The Old Court

Bed" channel 4's b& b show airing on channel 4 @ 5 p. m. October 31st - Nov 4th!

The show is supposed to be a competition between 4 guest houses /b& bs as to who is the best value! I DON'T THINK SO! ! ! It is more a judgement of one's character and definitely a setup. Fun for the viewers -- of course! And the more acrimony the better. The producers carefully select 4 very different establishments - it is like comparing apples to oranges. . little in common except they are both fruit. They also make sure to choose at least a couple of b& bs that are outside the norm and certainly controversial. For example, the first place we visited, the owner was absent with a landlord who didn't live there so it's "hello goodbye. . . if you need anything, give us a call! " In my case, no working tv or hot water and no one there to fix it! Additionally, not being the traditional family home you would expect in this business, it was lacking in character (no doubt on a budget when being setup! ) and had little decor, pictures, soft furnishings. . . i. e. lacking in character) The second place was a location that had a limited marketplace without a garden or reception AND believe it or not. . . . . allowed as many dogs as you want to bring to SLEEP IN THE BED AS WELL AS SMOKING IN THE ROOM. . . . yes, you heard right! UNBELIEVABLE but what the heck, a niche market. . . small maybe but a niche. The price range for the services ALWAYS range hugely with location being quite a factor but ignored as the participants tend to know nothing of the other marketplaces and don't bother to find out (as was the case on the show I was on). . . . . I was the only one who researched their competition and had a good idea of what was on offer in the area. Then, the producers arrange the visits so that the controversial b& bs are first to stir up the pot. Each place knows at the end of the visit what you thought of their business, whether you would like to return and were you willing to pay what they are charging for the room. So you see the setup is clear to see. . . . by the time they reach your place, UNLESS THEY ARE PEOPLE OF HIGH INTEGRITY AND CHARACTER evaluating your business without regard for their own, the one thing in their mind is to denigrate you and your business with honesty out the door! And then there is COLLUSION BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS. . . . if they are weak people, they find it difficult to stand on their own two feet, be friendly but arms length -- on our show, the three English were best friends within minutes undermining the entire competition. For example, one b& b gave another one a 9 out of 10 for a disastrous breakfast for the comedic value! ! ! We are talking mold on the jams, forgotten orders, cold porridge, scrambled eggs that had little scramble in a pool of liquid. . . (DON'T ASK ME HOW SHE DID IT BUT THEY WERE DANGEROUSLY UNEDIBLE! ! ) You might wonder after all of that WHY PARTICIPATE? Now that's an easy answer --NATIONAL ADVERTISING THAT HOPEFULLY WILL INTEREST LOTS OF NEW VISITORS TO THE OLD COURT! You will have to watch the show to find out just how far the acrimony reached and don't forget after the show to post your facebook review of the different places -- was it about VALUE OR CHARACTER!