hostess? It was!
Guest sitting room
We turned around and followed her back to the farm where she quickly went about putting on lights and heat, all the while apologizing for making us wait.

Drawing room
Seems the owner of the B&B was away on a sailing holiday and this lady and her sister would be taking care of us in her absence.



I had originally reserved the Old Kitchen guest room on the ground floor however our hostess offered us the Valley Room on the first floor which had a lovely view of the gardens and which we were more than happy to take instead.



After showing us to our room she served tea in the sitting room and also took our order for an "AGA" cooked breakfast, explaining that it would be her sister serving us the following morning as she, herself, had a "day job" to get to!


We woke to an amazing dawn chorus outside our bedroom window, after a cuppa in bed the Senior Partner went outside to try and capture a shot of a Red Kite which are apparently thriving in this part of Buckinghamshire. Sadly, although he spotted two, they were too high up in the sky for him to get the shot.
We thoroughly enjoyed breakfast, the first of many "Full Englishes"  we were to encounter during our trip, it was very good and set us up well for the onward journey.

Still raining!


to be continued....................................

9 comments:

  1. Somewhat disconcerting when one arrives road weary, and wet in your case, and the hosts are absent - that happened to us in Apt, Provence but eventually the lovely lady showed up and our stay couldn't have been better!

    Glad it worked out for you - did look like a lovely place -so English and green in the rain!

    Happy day dear - Mary

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  2. I have decided that bbs are the best places to stay when traveling abroad. We were first introduced to the concept when we stayed in our first one in of all places Nebraska, out in the middle of corn fields in a tiny town of 1200, my husband 's friend had left her job and moved to her husband's home town to take over this grand old house and turn it into a B and B. So when my friend and I took our trip to Scotland, we stayed in a lovely B and B. So, I an enjoying your posts. The place looks wonderful. We hope to return to England, Yorkshire specifically. Next year perhaps.

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  3. I'm glad it all turned out well in the end. There's such anticipation for a warm welcome and a hot cup of tea at the end of a journey. Everything is so green, green, green.

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  4. Maggie, it looks like a charming spot to spend the night. Glad it all worked out smoothly.
    The grounds look gorgeous, all fresh and green after a cleansing rain.
    We had two days of fabulous rain last week. The most we've seen in ages. I was out trimming the spent rose blooms this weekend. With our recent rains they were already starting to put out new growth.
    Looking forward to more of your trip………S

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  5. Aw, I hope the rain stopped! What a lovely spot.

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  6. I'm glad to learn that all ended well - and better!

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  7. So glad it all ended well. It looks like a lovely place to stay. I think B&B's are a strictly English idea, and the rest of the world doesn't know what it's missing.

    Looking forward to hearing more about your further adventures.

    xoxox

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  8. Glad you turned around. It is a charming place to stay and takes me back to Enno's and my stays in B&B's in England. It is the only way to stay there I think. xo Jenny

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  9. A bumpy start can be very jarring but sometimes the "make good" more than makes up for it -- it certainly looks like it happened here -- quite a lovely spot!

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Thanks for stopping by, your visit just made my day!