Spring, or is it summer?

We’ve had a wonderful April, with the weather being fantastic it has brought a lot of guests to our region – and more importantly, staying with us. It’s certainly been our busiest month so far. Norman and I were lucky enough over Easter to even sit out in our garden – the first time together since we moved here!!! Our guests certainly made use of the swing seat on the west patio, as it has wonderful views.

There are so many activities going on during this spring – with a walk from Dolanog for a 3-4 mile tour (almost up to our house) and then a barbecue afterwards… always a lovely way to meet-up with our neighbours. And my homemade cheesecake disappeared quickly! Our dogs enjoyed the exercise too – even if we don’t do much walking nowadays, at least we can do this once a year!

Also, there’s been quite a few rally’s held locally; from the Bulldog Rally back at the beginning of April, through to a bike rally and then the MG event in Llanfair Caereinion. So, something motorised for everyone to enjoy.

Coming up at Lake Vyrnwy over the coming few weeks: a sponsored walk around the lake, birdsong recognition and a dawn chorus event from the RSPB, SpringWatch will be back for bird ringing and you can even learn to be a Nature Detective – how to learn about nature with the clues it gives us. For more information on events at Lake Vyrnwy, or the Welshpool area, click here.

Countryfile returned to Lake Vyrnwy in March, to update on the news about the tallest tree in Britain having to be felled – that storm I mentioned in the last blog had a lot to answer for. Then there is the 2 page spread about the lake and the environs in the latest Countryfile magazine, as part of Julia Bradbury’s great days out features.

We retained our 4* status with Visit Wales, so we’re obviously maintaining the standards we set when we first opened. I was particularly relieved; as it’s like having to sit an exam all over again… never did much like them at school! Our assessor was impressed with the few more touches we’ve added – nice and comfy leather tub chairs in the guest lounge.

Something which has proved popular with our guests is my banana and chocolate chip muffins. It’s become the welcome treat on arrival, along with a choice of teas or coffee. Very much enjoyed when the weather was fantastic and it could be taken on the patio! So, for those that have asked, here’s the recipe – Courtesy of Lesley Jones of Chelmsford – in the Macmillan cancer support “The Little Book of Treats” which is full of lovely little teatime specials:

 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:     125g (4½oz) butter

175g (6oz) soft brown sugar

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 medium eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract or essence

175g (6oz) plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

100g pack plain/milk chocolate chips

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Method:           Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas mark 4.

Line some muffin tins with 12 paper cases.

1. Melt the butter either in a bowl in the microwave or a saucepan over a gentle heat. Add the sugar, bananas, beaten egg and vanilla extract and mix together well.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into another bowl. Add the chocolate chips and then fold in the banana mixture.

3. Divide between the muffin cases equally and bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm but springy to touch.

Finally an update

Well, thought it was about time I updated everyone. We’ve had a busy few months since I last posted a blog…

Firstly the snow and then the cold spell were unprecedented. I believe Wales had a new November record for the lowest recorded temperature! We suffered a burst pipe during that period, which caused one room to be out of action – it needed a new carpet and complete redecoration. Fortunately the bed and bedding only got wet and was fine once it had dried out, and then washed.  Once the snow settled in we had the very cold period, but it was quite stunningly beautiful. The deepest snow we had been 10 inches in places, so it was also very quiet.

Then February rolled in with a vengeance… we had the windiest weekend I can ever recall, which lasted for nearly 5 days, non-stop gales and with gusts of up to 90mph. These winds were the culprit for damaging the tallest tree in the UK up at Lake Vyrnwy (see the Countryfile program on March 20th). Also the rain on the Saturday was the cause of some flooding on the main road into Welshpool, and even our bridge became a ford again on our drive! That was a shocker for us…

However, the weather in April has been lovely, so far. With odd days being a bit dull, with some mizzle (not quite drizzle but a little more than mist!) and yet it’s pleasant to be outside. I am sure there have been some new records for April temperatures – it’s been positively scorching this past weekend.

We have a few lambs in one field, most are not due to arrive till the end of April, but these ones are shy, and sticking very close to their Mum’s… although they soon come to the trough for feeding! We’ve also had 5 rams resident for a couple of months, and they’re entertaining too – and just as shy.

Bonnie & Beau have been very lucky in the last couple of weekends, with the guests taking them off for a walk – a treat for them, and meant some extra time for us to do other things!

I suppose the biggest news for us was being chosen as one of the top 50 B&B’s in the UK by The Independent newspaper – to say we were thrilled would be an understatement. Click here to see the complete list.

So, for 2011 we’re off to a flying start, with some returning guests and new ones from as far afield as Argentina… Hopefully the weather we’ve had so far this month will be a portent of things to come, so everyone can see why we chose to move to Mid Wales.

And something new to this blog, we will be posting some reviews by our guests – as they often put it better than us. Here’s our first:

First Time Review of Mid Wales Bed and Breakfast

New to staying in a Bed and Breakfast, we have had the most wonderful time and would certainly recommend Mid Wales and especially Lake Vyrnwy to anyone.

We cannot fault Gwaenynog Farmhouse B&B; the atmosphere, the scenery and the remarkable attention to detail all make for a highly relaxing stay that really let us get the most out of all Mid Wales has to offer.

We spent a lot of time at Lake Vyrnwy where there are plenty of outdoor activities and stunning views, and we equally enjoyed amateur bird spotting from the comfort of the Bed and Breakfast – a particular highlight being seeing the woodpecker and nearly catching sight of the owl!

Thank you so much to Fiona and Norman for a really excellent first Bed and Breakfast experience!

Mike and Sarah Simpson, Bournemouth