Simon our chef is away on holiday so I have been working in the Kitchen while watching the current Master Chef series in the evening and each time I watch it I think what a carthorse I am and how brilliant the competitors, and man they are young!  That place in Denmark has to be the most incredible experience and pure art on a plate, I have to look away and dream of how one might achieve such incredible standards.  We have also finalised our most recent newletter so if you fancy having a family get together or you are planning a big party why take over the hotel for the event.

In a mad moment we decided to redecorate the lounge before we get busy, yes November looks huge which is as bigger surprise to me as anyone but hey I’m not knocking it! Well every room we have decorated normally turns into a mega quest working round the clock and discovering many and various issues along the way, but touch wood we may even get it ready for this Friday just five days after we started.  We are also working on our re-branding with the restaurant being renamed as ‘Simply Welsh’ and the hotel renamed as just Brynafon.  If you ever think of buying a hotel make sure you have someone who is up to speed on the high tech world of marketing.  If anything has moved at a pace over the last two years then its online marketing and this stuff is not easy to get your head around. I am seriously thinking about running a seminar on the subject.   

The other thing about online marketing and software applications in general is that everyone wants to sign you up for the ‘WEBINAR’ we have been subject to two such events.  We met at my mums cottage hooked up the lap top to the flat screen TV and put the phone on loud speaker and joined by Beth our Labrador we settled in to the meeting.  All very high tech; with potential customers’ tuning in from across the country.  Ten minutes in to the meeting, which requires complete silence, the dog starts to snore, five minutes later Emma my daughter drops off and as the hour long presentation drones on its almost impossible to keep your eyes open.  The second ‘WEBINAR’ occurred soon after and I went into an immediate deep sleep only waking at the wrap up session.  So if you are having difficulty sleeping or fancy a ‘power nap’ in the afternoon just tunes into a webinar and relax!   

One of the things I got conned into when I moved to Rhayader was to join the Rhayader Chamber of Trade, on the first meeting I was voted in as Chairman, I thought it may not be too bad for a year but my fellow committee members passed a motion which was duly approved stating the minimum term was five years!  I do enjoy it, even though the meeting only have four attendees and we chit chat about various gossip and rumours in town, of which there are many.  It also allows me to set up meeting with all sorts of senior people as they think we are a serious group.  In the last few years  I have had meetings with The Chief Executive of Powys, to discuss job cuts in the area,  Kirsty Williams our Welsh Assembly member to talk about the Welsh Assembly’s priorities, various MP’s and executives and even the Chief Executive and Chairman of the Royal British Legion in their Pall Mall offices.  My current project is to start consultation about a proposed new road which could adversely affect the business in the area.

The week has been quite although we have a residential conference Saturday and three other meeting all on Sunday, then a full hotel for the following week. 

GB rally is due to come through next Friday and we have many of the foreign teams staying at the hotel for three days.  Last year we had great fun and everyone enjoyed good food and drink with some friendly banter.

My chef Simon has not been well, so I have been cooking most of the week, and the tip of the week for any budding chefs or if you are thinking about buying a Christmas present for your significant other half well what better than a 'Rothenberger x2 Fire Gas Torch', its an awesome piece of equipment, one click automatically jets a three inch searing hot flame of Map/Propane mix at what ever you want, used by professional gas fitters to weld pipes, its the perfect kitchen accessory!  Don’t bother with those fiddly little gas thing designed for domestic kitchens or even your regular gas torch, the Rothenberger is the business.  It can finish off a pie tops, do crème brulees  for fun or fry an  egg.

Well our wedding couple returned from Seville and dropped in to say thank you to everyone and to collect the wedding presents that they had left the week before.

The weekend saw yet more bikes, but not bikers as you know them, we are not a ‘hells angel’ hang out or a pie, mash and mug of tea shop, no the chaps and occasionally ladies are all of a certain age mostly professional and on the long march between fifty and seventy all have expensive bikes, BMW 1200cc off road/ on road seems a particular favourite and they love good food and wine and come back time and time again.  I used to call my friend's Porsche Boxster that he acquired when he was sixty his 'menoporsche', its seems to me that maybe fast cars have been replaced by fast bikes for men approaching a certain age.    

Next week I plan to try and get ahead of the planning game we are trying to open up the car park onto the A470 and rebrand the hotel to attract more restaurant customers, that and make one of our conference rooms into a visitor centre to again try and attract more ‘foot fall’ into the hotel but its just taking so long, so I am hanging up my ‘pinny’ and getting down to some serious office work before we take a short break and get ready for Christmas.