Well hello December 2024 and welcome all to my Annual Christmas Holiday blog
With my official “tour guide” hat tucked away until maybe the 17 March; who knows; I can now revert back into my farm kitchen and start my Christmas baking – my best tool for relaxation. Time also to catch up with old friends and family over some good local food; sample some of our local whiskeys, ciders and craft beers and good long chats into the wee small hours!
In the quiet of my kitchen I begin to reflect on the year 2024 and places I have travelled with a wide range of lovely visitors.
On reflection my year 2024 has been absolutely amazing – maybe the best I have known in my 25 years of guiding! My diary was carefully planned with a wide variation of places and families to share my homeland with. Taking care not to exhaust my diary was my priority leaving me time to reflect, research and prepare between tours.
This year I planned and guided a range of very memorable 6 -8 day personal family tours. Families keen to spend time sharing their holiday experience together – young and old. In our busy world this is a very valuable way to create memories with the next generation. Exploring together with no distractions; sharing dining table at the end of the day with lots of discussion and laughs until bedtime. I see the success of these small tours due to the services of both a driver and guide on board. Thanks to Fergus of Kudos for amazing range of modern vehicles and most importantly drivers Liam and Raymond. We make a good team.
Coach tours with just a short time to visit encouraged me to choose the most meaningful and interesting places allowing the visitor opportunity to step off and absorb the landscape. It’s not all about history – it’s more about creating memories.
Food is always top of my list for the day – and why shouldn’t it be yours too? We spend so much time grabbing a bite and moving on – we never get to pairing off a plate of mussels or local lamb with a local craft beer/cider or spirit.
This year I made time and we enjoyed good tapas evenings sampling local food and drink. A fun way to enjoy local produce.
Working with individual visitors and families is my key work. Months of planning together via zoom or email building a relationship and understanding of the visitor prior to their tour is my secret.
Genealogy site visits bring me to some amazing hidden gems where we take time to reflect on the history and life of this land once home to ancestors. Its good to walk this land, share old stories and find a traditional family link still in the family today! Makes me smile when I meet a well weathered local farmer who is keen to share his/her stories about his plot of land!
2024 was certainly a record year for genealogy site visits. We travelled highway and byways down long bendy lanes into tumbled down remote rural homes. Lovely to travel with families keen to learn more about where their ancestors came from.
Thanks to all of you who travelled with me in the past and 2024. Look forward to introducing more new faces to my homeland in 2025.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you
In the hollow of his hand.
Here’s wishing you and all your family and friends a Happy Christmas and a Healthy 2025.
Barbara (Biddy) & Family
Beechlodge Farm
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