Sale Water Park

You won’t really find traditional bed and breakfast accommodation in Manchester Centre;  what you will find is hundreds of ‘L’ shaped bedrooms in a large number of hotels, and it doesn’t really matter which hotel you pick there all pretty much designed the same, unless you ask for something different then you pay the eart

The more traditional bed and breakfasts and guest houses providing accommodation, are found in the suburbs and leafy suburbs of Manchester.

Imperial War Museum Manchester

So north, south, east, west, which is the best location; if you work on the process of elimination using transport links and the time it takes into Manchester City Centre as a priority; being close to the much loved Manchester Metro is a big plus.

It runs from the north, starting out in Bury going through Manchester to the south, ending in the town of Altrincham, with a branch running off to the east from Cornbrook Metro Station to Eccles (as in, Eccles Cake: In 1793 James Birch’s shop on the corner of Vicarage Road in Eccles began selling small, flat, raisin-filled cakes. They sold, quite literally, like hot cakes).

On it’s way to Eccles it passes Salford Quays which houses The Lowery Centre

The Lowery Centre

and Imperial War Museum there’s one or two large hotels and a few two star rated bad and breakfast just 15 minutes from Manchester centre.

Your accommodation in Manchester should be no more than 15 minutes outside the city centre and anything to the north is really beyond that time limit.

The south side of Manchester has the leafy suburbs of Sale and Altrincham which both boast their own playhouses, sports centres and good restaurants. Altrincham is about 25 minutes from the city, which if I was to stick to the guide lines would rule it out; but their both popular locations because of their easy access into the city by Metro, and further down the A56 is the beautiful Peak District which is just 45 minutes away.

Fifteen Minutes Out of the City

Is Brooklands Metro Station at Sale; on the ride into Manchester from Brooklands you can pick up a free shuttle bus to ‘The Trafford Centre’ at

Manchester United Stadium

Stretford Station, take the a club tour at Manchester United F.C. visit Lancashire County Cricket Club both from Old Trafford Station; and you can still jump off at Cornbrook Station to get to Salford Quays, the next stop is the city centre with all it’s attractions.

So if you’re looking for accommodation in Manchester, south of the city is the place to be.

The Cornerstones Guest House in Sale is rated in The Michelin Accommodation Guide; view our video to see inside this lovely Victorian House.

Place:  Cornerstones b and b Manchester Date 03.06.09.  The names of the inderviduals have been altered to shield the innocent.

This is when Basil started taking over. What woman? The woman who phoned, who was the woman who phoned? yyyeeesss no name.

The young woman you had booked in Ms Ann Lewis as arrived and you have another person coming at 11pm that is the sister of what sounded like a woman of 60 years of age, now ether there farther was a rum trump or you are in trouble, whats more when she arrives at 11pm you are fully booked and have no bed for her aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr.

How as this happened? Now I must hold my hands up here and let you into a trade secret and if any Hotelier says different there telling porky pies.

Over the 24 years of running our Bed and Breakfast in Manchester there as been the odd occasion, well lest than that,¬†oddist¬†occasion (I hope them tow guys from Newcastle don’t read this or the woman from Bristol, than there was) I digress, the oddest occasion when we or was it my wife (i hope she doesn’t read this) have forgot to put some one in the¬†book now the computer¬†(wasn’t it good when you could write in books, them were the days)¬†or double booked like the famous Mr Wrigg and Mr Wagg incident.

So my minds set, we’ve forgot to put her in the computer, she’s coming at eleven o’clock, who is? I don’t know and we’ve no room for her.

I waited 10.30pm, 11pm, 12pm, 12.30am. I had to go to bed, I had a 6am start the next day, the Americans where all up for a 7am breakfast and Ms Ann Lewis was the last at 7.30am. So if the front door bell rang in the middle of the night¬†I would have to get up at what ever time and tell who ever it is she’s on the couch, oh no.

The alarm clock went off at 6am, ether no one came last night or I was in that much of a deep sleep I  never heard anything. I went into the kitchen to start taking the breakfast fare through to the dinning room, to my suprise there was note from Ms Lewis lying on the floor just inside the dinning room saying she will now be down for breakfast at 9am, no problem. The Americans where up and out the door after breakfast.

I wasn’t bothered about waiting up until 12.30am,¬†I was just glad I didn’t have to confront some one at that time of night¬†with no bed to give them.

8.50am I get an

“Hello” Just out side the kitchen door.

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I’ve got to tell this story, defiantly a first.

Date 03.06.09.  Place Cornerstones bed and breakfast manchester. The names of the people have been change to protect the innocent.

This particular week we’re fully booked with a group of¬†people over¬†from America, they’ve taken the whole place except for one room which is booked out to a Ms Ann Lewis.

So it’s around 8pm and we get a telephone call from a very well spoken¬†lady,¬†Royal Berkshire, just to give you some idea of the tone.

“Hello I’m phoning on behalf of my sister who’s staying with you tonight, I’m afraid she’s been some what delayed on account of her dreadful aeroplane, but she will be with you around 10.30 to 11pm, is that ok?”.

The supper efficient business mind kicks in, right, yes, I know, it must be Ms Ann Lewis shes talking about.

“No problem thanks for letting us know, how ever if it’s going to be any later can you phone and let¬†me know”

“O yes, we certainly will”

Like a Murder  Mystery Weekend with out the Murder

About half an hour later I see this young lady, about mid twenties, walking past our office window towards the front door. Now who can this be, we’ve only got one room and it’s booked out. I opened the front door and she smiled and step in with the confidence of some one who knows there in the right place.

“Ann Lewis I have a room booked”

Ann Lewis, Ann, Lewis, the cogs stat moving, she can’t be Ann Lewis she’s delayed.

“Ok if you’d like to sign in”

What’s your problem, you have a room booked for Ms Ann Lewis this is Ms Ann Lewis, give her the key.

I asked what time she would like breakfast, 7.30, ok, and off she went to her room.

Now go and check the signing in book just to confirm it is Ms Ann Lewis, yep.

The woman who called must have got it wrong.

Tune in to the next post and meet Dorian Grey

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The Cornerstones Guest House have just had our F.R.A. (Fire Risk Assessment) reviewed by our local fire officer and I though I’d let people know what to expect, the procedure used to produce your own F.R.A., where I went wrong and how it was resolved.

With this in mind and because there’s so many site’s out there trying to get money out of people for F.R.A. Forms, Templates and Companies wanting to create your F.R.A. at ¬£300.00 to ¬£500.00 a throw.

I’ve put up a site where you can receive our Fire Risk Assessment Procedure, all the relevant fire notices, our staff training program and staff fire notices.

In 2006 the new fire regulations came into force, from having a fire certificate issued by the city fire brigade to having a F.R.A crated by:-

The official quote,

“Fire Risk Assessments must be carried out by the owner of the building or by any person that has some level of control in the premises, taking reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people can safely escape if there is a fire”.

Although every fire risk assessment is different the statement I’m about to make is one of the most important parts of any Fire Risk Assessment.

Have you trained your staff?

You said you have in your Fire Risk Assessment.

What is not made clear is what ever you put in your F.R.A must be correct and that any procedures you are suppose to carry out, are carried out.

If not, in the event of a fire you may not be insured if it’s proven any of your F.R.A. is not as you have stated.

At www.fire-riskassessments.co.uk I intend to take you through the process of creating a Fire Risk Assessment for The Cornerstones Guest House with the information I have received from my local Fire Officer and government web sites. Although this is just one type of building the procedure is the same for all types of premises but the out come is different in every case, confused you won’t be.

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More Fire Risk Assessment Information

If you think there’s a potencial problem, tell them how you intend to get over it.

Before you get too involved with a property that might obtain planning permission, look at the location and be as negative as possible, would you want a Guest House here if you lived in the area.

Does it have any parking?

Remember you can park in the street but it will help your case.

Is the area predominately domestic property?

If so how far away, is the nearest house?

Will there be people coming and going in the middle of the night, causing a disturbance?

You can restrict this in your application, saying this will not happen. You will be asked your hours of business.

Is the building semi detached, if so what about noise pollution?

Sound proof the dividing wall or choose your rooms carefully, family rooms do not count so have them on the party wall side.

Take our situation which is a good case study of what can happen. We¬† asked our selves what we would do if we could not obtain planning permission. Remember we were buying the building to create a Guest House if we did not obtain planning we had to have a ‘Plan B’.

It was decided we would change the building into flats, which we was sure of getting planning because the building was surrounded by them.

Cornerstones is a large Victorian Semi on the corner of the main A56 road, and Haboro Rd that runs along the side of the building.

See what was round the corner in the next few posts.

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Fire Risk Assessments

Within any planning application and especially when you have people sleeping on the premises, you will come up against fire regulations. Because this is such a important part of providing accommodation and the new rules that came in in 2006. I’ve decided to hold back on commenting on them because we are in the middle of the local Fire Officer going through the process of reviewing our Fire Risk Assessments. It couldn’t have come at a better time, I intend to let you see the Fire Risk Assessment I’ve produce before and after the fire officer as been, so you can get an idea of what to expect, where I went wrong and how it was resolved.

Plan out how you would like things to look

Six guests with three or four cars parked in the street, sharing your bath room, watching your television and eating at the kitchen table can be done and I’m sure there’s people out there who do that, nevertheless it will drive you potty and in this day and age people like a little bit more for their money.

You will make changes to you’re house to accomplish the grade you wish to achieve. The majority of good accommodation will have some parking, a sitting room for guests, and a breakfast room, All bedrooms if possible should be en-suite, however you may have a couple of rooms that are not large enough to install en-suite facilities; not to worry you will find there is always some one looking for a less expensive room.

How to approach planning in my next post

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Monday to Thursday you will have business men, people on courses, workmen and my be the odd couple.

Workers in general do not share rooms so you will probably just have 5 people may be 6 if you have a couple staying; they will stay form  Monday to Thursday and go home Friday evening after they have finished work.

Business men unless they are on full expenses will not have an evening meal every day.

Workers, shop fitters ect,  go out and have a bag of chips and a pint and keep the rest of any food expenses.

People who may be on a course sent from their place of work tend to have a meal and ladies on there own also tend to have an evening meal. Tourists more often than not tour and eat out.

When weekend comes around most people have come for an event and do not hang around for dinner, their out on the town.

So this is what can happen more often than not, out of the five two will want an evening meal. You will need to prep the food you plan to serve and it’s commonsense for you to have the same for your evening meal.

Set the dinner table for the guests say for 6.30 to 7pm.

Produce a starter for the guests and serve it, chat, chat.

While there eating you will be preparing the main course; serve the main course, chat, chat.

Pudding next, chat, chat, coffee chat chat.

Wait until they have left the dinning room, clear the table, wash the dishes, and reset the table for breakfast.

Good night it’s 10.30pm.

So how much will you charge for that, don’t forget to allow for the gas and electric.

A few tips in my next post that will  minimize the pain if you think you must give it a go.

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