I had always been one of those people who cannot easily fall asleep sitting upright, or even lazing on a couch. I generally need a nice comfy bed in order to fall gently into the land of slumber. However, since moving to Blenheim Lodge, I have found myself slowly succumbing to chair kipping. Me! Kipping in a chair? You’ve got to be joking!
Well, that is exactly how I felt the first time I found my eyes closing rather involuntarily whilst staring at the TV screen. Blenheim Lodge is situated only a 5-minute walk into the centre of Bowness and Lake Windermere, but our hilltop position away from the main roads insulates us from the noise of traffic and crowds – unless, of course, the wind decides to blow the noise our way. Anyway, as a result of our ‘you can hear a pin drop’ location, I have found that this combination of (my) age, tiredness and quietness will lull me into no-man’s land sometimes within minutes of sitting down.
I have to admit that I always feel quite embarrassed whenever I nod off in an armchair. I feel that I really should be older than my 51 years before such a thing. Nodding off in the living room is, after all, something I usually associate with my grandparents. In fact, my mother, as far as I can remember, never fell asleep in any chair, although my father often did. As kids, we used to tease him mercilessly about it, cheekily calling him a beached whale because he would be reclining on his deck chair, tummy rising gently up and down, with contented snores emanating with huge resonance from his being.
Guests, I know, have fallen asleep in our lounge before. I rather like it actually, when they do so, because this means that they feel right at home here at Blenheim Lodge. I remember very clearly a guest who had pulled up a chair to enjoy the view over Lake Windermere and the mountains. The sun was shining brightly and it was warm and cosy in the triple bay windows where he was sitting. Approximately 20 minutes later, I returned to the lounge to see a slumped head just peeping over the top of the chair accompanied by deep breathing. Yup! Our guest had fallen asleep – and would sleep for the next hour yet.
Hubby and I have always wanted our guest house to be an inviting place to stay, where our guests may feel comfortable and at ease during their stay with us. To us, therefore, it is a compliment when guests feel free and easy enough to actually nod off in the lounge just as they might do at home. After all, we want our home to be their home from home. Our guests have told us often and often how lovely it is to be able to enjoy a peaceful location where, as one person put it, ‘The Lodge is steeped in a tranquil air that takes all the cares from you the moment you arrive, and it is like leaving a family member behind when you leave.’ Now, isn’t that a lovely thought? Hubby and I were so touched when we read that.
Blenheim Lodge . . . panoramic Lake views, peace and tranquillity, nestled against acres of beautiful fields and woodlands, in the heart of the English Lake District National Park.’