Alicia and Stephen, off to explore the White Peak in a sidecar from Russia

There are so many things to do while you’re staying in Tom’s and Douglas’s Barns that even the the choice of ‘usual’ things can be overwhelming. There’s which walk to go on? Where to go? Shall we visit Chatsworth, Haddon, Hardwick, Keddleston, Lyme Park or Sudbury? Or perhaps Tissington (the Well Dressings are on as I write (May 9-15 2013)… Then again, there’s the World Heritage site at Cromford, or Buxton Opera House or even Alton Towers or the various caverns. You can hang glide or make chocolate.

I’m only just getting going – haven’t mentioned the wonderful pubs and Farmers’ Markets, Chatsworth Farm Shop or the Cheese Shop but before I bore you rigid if I haven’t already, there’s one activity that wouldn’t necessarily come immediately to mind.

And that is Bill Purvis’s Sidecar Safari. We knew of it, and indeed knew that Bill offered Peak District Premier Cottages guests a half price discount but we hadn’t actually seen it in action. It took (as so often) our guests to introduce us to what’s available locally. Alicia and Stephen were staying for their honeymoon in Tom’s Barn last week. They packed as much as possible into their stay, including a trip in the Safari Sidecar, planned for after lunch on Tuesday.

Great was the excitement. At 2 o’clock Alicia and Stephen were waiting in their outdoor kit (Bill provides proper motor cycle gear), John had his camera at the ready while I fussed around excitedly as we waited for the sound of a motor bike.

Greater still was the excitement when we could hear it coming up our hill and turning in the gate, gleaming in its Russian khaki beauty. Helmets and jackets were donned and off they went, to Biggin, Hartington, the Manifold Valley, Wetton, Stanshope and Tissington and back through the ford (twice apparently!).

They returned about 3 hours later, glowing with fun and achievement, and Bill looked as if he had throughly enjoyed it too. Alicia and Stephen say it was the highlight of their stay: they’d had a wonderful sightseeing trip passing through some beautiful scenery, with lots of friendly waves from everyone they passed. And they were so grateful for the half price discount Bill gives all our guests (we’re wondering now if John and I will qualify too..?).

£475 for Tom’s Barn, Friday 17 to Friday 24 May (i.e. this coming week)

We are not used to Tom’s Barn having an empty week, especially considering I spend so much time writing emails explaining to disappointed enquirers that we are full when they want to come.

And now we have a week, without a single enquirer, not even someone who wants to book and  bring along Aunt Myrtle and three teenage kids (I’m serious – we do get requests like that but we always take them seriously and redirect them to friends and colleagues who are better placed than we to accommodate large family groups).

Anyway, rather than leave it empty we decided we would let Tom’s Barn, just this one week in glorious May, at the mid-winter rate of £475 (no lower winter rates for dogs unfortunately – they still will cost £25 each, extra.

If you haven’t been before and want to check out what other people think, have a glance at some of our TripAdvisor reviews.

Even if it’s no good to you, please do spread the word.

Easter Sunday has dawned with bright sunshine despite the fact we are an hour ahead of ourselves since yesterday, with British Summer Time.

Things have perked up a lot since this time last week, when blizzards were raging and Parwich was cut off. One can’t keep Parwich from the real world for long and thanks to some amazing work by Derbyshire County Council and lots of lovely local people the vital link was restored pretty quickly. Our little lane up from the grassy triangle, usually the final fatal slippery slope for all concerned was, thanks again to tireless and entirely voluntary efforts from our next door neighbours, the clearest road in town!

Many of us went to church this morning at 9.30, which was quite a triumph given that yesterday it would only have been 8.30. With lots of children present the vicar’s theme was, not surprisingly, eggs: Easter, new life, the unexpected. He had brought several bowls of eggs which he asked different children in the congregation to smash. To everyone’s amazement, and not just the children’s, only one egg had proper ‘eggy stuff’ inside. Inside the others were things like a bunch of feathers, some purple gooey stuff which looked like cherry jam. (In case you’re wondering, apparently he made two tiny holes at either end of each egg, blew out the contents and then with the help of a farmer friend, the surprise contents were pushed in very carefully with an injection needle!)

Anyway, the message was clear: new life, new hope, but it may not bring the expected. The surprises may be good. Now, hopefully we look ahead to better weather and just possibly, the good summer we have been promised for several years now but which has never materialised. Who knows what lies ahead, weather wise, but we can but hope.

But we do know that despite the weather, despite the recession – or perhaps even partly because of it – wonderful guests continue to flock to Tom’s and Douglas’s Barns for that very much special and much needed relaxing, peaceful retreat, in a beautiful part of the world. It means so much to John and me that we are lucky enough to be living here and to be able to help provide that for you. Our lives are enriched by meeting you all – such lovely, interesting people! It is our great privilege, and we are thankful for that.

Sheep grazing in a field in Parwich

Don’t worry if you have either forgotten or have been leaving it to the last moment wondering what to do? A solution – your salvation – might be at hand. You’ve only one mother, or mother of your children and she deserves the best. Mothering Sunday is on Sunday, if you need reminding and what could be a better present than a weekend in Douglas’s Barn. Check Availability or book here.

We don’t take children, and Douglas’s Barn only sleeps two so for the sake of the exercise we’ll assume either that your loving children have given their mother the weekend and she has of course chosen their father to accompany her, or it could be a grateful partner wanting to acknowledge his love for the mother of their children with a present which neither would ever forget…

However you choose to spend your time, you will return home wonderfully refreshed and revitalised. What could be a better present for anyone than that?

It would be one of those presents with almost limitless ‘added value’ (one day I am going to write a post about jargon, cliches and the like but not today…). The basic gift is three nights in a wonderfully comfortable and well-equipped holiday cottage: you could just stay put and enjoy the luxury of time on your own together, generally chilling, listening to music, reading books, watching videos, surfing the internet on the Netbook, enjoying good food and just switching off for the whole weekend.

On the other hand you could pack a lot in, with walks, sightseeing (Chatsworth reopens this weekend), trips to local pubs or restaurants to enjoy some delicious local food and real ale, mooching round excellent bookshops or antique shops and generally making the most of your precious time.

Only Douglas’s Barn is free so you can’t bring a dog. The all-inclusive price is £295 and if you can’t make this weekend, you can always celebrate Mothering Sunday in a fortnight’s time, for the weekend of March 22, at the same rate.

One corner of the Douglas’s Barn well equipped kitchen

Your 2013 Lunch for two Gift Voucher

For £385, the same price as all other March weekends, we have provided an enticing extra for one couple, the first to book the weekend (or week) beginning Friday March 8th. We have bought and have waiting here in our study, a voucher for a 2013 lunch for two at Fischer’s, Baslow Hall, on Saturday 9th March. Fischer’s is the only Michelin starred restaurant in Derbyshire and a meal here is an experience you won’t easily forget: it’s not just the food, which is delicious, it is the service and atmosphere and all that goes with it. Their 2013 Lunch (two course meal) is something else. We know, we’ve done it and loved every moment and every mouthful. If you want a third course, or wine, that is up to you but neither is essential…

Fischer’s, Baslow Hall

At school – a few years ago, in a rather high church boarding school run by anglican nuns in what is now Zimbabwe, we slightly lost sight of the principle of giving up (sweets in our case). We simply collected our entire ration each week and ate the lot in one almighty binge on Mothering Sunday! Our nuns were disapproving of such gluttony but seemed powerless to do much about it.

We’re not talking about binging or gluttony now, but about serious enjoyment of delicious food, cooked beautifully and served graciously. To enjoy this as a Mothering Sunday gift from us you need to have booked either barn, either for the weekend Friday 8- Monday 11 March or the week, Friday 8 to Friday 15 March. We have only bought one voucher for two so it really is first come first served.

Last possible chance for a January treat for all you snow lovers out there – this coming weekend Friday 25 to Monday 28 in Douglas’s Barn £275. Having just spent midnight hours toiling over our accounts for our tax return I can reiterate that it would be cheaper for us to have it empty than do it for less.

We can guarantee a warm welcome and great comfort and peace; we can’t guarantee that you’d get up the Black Run to Orchard Farm unless you have a 4×4 but we will help you cart your stuff up and it is all part of the fun and adventure of what would be a weekend not to forget.

Actually, to add a word of sobering common sense conditions are forecast improve (it depends on your point of view) by Friday…

I’ll attach some snowy outdoor pics (just wish I’s done 15 to make it neat!). Inside Douglas’s Barn you won’t know/won’t mind what the conditions are like outside.

‘Orchard Farm Marm’ made with Riverford organic Seville Oranges

Also, at last, having waited for genuinely ages, we are having the ‘yard’ redone. A huge (but is it huge enough?) mound of chippings was delivered today; Shaun our builder starts work tomorrow.

So you can sort of understand that we have been a bit slow to realise, and even slower to act upon, the fact that Tom’s Barn has a midweek gap on Monday, and Douglas’s Barn a ten day gap on the 18th. We hate to see them empty, when for so much of the year we are turning away disappointed souls all the time.

We have decided that, for the available gaps in January, we will offer any available short breaks at £275 (plus of course £25 per dog in Tom’s Barn). It would be cheaper for us to have them empty than do it for less. Any available weeks we’ll offer for £415.

Over to you, wherever you are! Book online or give us a ring on 01335 390519

As you probably know, after we, the ‘Mr and Mrs Mary Portas’ from Orchard Farm, had spent a very happy few days doing our best to identify the slightest failing Douglas’s Barn, we had been planning to focus our relentlessly beady eyes on Tom’s Barn and to be fair, enjoy a few relaxing days there too at the same time

However, after an extremely busy and long day on Friday the spirit failed and we rather weakly decided to delay until the (Saturday) morning and start on our quest feeling fresh. That was our lucky undoing. Quite late on Friday evening we received a very last minute enquiry from an eagle eyed couple who had spotted we had a gap. And less than 24 hours later they are here, and happily settled in until Wednesday. And we are still at home, foiled for the time being.

There is still one midweek break available in Tom’s Barn, Monday 10 to Friday 14 December. The normal price is £330 but because it is so soon and because it is just before Christmas and because… we would reduce the price to £295. We do actually want to stay there ourselves but we don’t like having our barns empty and anybody who would like to come has priority over us!

The snag is, we will ask you to do the mystery shopper things for us, and help us spot what needs repairing, replacing or even introducing. It does mean we would hope you would shamelessly try out everything, from DVD player to toasted sandwich maker and let us know what your findings are.

If you are dogless, there is a gap in Douglas’s Barn too, same thing goes for the price… You could try the mystery shopper role but hopefully we have got there first. Now there’s another challenge – spot our deliberate mistakes.

It doesn’t often happen but when it does, it is quite special. Let’s hope it will be the golden opportunity for someone for whom an unexpected treat – peace, quiet and total comfort might be worth more than any present, hover lavish, bought in a shop.

We have suddenly woken up to the fact that Douglas’s Barn is still available this coming weekend. What an opportunity for someone so highly organised that they can go away at the drop of a hat. We know they exist even if we ourselves do not belong in that category. The normal price is £375 but we have taken a deep breath and have reduced it to £275: to the mathematically minded, a reduction of 26.66%. People on our Reserve List and returning guests are offered the weekend at £255.

Now you can probably get a whole week for this price if you want a bargain basement deal – here is not the place to find rock bottom quality/rock bottom prices. We do not expect you to have to rough it in any way. Our principle is that you should find your surroundings quite as comfortable as you would at home, if not better, because you are here to relax with no responsibilities! In both Tom’s and Douglas’s Barns you can take for granted that it will be spotless, and warm, the bed will be comfortable, the sheets and towel top quality and so on. We hope you’ll lack for nothing.

Now, just for fun I am hoping to be able to produce a preview of some of our new photographs that our webman Jeremy Brough took a couple of weeks ago (it isn’t very kind because he hasn’t yet adjusted them for public viewing) in a grid at the bottom of the page that another wise and ‘webby’ friend, Mike A has tried to show me how. Let’s hope I don’t let either of them down but I already see my grid for some unknown (to me) reason) is somewhat haphazard.

Still, you get the picture… let’s call it superb quirky comfort! And it’s all yours this weekend, at knock down rates!!

Tom's & Douglas's Barns Cherry Bakewell

Some nice soul emailed this today: I regularly keep up to date with your blogs; they are a joy to read and much more cheerful than the news, national or international.

Potentially much more cheerful than the news or indeed our blogs, tonight I have a newish recipe which i have tried out twice now and which has received the thumbs up from guests, family and friends. It is a variation on the permanent favourite Fake Bakewell. Perhaps we ought to call it a Cherry Fakewell?

I asked John to take a photo, but he wasn’t quite quick enough before most of the last batch had disappeared, hence the rather sparse display on the plate.

Tom’s & Douglas’s Barns
Cherry Special Bakewell Tart

If you think of the basic recipe as being for every egg 4 oz of ground rice/ground almonds, sugar and butter you can make the size you want. I always make this in a large Aga baking tray so it is the basic recipe times four. For normal family use one would probably do half, i.e. 2 eggs etc.

Recipe:
1lb good (Stork) soft margarine (or butter if you’re feeling expansive)
I lb sugar
*1/2lb ground rice
*1/2lb ground almonds
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Almond extract
Flaked almonds
Fresh stoned cherries, or one tin of cherries, well drained
Short crust pastry (either a bought block or made with 1lb flour)
About half jar jam (sharpish like raspberry, blackcurrant or homemade plum) For the Cherry Bakewell I used cherry jam and some raspberry, as the latter seems a bit softer and possibly moister.

Method:
Roll out the pastry and line the tin you are using. Spread the jam over, and cherries if using. Ideally put the tin (layered with cherries and jam) into the fridge but I can’t say I always – or actually ever – do!

Melt the butter/marge and sugar in a saucepan on a lowish heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the sugar completely dissolves into the melted butter. Add the ground rice/almonds and leaving it on the heat, stir for a minute or two until it is all well mixed and smooth. Take off the heat, and when it is a bit cooler, stir in the beaten eggs and a generous teaspoon and a bit (to size and taste) of almond extract.

Pour the mixture onto the pastry. Sprinkle generously with flaked almonds and pop it into the oven. In the Aga (2-door) I put it on the bottom grid of the top oven with the cold plain sheet over, for about 25-30 minutes+ until it is firm, looks golden and the almonds nicely coloured.

*It is perfectly delicious – and I rather think better – made with just ground rice and no ground almonds at all, but I often do half and half. I’ve never (yet) done it with all ground almonds.