Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming a lovely family from Singapore to our guest house. A couple was travelling with their two grown children and they had booked B&B accommodation in two single rooms and a double room, all with lake and mountain views. It was a particular joy for me as I have not returned to Singapore in ages, and meeting nice people from home brings back fond memories.
The leading lady was especially delightful. She always had a smile on her face and was very friendly. All the family kept their rooms so wonderfully clean and tidy that it was a joy to service them in the course of our daily routine. I think we were spoilt by their kindness and consideration for others. But these are of course the perks of running a Bed and Breakfast: we often get to meet lots of beautiful people from around the world!
The day dawned when the family was due to leave us after breakfast. The majority of guests are very polite about coming to say thank you and goodbye before they leave us, and it is something we appreciate very much. Sweetly, the lady came to see us to bid us goodbye whilst her family was loading up their car. In her hand was a short string of jade figurines which she pressed into my hand, ‘For good luck,’ she said. It was obviously an oriental gift and I was touched that she and her family had enjoyed their stay so much that she had given me this little charm.
We are not superstitious, so the charm to us is more like a keepsake of good memories rather than a talisman of good fortune. However, the enduring legacy of this lady’s gift is not in the value – monetary or otherwise – of the item but in the kindness of her gesture. More: her words and her gift expressed and acknowledged the family’s enjoyment of their stay at Blenheim Lodge, and it is always touching when someone says that he or she will return!
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.’
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