I started writing on Tuesday 30^th December 2008 and progressed through the first few days of the New Year before beginning the weekly blog on 6^th January 2009 . The rest of the introduction can be found, along with each months 'back' blogs by clicking on the links to the left.

Well, what a brilliant Christmas, with three imaginative and inquisitive children (that also suffer from wonder lust) it was little short of a miracle that we had two of them here for Christmas (along with grandchildren) and as Meat Loaf said two out of three ain't bad!  OK! if you want to be picky they weren't here all the time but there was an overlap and it was lovely.  I am ready to admit that I wasn't overly happy to be up at 5 o'clock on Boxing Day to take youngest son to the coach to get him to his next job in Europe, however, after two years of him being in Australia & New Zealand and not seeing him, I couldn't complain.  The journey to the coach station, airport, ferry, train or just waving as they pull out the drive has always been traumatic whether they were off to Afghanistan or Australia.  However we have always been positive and tried to find a project to compensate and stop us worrying as much as we otherwise would.

It was to this end that on the long journey back from the coach station I announced that I wanted to start a blog for the business.   The enquiries and development started and diverted the mind from the fact that in a few short days all our children would be 'abroad' again.  We have opted, at this point in time, not to join a blogging web site but to write a 'news & chat' page for the web site.  This should keep all our regular guests up to date on what's going on at Shrublands.  The site will cover mostly the teashop/café, garden and campsite happenings or more probably the thoughts of what we want to do.

Tuesday 6th & 13th October

As you may, or may not, have read all my writings from the 7th September till October the 20th have been lost. So here are some high-lights of these two weeks - excluding 5 days spent in bed with flu! (Flowers & cards still accepted). TTFN

Tuesday 20th October

The B & B has re-opened - despite my hacking cough (I truly believe I will be lucky to lose it by Christmas if my friends reports of this beastly bug are anything to go on). General lack of energy (again another by-product of the flu) means there is very little to write about - apart from cleaning & bed making! I don't suppose anybody is interested in the fact that I was a martyr and climbed up to take the curtains down and washed them - no thought not. How about lots of geese going over? And some truly great sun-sets! TTFN

Tuesday 27th October

Sales of lozenges and cough medicine are on the up - are they taxed? I have made a significant improvement to the state of the economy with my cough drop purchases, as well as, an improvement to my well-being.

I am in the throws of writing the scripts for the Wells Nativity, you know the sort of thing: 'Knock, knock. Have you any room?' 'Yeh, c'mon in mate' The last bit being the reply half the hostelries in Wells would give - given half a chance to boost their part and upset history!

I need to cast for the main characters and every year it gets more difficult.

You cannot believe the problems with obtaining donkeys, sheep and the odd camel (not to mention three wise men and a virgin!). Of course, finding them is only the start of the problem, getting the permissions to use them is, I am told, another. So far the latter is of no consequence as there are a dearth of camels in North Norfolk and nobody wants to loan out their donkeys or sheep. So my hands are shredded with making animals out of chicken wire and paper mache.

Anyway, do come and see the Wells Roving Nativity during the Wells Christmastide Weekend. We shall be there complete with chubby angels ('parkers' & duffle coats under costumes!) & resplendent kings (courtesy of the local charity shop and Graham's aunt who donated some very sparkly evening dress material left over from the 1960's!). Yes, I grew up on Blue Peter 'here's one I made earlier' and the late great Tony Hart, they have stood me in great stead and done me no harm if you ignore my obsession with plastercine, old washing up bottles and sticky back plastic! Just off to mix some more flour & water paste. TTFN