Hello and welcome to my latest blog which I am writing early in November after we recently closed for the winter. Before I start there is something I need to confess: it has been over 18 months since my last confession… um blog. In my defence, I have been telling my staff for ages I really needed to do another log. Eventually they gave me a chainsaw. I do sometimes wonder if they have any idea about social media. Umm, not that kind of Log…
2022 was the first year for ages that we opened all the way through the summer, and not a moment too soon, as that meant I had to spend less time with my staff (who, quite frankly, can be a boring lot at the best of times) and more time with the guests, who generally appreciate the difficulties I face, having to constantly multi-task and keep on top of everything. And the bonus is that we have proper cooked breakfasts with the occasional leftover. Did someone say sausages?
Routine garden check. Yes, definitely violets…
It was good year as well because someone called Norman came back. If I had a sausage every time I heard someone say we’re back to Norman, I could open a butcher’s stall. Norman must be quite famous because it wasn’t just people in the village who knew him; many of our guests did too. Apart from Norman, I was very pleased to see so many people from abroad once again. For the past few years, we have just seen people from these shores, and I missed the international contingent, who tend to eat more varied breakfasts. After all, there’s nothing better than adding a more continental flavour to one’s breakfast occasionally.
Over the previous winter my staff were very busy redecorating some of the bedrooms and bathrooms. Smart Japanese-style toilets were installed in the Junior and Rowen suites as part of their makeover. I have no idea what a smart toilet does, but my staff told me they are green and will help save the planet by using less water and other resources. And you can get a wash and blow dry as well, apparently. Go, toilets. Anyway, it’s not just about the bathrooms, some of the bedrooms have been given a makeover too. Here’s Sandra in Room 6, her favourite. The portrait is of her a small child and as you can see, she’s hardly changed.
Yes, definitely pots….
In my role as Head of Marketing, I consider “Meet and Greet” to be one of my main strengths. Making sure my staff keep the gardens in good order is important so I spend plenty of time checking that everything is as it should be. The weather this summer was amazing; we hardly had any rain and at one point there was talk of a hose-pipe ban. The mind boggles. I have no idea how you ban a hose pipe. Fortunately, it started raining so we never got to find out.
It is with great sadness that I must report the demise of the jasmine arch, which was destroyed in the recent storms. The plants have all been salvaged and moved to other sites where they will hopefully recover from their trauma. The same cannot be said for the terracotta pots though, which appear to be beyond repair. Autumn storms invariably cause more damage as trees and shrubs are still in leaf. On a positive note, the arch had started to become overgrown, and it was difficult to see the birds on the feeder. Although the birds didn’t mind, once I showed them my excel spreadsheet plotting the price of sunflower seed, they appreciated the need to sing for their supper like the rest of us…
It’s enough to drive a dog to drink….
Notes from the garden…
One of the highlights of the summer was Phil, our resident pheasant, who’s been with us throughout the summer. The arch was his favoured spot; he used it as a breakfast buffet, feasting on the leftovers form the finches and tits who really are the messiest eaters I’ve ever met. He took to parading up and down the driveway and was widely admired by the guests. He hasn’t been back since the arch was lost but as the pheasant shooting season is underway, he’s probably keeping a low profile. One of our very clever guests included him in a montage she made of her stay in the spring. Frankly, I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. After all, he’s just a pheasant and doesn’t appear to have any transferrable skills such as Marketing, Security, or Diversity. I’m sure the novelty will wear off. Phil gets all the attention again! …
Conwy Valley Crime …
I am pleased to report that there have been no serious crimes or misdemeanours in 2022. However, Phil was caught up in an unfortunate incident on the croquet lawn, involving another pheasant, called Grant, who attempted to evict Phil from the garden. A few feathers were ruffled, but as this was a minor altercation Grant was let off with a caution and has not been seen since. The usual problems of squirrel pilfering and sheep invasions remain, but my staff have installed a new bird feeder, which I think they said is a Squirrel Duster, and apparently will somehow stop the birds having their food stolen. I have no idea how they think a duster will help. Perhaps they intend to get the squirrels to help with the housekeeping, in exchange for bird food, but that’s never going to work – the squirrels aren’t that desperate. Or stupid. I mean, who is going to work for peanuts? The sheep on the other hand, might be persuaded to do some light chores in the garden. Something ewesful, I’m sure. Brilliant plan, even if I say so myself.
Rowen Open Gardens …
I am pleased to report that Rowen Open Garden Day returned after an absence of a few years when the Government told us that visiting gardens was much too dangerous. Rowen has some amazing gardens, and it was lovely to see so many people enjoying a perfect summer’s day.
Phew, what a scorcher…
The Summer of 2022 will be remembered for many things, one of which was how hot and dry the weather was. The gardens were desperate for rain, and it seemed that whenever we went to Bodnant, some shrubs might never recover. I certainly spent more time at the hairdressers than ever as I don’t have the option of linen tops like my staff. It certainly didn’t harm our beer sales, although how much of that was really the guests, we may never know. Eventually the rain returned and it seems that the gardens are recovering well.
The Best of the Rest …
There were many events in and around the village as well as the Rowen open garden day. I can’t recall it raining during any of them. The carnival made a comeback and hopefully my staff picked up a few hints about logging…
The National Gardens Scheme was back in full swing as well, and we took full advantage of the weather to visit Gilfach, which has a lovely garden just outside the village and Maenan Hall, which was the dower house for Lady Aberconwy, of Bodnant House. It was also an excellent year for the kitchen garden, which yielded good crops of fruit and vegetables, the hedgerows where the blackberries were abundant and of course the fruit trees, which yielded a bumper crop of apples and helped make our first Apple Day a success.
Apple Day…
We marked the end of summer by holding our inaugural Apple Day, a festival to mark one of Nature’s gifts. Rowen is blessed with lots of beautiful gardens, and so many apples and pears seem to go to waste, so it seemed like a good idea to arrange for an apple press to be made available to put this harvest to good use. There were cakes and traditional apple – related games in the garden. The apple juice was excellent too, although personally I prefer blackberries! The day was the only one in the week where it rained, so the numbers of people was possibly lower than it might have been, but despite that we still had a good turn out and it was good to see all my staff together for the first time ever, as we needed all hands on deck, making teas. In the end we manged to raise just over £200 for our local children’s hospice, which was doubled up to £400, so all in all a good effort all round. Thanks to all who came along with their apples. 
Wallace, Gelert and Me….
Snowdonia is home to many legendary tales of heroic animals and some of the most famous are dogs, obviously. Beddgelert is a pretty village not far from here, and according to legend is named after Gelert, the faithful hound of the medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great. There is a stone monument near the river that marks Gelert’s resting place.
Rowen also has a canine legend, Wallace, who at last is receiving the recognition his deeds deserve. A newly restored monument in the village marks Wallace’s grave and I imagine my staff will use this as a template when the time comes to create my own memorial. I understand there is still a plinth available in Trafalgar Square, so perhaps that’s their plan.
Of course, it’s not all about legendary dogs. Snowdonia is a magical place – home to dragons, wizards, and fairies, castles and waterfalls, Druids and bards, crystal lakes and temperate rain forests. Wherever you go, the past is close by, almost there with you, tantalisingly just out of sight and beyond reach. It sometimes feels as though there is just a finely woven veil between you and this other dimension. The air is fresher, and time seems to pass more slowly. Is it real, or is it simply a mirage? I know what I think… but I’m just a dog, from Yns Mon, the home of the Druids.
Well, it’s goodnight from me…
Well, that all the news I have. The builders, painters, and tilers are back already, and it is very dusty here. There are boxes marked Intelligent Toilet in the store-room. I have no idea what that even means. There is another large metal container outside the house, which they call Skip for some reason. I’ve never seen it move or bark, so why it has a name is beyond me. I do worry about the mental health of my staff sometimes. Keeping on top of security and managing the trades is tiring so I need a rest, but hopefully we’ll be all be back to normal for Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas, I hope you all have a wonderful time and a happy and peaceful New Year. I hope to see you again next summer!
Lots of love from Ruby xxx
Head of Security & Marketing
