Chaplin House B & B

Snowdrop Time Special Offer

Snowdrops are still with us to cheer the spirits after such a long weary winter.  There is a lovely walk almost from Chaplin House B & B front door along Car Dyke to Metheringham on which to enjoy the spectacle of lots of snowdrops.  So it's possible to delight in history - Car Dyke is of Roman origin - and nature at the same time.  Who knows, the Romans might also have enjoyed the spring message of snowdrops in the woods in these cold northern climes.

Snowdrops  by David Lockyer

Welcome yawns of waking,

Snowdrops snow freckle the woods

Allowing winter one last stir

Transferring snowfall from drear to promise

Why not enjoy a late winter break at Chaplin House B & B?  There is plenty to see and do nearby.  Book a 2 night stay and receive a complimentary bottle of white wine to toast the snowdrops!

Chaplin House New Awards

Tastes of Lincolnshire Award

With a B & B business you are often only looking forwards: Who is coming?  When are they arriving? What rooms have they booked?  So, apart from the data of the economics, you seldom make time to review the whole perspective of how successful you are.

In January we were away on holiday, while Chaplin House hibernated, and couldn't attend a Tastes of Lincolnshire Awards event to which we had been invited. On our return were delighted to learn that we had a new award.

This Tuesday, 23 February, at a Visit Lincolnshire Tourism Conference, we received our award as runners up.  This led us to review past success resulting in the realisation that we have reached the Taste of Lincolnshire finals four years on the trot.

2006 Runners up

2007 Winners

2008 Runners up

2009 Runners up

(Olympic wise that's one gold and three silvers!!!)

Breakfast Award

             

Keeping to the theme of success, on our return to business as usual, our first guest turned out to be our quality assurance inspector.  As you might imagine, this was an an abrupt re-entry! On reaffirming our FOUR STARS and SILVER AWARD, she also told us that we were in line for a breakfast award which we duly received.

So, visit Chaplin House B & B for FOUR STAR accommodation and enjoy a FIVE STAR breakfast.

Remember to check our Blog and website for special offers!

Prize Winners at Chaplin House

Pictured below are Nick Cooke and his partner Tracy who won the Chaplin House prize draw for a free two night stay, including a three course evening meal.  Here they can be seen enjoying their main course.

Find out what they thought about it all by reading their review on www.tripadvisor.com

and search for Chaplin House B & B Lincolnshire.

Watch this space for our forthcoming offers!

Awards and Competitions - and Seals!

Award News

First of all, wonderful news for us that we won a Silver Award at the East Midlands Enjoy England Excellence Awards last month.  We were delighted to be shortlisted again this year, but even more delighted to have won Silver!  The ceremony was at the Athena in Leicester at a glittering evening  with BBC One Show host Des Coleman  overseeing the night’s festivities.

Competition News

In the Spring, we ran a prize draw for all guests who stayed 2 nights or more during February, March or April.  The prize was a complimentary 2 night stay and a 3 course evening meal.  The lucky winners are actually coming this weekend and we have been in close consultation about the menu!  Local produce features prominently, with the main course being Lincoln Red beef cooked in red wine.  We will post photos after the event.

Donna Nook Again !

Once again, we've been on our annual visit to the grey seal colony at Donna Nook.  It is always a magical experience being so close to these beautiful mammals and seeing the bond between mother and pup in the first few days of the pup's life.  It is one of the wildlife treats of Lincolnshire:  the pupping takes place during November and December and gradually tails off by mid January so if you want to visit you need to plan it now!  Useful link:http://www.lincsuk/donnanookseals.htm

 

Award News!

Autumn Break Special Offer

Enjoy a complimentary bottle of wine on your first night when staying at Chaplin House for a two night weekend break in October or November.  Stay for a long weekend (3 nights) and take a second bottle home with you!

Good News

Last week, we were delighted to hear that once again Chaplin House B & B is through to the finals of East Midlands Enjoy England Excellence Awards 2009.  This is doubly satisfying as we won our category (Guest House accommodation) last year.  Now we await the mystery shopper!  Whatever happens, we know we'll be part of an excellent awards evening in October, when the winners will be announced.

The Jammy Dodger!

David has been out in the fields picking vast quantities of strawberries, and some raspberries, and making jars and jars of jam - yes, even in this very hot weather we have had the jam pan on.  Additionally, noticing that the ripeness and quality of pineapples suddenly soared, he experimented successfully with making pineapple jam: limited quantity only.

Cats, competition and broadcast

What a glorious day!  Every cloud has given up trying to stifle the sun.

News! News! NEWS!

At last Chaplin House B & B has its own publication: David’s book of poems, Catamorphosis, is on sale at £6.00 plus £1.10 p&p or collect from Chaplin House.

As yet, it’s still a kitten of a book, less than three weeks old, but  selling well.

Superbly illustrated, including two pictures by David’s daughter,

Kimberley, the book has already attracted a fan club.

Lee Parsons, a Chaplin House B & B guest from the Isle of Wight, having read a couple of preview poems immediately ordered a copy. This was seven months before publication. After receiving the book, he took photos of his two cats reading a poem or two.  They are now brilliant advertising.  Enjoy the photo!

If you want to hear more about Catamorphosis, you can click onto Listen Again, and listen to David being interviewed today around 2.30pm by Melvyn Prior on BBC Radio Lincolnshire http://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/local_radio/.

New! News! NEWS!

We have a winner for our springtime Chaplin House B & B competition: Nick Cooke from Spalding has won two free nights stay and an evening meal.  Congratulations Nick we look forward to pampering you and your partner.

Spring has Sprung!!

Spring has arrived in Martin.  The daffodils are opening, the hellebores are still in flower and our hanging baskets are a daily delight as more flowers emerge.
Our local song birds, especially the nearest blackbird,are gradually working up to a full dawn chorus; residents paving the way, or should that be staving the way, for spring and summer visitors.
The gardens are awakening and seem bright and productive.

January, February and March are usually quietish months for us but  have been very busy, especially midweek.  In fact, it's been the busiest opening quarter that we have experienced but there's still time to take advantage of our Spring Special Offers which last until the end of April:

• Book a 2 night break with us to stay during February, March or April this year.  This will entitle you to be entered into our prize draw.  One lucky person will win a 2 night stay for 2 people sharing a double or twin room, including a delicious 3 course dinner cooked by Margaret using the finest local ingredients.  The whole package is worth £170!

The draw will take place on 1 May 2009.  The winner will be notified by 8 May 2009.

• Book a mid week 3 night stay during February, March or April and receive a 10% discount and a complimentary bottle of wine.

David's book of poetry, a purrfect book for cat lovers, is with the printers and should be ready very shortly.  Watch this space!!

Look out for the following local events:

19 March:  BBC Antiques Road Show is coming to Lincoln Cathedral

Tennyson Celebrations: visit the special website for events 

http://www.tennyson2009.co.uk/

Boston Stump: a series of events recognising its 900 year history April - December

Joseph Banks Extra!

By the way, for keen gardeners and botanists, stay at Chaplin House and make a point of going to Lincoln to visit the Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory at The Lawns. 

This is what a recent visitor had to say about it:

'The Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory is wonderful, a free-to-enter hothouse with exhibits which Banks brought back from his travels with Captain Cook.
Winter it is a steamy jungle to escape to and summer it is just fun and interesting. carp in the streams under little bridges and exotic plants and trees. A little bit of jungle in UK.
Also a small shop and tanks of fish.'

Frankenstein Connections

Those of you who have stayed with us at Chaplin House  B & B will know that in the dining room there are two framed lists of famous people who were alive around the time that Chaplin House was built.  They came into being because Margaret  in her former career as a teacher was  interested in the Gothic novel and particularly in Mary Shelley, who as you know is the author of Frankenstein. 

We were amazed when we realised soon after moving in that Chaplin House was built in the same year that Mary Shelley was born, 1797.  A serendipitous coincidence?

This set in motion David's research into who else was significant at the time.  Initially, we had one list, which had an arts bias, but after comments from guests we added another science based list.  For instance, in 1797 Joseph Banks, the deeply influential Lincolnshire botanist who sailed with both Cook and Bligh, was a mere five year old growing up near Horncastle. 

Incidentally, there is a fascinating Town Walk around Horncastle which details the building that Joseph Banks lived in as his town house and the charity work with which he was involved.

A Belated Happy New Year!

Chaplin House has been more or less closed since before Christmas.  We've had a wonderful holiday ourselves in Madeira and now we're back, full of energy, ready to welcome our guests in 2009.  And it's snowing here today though we've not had as much as the south of England.

Two Special Offers to tempt you to Chaplin House this spring

• Book a 2 night break with us to stay during February, March or April this year.  This will entitle you to be entered into our prize draw.  One lucky person will win a 2 night stay for 2 people sharing a double or twin room, including a delicious 3 course dinner cooked by Margaret using the finest local ingredients.  The whole package is worth £170!

The draw will take place on 1 May 2009.  The winner will be notified by 8 May 2009.

• Book a mid week 3 night stay during February, March or April and receive a 10% discount and a complimentary bottle of wine.

 

Taken in the rear garden this morning at 10.00

 

·