My kids got a tip for carrying a guest's bags to their room on the very day they (the kids) were behaving more outrageously than ever. That afternoon I found this sign on the side of the road...

Gorgeous and gratis (ish)... 

Coming up Roses

Well here's a turn-up: just when mister bin Laden's cronies are managing to create yet another blight not only on the lives of many Londoners but also on the UK's tourist industry, we discover a major boost to our eco-hotel's beauty and prosperity right on our doorstep. My genius of a wife Kari got into conversation recently with the Parks and Gardens guys here in Bath. She discovered that, in their constant quest for the highly coveted annual Britain in Bloom Award, our local council plants no less than 90,000 bulbs every year. It turns out that it is not economical to save and re-use most of the plants that are used to turn Bath into a blaze of floral glory, so, at the end of each season, they are composted and replaced with new ones. Kari asked if they would mind if we picked out a few of the more robust perennials from the compost heap every once in a while. They were delighted to hear that these plants might live on to flourish another day. The result: the council has contributed to yet another successful local recycling scheme (Bath has also won several awards in the recent past for groundbreaking recycling projects) and Bloomfield House has even more beautiful gardens with which to delight our family and guests - and all for free (if you discount the vast amount we pay in Council Tax and Business Rates)!