Frederick

I think sombody is missing the  point here .....I knew what the arrival time was ....I have used these hotels for years I have been given access to rooms for years ...I  committed the "crime " it appears  to some of entering the building  half an hour early ...the room was clean... it was ready for me to go  into ....I  was offered the opportunity to go into it ..half an hour early ...for an extra £10 .....So Boiling a Frog .....if your guests turn up at your gite having driven hundreds of miles half an hour early  and its ready for them.........do you let them in ?...if so then you are missing out here you could get an extra £10 out of them for early arrival ! you can say its  "New  Company Policy "

Now that you have mentioned them Nell  I think thats where I shall be going from now on ....I have found they answer their phones in less than half a minute and you get to TALK  to sombody and they dont ask you to insure your booking  againt cancellation .... Anyway gripe over !...... ..This .."Grumpy Old Man " is on his way to Hong Kong tonight for a few days and then Australia for a while so will get to check out a few of their " Lodges  "  I wish everyone  a warm springtime and enjoyable days to come be it  in France or the UK ...I may  even get the chance to check out what you are all up to on the forum while  " down under "   Byeeeee  

Went into hotel ..handed printout to receptionist who looked at her watch and said "You are early ..if you want to go to your room then its another £10 ...Company Policy "  I left  and went back later.....I dont think the staff have any discretion the computor no doubt times your arrival and flags up the demand for the extra payment ....I did not as it happened have to sit in the car for half an hour  to save £10 as some might have to if they wanted to change before attending a wedding for example ....The staff were fine ..its the "Company Policy "  they have intoduced now and the changes  I am not happy with ....

Ron ... I have tried to take it up with them ...email  customer services ...you get a reply thanking you for the email and you  may hear from them within 10 days .. I am not talking cheap room rate here the rate was £50 per night plus £1  charged for cancellation insurance which is new to me. I  have not had to pay that before... and... have  7 pages of insurance policy sent to me  to read from AIG UK Ltd explaining how to get my money back  should I not want to book in ....  Then being asked for £10 extra  for access to the room if you arrive before the time they  designate in the afternoon .... I have tried to phone them spent over 10 minutes  going through the menu on their phone system and never got to a position where I could talk to anybody .. One night was £59 pounds ... that was what I was expecting to pay and paid ...no problem ...but why the insurance policy when you book now and the need to claim if you want to cancel. ? ...I have never had to do that in the past and dont fancy having to  through the process of  making a claim to get the cost of one night back ! I have  always liked and used the hotels ..things have changed now !  dont like it ..can do without it .. will find a hotel who does not want  me to insure to cancel my booking . 

Well done Nell...you got a good deal ....Not all rooms in all  their hotels are available at that rate ...Try finding  room  near Church Stretton Shropshire for 29 quid on the day you want it !   As for sorting things out with the staff ...book in time was half an hour after  I arrived and it was the staff who asked me for another £10 as I  was early .... I dont blame the staff the system no doubt would  have flagged up I had booked in early and the staff would have had to explain why they have NOT charged me the extra £10  if they had let me into the room ..  Computers  and   " Company Policy " as I was told ... As I said   I have always been a fan but these changes I  can do without ...........

Belle ...Thats how it always was  !....I suspect you will find a  new system  is up and running if you book now !

"Early "  turn up charge applies   seems that people who arrive early now have to pay to use the room even if its available for you  which is irriating

Stayed in a Travel Lodge last week...I now find when you book on line cash goes straight out of your account ...no more accepting the card details just to confirm a booking ...You then get 7 pages of a cancellation  insurance policy from AIG  emailed to you as Travel Lodge have taken a pound from you for this ... You  find that the only reason your room cost will be returned to on cancellation is if you make a claim ..It will be met if you are dead...have the vicar by your bedside and are more likely to perminently check out of this world than into their hotel or a family member is in a similar situation... If you arrive half an hour earlier than the designated check in time they have laid down then a member of staff quoting " Company Policy "  at you  will ask you for another £10 to let you in the room ....I also found 2 remotes failed to work the telly and my grandaughter gives more cerial to her rabbit than I got in  their packaged breakfast  it contained a smoothie which to drink has to be sucked out of a carton .....What are they doing to us ...you cant ask them on  their phone system ....the menu is designed to get rid of you .. had I paid the late turn up charge one night would have cost me  £69 ....  I used to be a fan of theirs !  

Such is the length of time that the child has been away from her mother and in the care of the foster parent she must now feel relaxed and be opening up about her life ...I believe she has stated she does not want to go back home now ...I feel a lot more is yet to come out here .  E mails and mobile phone records over the period of time the girl was missing might just throw up some interestsing  messages texts that could result in others being brought in .

Yesturday I was at a celebration lunch with my sister her husband .. family and friends as it was their Golden Wedding Aniversary...50 years ago almost to the day and this morning its snowing in Bournemouth...Their wedding has always been remembered for the fact that as we came out of the church  in Bournemouth it was snowing ....sookey what ! 

Gluestick ...why indeed ....there should be a block of flats built for them all....when they get voted in they collect a set of keys issued to them like married quarters and thats your state provided  accomodation ...If they want to turn down whats offered and find their own... then fine by me provided they fund the cost of it themselves .... I could go on about the party conference in Bournemouth / Brighton each year  the massive cost of security from hoards of extra police  ...the hotel bills.... the restaurant meals  etc  why do they have to move out of London and disrupt a town and have their costs stuck on the council tax payers ..the vast majority of which are not hotel and restaurant owners so make nothing out of it .....They should hire a hall in London and after the days business go  home .

Things for children ....At Talmont  St Hilaire  there is a big old castle that once was used by Richard the Lionheart .... as he was also the  Duke of Talmont  once I believe ...There are things they do for children like dress them, up in medieval costume and give them wooden swords and shields and get them to parade about ..and whack each other all supervised ..Also there are medieval games and archery  to have a go at ...The staff are dressed up for the part... and tell you the history of the place .My son takes the grandchildren ...they like it ..and they are two girls ..boys would really love it  ...the weather this weekend is forcast sunshine but its going to be cold

At least the link provided a laugh......The post that refers to Ryan Air charging £5 a head to use the escape slide and the first passengers having to come up with £80...£5 plus £75 for taxes and charges   and the last ones charged £600 to escape  Then the  additional charges for the walk to the terminal building as the aircraft had ended up closer than normal was funny ....

Gary.......I guy I know who suffers with painful joints has for lunch every day a tin of mackeral  fillets between two slices of bread ...has done this for years and says its been a great help to him...I have taken to doing it as well (though not every day ) ...Lidl do quite a selection of fillets in those little flat  tins in various sauces .... The red wine and brandy being a possible cause makes sense...red  also wine makes me wheeze in the morning if I have perhaps enjoyed more than I should have ....  

I hope it worls for you....dont know about growing flowers up them .... you will need to pull the bolt out and slide the post out  to drive in when you arrive !