So, Autumn begins (rather than leaves!) and now there is finally space to sit and reflect over the past hospitality season. Everywhere in Cornwall complained of fewer bookings, but we think it is more of a reset to ‘normal’ levels of hospitality, pre pandemic. Cornwall definitely didn’t do itself any favours during that time, by increasing prices by ridiculous amounts and not offering the welcome and service that it had become famous for. Utility & wage bills have increased and that hasn’t helped small businesses and their profit margins…
But we remember our seasons on the river leading kayak trips, and this feels pretty similar; we haven’t been full, but our guests have seemed much more relaxed this year – or maybe that’s us too!
We made the decision this year not to offer our meeting room as a self catering apartment. This has meant a loss of business but allows us to be able to offer day courses and events, which was the original aim. We know we have disappointed at least two sets of our valued and repeat customers who had only stayed with us in that part of the building, but we are delighted that one set returned to us for bed and breakfast, and I am hoping we might persuade the other set of guests as well – we miss their company! For us, it isn’t just about providing somewhere to sleep; it’s interaction, discussion, learning from each other, and we love that so many of you return, and we so look forward to your visits!
David has had many more guests join him on his morning tours, and many more have been very interested in all parts of the building and the way we live our lives here. Some are now so well known in the village that they have their own table in the pub for dinner…..you know who you are!
We want to expand that part of the business next year, by creating our own day courses about green living which will be open to guests and locals equally, along with some walks and talks around the land.
We welcomed our the first of our jewellery making courses, focused on nature and using material gathered from around the building. It is being run by a lovely lady who used to be a returning guest with us, before she and her husband have moved to the next village full time! The first couple of workshops are sold out, but we are putting some more on, so please have a look at Rebecca’s work – www.rebeccaoxenhamjewellery.co.uk
Next year, the village is hoping to run a year long festival of orchards, with an event each month to cover Wassailing, pruning, grafting, picnics, harvests, cooking, and art inspired by the orchard and its history….some of those events will be held here at the Sanctuary, so I will try and be more disciplined and put them on our events page. I have been badly lacking in that department so will definitely try to do better!
Outside, our fledging orchard has been doing very well, under David’s lovingly attentive care. We have managed to taste an apple from nearly every tree, with several producing a respectable crop. We had problems from birds pecking our precious samples, so I had the idea (from the gardener Bob Flowerdew) of buying some gauze bags to tie over the samples….this largely did the trick, although the orchard looked a bit like an art installation at one point! I am also photographing and labelling each one, which along with the earlier photos of the blossoms will hopefully create a good database for the future.
David has also discovered a passion for grafting apple trees, so we are awash in pots of new trees waiting for space or new homes!
Outside, I succumbed to temptation and created yet another vegetable garden on top of the bank above the building. In the winter it seemed like a good idea, but it has been a struggle keeping on top it; not to mention vast quantities of bindweed, and a generally rubbish season for growing veg! I did manage to pick about 14kilos of blackcurrants before the blackbirds (I didn’t get to the redcurrants quickly enough!) I’ve had quite a few good successes from pumpkin, squash, brassicas and cut flowers, which made up for no carrots, beans, aubergines and few peppers or lettuce – mainly due to the explosion in slug numbers! I have been trying to adapt to a more permaculture style of living and growing – I will explain that in more detail another day!
If you are reading this, then it also means the website is back functioning! We had a complete meltdown at the beginning of the month, when everything disappeared. Thanks to MiHi digital for rescuing most of it, and it was a good excuse to refresh and update parts as well.
So we will be using our very valued downtime this winter to not only do the usual, redecorating, mending and sorting, but also to reflect on this year, and how we want to go forward into next season – what can we do better? Differently? We’re never going to please everyone, we know, but the more who do get something out of visiting, whatever it may be, then the happier we are!
