Page 29 of Snowfall Over Halesmere House
‘Price?’
Ella pursed her lips. ‘Depends. It’s a big house and you might not want to be too competitive if you’re planning to keep the roof on.’
‘Right. Good point. There’s only so far the value of two London houses can go.’ Max tried again. ‘Quality? As in proper mattresses, nice bedding and all that stuff?’
‘No, lots of people do that and more. Come on Max, you bought a holiday business, or the potential for one. Didn’t you do any research?’
‘It’s very early for you to be asking me all this,’ he grumbled, finishing his coffee in one gulp.
Ella wasn’t fooled; she’d seen the smile he was trying to hide behind the cup. ‘You haven’t read the notes I emailed, have you?’
‘Sorry.’ He was sheepish now. ‘Can I plead two young children and the weekend moving you out of that flat as my excuse?’
‘Really? Moving me took you all of three-quarters of an hour, and Lily and Arlo helped.’
‘Oh, that’s right, they did. Managed to cart a couple of bags across the courtyard, dumped them the minute we were through the door and then took off. I think you’ll have to enlighten me.’
Ella touched her laptop, waking it up. ‘I know all but one of the artists who were here left when the house was sold. Once the builders have finished with the studios, I think attracting more artists should be a priority. That and sorting out the website so potential guests can start booking for next year.’
‘But what difference would more artists make to the house? I can see guests wandering round, maybe buying something, but it’s hardly going to be the Tate, is it?’ He raised a shoulder. ‘And don’t tell my mother I said that, either. Her work is still very collectable, and her London gallery is already gearing up for her new exhibition.’
‘Is it?’ Ella had forgotten about the life-modelling idea and put that worry aside for now; Max probably hadn’t been serious about her sitting for his mother. ‘And you’re right, not everyone who comes to stay will be interested in the studios. But there should definitely be links to the artists’ own social media on your website.’
‘So what would you say might make Halesmere different?’ he asked.
‘I’m no expert but I did have a good look around yesterday afternoon. Stan opened the barn for me, it’s an amazing space. And as you already have planning permission for change of use, you could hold exhibitions or run courses in there. What if Halesmere could become a hub for creatives to showcase their skills and sell their products? And not just artists but local food producers like Rowan, who’s growing her bakery business and already supplies the community shop.’
‘Go on.’ Max propped his arms on the desk and Ella knew she’d captured his interest.
‘Holiday bookings are always going to fluctuate across the seasons but you have the perfect potential to offer the house to those who want to take a course and learn something new, with artists based here year-round. Create short-stay packages, maybe self-catering, catered or luxury, and connect with local guides to take guests hiking or wild swimming. Then there’s the possibility of running retreats. The barn would be ideal for yoga or Pilates, maybe wellness or mindfulness, or even a mini festival. You could offer special packages and experiences for Christmas and New Year. Imagine the house decorated for the holidays and those images on your social media.’
Max leaned back, eyes wide behind his glasses. ‘Wow. I think you’ve blown my mind. I hadn’t thought of even half of this.’
‘It depends on what you want to offer, of course, and who would run it for you,’ Ella added quickly. ‘I’m conscious of your own practice and if you just want to book the house out for guests without offering anything else, then that’s fine.’
‘I’d need to think about it and hear more, but I like your ideas, Ella. I’m impressed.’
‘I’m pleased you’re pleased.’ She felt a gratifying warmth stealing across her skin. ‘I was hoping for a “that’s interesting”, so I’ll definitely take a “wow.”’
‘And so you should. Have you seriously come up with all of this since Friday?’
‘Not all of it. And seeing the house and courtyard in person has helped. But don’t forget I’ve sat in loads of event planning meetings and I know people adore something different. Especially if they find some special touches they aren’t expecting, like that first meal in the fridge, fresh fruit, chilled wine, a bedtime book for children, a handwritten welcome note letting them know what’s on in the area, a discount if they rebook within a certain time. Once you have artists in the studios,’ she went on, ‘you could make sure you use their products in the house and offer one as a gift to take home, maybe a candle or a few chocolates. You could provide personal recommendations for restaurants and pubs, why you like them, and create packages for special anniversaries and romantic proposals.’
‘I should’ve asked for help with that one. I just asked Victoria to marry me after we’d had our first scan with Lily. We were still in the hospital car park.’
‘That’s romantic in its own way.’ Ella felt a rush of sadness at the picture Max painted of proposing to the mother of his first child, elated by the new life they’d created and the future they wanted to share as a family. ‘But I’d probably leave out the car park thing for guests who might want to propose here.’
‘Agreed.’ She saw him blink away the reminder of Victoria. ‘Is there anything else?’
‘The pub up the road, the White Hart. Do you know most of its reviews are five star, and that food and service, along with value, consistently score highly?’
‘I didn’t.’
‘It’s a twenty-minute walk along a lovely lane, shorter if you take the footpath, and that’s a huge advantage to Halesmere. You should point guests in their direction, particularly with the range of craft beers they brew themselves. I checked if they sell them online and they do, but not in any other pubs or restaurants. So I’d be giving guests a free sample and making sure they know where to enjoy them alongside a meal within walking distance.’
‘Have you been to the pub already?’ Max’s gaze on Ella’s was surprised. ‘You really have had a busy weekend.’
‘I haven’t yet, but those hours when I can’t sleep are useful for something.’ She dragged her eyes from his. ‘And the community shop is a mine of information, there’s so much going on.’
