Once upon a time, as a small girl I used to watch All Creatures Great and Small with my grandma. Tucked up under a knitted blanket and with a hot mug of Horlicks in my hand. Truly heartwarming memories.
I never thought back then that we would one day own Skeldale House - the veterinary surgery that had that starring role on the first series of All Creatures.
We bought Skeldale House as a B+B back in 2021, and converted her into 7 beautifully appointed holiday apartments, providing luxury accommodation for the ACGAS fans and for visitors to the picture postcard village of Askrigg in the Yorkshire Dales.
Unfortunately the hospitality industry has been delivered a series of blows in recent years, from the pandemic which ceased trading, to market changes which resulted in an increase in costs, so things have been very tight. And then just as we seemed to come out of the struggles, and into a better period, Skeldale House fell prey to a criminal incident that caused a significant financial loss.
So here we are, reaching out to see if you would like to become a Friend of Skeldale House and to hold our hands as we leap over another hurdle with her.
We hope to raise £100k in total which will recoup the losses and allow us to grow this magnificent business and really take Skeldale House to the next level. She has a huge amount of potential going forwards and we have big plans for fabulously fun events to be held in the 'Surgery' room there. All Friends of Skeldale House will get VIP invitations to these events, where you can come and immerse yourself in everything All Creatures Great and Small related. As a Friend of Skeldale you will also receive free stays for yourself and your family, and a certificate commending you for your good work in preserving this Iconic venue and destination for generations to come.
We get so many heartwarming reviews from customers who are absolutely beside themselves with delight that they have been able to stay in 'The Skeldale House' from the telly! It absolutely fills them with joy.. We would love to continue to serve these guests for evermore, and we can absolutely do this if we join together and give Skeldale the little boost that she needs to get back on top!
Our wider company, Maison Parfaite, owns a collection of beautifully restored heritage buildings, which my husband Sean and I lovingly restore to their former glory, before renting them out as 5* holiday homes to worldwide lovers of all things Yorkshire. Everybody within our small, family run business is dedicated to sustainability as well as enhancing the local areas by increasing employment and preserving these magnificent buildings.
And by heck we'd be really blooming grateful to you if you choose to join us on our plight, and to preserve this slice of Yorkshire heritage, so much so that the rewards you receive in return will be great, for you and those who get to experience them with you.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story
Sarah and Sean McD Xxx