Tiara Boom-de-ay

Warm sunny and full of folks, a roasted-vegetable-and-mozzarella-panini day.
I practically bullied two people into going to see the church. My mad eyes, and the way I shrieked "You've GOT to see it now you've come all this way!" probably put them off.
The lovely steady flow of people were served very quickly - I think we're all still on Bank Holiday adrenalin. There were lots of gasps as we approached tables with paninis, quiche, homecooked ham salads and sandwiches just a few minutes after they'd been ordered.
Several groups came for coffee, stayed for lunch then came back for Afternoon Tea, among them a group of 3 ladies who'd known each other since school and who keep a meet-up kitty.
I have no idea what to expect from tomorrow.
It is a Bank Holiday but surely people will have made their Royal Wedding plans and we won't see anyone til 2pm. Nancie has brought in several plastic tiaras for us to wear.
The two new boys will be thrilled.
I have a very bad record on guessing what any single day may hold (apart from tiaras).
I've ordered lots of milk though. Just in case.

Wow

Am just getting over the shock that was Monday.
We need to restock and take stock.
So glad it's ages til the next Bank Holiday.
Oh.

Busy Bees

Aah.
Day three-of-four all over.
We were fine.
It seemed that lunches were not what people wanted, they'd probably got big fat roast lunches and family dinners to attend. What they all wanted was tea. And scones. And the lemon drizzle I got up early to make.
And, bizarrely, cappuccinos.
Another really beautiful and busy sunny day but we all seem to agree that tomorrow will be the biggie. Who wants to cook on Easter Monday?
I do also have a new worry to keep me awake.
Apparently, according to one customer, the masonry bees which circulate around the window of the main room are also partial to stripping the underside of my new wooden tables.
Grrrrr.
Bzzzzz.

Night terrors

After another busy day (Day Two of the Four) I went to bed early but haven't been able to sleep. There were eleven of us on Saturday. For Sunday's operation there'll only be eight - nine if I rope George in. Those extra pairs of hands make all the difference.
Plus I've almost run out of ice cream so George has to make an emergency trip into Bennetts in the morning.
I write this in the hope it clears my head enough to let me sleep.
In fact seeing it written down makes me even more nervous.

A very good Friday.

A message from the local BBC radio station was on the answer phone this morning. Would I speak to them about what people could do at the Court and Church on a sunny Bank Holiday.
It was, of course, a pleasure.
I raved about the fountain and the Easter Trail for the kids, I talked about the Church and told them that Freda was baking fresh scones.
I don't know how many people heard it or whether it had an impact but HUNDREDS of people came today.
Hundreds.
Upon hundreds.
And that was day one of the four-day-weekend.

Thursday - Appley ever after

A couple of days ago a family came for lunch. He was Spanish, she Japanese and their two daughters little, dark haired and gorgeous. They'd come from their home in London and were staying in the very nice hotel in the next village. They shared a large bottle of the apple juice which is made at Mill Orchards in the village.
Yesterday they were first through the doors. They wanted a case of apple juice to take back home to London with them. I only had two bottles but I do like a happy customer so raced down to the village, found the farmer (Peter) on his tractor in the middle of the orchard and forced him back to his store room for a box of twelve bottles of Laxton Fortune juice.
The day took a while to get going but when it did it really did.
I was momentarily stumped by one lady:
"Coffee please" she said.
"Filter?" I ventured.
"Erm"
"Or we also make latte, cappuccino, americano?" I suggested
"Well", she said, "I really only wanted a nescaff".

Where am I?

Ice lollies, ice cream, scones and Ploughman's lunch were the orders of the latest sunny day.
The other sign of really hot weather is the number of egg mayonnaise sandwiches people suddenly have a desire for.
The Bank Holiday weekend looms and we're low on a number of things so I'll be shopping early doors tomorrow. Again.

I was flummoxed by one question today.
A woman came in this afternoon:
"Am I in the right place?" she asked.