Thistledown glamping & the 93 days of January!

It's February - at last. January just seems to go on forever doesn't it? Was it really Christmas such a short time ago?

Even thought the weather is dreary we have been busy painting, planting, cleaning & creating new additions for the huts and Fern Cottage. We love introducing new things around our site, those of you that are regular guests will hopefully spot the changes, however small.

Here is a round up of what we have been up too.....

Fern Cottage, as you may know has a new garden, it's still looking rather bare in places but we've done lots of planting and already we are seeing signs of that. If you are going to be staying in Fern Cottage soon we hope you will see past the banks that are yet to come into bloom and see the lovely borders where daffodils, tulips and many other flowers, herbs and plants are starting to emerge. In time this great space will have a couple of different seating areas, one for dining and one for relaxing, and also a fire pit, perfect for cooler evenings.

Also in Fern Cottage we have been brightening up the bathroom. It is now home to another of Tim's creations - a quirky mirror! Made from a reclaimed mirror and pallet wood it's painted to match the new colour scheme and art work in here.

Elsewhere at Thistledown Glamping yet another of Tim's creations can now be found in each of the hut bathrooms. We felt some hanging space was needed, but nothing is boring here. Made from copper piping and various other reclaimed materials we now have a very useful area for guests to hang their clothes. As well as a quirky little feature that is as practical as it is silly, but that is for guests to discover when they stay!

Amongst all this we had a Polytunnel saga! Keen to start growing our own fruit and veg we thought this would be a good idea. On one of the many days in January we set to work, rather pleased with our achievement at the end of the day.

Overnight a nasty storm decided to take down our polytunnel, ripping the cover and twisting many poles. After contacting the company that supplied it - MHSTAR - in the hope of buying replacement parts, they very kindly insisted on sending us out the parts we needed at no cost! So Polytunnel #2 is now in place and we are soon to be embracing The Good Life!

So many other little jobs are being done behind the scenes, clearing the pond (carefully!), tidying the field, new solar lighting, refreshing paint, new blinds, and even a new door!

Perhaps the biggest thing in the pipeline is planning our third Shepherd Hut that all being well will be Tim's next big project for Autumn 2020. But that's a whole other blog..........

Happy February everyone!

Love is in the air.....

First of all Happy New Year to you all! We hope you had a peaceful Christmas and New Year, and are starting 2020 full of hope and anticipation rather than a hangover!

Did you know that apparently 40% of all proposals happen between December and February, according to Harpers Baazar?

This may come as no surprise, Christmas obviously brings out the romance in some! At the risk of embarrassing my wonderful Tim, he proposed to me in the most romantic way possible one January, and it was a complete surprise to me!

Everyone knows that February 14th is St. Valentines Day, but I have recently learnt that January 25th is the Welsh equivalent - St Dwynwen's Day.

St Dwynwen was a fourth-century Welsh princess who lived in what is now the Brecon Beacons National Park. Dwynwen was rather unlucky in love, so she became a nun. She prayed for true lovers to have better luck than she did.

(If you would like to read more about the history of St Dwynwen please take a look at the Visit Wales website - https://www.visitwales.com/info/history-heritage-and-traditions/st-dwynwens-day)

We have had a couple of proposals here at Thistledown Glamping since we opened and we love that our beautiful site inspires romance in our guests. How wonderful that people will remember their stay with us for such a special reason. After all you will never forget where the love of your life proposed to you! (On the beach in Porlock Weir in case you were wondering!)

We have also had quite a few bookings for honeymoons, it must be something to do with the wood fired hot tubs, peace & the stunning sunsets we get here, just perfect for a romantic getaway! So keep us in mind if you fancy a unique honeymoon........

Until next time, enjoy your January & plan something amazing for 2020

!

Lets talk about Christmas

I thought it was time we started writing a blog, and as it’s December what better topic to start with than Christmas.

Christmas was always the most magical time of year for me growing up! Spending time with family, playing games and enjoying lots of food we wouldn’t have at any other time of year – turkey curry anyone??

We always had a huge, real Christmas tree that my Dad took me to choose & it always seemed like there was a mountain of presents under it. I have the most wonderful festive memories thanks to my parents – and Father Christmas of course!

In Dec 2005 my Dad passed away, aged 47. It devastated my Mum and I, and honestly, Christmas was never the same after that.

But here Tim and I are with our own little family and we love helping Father Christmas make things special for our 4 and 2 year old, including traditions from our childhoods and making new ones of our own – the magic has returned for me. Seeing the excitement on their faces as we get closer to Christmas is wonderful.

One of my new favourite traditions is heading to the beach on Boxing Day to watch the festive swim. I have always had an excuse as to why I should just watch rather than joining in. I think I may have exhausted the ‘I’ve just had a baby’ excuse though. So who knows, I may or may not be dipping my toes in the chilly sea this boxing day – I will be sure to let you all know!

Since moving to West Wales and the creation of Thistledown Glamping & Cottages we have been honoured when guests have chosen our quirky little huts or cottages to spend this special time of year in. Sometimes they come here to celebrate with a loved one, sometimes it’s to escape all things Christmas.

Booking a Glamping experience over the festive season is definitely breaking with tradition – But if anyone did attempt turkey and sprouts on the campfire we'd love to see a picture!

If a quiet, peaceful escape from the realities of the world appeals, we are the perfect retreat – waking up to the sounds of nature, watching a beautiful sunset from the hot tub & raising a glass to loved ones near or far……..

Whatever your plans are this year, from all of us at Thistledown Glamping we wish you all a Peaceful, Happy Christmas.