February Already!

Where does the time go? 

It's February already, we can't believe it!

Like most areas of the UK we are experiencing cold weather in Alton at the moment and it seems set to continue for a while.

On Saturday we took the photo below of our orchard and the valley beyond, very pretty.

It was great to be outside and get some fresh air but it was cold and started to snow so, we weren't long before we went back inside for a warm.

Roll on the Spring and hopefully some better weather!

Sunny Alton

Its been lovely weather in Alton for a number of days now - just what we like!

The fine weather has allowed us to get lots of jobs done outside. In between our usual grass cutting we've been tidying up the woodwork on our greenhouses, weeding, pruning, putting out tubs with bedding plants in and in between jobs having a cup of tea or two!

Here is a picture that we've taken of the some of the rhododendron at the front of the house. To be honest there are not as many flowers on them as there usually are. In the Autumn last year we gave these shrubs a major prunning, they needed it. As a result it may be next year before we see plenty of flowers but there you go!

A Lovely Sunny Day in Alton

What a fabulous day we've had in Alton today.  A bright cool morning followed by a sunny warm afternoon, perfect!

In between doing jobs we've had plenty of tea breaks and enjoyed the lovely weather.

Last Autumn we pruned the small fruit trees in our orchard and afterwards wondered if we'd cut off a bit too much.  I think we've done the trees a favour though, they look really good and the blossom is the best we've seen for a few years. 

Here is a photo we took this afternoon, a nice picture but doesn't do the beautiful blossom justice.

Hope it's been sunny where you are today and that you've had time to enjoy it!

Sunshine & Love is in the Air in Alton

What a really lovely day it's been here in Alton today.  After lots of cold and dull days a warmer sunny day has been very welcome indeed. 

Lately we've been busy doing jobs indoors getting ready for what we hope will be a busy season at our B&B.  Today though a bit of sunshine tempted us outside to do a bit of tidying up in our garden.  Bulbs were starting to appear and even a flower or two were out, very appropriate as it's Valentines Day tomorrow.

Here are a few pictures we'd like to share. 

Hope you are able to spend some time with the ones you love tomorrow - HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Snow in Alton

We woke up to snow this morning, not too much though just a very pretty scene.  While we were having a cuppa we took these photos.

Some areas of the country are having plenty of snow or facing floods.  Not a good time for the poor folk living there, hope they stay safe.

This week we have seen all sorts of weather in Alton, cloud, sun, high winds, chilly temperatures, snow and now a forecast of heavy rain has been given for Sunday!  No wonder the weather is a hot topic of conversation for Brits.  HOT - sorry couldn't resist!

Happy New Year for 2017

Very best wishes to everyone we know for a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year,

from all at The Malthouse. 

We came across these photos of Smudge (our cat) and Poppy (our dog) taken last Summer.

What a lazy pair they are! 

 

Roll on the Summer!

Winter has Arrived in Alton!

It's been steadily getting colder here but this morning we were sure Winter had arrived in Alton when we opened our curtains and were greeted by a frosty scene.  It was so cold that we didn't want to go out so took these photos from our lounge at the front of the house.  Lazy we know but the heating was on so it was cosy inside!

If your out and about wrap up!

Autumn in Alton

I've just been out to take our dog Poppy for a walk around the village and wanted to share a few photos that I took along the way.  As you will see from the beautiful colours Autumn has arrived in Alton!

It's really lovely at the moment.  Mild dry days with nights that cool but not too chilly.  Perfect weather for tidying up in the garden!

Red Sky at Night Alton's Delight!

We live in a lovely place, Alton really is a beautiful part of the world.  Sometimes we are guilty of taking our surroundings for granted.  On Tuesday this week just as the sun was setting we were treated to a spectacular view and reminded just how lucky we are. 

. 

We know the saying is "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight"

but for us it was "Red sky at night, Alton's delight"!

The Heat is on in Alton

The weather is fantastic at the moment.  The heat really is on here in Alton!

Our bedding plants have been out for a while now.  Here are a couple of pics, hope you like them!

Hope the weather is good wherever you are.

Rain Changes to Spring Sunshine in Alton

It's been a day of two halves in Alton.  Light rain and dull skies this morning followed by a dry afternoon that ended in Spring Sunshine.  A lovely finish to the day, perfect!

Here are a couple of photos that we took in our front garden this week while we enjoyed the sun.
The first is of Grape Hyacinth (a favourite of ours) beautiful colours and a sign of Spring arriving.  The second is white heather, if you look carefully you can see a honey bee busy at work.

Hope you're enjoying Spring wherever you are!

Enjoying The Dry Weather in Alton

After days of rain the weather has taken a turn for the better and we've been getting lots of dry, cold and sunny days in Alton.  We really enjoy the outdoors (when it's dry!) so it's been great to wrap up warm and get outside.  It's been pretty chilly here until mid morning and by mid afternoon it's started to turn cold again.  So, first thing and last thing we've been doing indoor jobs getting ready for what we hope will be a busy B&B season.  Then in the middle of the day we've spent some time outside doing jobs or sometimes just taking a walk.

 

These are a couple of photo's that we've taken lately.  We don't remember cutting our grass before in February.  The grass was looking a bit long, the weather was sunny and dry so we thought why not get the mower out?  So we did!

MALT TIP: Get outside, fresh air makes you feel great!

Summer at The Malthouse

The Summer months always seem to go by really quickly.  In between doing B&B there are lawns to mow, plants to water and a million other jobs to do!
We're really pleased with our bedding plants this year.  Here is a picture of the planter that's near our back door.  

We wonder if the cooler weather that we've sometimes been having might be suiting the plants.
We've had plenty of bright days but also a few days when the skies over Alton have looked very odd as you'll see in this picture that we took of our pond.

Hope you're making the most of any fine weather you're getting this Summer. 

Sunbathing Pets at The Malthouse

Here at The Malthouse we've been enjoying plenty of sunny days so far during June.  We are loving the weather and so are our cat Smudge and our dog Poppy.  Couldn't resist sharing these two photos - the lazy pair!

Hope the weather is fine in your part of the world!

Time is Whizzing By!

Where does the time go? 
Here at The Malthouse we just don't know where the time goes!
March has flown by and now the middle of April is just around the corner, we can't believe it!
If we're not careful we'll blink and the Summer will be here!

Here is a photo we took yesterday of our cat Smudge, he seems to be enjoying the warmer weather.

We've had a great start to the 2015 season at our B&B.  Good weather, reports of short queues for rides at Alton Towers and to top it all the guests staying with us have been really lovely.  We couldn't ask for more!

Roll on Spring

Not sure what the weathers like where you are but here in Alton it's been really cold for the last couple of weeks and it seems set to continue that way for a while.  Right now Spring feels a very long way off, we hope that when it arrives it brings warmer weather.

If it's cold where you are we thought these typical Spring scenes might help warm you up!

Before Spring does get here though we've got lots of work to do at our B&B getting ready for what we hope will be a busy season.  The good news is that at the moment they're all indoor jobs so keeping warm is no problem.  Thank goodness for central heating!

Alton Turns into a Winter Wonderland

We went out for a walk today and couldn't resist sharing this beautiful photo.  It was great to wrap up warm, get some fresh air and watch our dog Poppy enjoy herself.  Snow fell in Alton on Boxing Day making it look and feel extremely festive! 

 

 

We hope that Christmas has been a special time for you and your family and wish everyone we know a happy and healthy 2015. x

The Autumn Seems to be Arriving in Alton

What a wonderful September it's been so far, the weather here in Alton has been just fabulous! 

Mind you we've been pretty lucky weather wise this summer, it's generally been lovely.

 

However, the last day or two have seen a change to damper conditions than we've seen for a few weeks.  The good news though is that the sky has turned brighter this afternoon and we're hoping that it stays that way for a little while longer before Autumn really arrives.

 

Here are a couple of our favourite photos that we took during the Summer.

 

Lilac and purples are such beautiful colours we think!

Hello From a Very Sunny Alton

It's been a while since our last blog, sorry!
Our excuse is that we've been busy taking care of the guests staying at our B&B.
Since the Scottish children broke up for their school holidays back in June swiftly followed by the English children starting their school holidays it's been all go here. 
Mind you we're not complaining, it's good to be busy!

The weather in Alton has been fabulous for what seems like weeks now.  There has been an odd storm or two but on the whole it's dry and pretty hot.  We're hoping that the sun sticks around for a while longer, it would be nice to feel as though we've had a proper Summer.

Here is a photo we took recently in our front garden.  It was yet another Sunny Day!

Looking for accommodation near to Alton Towers?
Why not contact us at The Malthouse B&B to see if we can accommodate you?
Telephone us 01538 703273
Email us enquiries@the-malthouse.com
Book Online www.the-malthouse.com

Hope you're having fine weather in your part of the world!

Cbeebies Land at Alton Towers Opens in Just 10 Days!

It's just 10 days to go until the new Cbeebies Land opens at Alton Towers Theme Park!  On 24 May 2014 the start of the half term holidays sees the opening of Cbeebies Land.  This week TV presenter Justin Fletcher and a few children's favourites such as Postman Pat and Igglepiggle flew into the park on a surprise visit.  Here they are! 

 

Alton Towers has lots of thrilling rides and attractions for visitors of all ages.  However, the anticipation of Cbeebies coming to the theme park is causing lots of excitement, we are sure it will be a huge hit with young visitors and their families.

Don't forget children under 4 years of age get FREE entry into Alton Towers and children 11 years of age and under get reduced price entry into the park.  If you are planning a trip to Alton Towers always look out for money off or 2 for 1 deals, there are plenty to be found if you look.  Lately we have noticed vouchers on Kellogg's cereal boxes in our local supermarket.  As you can imagine we use plenty of cereal!  We usually have a spare voucher or two that we are happy to pass on (free of charge of course!) to our guests.

If you are planning to visit the theme park and particularly if you have youngsters with you getting accommodation near to Alton Towers is essential.  After a busy day you will need to rest up!
Why not contact us at The Malthouse B&B to check availability/prices?
You can telephone us 01538 703273
You can email us enquiries@the-malthouse.com OR
You can visit our website www.the-malthouse.com and click on the 'book online' button.

If you are trying to make your visit into a short break why not consider visiting the Waterpark at Alton Towers?  Families staying at our B&B give it a big thumbs up!

We are located in the heart of Alton village just one mile away from Alton Towers. 
At our bed and breakfast we welcome couples and families with children of all ages. 
Our accommodation is very comfortable a 'home from home' we are told!     

PS: The weather here is fabulous right now and we understand it is set to continue for a few days!