When I
contacted Steve Ogan, I am not sure who was more excited, him or me about using
Blakelow Cottages, in Coming Home for
Christmas.
After a
brief conversation about my chapter, we both agreed that Candle Cottage would
be perfect for this chapter. Steve was
brilliant, sending me DVD’s and pictures, that he thought would help me, and
they certainly did. As I began writing,
I really felt as if I was there in person.
I could see my characters; feel the romantic ambiance, the log fire, the
Christmas tree, just a few of the things making Candle Cottage perfect for a
passionate liaison.
Dedication
To Steve and Julie Ogan of Blakelow Cottages,
sincere thanks for the heaps of information you gave me to make Blakelow
Cottages the ideal, romantic Christmas setting
Candle
Cottage – Sleeps 2
Other
Cottages available at Blakelow
Christmas
Cottage –Sleeps 4
Cranberry
Cottage – Sleeps 4
Chestnut
Cottage – Sleeps 2
Reasons
to visit Blakelow Farm Holiday Cottages
At
Blakelow Farm Holiday Cottages our aim is to offer discerning houseguests a
superb and discreet service in an unpretentious atmosphere of good taste. We
hope that you will find the whole ambience of Blakelow Farm beyond comparison.
A
luxury welcome …
5 Star
Self Catering
All
cottages have a 5 star rating
Luxury
welcome hamper to greet your arrival
We are
open all year, see the landscape change with the seasons
Short
breaks available, please just ask …
Fabulous
view to Chatsworth House
Ideally
placed for sight seeing, walking, cycling and visiting some of
England’s finest country houses
We are committed
to caring for the environment
Full
housekeeping service available
24hr
laundry service available
Special
arrangements can be made for your, eg. bouquets, bubbly, birthday cakes, etc,
please just ask …
Spa and
Beauty Treatments – why not turn your break into a luxury spa experience,
with our visiting spa and beauty therapists
Special
Occasion Catering – guests celebrating a special event can enjoy a freshly
prepared meal served in their cottage creating an unforgettable evening
Attention
to detail is our motto
The
welcome hamper
The
Welcome Hamper for our Blakelow cottages guests … we are passionate about the
Peak District, promoting the very best it has to offer, starting with food.
We have
carefully sourced local suppliers who share our love of the Peak District.
But
let’s start with what we do ourselves. 
Remember
when eggs were this yellow …
We have
very free range hens, apols, they do ‘knock’ at cottage doors blagging food
from guests but they do produce lovely fresh eggs.
Remember
when eggs were this yellow … and fresh.
Blakelow
bees
We keep
bees who help pollinate our fruit trees etc and, weather permitting, provide us
with honey.
We grow
our own herbs – picked fresh for our guests when available.
Blakelow herbs and oil
We make
our own Marmalade … although we do not grow our own oranges!
Then
there’s …
Bread
from local Hayes the bakers less than 4 miles away.
Biscuits
from the lovely Angie at the Pudding Room Carsington.
Chocolates…
really special chocs from Cocoadance in Hope Valley, with thanks to a very skilled
and clever couple Bridget and Dave. Incidentally, Dave and Bridget also
run fab Chocolate Making Classes – see our What to do page for more info.
Your
very own Blakelow Bear
The
Blakelow Bear who is yours to take home, although not made in the Peak District
they are adopted from the lovely Ruth in Ashbourne.
Now…
lastly, look away if squeamish… we do keep our own pigs, just 3 or 4, they are
much loved, some would say pampered, outdoor reared, well fed piggies.
Guests
are welcome to help feed them and they do like a bit of a fuss (that’s the pigs
not the guests).
They are
not injected with growth hormones, antibiotics etc, at the end of their time
they are made into bacon, sausage and other pork products for our guests to buy
… our bacon and sausage is very popular, sausages full our meat and Mmmm
our bacon, remember bacon that smells and tastes delicious
and doesn’t leak white watery stuff when you cook it … ours does.
Spa
treatments
It is
with great delight that we offer our guests My Personal Sanctuary treatments
including:
warming
deep tissue massages
cleansing
and detoxifying body wraps; nourishing and conditioning facials
hand and
feet treats; and holistic, full body treatments.
My
Personal Sanctuary uses lovely fresh organic products to leave you feeling
energised and rejuvenated. My Personal Sanctuary has a variety of Pamper
Packages and Treatments as well as Special Offers for you to indulge in and
fully let go!
For more
information please visit My Personal Sanctuary website or give them a call on
01625 540 557.
Contact
Blakelow Farm Holiday Cottages
Telephone:
01629 650814; or
Post: Mr
Steve Ogan, Blakelow Farm Holiday Cottages, Bonsall Lane, Winster, Matlock,
Derbyshire DE4 2PD
E-mail: enqu……@blakelowcottages.co.uk
(Spider protection – please click the dots and follow the instructions to reveal our e-mail address)
(Spider protection – please click the dots and follow the instructions to reveal our e-mail address)
Snippet from - Coming Home for Christmas
We took a
leisurely drive to Matlock, stopped off for lunch and a walk around before
heading for Blakelow Cottages, arriving late afternoon.
Steve and
Julie, the proprietors, greeted us with a glass of mulled wine and mince pies.
Our welcoming hosts gave us a brief chat about the area, and Steve took us over
the snow-covered gravel and flagstone courtyard to our stone built cottage.
“Here we are, Candle Cottage.”
“What a festive name.” I said.
Steve smiled
warmly. “There is also Christmas Cottage, Cranberry Cottage, and Chestnut
Cottage.”
Opening the
door, he stepped aside to allow Thomas and me to enter.
“Oh my goodness, it is
wonderful,” I exclaimed, seeing the most splendid living and dining room with a
vaulted ceiling and wooden floors. “And
look Thomas, we even have a Christmas tree.” I pointed to an exquisitely
decorated tree placed next to a roaring log fire. The rich, softly-glowing furnishings made for
a space that was delicious to the senses, not too formal, not too loose: the
perfect romantic retreat.
“Through here,” Steve continued, walking
past us to guide the way, “Is a fully equipped kitchen and, of course, your
Blakelow welcome hamper. The free-range eggs and homemade oil and preserves are
from here. The biscuits, bread and chocolate are from local businesses in the
area. Not forgetting your Blakelow bear, yours to take home with you.” He passed me a small soft bear, ‘Blakelow
Cottages’ printed on his little blue jacket.
“I will treasure it, thank you.”
I hugged the little bear.
Steve about
turned and retreated from the kitchen. Half-way across the room he stopped and
looked up. “As you will see, upstairs is a beautiful galleried bedroom
furnished with antique walnut furniture and a king size bed. Well, if there is anything you need, please
don’t hesitate to call myself or Julie.” Thomas assured him that everything was
perfect. “Well, I will leave you to it.
Enjoy your stay.”
“Oh, we will,” Thomas and I
replied together in happy harmony.
PUBLISHED BY SATIN ROMANCE
Pre
order your copy today
No comments:
Post a Comment