Well hello to you all. I cannot believe that it is September already and this is my first blog of the season. Where has the year gone. I have so much to tell you about. I may have to break the blog in two if it gets too long, which I am sure it will.
This year has been an amazing year for me. Not sure if Darren feels the same Ha. In February I was released from the Royal Navy to come and live in France until my retirement date on the 9 June 2024. Writing it down makes it sound like I have been released from Prison. Anyway, I packed up all my life, said goodbye to close Friends, handed in my MOD90 (Military ID card) and made my way to Gatwick Airport for my last ever commute back to France. After 26 years of living out of suit cases/military bags I was finally on my way to a secure home. I could now dye my hair blue, book holidays and get fat. Not that I need permission for the later, that happened automatically from the day I arrived here due to Darren's cooking. As Darren keeps reminding me, now the hard work really starts, and boy is he true. It has taken me a while to settle, and slow down. But 7 months on, I think I am nearly there and enjoying my new life. Anyway, you are not here to listen to me rant on. What has been happening here at Finders Keepers France. Let me tell you......
Well, like everywhere, it has rained, and rained, and rained. It has rained that much we ended up with the field at the side of us sliding into the butterfly meadow and blocking access for guests plus access for Darren's tractor. This has resulted in the lower grounds becoming very overgrown and difficult to visit. Due to this we decided to hold off on opening all of the tents as we anticipated bookings being slow as a result of the disappointing weather. We ended up opening just 'Walnut' TIPI on 1 July 2024. It certainly was a great move, leaving us booked solid for July and August. All received 5* reviews with amazing feedback. Opening up on a smaller scale allowed us to focus on improvements and give all of our guests 5* treatment. Here are just a few photos of Walnut TIPI, with its fantastic views, wooden decking and relaxing balcony. More photos can be viewed on the website along with the price and booking details.
Due to the weather and its uncertainty, we decided to open the coffee lounge every morning 0900 - 1000 for free tea, coffee or drinking chocolate. This allowed guests the opportunity to highlight any issues they may have been having. It went down a storm, the drinks that is, not the issues. In fact the feedback was so positive we decided to keep the hot drinks free 0900 - 1000 daily. Shady Rest bar has now been changed to 'Shady Rest' Coffee lounge, and the Prosecco bar is now 'Sunset View' Ice cream and Milk shake bar. Darren's Ice cream sundaes and Milk shakes have been a huge hit.
At the start of the year we decided to give the barn a facelift and decided to paint the inside of 'Shady Rest' coffee lounge. Out went the blue and in came a lovely shade of Olive Green. Out went the old leather sofa and chairs and in came small tables dressed with table cloths and decorated with a fresh wild flower in a delicate vase. As soon as we see the faces of the guests when we show them the area we know we made the right decision. What do you think?
My dream was to make the lounge feel like you were sat in an outside garden. I think we have started to achieve this. We have also added an information area to the lounge which has proven very popular. It allows me to advertise the local fetes and markets, plus provide timings for supermarkets and local restaurants. All the things people ask about whilst visiting.
Sunset View terrace has also had a face lift. I decided to tile the whole area, in the rain. Not that I had an option at the time. Every day we started, it rained. A 2 day job turned into a week. Despite the hard messy work we are so pleased with how it turned out. We also added cables overhead and have started to grow plants to help shade the area. For now we have added a sun shade until the plants get larger. We were a little worried with the colour when it arrived as it reminded us of our time in Afghanistan and Iraq, however; it does give a lovely dappled light and achieves exactly what we wanted it to do.
Finally, lets not forget the work that has gone into Marcadis Gite this year. We decided to upgrade the kitchen and add an integrated oven and hob. So, out with the old, and in with a new kitchen, oven, hob, microwave and fridge freezer. All completed 2 days before our first guests arrived. Phew, stressful was an understatement. However despite all of the stresses and strains getting it to how we wanted it, the result is fantastic, gained us 5*'s all through this year. The bed also received a new king size mattress.
Well, the season is not yet over and we continue with the upgrades. There has been some around the lake, inside the dining area of the gite and within the camping area itself. I will tell you about these in my next blog next month. Winter is going to be a very busy one for us, starting with a visit by the electrician in October. This will see us finally having electricity in all of the outdoor barns, 'Shady Rest' plus the new games room. More on this to follow.
For now, have a lovely restful week and I look forward to updating you more next month.
Chat Soon
Regards
Paula and Darren