OK, here's mine to scoopmuckdizzy's other half...in the post today from sunny Blackpool!
Dear xxx
Another year has swept past and what a busy year it’s been! We have so much news to share with you, and we just hope that we will be able to share it with you in person next year! It’s been so long since we have seen you and the boys. Little xxx must be getting quite big now – didn’t he have his birthday recently? I bet he and the other 3 are keeping you busy especially at this time of year! I don’t know how you do it, I really don’t!
So, to our news then. As you know, we decided earlier this year to up sticks and move to Blackpool! Roy had all that nasty business to deal with at work last year (the less said about that the better), so we felt it was time to leave Yorkshire behind and start a new life by the sea. Initially we rented a lovely semi in Lytham St. Annes, but when we saw an opportunity to purchase a little B&B in Blackpool we jumped at the chance! I’m sure you have heard all about it, but I am so excited about opening our little guest house, I hope you don’t mind me filling you in on some of the details.
The house is situated in a very nice area of Blackpool, and we are going to advertise it as a ‘Boutique Hotel’! It’s an old Victorian house with 12 bedrooms, and would you believe that all of the original features are still in situ! We couldn’t believe our luck when we viewed it! Roy thinks that some guests may have a problem with shared bathrooms, but quite honestly if they want an en-suite they can go and stay in a soulless Travelodge can’t they! We simply can’t change the layout of the place, it would lose so much character if we tried to add a bathroom to each room. The shared bathroom on the first floor will be left pretty much untouched as we are going for the vintage look that is so popular at the moment. Roy keeps trying to tell me that coloured bathroom suites and not ‘vintage’ rather they are ‘old fashioned’, but quite honestly, until he starts reading Ideal Home as I do religiously every single month, I will take his opinions with a pinch of salt. Pompadour is a perfectly nice colour for a bathroom suite don’t you think? We haven’t decided on a name for the place yet, but with my Canadian connection I’m toying with ‘Banff House’. What do you think? Roy prefers ‘The Alberta Mansion’, but again, what does he know about anything?
Oh, I simply must share the most exciting part with you now – you really will not believe this. You know how Roy has connections in showbiz that go back many years? Well, we heard a rumour that Bernie Clifton is coming to do the summer season next year on the North Pier, so Roy has invited him to stay as our guest during his whole tenure! How exciting! If this dream does come true, you simply must bring the boys over in the summer holidays, I’m sure that they, especially xxx, would simply love to meet him, and maybe even have a ride on his ostrich! I’m almost certain that Bernie was not acquainted with Jimmy Saville, or any of those other monsters back in the 70’s, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about if Yew know what I mean (nudge nudge, wink wink).
Well, that pretty much covers our life in 2014, I hope you have enjoyed reading! Finally, I suppose I must mention Sadie, we are still not talking I’m afraid. That unpleasant business with little Joe (I still can’t bring myself to call him Joaquin, so pretentious) caused so much upset. I do miss him, but I’ve sent him a wonderful wooden train set for Christmas, I do hope he appreciates it and thinks of his Grandma Janet and Grandpa Roy at Christmas time.
We may be travelling to Wales in the New Year to try and build some bridges with the extended family, so if we find ourselves in your neck of the woods, we’ll try and pop in and see you.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas time! Don’t be a stranger!
Much Love – Janet and Roy xx