AA Awards

Just received my 4 Gold Star Award from the AA which sits nicely with the AA Breakfast Award.  This will be the last year I receive this award from the AA as I have decided not to renew my membership next year for a variety of reasons.  I am still currently graded 4 gold stars with Visit Scotland so please be assured the standards will remain the same.  Well even if I wasn't graded at all my standards would still be high, as that's just me, I would be embarrassed to receive guests if my house wasn't up to scratch.  To be honest if the B&B isn't coming up to scratch I'm sure someone would very quickly rip me to shreds on Trip Advisor.

I am committed to using as much local Perthshire produce as I can and also make as much as I can. I don't say I do something and not back it up, well you can see from my blogging what I do.

I have also decided not to renew my membership of the Green Tourism Scheme of which I am graded Silver.  I have been doing sustainable 'things' for years now and will continue to do so and also have reasons to pull out the scheme which I probably best not write down on here.

Possibly I have reached the stage in doing B&B that having someone telling me I need six clothes hangers per person and I have to do this, this and this isn't really that important any more.  At the end of the day to me what is important is that guests enjoy their time staying in the B&B, and my visitor books and reviews tell me they do.

Am pondering over another couple of things, so maybe my last paragraph answered that question.

World Jam Awards 2012

Continuing on the theme of berries, entries are now open for the Jampionships.  Last year it was only raspberry jam, but this year there is also strawberry jam and blackcurrant jam.   Find out more and download an entry form for the World Jam Awards.

Just to jog your memory Gilmore House won the B&B/Hotel category last year!

Open Farm Sunday

Today was Open Farm Sunday when Farms open their doors to the general public so we can find out what goes on.  One of our local soft fruit growers here in Blairgowrie Thomas Thomson was taking part, so off we went this afternoon to the Packhouse at Haugh Road.  There was a very big turnout of interested people despite it being a bit wet.  We all got into minibuses and our first stop was to look at Blueberries which won't be ready for a while yet and then we took another drive to see raspberries and different varieties of strawberries. A fascinating afternoon hearing about all the challenges faced by fruit farmers, the day to day running, their supermarket customers etc, as they say 'you learn something new every day'.  Our last stop before tea and cake and strawberries was to see some experimental cherry tree planting.  Great afternoon and you really can taste the difference between the different varieties.

Proposed Blairgowrie Improvements

On Friday Perth and Kinross Council conducted a consultation on their planned improvements to the Riverside Park, the Wellmeadow and the Bus Stop and car park area. Lots of great ideas and I was glad to see some proposed new walks around the town as well as new signage.  I thought I had taken more pictures of the plans but I hadn't. It was interesting to view all the old photographs of the town as well.  There is a questionnaire available online at www.pkc.gov.uk/TCRFBlairgowrie as well as the detailed plans.  I shouldn't imagine any work would start until next year though.

Croft Lane Garden - Blairgowrie

On Thursday evening when I went to watch the pipe band I also had a look at the small garden area at the bottom of Croft Lane which is maintained by Blair in Bloom (I think).  The garden has a really nice aspect overlooking the Wellmeadow in Blairgowrie and during the town's Jubilee Celebrations two trees were planted to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee.

Grass Sickness Horse Show

Whoops, forgot to blog these photos taken on the 3rd June.  For the past few years a horse show has taken place in the Highland Games Field (Bogles Field) in aid of Equine Grass Sickness.  Grass sickness is a rare but fatal disease for horses, ponies and donkeys.  Incidentally the Blairgowrie Highland Games take place on the 2nd September 2012, the sign in the picture hasn't been updated yet.

June Evening Pipe Band Display

A few pictures from this evening's performance by Blairgowrie and Rattray Pipe Band.  They will be playing again in the Wellmeadow on June 23rd from 2.15pm-3.15pm.