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Down at Swanage Railway they're busy brushing up the rolling stock, fettling up the lines and topping up the coal supplies – and it's much the same story at Glenlee. After a wonderfully successful season with scores of lovely guests coming from all over the country, plus quite a few from abroad, the team are beavering away getting rooms ready for 2016. As well as our super new website we're undertaking numerous improvements to the building itself. One major project currently under way is renewing the entire property's plumbing system. Next year's guests should feel the benefit of a better heating system, more powerful showers and fresh drinking water from the bathroom taps. (Plus a more efficient system will help us continue to keep our room rates down.) Together with several new licks of paint around the place and some exciting new menu ideas from chef Tom, Glenlee is looking forward to opening up its doors once more from March 1st. And remember, our Spring Deal gives you £13 off per night if you stay three nights or more in March, April or May. Isn't that enticing? After our intermission (think back to the old black & white TV films of kittens with balls of string) we'll be ready to welcome next year's arrivals. See you after the break.
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He was the butt of jokes by Eric and Ernie, such as: "The 'Des' in Des O'Connor is short for Desperate". But now Morcambe & Wise's target is coming to Swanage - tonight! - with his stage show, looking back over his career of mixing and working with all number of stars. In the Fortes cafe at the Mowlem, located under the stage, the sound engineers can be heard this afternoon testing the microphones for tonight's performance.
Maenwhile, it's a another day of comings and goings at Glenlee. The guest house is full, even as schools go back and the beach is much less full than a week ago. And that sounds like another couple arriving to check-in right now... Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here A day that started with such promise this morning - the dining room blinds had to be brought down to stop guests being dazzled while they devoured their Full English - has ended up grey and drizzly. Typical. It must be a bank holiday weekend... However, after we waved off a family of three who have been coming to Glenlee every summer for the past 23 years - yes, 23! - a steady stream of new arrivals began checking in.
"If you could suggest one thing we do while we're here, what would it be?" asked one man as he completed his registration form. Pause for thought. There is so much to do and see around the area that naming one thing is a challenge. "Visit Durlston Castle," I offered. It's a lovely walk, there are plenty of benches along the way, there are loos, a cafe, an exhibition, video presentation and a fossil display when you arrive, plus you can get the No. 5 bus back to Swanage Station if you don't fancy the return walk. There's one thing about running a guest house - you never know what the day will bring. Amid the normal morning rush today the phone rang and the kind folk at the tourist information centre were asking if we had a mobile number for some of our current guests. Apparently, they had left their car keys in the door of their car parked over the water in Poole. But a quick search through the paperwork revealed we didn't have a number for them.
How did the tourist office know who they were and where they were staying? Well, attached to the family's keyring was the key and fob for a beach hut, so the person who spotted the keys knew to phone the tourist office in Swanage. Good work, Sherlock. Then another call from the tourist office and we had an immediate booking. Within moments a new couple were walking up the road to check in, which meant hastily checking the flowers and water jug in their top-floor room were refreshed. The busy morning continued. Later, while walking past the Spa beach huts, we spotted the family who had left their keys in their car at Poole Quay. Turned out they'd gone back to the vehicle and the keys were still there in the door. So there are still some honest people around. To finish the afternoon the latest comments in our guestbook have been added to our website (click here) - blowing your own trumpet might not be very British but hey ho... If people are pleased why not tell the world? As we no longer use the greedy online travel agents to attract new business we need to spread the word a little. Now it's onwards with evening meals... Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here Despite today's hesitant sun the beach has still proved a popular draw for hundreds of holidaymakers. But the real crowds will be arriving in the next few days for Swanage Regatta and Carnival, a week or fun and laughter for everyone in the town, starting on Saturday. Click here for some photos of previous carnival processions and other local sights - and here to see former Glenlee proprietor Martin Jones as Manuel from Fawlty Towers carrying a drinks tray!
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here Glenlee now takes direct bookings only, via our website (www.glenleeswanage.co.uk), by phone (01929 425794) or in person. Previously, we paid lots of commission to online travel agents such as Expedia, LateRooms.com and so on. You'd be amazed how much they charge us! And we've decided to use the money saved to give our guests an even better stay. So it's goodbye OTAs and hello to our new mobile-friendly FreeToBook booking system, which lets you see at a glance when rooms are available. Hope to see you soon :-)
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here A relaxing, after-dinner walk up near Peveril Point gave us a super view over Swanage Bay this evening. And it was just what the doctor (would have) ordered. Busy, busy, busy are the days at Glenlee, from an early start for breakfasts round to clearing away the evening meal things and setting up for the following day's breakfast.
Today's highlights included a visit from a bee specialist to advise us on a suspected nest near the roof. Apparently they're bumble bees, as opposed to honey bees, and are highly unlikely to fly into a guest room. All the same, we can't be too careful, so visitors staying in the bedroom closest to the bees will be warned not to leave their windows wide open until they have buzzed off and the tiny hole can be filled in. Time and tide wait for no man, so it's said. Certainly the days at Glenlee seem to fly by, both for us and, it seems, the guests. They complain their holidays go too quickly, and the majority leave with promises to return and stay for longer. It's heartening to know we must be doing something right, though I suspect the real draw is Swanage itself - a delightful place in which to potter. Yesterday we ventured to one of the beauty spots so many of our guests have told us about, the RSPB wildlife reserve at Arne, near Wareham. It is, as they promised, a delightful place to visit and is only a few miles away from the guest house. Forget the Blackpool illuminations, Swanage seafront could soon be... well... festooned with twinkling lights. Workmen were busy putting up strings of bulbs between the lamp-posts along Shore Road this afternoon. OK, so we don't have the trams. But it is a few degrees warmer down here. While the weather for the bank holiday looks mixed, to say the least, the town is of course buzzing with tourists keen to make the most of their time on the South Coast.
As followers of our Facebook page might have noticed, we were this week given a Certificate of Excellence 2015 by TripAdvisor. Several of our recent guests have been leaving very kind reviews of Glenlee on TripAdvisor, which is great. It is immensely satisfying when visitors seem to have genuinely enjoyed their stay. With Eurovision looming, we thought we'd throw a little Song Contest Soirée for guests. Having not watched it for years, we'll be interested to see if the standard has plummeted as low as we fear. In 24 hours we'll be finding out. Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here Already, Swanage is getting busy. The summer season is still to come yet Glenlee is getting up to speed with a good number of guests. On Friday we had a house full of train enthusiasts, drawn to the town for the railway's Diesel Gala weekend. Then as soon as they'd checked out on Saturday morning immediately after breakfast we welcomed a party of wedding guests. Luckily all their rooms had just been serviced when their cars drew up mid-morning. Within minutes they were gathered in the lounge, having quick-changed into their smart suits, posh frocks and marriage millinery, awaiting their taxi. A cocktail of delightful perfumes hung in the air after they'd disappeared for Durlston Castle. And so it goes on - this week again, numerous comings and goings. Everyone with their own story to tell, their own reasons for visiting the town, and without exception lovely people. We're very lucky.
Behind the scenes, improvements and maintenance work carries on. Several rooms have had new beds, new carpets and, now, new high-definition smart TVs. Hopefully not all the guests will be viewing iPlayer programmes or YouTube videos at once or the Wi-Fi is likely to wilt under the strain, but it does give them another option when it's raining and they just want to relax indoors. Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here Hollywood A-lister Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada) was in front of the cameras this afternoon after the Jolly Roger sailed into Swanage Bay yesterday. The tall ship, now moored at the end of the pier, continues to cause a stir with record numbers of the public paying their strolling fee to watch as filming gets under way. A crew member revealed it's for an ITV production of Peter Pan, set to air on Boxing Day. IAG star Natifa Mai and singer Paloma Faith will also star. For more details click here.
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here Great excitement today as a tall 'pirate' ship named the Jolly Roger arrived in Swanage Bay and moored at the end of the pier. Apparently an ITV film is being made here until Thursday, so many eyes are on the lookout for celebrities wandering around town. Meanwhile, a nearby car park has been filled with all the production vehicles including portable offices, dressing rooms, generators and luxury loos.
What a fabulous few days we've had in Swanage - and wouldn't it be great if it could last a little longer. Sadly the weekend forecast doesn't look too wonderful, though with luck it'll stay pretty dry. A bit of sun makes all the difference to how we all feel, and Glenlee guests this week have certainly enjoyed relaxing on the patio at the front, sipping coffee, admiring the flowers and watching tennis in the park. The fine weather has also provided a chance to catch up with some more outside maintenance jobs - fence painting is coming on apace.
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here Another cloudless sky again here in Swanage. Glorious, just like the golden gorse to be found over on Ballard Down and, as we discovered the other day, on the coast near Mupe Bay, just east of Lulworth Cove. Whenever the sun comes out we are reminded what a lovely part of the country this is. Little wonder our diary is filling up fast for the summer. We're also running a tempting Autumn Offer in September and October - but you need to call for details (01929 425794).
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk To sign up for our newsletter click here Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk
A glorious day in Swanage today, as this shot from about Prince Albert Gardens shows. And the front garden at Glenlee is also looking and smelling lovely - just as guests start to use the patio seats. In other news, we've started promoting our Autumn Offer: £8 off per room per night if you stay two nights or more in September and October and book by phone. So if you fancy a late-season visit to Swanage, call us on 01929 425794.
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk The sun came up, as predicted, this morning before a thick sea mist rolled in. And stayed. All morning. Glenlee guests hoping for a beautiful day like yesterday will have been a little disappointed. However, that didn't mean the beach was empty. The seafront was as crowded as ever this lunch time, with the normal queues at the kiosks for ice cream. Families make the best of a half-term break, whatever the weather throws at us.
3pm UPDATE: The sun has burst though the mist on the west side of town. It could yet be a nice afternoon. Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk The great weather has continued today and looks set to carry on for the rest of the week. At Glenlee, the parasols were put out next to the loveseats on the front patio for the first time this year. It really feels like the start of the new season. Today's arrivals even sat out there drinking their complimentary welcome drinks before heading off to the seafront. Another first for this year. On the beach, scores of families whiled away the afternoon - building sandcastles, playing cricket, dozing behind windbreaks, eating ice creams, while a hardy few braved the water. The recipe for a British seaside outing has stayed almost unchanged for decades. A Punch & Judy stall would have completed the picture, but who knows - maybe one day...
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk The children staying at Glenlee thoroughly enjoyed this morning's Easter egg hunt, scouring the building at speed to find all the 15 clues that eventually led to a cupboard crammed with chocolate goodies for themselves as well as their parents.
Later, the sun did actually come out this afternoon, providing a lovely walk up to Durlston Castle to see the work of artist Peter Rush. For 25 years he drew the paintings used to illustrate stories on BBC's Jackanory. His exhibition of paintings, TV captions, puppets and wire frame and paper sculptures, 50 Years, Man And Boy: The Artwork Of Peter Rush, is on until 20th April and is well worth a visit. Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk The town was packed this afternoon, the beach less so. A few hardy souls made the best of it on the sand - families with young children, mainly, but also a few older folk, determined to confront the chill breeze and stay rooted in their fold-up chairs - but the shops and cafes of Swanage were teeming with Easter visitors. Station Road was awash with visitors. That's the great thing about the British - when we make up our minds to have a good time, we don't let a mere grey sky deter us.
At Glenlee, an Easter egg hunt has been set for tomorrow morning, which should keep the younger guests quiet for a while following the clues around the building in the search for chocolate goodies. In the front garden, colour is returning as nature does its stuff. All we need now this bank holiday weekend is a bit more sunshine. Tomorrow afternoon is looking a little more hopeful... and Monday could be positively, well, better still. Fingers and everything else crossed. Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk It's been a busy few days at Glenlee getting ready for a full house over the Easter weekend. The place has had a thorough spring clean, from top to bottom, and copious amounts of food and drink - not to mention flowers to brighten the rooms and chocolate eggs to spoil our guests - are arriving. We'll be cooking and serving upwards of 40 breakfasts this weekend, plus no doubt some evening meals for those who'd rather not venture out every night.
Regular visitors may notice one or two minor changes in the rooms - including some new high-quality beds that we hope will arrive in time - but the essence of Glenlee remains the same: relaxation and comfort in a friendly, peaceful setting by the sea. In the front garden the spring flowers are a sight to behold - thanks very largely to Jenny Jones, who popped in again today to give the flowerbeds another tidy-up - and if the wind gets up then guests can admire the daffs and tulips from the warmth of the sun porch while reading the papers, enjoying a drink or perhaps a doze. For the children staying this weekend there'll be a little Easter egg hunt to keep them busy while the parents unwind. Fingers crossed the bank holiday weather will brighten up - it's looking hopeful that there won't be too much rain! Well, this is England, after all... But whatever the skies throw at us, Swanage is always a great place for a break. Whether it's walking, exploring, taking tea in the town or riding on the steam railway, there are dozens of ways to spend your time here. Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk Any divers fancy an underwater race? There's one being held off Swanage on Good Friday, 3 April, in aid of the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. Up to 30 can take part and a few places remain for divers who might like to join in the fun. Entry costs £10 per head. For more, call John Elysee on 07831 235522 or Goldie on 07865 505515. Or visit the Divernet website for full details.
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk The popular Friday Market is back for 2015 in Swanage, located in the Main Beach Car Park, off Victoria Avenue (BH19 1AN). Open every Friday for the season now from 6.30am to 3pm, the market has everyday essentials as well as designer jewellery, antiques, collectables, clothing, shoes, bric-a-brac, memorabilia and more.
Meanwhile, Easter weekend looks like being a busy time at Glenlee with all rooms filled. Here's hoping for blue skies and rather warmer temperatures than of late. Still, the good thing about Swanage is there's plenty to do whatever the weather. Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk Finally we have taken delivery of our new main fridge. It's a great big silver thing, with stainless steel that supposedly won't show finger prints. We'll see! It is big though - it has been suggested we could let it out as another room. As we're now full for the Jazz Weekend perhaps that's an idea...
The sun came out this morning - albeit briefly - for the official opening of the new beach huts along Shore Road. For more photos go to our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GlenleeGuestHouse
Visit our website at www.glenleeswanage.co.uk The sailing vessel currently at anchor in Swanage Bay - close to the scene of this morning's launch of the new beach huts - is the 25m-long De Liefde, according to the Live Ships Map. Its destination apparently is Plymouth. Meanwhile, the map shows Trueblue off Peveril Point and, further out, Kingston.
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Seaside storiesDay-to-day news and views from Glenlee Guest House and Swanage in Dorset. Previous posts
August 2015
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