As 2016 gets under way, Eric and I are reminded that the New Order isn’t just about putting our feet up in front of the stove and catching up on box-sets; we are, in a modest way, attempting to run a business. The first bookings have come in for the summer season – a couple even before Christmas, which we put down to good reviews on Trip Advisor last year. From May until the end of August, all being well, the camper van will be our main residence. (We were a bit alarmed when the van failed to start earlier this week – but it was apparently no worse than a flat battery. Fingers crossed.)
So it’s time to cast a critical, visitor-like eye over Les Bruyeres, to see what may need to be repaired, replaced, added or smartened up before the start of the season. Obviously we love the place and think it’s perfect just as it is – but when a guest walks in at the start of a long-anticipated holiday, their expectations are, and should be, a bit higher .
So it’s fresh paint and varnish for the woodwork, silicon sealant for the kitchen, out with the spiders and (once spring is under way) in with the bedding plants in the garden. Time to check the crockery for damage, count the pillowcases , wonder where the two missing dessert spoons have gone, and make sure the instruction booklet is idiot-proof. This week Eric has been re-papering a wall in the tiny downstairs bedroom, which features a interestingly curved corner …
Between now and May we’ll keep asking the questions: ‘Will this do?’ ‘Is it guest quality?’ – and if the answer’s no, fix it. We’ll need to visit a local depot vente, for some pieces of furniture to replace those that are past their sell-by date; get some bookshelves built; and buy a new frying-pan. Plus, of course, lots and lots of cleaning.
Fortunately the setting needs no adjustment!
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