This is why we love our cottages. When the weather turns cold its so nice to welcome guests with a warm glow of an open fire. The Gildhall is so cosy and welcoming. I have to say its one of my favourite cottages, you just feel so at home there and it has a wonderful atmosphere about it. My ideal winters day would be to lounge on the sofa with a good book listening to the crackling fire.  

Its been such a gorgeous day and it looks like the weekend is set to be just as nice. All the properties are ready for our guests and I'm sure they will all have a wonderful stay.                                            
The air is full of bird song and Anthony the gardener is busy making the grounds look their best.
Claire the manager has been chasing the loose chickens around the estate which seems to be a regular occurrence. We have one chicken who loves the daily strolls of the grounds and takes it upon herself to make it her mission in life to escape. I have to say on days like this it makes me realise how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful area of the country. Suffolk has so much to offer with its medieval villages, wool towns and areas of outstanding natural beauty. We really hope our guests enjoy it here as much as we do.

DON'T WANT

More rain I hear you say
I want this rain to go away
I want the sun to shine again
Or fear I may just go insane

I drive to work you know
Didn't think I'd have to row
Don't want to get mud on my new ugg boots
Don't want a wardrobe full of wetsuits

Don't want a rain hat like Nana had
Or a see through umbrella (which was just a fad)
Don't want to run to avoid getting wet
Don't want to wear a stupid hair net

A few drops I'm sure I will endure
But not so much a torrential downpour
Don't want a bad hair day once again
And definitely don't want any more RAIN

This is the view currently from The Presbytery at Withermarsh Green. Across the valley you can see where the river Stour has flooded onto the fields and it now looks similar to a Loch rather than green fields. It all looks very pretty though. I have made a conscious decision and decided that the weather is definitely female.Only a female could change her mind so much :) In the course of 5 days we seem to have experienced all types of weather apart from snow, although it is still early days yet. The changes in the weather are not stopping our guests from exploring the area and we have many footpaths which meander across this area of outstanding natural beauty known as Constable Country. Constable Country is located on the Suffolk and Essex border. This enchanting part of England was the birthplace of renowned artist John Constable and has become very popular with visitors. Villages in the area include East Bergholt, Stratford St. Mary, Bentley, Caple st Mary, Dedham, Lawford, Langham and Flatford. John Constable was an English Romantic painter and he is known primarily for his landscape paintings of Dedham Vale. If you are interested in a tour of Constable Country, see Constables studio, viewpoints, visit Willy Lotts Cottage, Flatford Mill, visitor centre, craft centre or Munnings Museum, go to www.constablecountry.co.uk

As promised a few pictures of our canine friends. First we have Gracie, sporting a last seasons pink outfit. Not designer but I think she certainly carries it off well & oozes class. As you can see from the pose shes a natural at modelling, such a professional. Gracie is a big part of Idyllic Suffolk. She comes with us to all the property's either when preparing for new guests or even meet and greets. She tends to think she owns the place and is certainly top dog.

Next we have Dozer. Now Dozer is my dog and a total homeboy. He likes nothing more than to spend all winter laying by the log fire and pretty much all summer laying out in the sunshine. He is totally spoilt and he does get to see several of our guests out walking as The Presbytery is not far from where I live.

I don't have any pics of Wally yet. Wally is Sara Fenwicks dog (the owner) and hes adorable. He is 15 years old, very deaf and suffers with arthritis but you wouldn't realise this if you saw him. He goes everywhere with Sara and is a big part of her life. I Will try to get a picture up ASAP.

Now the bit you've all been waiting for, the weather. Well it really is sunny Suffolk today. The day started off with quite a sharp frost but soon warmed up to become very much like a spring morning. It certainly makes a change from the amount of rain we've had of late. Roll on the summer :)

We've been busy today preparing the Presbytery for our next guests. One of the best things about working for Idyllic Suffolk is meeting and greeting our guests. We meet people from all walks of life, all corners of the globe and also their pets. Each member of our staff owns or has owned a dog which makes us go all mushy when we meet theirs. My own dog is a bulldog cross so imagine my delight when in December one of our guests arrived with 2 beautiful pedigree bulldogs...I almost forgot our guests were there as I loomed in for cuddles and they lapped up the attention. At some point I will have to post some pictures of our pets for any pet lovers out there to swoon over,obviously I'm totally biased and my dog is the best :)

Here we go again, the weather! I think this is fast becoming my trade mark so I may as well mention the awful start to the day, heavy rain showers but ever the optimist, out came the sun. That's it, my weather statement for the day :) 

Well, with the weather not quite deciding what to do with itself, I think this looks like the best option. Staying in the warm, snuggled up next to a log fire.I do love the Gildhall with all its charm and character. I seem to be turning into the local weather lady as of late, with all my updates on our ever changing climate. Oh well, I'd much rather tolerate the cold weather and bright sky's than wet and windy days with never ending twilight! Hot chocolate time it is then.

How lovely it was to enjoy the sunshine at Higham Place today. Catching the last leaves to fall before new growth appears. The grass is beginning to look lush once again and the views across the valley were stunning from the top of Higham estate. I just couldn't resist taking a few snaps for the album. 

Such a rainy day today, yet it makes me think of the long warm summer days we've yet to look forward to. I await to see the longed for changes in spring as the meadows become greener, the buds begin to open and the local wild life become more apparent.

Higham place is like an idyllic oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the busy towns and cities. Not only is this a great area to visit but what a place to work. Peace, tranquillity and stunning surroundings. I have     to say what more could a gal ask for!

   I'm guessing by our guests re booking with us, many feel the same way

Well here we are. We've finally set up our own blog page. Our new website is now up and running (www.idyllicsuffolk.com) and bookings are coming in fast. We look forward to personally meeting all our new guests and many who are returning to stay with us. I will try and keep the blog updated with all events in our local area and also keep you all posted on what is happening on the estate. Keeping it real is key so please bare with me as I embark on my first ever blog :)