Grasmere's too hot for guests from Tel Aviv!

We have lovely guests staying here from Tel Aviv, and they're too hot! They're not complaining at all about our wonderful autumn heatwave, but they've brought the wrong clothes- all warm wintery jumpers and wool trousers. They wish they had shorts!
They loved their sail on Windermere yesterday, and today they're going up to Keswick and round Borrowdale, Buttermere and Crummock Water. I've given them a route for a great Lake District day out.

First stop though, will be Grasmere Pharmacy ( a brilliant, proper local shop), to buy some Pure Lakes Geranium Aloe Vera shampoo.. Having used the wonderful Pure Lakes shampoo , shower gels and soap that we provide for our guests, they are very keen to buy a supply to take hope with them.
I'm a big fan of all the Pure Lakes products. My two absolute top favorites are Rosehip and neroli night oil ( for "mature skin"- that's me!) and Lemon and chamomile lip balm. You can buy all the Pure Lakes range online .
No, I'm not on commission!

Just look at this amazing Virginia Creeper



Viriginia Creeper at White Moss House, Grasmere

 I've just taken this photograph of our Virginia Creeper, basking in the sunshine. It's wonderfully warm out there.
If you have some free time coming up in the next few days, you could come and visit us . We are offering special last minute bargain breaks for your Grasmere bed and breakfast stay this weekend and in the next few days.
Here's one more photo I just snapped of the fuschias and the terrace. Afternoon tea and home made cakes on the terrace with our compliments. Wish you were here?



White Moss House bed and breakfast Grasmere on a sunny September morning



Summer's here at last!

Slightly odd timing, as we've officially just gone into autumn, but the warm sunshine is so welcome, and the leaves are already turning. Time to get the camera out - new photos needed for the blog!
I'm being inundated with offers from hotels and B & Bs, lots of them in the Lakes, who want me to go and stay with them at special rates. It seems like everyone is very worried about being quiet, and it's true that we have rooms free at the weekend for the first time in months.
We are offering special rates, which you can see on the special offer page of our website. In fact, you might like to boomark that page, as we update our offers every day. These are the best rates available, and can only be booked directly by phone or email ( not via the online booking chart)

Christmas and New Year in the Lake District.

Our Grasmere self-catering cottage Brockstone , is now available to book for the Christmas and New Year weeks 2011.
Changeover days will be Wednesday 21 December and Wednesday 28 December.
Great views, log fire, spa bath, Smeg fridge freezer, DVD, digital TV etc etc.... the perfect Christmas or New Year Lake District Cottage.

With it's south facing terrace, perched high up on the hillside, Brockstone Grasmere self catering cottage gets all the winter sun going.

Our Grasmere cottage terrace in January

Here's a picutre of a lunch on the terrace taken in January 2011. To find out more, please visit our Grasmere self- catering cottage website, where you'll find links to our Holiday Rentals or Holiday Lettings booking sites and Trip Advisor reviews.

Planning ahead for 2012

I've had so many requests for bed and breakfast rooms at White Moss House, and self-catering stays at Brockstone for 2012, that I've now set up a proper booking chart instead of filling in notes in my diary.

We don't usually take bookings for the year ahead until we reach the end of November-don't know why- it's a tradition! However, with everyone predicting doom and gloom, and the stock market plummeting today ( no point cashing in the pensions right now), we decided to get the 2012 calender out so those of you who want a certain room on a certain day in July are now very welcome to make the reservation. Make that 2 days actually- we don't take usually 1 night bookings.

2012 looks interesting, with the old May Whit week behing ditched for a long weekend at the beginning of June for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Then there's the excitement of the Olympic torch passing right past Whte Moss House on 21 June ( I think that's right, but don't quote me)- followed of course by the Olympics, but as we weren't lucky with the tickets, it looks like we'll be here for all of you who want to avoid the hustle and bustle of London from 27 July to 12 August.

Anyway- book now for 2012- at 2011 rates!

Here's a photo of the front of the house with the creeper on, which you can see in all it's ruby red glory if you visit in the next few weeks.

Creeper on the front of White Moss House, Grasmere bed and breakfast.

Check the special offer page on our White Moss House website and email me sue@whitemoss.com, for the best rates.

Autumn leaves, log fires, healthy walks....

October is a great time to visit Grasmere and the Lake District.Now is the time to book your October break.

Here at White Moss House we are very lucky to be able to offer all our guests the use of our lovely Wordsworth Lounge, with a log fire, lots of books, games, and a grand piano which you are welcome to play ( no chopsticks though thanks!)
We still have rooms for some weekends, and for half term, often at great rates.
email me, sue@whitemoss.com, for the best Grasmere bed and breakfast offers.

White Moss House: Red squirrels seen every day for three days.

White Moss House: Red squirrels seen every day for three days.

Red squirrels seen every day for three days.

Here is the Lake District we love our red squirrels. We've seen red squirrels every day for the last three days on our daily walks from White Moss House. They've been frolicking about in the trees. I saw one rolling over and  jumping around on a branch, seemingly just having fun.

There are lots of hazelnuts now, so maybe they are storing their food supplies for winter. If you've only ever seen grey squirrels, ( big ugly things to my mind) you might be surpiresed by how small, pretty and dainty the reds are. Beatrix Potter loved Squirrel Nutkin, and as you probably know, she lived just 8 miles away from us here at White Moss House.

I'm delighted to hear from our guests that they've been reading all my Guides to the Lake District, and have printed out my guide to White Moss Walks. Today they are doing "walk 5" the walk round Rydal Water.The sun's come out at last after all the wind and rain, and it's just lovely here. We're pretty busy right now, but we do have a room for a one night stay this Saturday, 17 September, so if you can get away, take a look at our website for our best offers.

"The six weeks following the first of September may be recomended"

It has to be admitted, the weather is not good right now. In fact, it's pretty bad for September. Usually we have bright, sunny days, and William Wordsworth in his Guide to the Lakes,  discusses the best time of the year to visit the Lakes , concluding" the six weeks following the first of September may be recommended.........."
Here's a reminder of how the Lakes looks on a good autumn day.

Rydal Water frim White Moss Viewpoint

This photo was taken by me last September, just 5 minute's walk from White Moss House.

We're full tonight and Tuesday, but we do have a few rooms still available this week , and if you can manage a last minute break, why not take advantage of our last minute grasmere bed and breakfast offers. This bed and breakfast offers page is updated daily, so you might like to bookmark it for future reference.

Has anybody read Wordsworth's Guide to the Lakes?

The highly intelligent and thoughtful group of well read people at the Grasmere reading group have just read Guide to the Lakes by William Wordsworth. (I'm one of them by the way!).

I think "mixed" would be a fair reflection of our views on the Guide. Wordsworth had very strong opinions on everything. For example, Lakes should not be too much like rivers. Long thin lakes are not to his taste. Having said that, even the most narrow lakes in the Lake District are much better than those in the Alps and America, which are too big apparently. As for Scotland "whoever travelled along the banks of Loch Lomond....without feeling that a speedier termination of the long vista of blank water would be acceptable...?"

Not many of us actually enjoyed the book, but it's certainly interesting to dip into.

Just to let you know about a new feature I've added to our website. Every day I'm putting special last minute offers on the website for the week ahead. These are the very best rates , so if you're planning a last minute trip to the Lake Distirct take a look at White Moss House last minute special offers.

Leopards came into the village and killed 60 sheep.

Not in Grasmere, obviously!
We've just had a lovely American couple staying, They live in Kenya where they are teachers and missionaries. They were surprised that the sheep roamed freely all over the place, and asked if they had any natural predators. I'd never really thought about this before, but apart from foxes taking lambs, and the odd sheep being chased by rouge dogs, nothing much harms our wonderful Herdwick sheep..

In their village the other week, leopards had come and killed 60 sheep, a disaster for the village, which is home to the Masai people.

This might sound corny, but it really is a pleasure to meet the huge variety of people who come to stay at White Moss House.

I've just started a "last minute specials" spot on our website. This will be updated daily, so if you're planning a visit to the Grasmere area soon, why not bookmark our Grasmere last minute offers ? See you soon for a complimentary cup of tea with home made cakes by the log fire in the Wordsworth Lounge?