It's that time of year when the leaves are beginning to fall, there is that autumnal bite in the air and everyone is trying not to think about the inevitable...Christmas is around the corner.
We waited all summer for...well, summer! It came and went in a blink but not all was lost as the recent Indian summer (all 5 days of it) lifted spirits everywhere you went. As I walked around the hotel I noticed that guests couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as they realised they had booked the best possible time to be away! The terraces overlooking the picturesque lake began to fill up, the Pimms jugs made a welcome return and we all half-smiled at the irony that the latest weather report was predicting snow by mid-October - as if! Well, here we are mid-October and not a snowflake in sight!
The drop in temperature usually signals the start of party season planning and true to form, our phones have been busy with PA's, company event organisers and, dare I say, a few hardened party people, determined to secure their place at one of Ashdown Park's festive Party Nights. A few places remain but we're confident that by November we'll have sold out and set the dates for next year.
The more I talk to people both within and outside the hotel, the more I realise that this Christmas is not typical. Don't get me wrong, there is no chance that Father Christmas and his merry band of helpers will not be sweeping through the sky on Christmas Eve, but the usual celebrations and budget set aside for Christmas presents is not the same this year as in the past. People are having to think carefully about what they spend their money on and prioritise more than ever. We've noticed an increase in the number of people booking 'family days' here at Ashdown and realise that this may be the way forward. Instead of searching online for that perfect pair of socks your nephew doesn't want or trawling through the shops for your Mum's favourite button-up cardigan which she asks for every year, why don't we all just book a day out where we can spend the day together, enjoy good food, share stories and laughs and, most importantly, share precious family time together in our ever-increasing busy lives.
Rip up that Christmas list, pick up the phone, set a date and let us take the heat off your Xmas this year while you enjoy the important things in life - time with your family - we'll even throw in the crackers!
Melissa Hirst - 13th October 2011
