There have been lots of rumours flying around about the Blacksmiths at Hartoft. The situation is that Paul and Scott McNicoll-Cheong have taken out a lease on the property and have started the refurbishment process,  concentrating of sorting out the rooms and recruiting staff, with the intention of starting trading again in mid to late July this year. They intend to run it as a country inn with high quality, locally sourced food and comfortable high grade rooms.

Paul has 20 years experience over a broad spectrum of the hospitality industry and Scott currently runs a hair salon in Glasgow. Initially, Paul will remain on site overseeing the sorting-out of the inn while Scott stays in Glasgow with their two children, aged three and seven, until the end of the school term. Then he will move to Hartoft and the two youngsters will be enrolled in the Rosedale Community School. More detail will be published here as it comes in.

It is good to see the Blacksmiths back on the road to recovery and we wish Paul and Scott the very best in their endeavours.

 The Tree Relaxation Retreat, Rosedale East

We are looking for staff to work with us here at The Tree Relaxation Retreat.

We would like to hear from reliable people living locally who are able to work in the kitchen and dining room Friday and Saturday evenings  6pm -9pm (approx).

We are also looking for relief staff who can help with general household duties, cleaning and cooking.

If you would like to join our team and would like further information please email  relax@thetree.earth   and we will get back to you .

For those who were wondering, work is under way in the current bad weather to build 20 new hard standings for caravans at the Caravan Club Site at Bridgefoot, Rosedale Abbey.

We wish a warm Rosedale welcome to Helen and Graig, the new proprietors of Abbey Stores. Currently they are busy re-stocking the shop but are open for business apart from the tea room which they hope to have up and running by Monday 23 October.

Call in any time to say hello and watch this space for further details of opening times and the like once they have settled in.

Update: from 23 October, Abbey Stores will be open from 08.30 to 5.00pm every day of the week for breakfast, light lunches and teas.

A BBC Countryfile team was in Rosedale yesterday interviewing an expert on the lack of proper broadband provision in rural areas.

The programme with the Rosedale piece is due to go out on BBC1 on 14 September – watch this space!