Kendal again today and the traffic was chaotic, it turned out it was roadworks with some temporary traffic lights that were causing the mayhem.This is not the roadworks but a country version.
The weather took a turn for the worse as we headed back to Sawrey and it is pouring down at the moment.
The computer should be back tomorrow, a hard drive failure has been confirmed.

I am not to clever on computers but I am aware when you turn them on you should not hear a clunking banging sound,this is what happened to the Buckle Yeat machine this morning, I rang the expert and he informed me we had a hard drive failure, the computer has been dispatched to the experts and should be back on Friday along with a large bill.
It has been a busy day which started early due to some guests requiring an early breakfast so they could take one of their party to catch a bus to London.
We have had nice e-mail from North Carolina requesting some accommodation, unfortunately we are unable to fit them in, it's a shame because they are blog fans and have said some really positive things about the blog which is always nice.

Sorry more technical problems are stopping me post photos.

The blogger was having problems last night so we were un able to update.
It was a showery day all day yesterday but it was very localised, we had guests who went to the races at Cartmel and they only had an odd shower early on.
Teas were very quiet for a Bank Holiday Monday, in fact we almost gave up at 3pm, but then we had a late invasion.

We finished quite early though and so between the showers we had a walk round the block and down Cuckoo Brow lane.

It's Matthews last day of the working week today and he is in Hawkshead.
Just the one change over today, we have a few rooms in all week which makes life easier.

Sunshine and showers all day, lots of people tried to sit out but the rain kept coming and chasing them indoors.
I heard a 9 year old tell the following joke to her mother, " how do you make a squirrel cry?" and the answer is " pinch his nuts" it made me laugh but the mother was a bit stunned.



Matthew has gone to his mates in Kendal for a couple of hours, he will have to get back for work in the morning.
Thunder and lightning tonight so I have disconnected Matthews and Buckle Yeat computers and will have to turn this one off asap

A busy morning and another big exodus from Buckle Yeat, a full house again tonight though and everyone has arrived, the last were two ladies from Essex Pat and dally who kindly brought Helen some flowers,we have some more regulars in for a few days, Ian, Faye and their two teenagers Alex and Genna.

A good win for Liverpool today, all wins are good.

We spotted the weatherman Francis Wilson in the village this afternoon,he had his brolly with him so he was not sure about the forecast.
Before tea we headed up Stoney lane, we walked round Moss Eccles and back into the village and we never saw anyone, Bank Holiday!!

A misty start but the sun soon burnt off any clouds, everyone left this morning including my new mate Gareth aged 9 from Norfolk, he was here for 4 days with his grandparents, really friendly people. Gareth and his grandad are massive Norwich United fans and will be at the game tomorrow, I will be keeping a look out for Norwich results with them in mind from now on.

I cut the grass at Buckle Yeat,at home and at Denis & Margarets this morning, then this afternoon the rain arrived and it has gone cool.
The last new guests arrived at 7.30 which is good for a bank holiday Friday, I think we might pop to the Tower later.

Yesterday we spotted a film crew in the village, we recognised that it was Border TV and when we watched the early evening news it all came to light, a gentleman has wrote a thriller set in the village and was promoting it, I think it comes out in the new year.





A quick supermarket dash in Kendal and then back to Ambleside for a visit to the dentist, what a great way to spend an afternoon off.
Things did look up though, we called in to see Matthew at the Ambleside outdoor shop, we then headed home via the Drunken Duck at Barngates were we had a pint and a half of Tag Lag before going home to put the shopping away.

We did call in at the Tower early doors last night, they were very busy with food orders, Anthony was on duty, Martin had was off yesterday he had been asked to judge the wine at Hawkshead Show, I have not seen him today to ask how it went.



I took this picture this afternoon, it is of Bev who used to do a Beatrix Potter walk for the visitors but the powers that be decided to cut the funding.
she is here telling the group with her all about Buckle Yeat and it's connections with Beatrix Potter

It's been a brilliant day for Hawkshead Show despite the forecast of rain.
The village has been quiet today, a lot of people have been at the show apparently.
Denis & Margaret have gone into Kendal on a shopping and hairdresser mission.
We have one room free tonight and no callers as yet but it is getting to the time most people start to look.
The Tower Bank which is open all day now seems to do well early evening, there always seems to be quite a few early doors drinkers on the front, I might join them in while.

A beautiful sunny evening so we had a sit out with the papers after work and then a short walk down to the fish farm and back, on the way back under the trees the temperature was really beginning to drop. I carried on up to Buckle Yeat and put a match to the fire, we don't need a fire but it looks more welcoming.

Back to summer today with lots of sunshine and high temperatures.
14 B&B guests in tonight and all arrived by late afternoon so we will get a walk later.
Matthew has had a day off today but then I think he has 8 days work without a break, a piece of cake.
Heather, who helps with teas is rushing off to get all her things ready for Hawkshead Show tomorrow, she is entering quite a number of things including bread, shortcake and rum butter.

All guests arrived by tea time so while the weather was good we set off on a walk down the dub through the woods and past the church then back home.





These are a group of young pheasants being reared for the shoot, we had to herd them down the lane.



We had rack of lamb for tea and it was fantastic.
We then watched a BBC2 program called "Into the ring of Fire" Matthew and Sarah had been to a lot of the places and we even recognised some places from their photographs.

A much quieter day in the tearooms this morning, I think they all called in yesterday.
We had a count up of the Mr McGregor funds and took £60 up to Jane for the playground fund, not bad in less than 3 weeks.
The rain is just keeping off and a few people are risking sitting out in the garden.

A couple of no shows last night, I sat up till midnight and they never did show up. We have a telephone number that does not work so we are unable to ring them, we do have a credit card number that does work so no doubt we will hear from them in due course. You do wonder what could have happened for them not to turn up and not contact us to cancel.
It was very busy this morning,long queues in the rain for Hill Top resulting in lots of people waiting for their timed ticket entry, Buckle Yeat is the place to wait.




So far lots of flowers on the marrow plant but no sign of any marrows forming, that is till today, at least one is starting to grow, better late than never, but not much time till the marrow show so I will not be troubling the judges in the heavy class, I was always a bit late in planting them.

It started off dry this morning with a heavy mist over the lake, I took these pictures on the way to work, a good job because the rain has set in and a walk tonight is out of the question. It has gone quite cool this afternoon in fact I have lit the fire in the lounge at Buckle Yeat as we await the incoming guests.
The village been pretty quite as Hill Top is closed today. Denis and Margaret have gone out for their shopping and Matthew is at work in Coniston today.

Kendal this afternoon. We did a quick shop and I had a haircut. Called at the shop to see Alan and Dad and picked up a couple of belated birthday presents ie. a couple of bottles.

After we unloaded the shopping we set off up Coopers Lane and around by Moss Eccles, We took the camera but the battery was flat! We had to run back down because the big rainstorm caught us up. We just managed to avoid getting soaked.

The traffic problem arose again this morning and the National Trust had to deploy a parking attendant to make sure the car park was used efficiently.
We had a really busy day in the tea room and because it started to rain we had to seat everyone indoors.






I had to go to Hawkshead this evening and it was very busy down there with the camp site packed, these are a few pictures around the village.



We have a mixed set of guests in again including people from Prague, Australia and Japan.

Traffic chaos in Sawrey this morning with the Hill Top car park full and cars queuing to get on, this was made worse by the cars off the ferry arriving into the village and the cars were tailed back past Hill Top.
The guy who was about with the horses yesterday arrived back into the village in a horse drawn gypsy caravan, he was heading to Newby Bridge and had taken a wrong turn, he decided to turn back.

We had a very nice evening at the Garth Wedding party last night, it was a very well organised and civlised occasion with good beer and wine with some really good cheese and pate. The band were excellent and played until about 11:30, we left about 11:15.

It has been a cooler day but no rain till later on.



A couple turned up at the Tower riding heavy horses without saddles.

We have been on another part of Matthews trek in South America via his photos, tonight we have been to Bolivia and Chile.
No walk tonight due to the rain which has now cleared but the light has gone.
We had a room free but a couple rang from Lytham this morning and booked it, we are full all week.

All action today in the village, lots of wedding party guests arriving,Japanese tourists by the coach load and to cap it all the mountain rescue service was called out to an incident on Claife Heights, a mountain bike rider had come a cropper and sustained back injuries, the Coniston Mountain Rescue team had stabilised him and brought him off the tops and the ambulance picked him up from outside the Tower Bank Arms, hopefully they were being over cautious and he makes a full recovery.





The wedding party at the Garth is in full swing and we have been asked to join the party so we will pop up for a few drinks later.

A gardening day with grass to cut and hedges to trim.
Only two rooms check out this morning and two rooms in. One couple have come down from Edinburgh on the train and I picked them up from the ferry.

When the last couple arrived we went for a walk down to Esthwaite Water, plenty of fisherman were in evidence and they seemed to be catching plenty of fish.






The rabbits are causing problems down by the lake.



There is a wedding party at the Garth tomorrow, they will be celebrating the marrige of Anna and Alastair, these clever signs have appeared tonight.

We did not hang about in Kendal to long, shopping is not a favorite pastime for either of us.
When we got back the and put all the shopping away the sun came out so we went for a walk up to Moss Eccles, on the way down we could hear the sheep making a din, when we got to them we realised why, in one field were the sheep and in the other their lambs, they must have just been separated for the first time and they did not like it.

Overcast this morning,we are off shopping later. Chaos at the airports today,we have 6 Americans due in today fortunately they are already in the UK

Mark and Carole from Purley sent us the picture below, they claimed to have kidnapped Mr McGregor and are demanding a ransom, it made me laugh.

Another busy breakfast and a few rooms left this morning, a really friendly Japanese couple arrived and are keen to talk English, they are both teachers and have already invited us to Japan.

It has been a showery blustery day with a few people sitting outside when the sun did shine.



Matthew went to Kendal and he set off to the ferry, the ferry was off so he headed to Ambleside but got stuck behind a bus and a wagon that had met on the road at Outgate and neither was giving way, after waiting for ages nothing was moving so he had to turn around a second time and go round by Newby Bridge.

Put in your diary, Quiz night at Braithwaite Hall tomorrow night 8pm

Another bright start to the day, nobody left Buckle Yeat this morning, it makes a change.
I was talking to an American guest who arrived yesterday, he was taking a lot of pictures with a serious looking camera, it turns out he teaches photography in the USA.




Many many pictures were taken of Mr McGregor today, the Japanese do not seem to get the idea of putting some change in the pot after taking photos. I will have to try and get a translation into Japanese giving them a hint.


A Sawrey garden

Just as we decided to go walk the rain came so we gave up on the idea, after tea we spent a couple of hours on a tour of Peru courtesy of Matthew and Sarahs photos from their trip, stunning pictures.

The Sawrey and Cunsey Social group are holding a quiz evening in the Braithwaite Hall,refreshments of wine, cheese and savouries will be included, the cost will be £5 with reductions for children and the date is this Thursday the 10th August at 8pm everyone is welcome





A perfect sunny day and it was busy in the village, we received two parcels from USA this morning, one from a lady called Karen who stayed with us a while ago, she sent a book which is a fictional tale of Sawrey and surrounding area. The other parcel was from Buena in Seattle and it was four framed photographs, they were shots we had posted on the blog in the winter.

We had another BBQ tonight and then went a walk through the woods towards the church, Matthew came with us, he had a call from his mate Tangwyn who now lives in London, when we got back Matthew returned his call.

Pete and Lynn left for home this afternoon, we had a good night out with them last night, two nights out on the trot take their toll though. They went a walk this morning
and took the dog from the Tower with them, a collie called Cody belonging to Martin and Janette.
We had a bit of rain this afternoon but after tea it eased so we headed up the Moss Eccles round, the first walk for a week due to floods, power cuts and the weather.
A full house again tonight,its got busy at last.

A warm muggy day but it stayed dry.
Hill Top was busy from first thing so that meant we were busy too, strawberries and cream seemed to be the order of the day and we just about sold out.
We are out again tonight, we are going to the Porthole in Bowness with Pete and Lynn, they had booked it for themselves and Dave & Vanessa who come with them but Dave & Vanessa had to cancel.


Spot the difference



We had plenty of people taking his photo but they seemed a bit shy parting with their loose change, I have printed a little reminder out for tomorrow.

A full house for breakfast this morning, Pete and Lynn ( New Year gang) arrived last night so we went up to the Tower for a drink last night and it was quite busy with locals later on.
Mr McGregor is out on the bench at some departing guests request for a photo opportunity.

Shopping day is here again, we crossed the water this morning and then called in to see Dad and Alan at the shop. Had some lunch at Artisan to break the day up. Arrived home to find that Mr McGregor had made himself (Tarn Hill Playground) over £10. Sat outside on the garden bench, he was popular for photos and was collecting his money in his plant pot. We even had people wanting to take photos after he had gone back inside for the evening. Me, Helen and Matthew called into the pub for a drink early doors and then home with the papers in the conservatory.

The power was finally restored at about midnight last night,we have still not heard the cause.

Today was the day Mr McGregor finally arrived, this life size model was made by Lynn and Andrew from Trawden they came for teas last year and we got talking and after they returned home they wrote and asked if we would like him.
We of course said yes and since then he has been in a couple of Beatrix Potter exhibitions around Cumbria, but he is here at last and the adoption papers are all signed.
We plan to put him on the bench outside Buckle Yeat in good weather and he will be taking donations for the Tarn Hill playground.




Mr McGregor and his creators just before they bade him farewell.

Another blustery day, we had the United Utilities men back to sort out the flooding problems, however later tonight we lost electrical power, as they say it never rains but pours.
Of course it is United Utilities are in charge of our electrical supply so we are not holding our breath.
We keep getting the power back on the only problem is it is only for a second and off it goes again.