Caught out by unexpected guests!!

Did I say Spring was on it's way!? We did have a horrendous weather forecast this week for snow in Wales but yet again llandudno has escaped it. It is so localised that my sister in Conwy (10 minutes drive away) has had snow and infact had to cancel a trip, as their  steep road was too dangerous to go down. As you'll see from the photos we didn't see much.

Look hard and you'll see our snow on The Great Orme!

The sum total ofsnow in Lymehurst B & B garden

             
With such weather forcasts it's highly unlikely to have any guests  so I decided to get on with mundane tasks like cleaning and touching up chipped paintwork etc Dressed in my oldest painting gear (pretty grotty looking I have to say!!) I was going from job to job when the front door bell rang. Couldn't believe it when it turned out to be two Aussies looking for accommodation! Needless to say their eyebrows raised somewhat when they saw the state of me. I quickly explained the situation and told them they could check out the rooms (they were ok ) and then decide if they wanted to stay. Apparently on their travels they'd already come across places that were closed up for winter or where owners had been busy painting, so I wasn't too much of a shock. When they went out to their car to sort out their bags I swiftly got out the painting gear and rushed around like a tornedo clearing up and making the place look more presentable. Amazing how much you can acheive when needed!!
Usually bookings are done in advance so I know when to expect guests. I have only ever had 3 people turn up unexpectedly at the door and on two of those occaisions I was caught out. Once when I was digging a pond and was covered in mud and then yesterday. It's an awful feeling when you open the door to find prospective guests standing there......oh the joys but at least they'll have a tale to tell about their Llandudno landlady

The good news is that The Australians have already posted a very positive review on Tripadvisor. So the initial greeting did not leave a bad impression

Spring is on it's way

The first signs of spring are appearing. Snow drops pushing up through the ground and new growth appearing on shrubs. Even the evenings are begining to be lighter. Bought a lovely bunch of flowers for the kitchen table which cheer me up whenever I look at them and as a bonus they have a wonderful perfume

Bodnant Gardens is now open in the winter

My last guests who left on Thursday had travelled over to North Wales to get their son installed back at Bangor University. On Wednesday they spent a lovely time at Bodnant Gardens. Usually Bodnant is closed over the winter period but this year they have opened up a new winter trail so visitors can see the garden in a whole new light. My visitors were really impressed. They are National Trust members so they got in for free but informed me that the entrance fee is reduced to half price. The gardens are open from 11am to 3pm. More informatiom can be found on www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-gardens

This picture was actually taken in the summer but gives an idea of what Bodnant has to offer.

Conwy In The Sunshine

 We had fabulous weather in Llandudno and Conwy on Wednesday. It was very frosty to start with but then the day  became sunny with blue skies. It was much colder than previous days but probably more realistic for January.  I had to pop over to Conwy in the afternoon so couldn't resist taking some photos while I was there as it all looked so picturesque.

First New Year Guests of 2013

At the moment I have two actors from London staying who are in the The National Theatre's smash-hit comedy 'One Man Two Guvnors' which is now being staged in Venue Cymru.This is a Richard Bean award-winning play which has had rave reviews. Venue Cymru is the local theatre which is situated in the middle of the Promenade and has amazing views out to sea and right across the whole bay.
www.venuecymru.co.uk
It's really good to have business at this early stage in the year. I just have to get used to their hours. I'm actually waiting for them to come down for breakfast (due 15minutes ago)but I somehow think that they might not appear. After two performances it must be difficult to calm down after the adrenaline rush of performing. So i think it's a case of very late to bed and late to get up. Could we be having cooked breakfasts this morning??
I was right they didn't actually surface till about midday.

Knowing when it's high tide......easy now I have a Tide Clock!

My Tide Clock

 
I didn't know that Tide Clocks existed until a friend told me about them and then this Christmas I got one as a present. It's facinating that you can tell how long it is till the next high or low tide. To set it up we had to wait till it was a full moon, then look up the high tide for this area, point the hands to high tide put the battery in and that was it set up. So now I can judge which beach walk to go on. We had some really good blustery weather yesterday so after consulting the Tide Clock we thought Westshore beach would be the best walk so we coild see all the waves. The windy weather also brought out the kite surfers

High tide at Westshore, lots of people on the coastal footpath

Waves at Westshore

The Great Orme in the background

Kite surfers enjoying the wind and waves

Westshore attracts plenty of kite surfers when the conditions are right

New Years Eve on Llandudno Promenade 2012

Llandudno by moonlight

Well after the stormy weather the wind fortunately subsided and the rain stopped so that we could enjoy bringing in the New Year on Llandudno Promenade. First we had a very brisk walk to the quieter end of the prom and back, then we gathered with a few other people awaiting midnight. Several groups had brought fireworks some were cracking open champagne and we from Lymehurst had a flask of mulled wine. So between watching the various fire works and listening to two guys who turned up and started playing Christmasy music on their cornets (I have to check and see if thats the correct instrument!) it turned out to be a very festive event.
Happy New Year to everybody. Let's hope it's a good one

Well wrapped up for the New Year's Eve Walk

 musicians  turned up and played  festive tunes

firework displays.......not quite the Millenium display!

Christmas Eve in Conwy 2012

Conwy Christmas Tree in Lancaster Square

 Christmas Eve in Conwy. The traditional gathering in Lancaster Square for carol singing before going to the Castle to see Father Christmas arrive and a fireworks display.

Crowds gathering in Lancaster Square , Conwy

After the carol singing everybody paraded to  Conwy Castle

Father Christmas arrives on the ramparts to much cheering

Then the fireworks begin

Aspectacular display with the background of  Conwy Castle