1st September - Blimey, things may well get hot at Belvedere. Giles and I are learning how to 'Salsa'! If you fancy your full English served with some Cuban mambo and a little enchufla on the side, this is the place to come. Of course, you may well end up with your coffee in your lap, so apologies in advance.

29th August - The Forge hammer Public House are now the proud holders of the first ever Lydbrook raft- race cup; they rowed over the finishing line in style well ahead of the other entrants. As they completed their maiden voyage, a Jolly Jack-Tar character could be seen manning the rudder in an almost horizontal position from the rear of the vessel, a measure of the laid-back approach of the winning team. No doubt Tom Moran of The Courtfield Arms will already be planning his strategy for next years race - he's not a man to be beaten twice!

27th August - There is now a range of framed or mounted photographs and greetings cards available for sale at Belvedere House. Taken by Forest resident Kevin Baxter of Lens-Light Photography, these beautiful pictures have captured local flora and fauna at it's best. We're pleased to provide an outlet for Kevin's work in return for an eyecatching display of loveliness in our dining room.

13th August - We liked a suggestion from an American guest, so are in the process of having an illustration done of the area around Belvedere House to hang in our entrance hall. We have commisioned Ron Tocknell, a local artist, to work on the project for us. Featuring some of the local landmarks and caricatures of our good selves, we hope to offer greetings and postcards of the humorous picture for sale to our guests. We hope this will be a truly unique momento of their stay. Watch this space......

11th August - Today I've received my certificate for NCFE level 2 in Customer Service for Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism. This is the result of 6 intensive days of study earlier in the year, prior to opening Belvedere House. I am totally committed to providing my guests the the best in customer service and display the 'Welcome to Excellence' logo on this website with pride.

qqqqqqqqqq 

We hope we're offering something a little different to the traditional B&B experience. The full English breakfast is still a favourite, but there's not an inch of chintz or a china ornament to be seen. We think we've got the perfect combination of 21st Century comfort and warm hospitality. Top this with a helping of laid-back living, sprinkle on a dusting of good humour and you have the recipe for a wonderful break.

All you need to do to now is go to the bookings page! 

There are so many people to thank in getting us to this point but I can’t possibly list them all. However, special thanks go to the following for putting up with my constant mind-changing and calls for help at the most inconvenient moments:

Clark and Deano Price of Radiate Heating & Plumbing. They’ve done a fantastic job of  putting in a complete new heating system and installing the guest bathrooms. It’s just a pity that all the problems along the way have happened on a Friday afternoon just as they were going home!

Matthew Sykes of Valley Electrical. Rewiring the house, he was coming here for months and must feel like one of the family by now. His patience while I changed my mind (yet again) and didn’t put enough milk in his tea (yet again) is second to none.

Keith Wilks for tiling and plastering what must seem like acres of walls and floors. Always the perfectionist and ready to come to the house at the drop of a hat, his energy is obviously fuelled by the enormous bag of food he carries everywhere!

Nigel Bennett has painstakingly painted...and painted...and painted. This job has turned his hair grey on more than one occasion, although thankfully, his natural colour was restored in the shower.

Lemon Photographic Thanks go to Alison for taking the wonderful interior photographs and designing the promotional materials. There is also a display of her photography in the dining room for purchase.

Nicola at Calico Interiors She has expertly lead me through the millions of fabric and colour samples and tactfully guided me away from any potential disasters. It’s thanks to her that the rooms are so beautifully co-ordinated and a delight to be in.