My summer holiday booked

When I booked to go to this August’s filk weekend at Halsway Manor, I decided not to drive down there just for the weekend. Originally I booked a week off work *after* the weekend at Halsway, then realised this didn’t fit in well with booking cottages, which generally let from Friday to Friday or Saturday to Saturday.

So I changed my holiday to the week before Halsway. That way I could have a cottage for a week starting on a Friday, then go straight on to Halsway Manor.

That was arranged months ago. Since then I have been prevaricating about where to stay.

I quite fancied a cottage holiday, similar to those I used to take Mum on, but didn’t want to be too isolated, as this time it would only be me. Then I toyed with booking into a hotel – somewhere in town, in Taunton, or Bath, or somewhere else interesting – instead. This would mean that pubs and restaurants (a highlight of my holiday) would be easily within walking distance. I couldn’t decide, and I was beginning to think the time would come and go, and I would waste my week’s vacation on pottering about the house, instead.

My problem is that I am terrible for reading bad reviews. There can be 95 good reviews for a place, but I will always read the 5 bad ones. I really shouldn’t, as it is quite possible that the person saying “this hotel had the rudest manager ever” was actually a bit of a dick, which is why the manager was rude. I know this, but it still doesn’t stop me from wondering.

It isn’t actually too big a problem, as usually, after a lot of angst, I just go ahead anyway. Two memorable hotels for me – the Doubletree Hotel in New Yorks’s Times Square, and the Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco – both had their share of bad reviews (althougn they were in the minority), and both turned out to be delightful.

Anyway, my prevarication is over, and I have plumped for a cottage, my original plan, instead. I decided I would have my share of drinking at Halsway (I recall the great beer they had there), so the emphasis for the week before is going to be on walking during the day, and relaxing, and perhaps playing some guitar in the evening.

I have booked Mouse Cottage, which looks nice, has a good sized kitchen, should I want to cook, and is only a mile away from the nearest pub. I reckon even I can stagger that far.

Now I have made the decision, and paid for the cottage, I am really happy. The decision is made and out of my hands now, and all I have to do is drive down there and enjoy my week.

I don’t know if anyone else is planning to holiday in the area during that week, but if you’d like to meet up for a meal or drink, let me know. Otherwise I will see you (those of you who are going, at least!) at Halsway Manor.