Well, that was a whirlwind summer! With staycations remaining very popular we have had a bumper season. And now we find ourselves in Autumn but still busy – not least with those keen on avoiding the school holidays and here for a slightly less busy English Riviera.
Riviera Walking
Looking forward to mid October, the inaugural English Riviera Walking Festival gets underway, with walks over the 15th to 22nd of the month. The walks are with a team leader who is knowledgeable about the area. So, it might be a walk lead by a horticulturalist or someone who can tell you about Torbay during the Second World War. There’s a good variety and there should be something for everybody. And the walks cater for different walking abilities too – it looks like the longest walk is five miles and plenty are a lot shorter.
There are more details on their web site.
Let Us Tell You About airbnb
Talking about walking, as many of our readers will know, we’re keen walkers. And, of course, we’re aware of airbnb, the ‘alternative’ way to rent/hire accommodation. And so when we were looking to walk a bit of the southern coast path which needed us to stay away for a night, we thought, ‘let’s try airbnb and find out what all the fuss is about’.
Well, let’s just say it was a surprise … but not a wholly good one. Yes, the accommodation we ended up staying in was more-or-less as described, but we were a little taken aback by just how much of the owner’s personal belongings were in the house. We won’t go into details, and of course this can vary from rental to rental, but it certainly wasn’t what we’d expect to find in a ‘proper’ B&B.
And that takes us to the real nub of the issue. B&Bs, including The Somerville, MUST be compliant with numerous regulations and governing bodies. Environmental Health, Fire Service, Public Liability Insurance, Performing Right Society (yes, to put on a radio in a guest room), Electrical and Gas Safety and Certification … and there are probably more we’ve forgotten to list.
In contrast, it seems airbnb renters do not have to be compliant to many or any of the above! You don’t need us to point out the potential implications … (And don’t get us started on the additional cleaning fee which was added – and seems standard practice!)
So what, you might ask? The trouble is, airbnb is swamping everywhere, with inevitable knock-ons. And perhaps the most obvious one is that there are fewer and fewer options for anyone to take a longer term let on. As a result there’s a shortage of affordable, reliable accommodation available – and that shortage is pretty well nation-wide.
Another huge benefit that comes with a more traditional B&B is that the owners are there, first, to provide a welcome and, more importantly, to enrich every guest’s stay with their local knowledge. The chat over breakfast is a great way to allow owners to get to know their guests and then help them get the most out of the local area in the most appropriate way.
In short – the true hospitality that comes with a B&B should never be underestimated. With that in mind, all I can do is urge you to support Bed & Breakfast businesses in the UK. And hey, you can’t beat having a great British breakfast cooked for you, before your day out!
An Autumn Offer
Just to mention that we have a special offer in the Garden Suite during October and November. Contact us directly to check on the availability – 01803 294 755. (This offer is NOT available via the online booking system.)
Autumn Entertainment
And finally for this update, although the year’s coming to its end the Princess Theatre in Torquay has these events coming up which caught our eye:
Thursday 6th October: Al Murray – comedian
Friday 21st October: Freddie Mercury & Queen Tribute Band
Thursday 3rd November: Fishermans’ Friends – guys from Port Isaac
Friday 4th November: Sensational 60s Experience with The Searchers
Friday 11th November: Harry Hill – comedian
And that’s it for now. We look forward to seeing you.
