CAMPSITE SORTED !

I'm very pleased that today we have finally got the campsite facilities sorted and declared open our "Tourist Information, Library and Group Room" . This sounds extremely grand but really it is just the end of the farm building that we have boarded out, painted the concrete floor and installed some shelves for books, tourist info leaflets and a table and chairs. This is something I've wanted to do for ages but it was only when we definitely decided that to keep goats again would be too costly and complicated that we were able to use the part of the shed that I'd been "saving just in case I keep goats again''. I kept goats for 18 years until 3 years ago we thought about moving and then I was ill for a while and that was when the goats went. I still miss them.
We've had our campsite since the year after moving here so  since 1993. We started a site because we were campers and had been to some good but a lot of really awful places and thought we could do better than some we had been to. We began with just the basics that you have to have to run a Camping and Caravanning 5 van site ( usually known as a C.S or a C.L). That is a tap, Chemical Toilet emptying point and a dustbin. Then we added a toilet and cold water washbasin for tent campers. Then caravans got more complicated and everyone needed electric hook-up points. For a while we couldn't do this without great expense as the power supply to the  house from the nearest transformer wasn't big enough. Then one night we had a bit of luck as lightening struck a telegraph pole zoomed along the wires and burnt out the transformer pole. When it was repaired the guys said that it had to be upgraded to a much more powerful supply and then we were able to run hook ups. We ticked over nicely for a few years and then found we were getting people who wouldn't come because we didn't have a shower.Then last year was our worst year ever with the weather being so horrible we had weeks and weeks with no visitors at all. So we decided that maybe adding a shower would be a good idea and had to figure a way to get electric to the building.
Now we are all done and just hope that we will recoup the expense before too long.
We've got a church group and a lightweight camping group booked in for later in the year so I hope they will find the room in the shed handy for evenings to get out of the weather if  (when) its wet. Hopefully we will have a good year, I'll keep you posted.

Some garden photos next. The Horse Chestnut leaves are just opening.

butterfly on a dandelion

There should have been a picture of the fruit cage with it's net over the top and the nice green gooseberry bushes - but it's vanished - who knows where?

Final picture is part of my baking session this morning. Some extremely delicious Chocolate Cappuccino cakes - recipe taken from the WI book of cakes and biscuits.I bake these quite often! but cut them into 16 small squares instead of 8 bars and they freeze very well. Always handy to keep in the freezer for visitors

and very good in the mornings with a cup of coffee for people who don't eat breakfast!!!