The best laid plans of mice and men...

End of year two. Here's what I predicted would happen this year. Let's see if any of it did happen.

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In the next 12 months we intend to...

Refurbish both kitchens
Almost finished one

Begin serving food in the rooms which are currently the lounge bar and tv room
That didn't happen. Forecast for Eater, but don't book just yet

Create two new bedrooms in the rooms at the top of the main stair
Nope, didn't do that either. We have done a lot of work in the other bedrooms though

Create a suite half way up the main stair (to be used by us in the medium term)
Amazingly enough that didn't happen either. It still looks like a mediaeval dungeon in there.

Replace the main stair railings
Not done due to excessive cost. We're planning to add a handrail to make the current railings look more finished, but no instruction has been issued.

Turn the current room 9 into an office
Oh, I remember that! We were going to turn the current office into the new ladies' toilet or something. Didn't happen.

Improve the toilets on the first floor
That's actually going to happen to a limited extent as part of the November works

Stabilise the derelict outbuildings
Nope

Improve the decor
Getting there!

Increase our customer base
From pretty close to zero. Yes, I suppose we have to some extent.

Best thing we've done in the last 12 months: Appointed JDI of Nottingham as our project managers.
Ah, what a difference a year makes! We had a bit of a falling out with them and now use D**** who was then employed as a consultant. JDI have since gone into receivership (Ahhh shame!)

Worst thing we've done in the last 12 months: Employed Roofing Direct of Edinburgh.
They've also gone into receivership. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of cowboys!

OK, so that was the year that was. With most of the scary building work nearing completion it's time to make predictions for 2006/7 Here we go:

1) We're going to start serving evening meals to residents only and bar meals to the general public in April 2007

2) We're going to attract the kind of people we want to stay here. That's walkers, cyclists, bikers, golfers and shooting and fishing folk.

3) We're going to improve occupancy outwith weekends by offering midweek dinner B&B packages.

4) We may get the outside of the hotel improved with new paint, lettering and lighting.

Last year's list was mostly concerned with renovation work and, apart from work already instructed, we're not planning to do any more in the coming year. So the list this year is a bit shorter. Let's have another look in 12 months time.