About Your Hosts, Mike and Lesley Hardy

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Lesley and Mike met while they were both working out in the United Arab Emirates in 1978.  Lesley was there as a nurse and midwife and Mike was an air traffic controller (ATC) at Abu Dhabi, (5 years) , moving on to Doha (another 5 years) and ending up in Ras Al Khaimah during the period of the first Gulf War.

After 18 years in ATC, Mike was looking for a change of direction and we embarked on  a Catering and Hotel Management correspondence course, followed by various City and Guilds courses and 4 months practical experience in a privately run 42 bedroom hotel in Bournemouth. This was followed by a period of intensive searching for a business throughout the country during which we both returned to work in our former professions.

An empty and rather forlorn Lambsquay Country House Hotel, in desperate need of `TLC`, captured our affections and we moved here in September 1993.
We began a  massive spring cleaning and reorganisation programme, during which we opened 3 bedrooms on the top floor, taking our first B+B guests in just three weeks, with no alcohol, no TVs and no working guest telephone system – but offering spotless rooms and a hearty breakfast !!

During the years since,  we have worked to sort out the problems that come with a 300 year old property, restoring the fabric of the building.  The restaurant and bar areas have been upgraded,  the bedrooms refurbished in keeping with a country house and we continue to develop  the vegetable garden, small orchard and grounds. 

Mike`s hobbies include the Model Railway club, and exhibiting his snow covered Canadian Pacific layout at shows. He also works as a volunteer at Norchard Preserved Steam Railway, as part of the track laying gang. Lesley likes reading, weeding and holding the fort!!

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