Flat 3, Albany House, Salcombe July 2020

Flat 3, Albany House, Salcombe
                          July 2020

Welcome to Flat 3, Albany House, Salcombe.

After 20 seasons renting the three flats which make up Albany House, we sold
Flats 1 and 2 last autumn. We have retained (and will continue to let out
from June - September) Flat 3, which now enjoys exclusive use of the whole
garden. We have also decided to change agents. From 2021 onwards, Flat 3
will be marketed through Toad Hall Cottages, a family owned, Kingsbridge
based agency, now with an office in Salcombe. We really like their attitude,
their friendly, personal approach, and the way they sensibly price their
properties. We think our guests will too.

We have enjoyed living in Flat 3 ourselves for the first time over the winter
and, thanks to Covid-19, spring and early summer. We have been so lucky
riding out the first phase of the pandemic here in Salcombe and it’s been quite
a shock seeing the town, and the water, become busy again in recent weeks!
Sadly, you will find Salcombe much changed from previous years due to social
distancing requirements affecting how shops, pubs and restaurants operate.

There have been a few things we have noticed while we have been living here
(such as the freezer door tends to stay slightly open when the fridge door
shuts). We’ve incorporated these into this information pack, so please take 5
minutes to read the pack through as it should enhance your enjoyment of the
apartment. This year we are not providing hard copies of the information
pack or the TV instructions, as we would normally, due to the new cleaning
protocols. These have required us to remove anything not considered
essential to your stay, including rugs, ornaments and the fresh flowers we
normally provide, so we apologise if the flat appears a little bare. The
exceptions are pictures (which we figure shouldn’t be fingered by anyone but
our cleaners!), the amenities provided in your bedrooms (which were packed
months ago and remain in their plastic covers), the equipment instruction
folder and the Blu-ray and DVD library, both of which are in the utility room.

                                       1

We have successfully resisted removing the collection of 150 or so Blu-rays
and DVDs on the grounds that: they are much valued by guests, especially on
rainy days; the risk of infection (of the very one you happen to choose) must
be miniscule; they are in a cupboard out of reach of young children and, if you
are at all concerned, you can choose to wait 72 hours before playing one.

The most useful information is about the central heating (the boiler was new
last autumn). It took us some weeks to get the radiators properly balanced to
ensure heat finds its way fully around the system. Our advice is simply adjust
the temperature via the new thermostat on the landing and leave everything
else well alone! If anyone complains the radiators in their bedroom or
bathroom aren’t working, someone has been messing!

The other useful bit of information is the BT box under the TV has to be
turned on and off using the power button on top of the unit itself. The BT box
will happily respond to the remote when changing channel or moving between
Guide, TV Players, MyTV etc, but it will not turn on and off, except with
extreme persistence, so we suggest you use the button on top of the box.

We have included information on local pubs and restaurants but, at the time
of writing, some have not yet re-opened, the Ferry Inn is waiter service only
and Captain Flints are only open for bookings - and then only for take aways.
So it’s all a bit strange.

During lockdown, we discovered a number of new walks and these have been
added to the list of our favourites (attached as a separate file).

Please take time to visit our own website – albanyhousesalcombe.co.uk –
which sets out more information about Albany House, including its history.
We value your feedback after your stay, so please let us have your comments
via Feefo, Coast and Country Cottages or direct to us if you prefer.

We hope you enjoy your stay and that we will see you again via Toad Hall
Cottages next year!

With best wishes

Richard and Carolyn Bawden

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Albany House in Salcombe
                             Flat 3 information

Website                 www.albanyhousesalcombe.co.uk
Address                 Flat 3, Albany House, Allenhayes Road, Salcombe, Devon,
                        TQ8 8HT
Key safe
Telephone               01548 842996
Wi-Fi                   BTWholeHome-JTRC; access code: RTd9EkTXUDPT
Agents                  2020: Coast and Country Cottages: 01548 802171
                        2021: Toad Hall Cottages: 01548 202020

Merlin Rocket week in July (with our friends Duncan and Harriet Salmon, in the Merlin passing the Yacht Club)
about to cross the finish line in second place – ah, what a day that was!)

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Flat 3, Albany House
                                     Contents
Section                                                     Page

On arrival                                                    5

Lighting, phone, Wi-Fi and music                              7

TV, BT YouView and Blu-ray/DVD library                        8

The garden, rubbish and recycling                            11

Pubs and restaurants, shops and directions                   12

Salcombe Harbour Hotel Spa and Gym membership                14

On departure                                                 15

Our favourite walks                                  Appendices

Keeping watch – the great bear.

                                        4

Flat 3, Albany House
                                On arrival

Parking: The parking at Albany House is clearly designated. Flat 3’s parking
is alongside the wall on the left side as you drive in. If you have two cars,
you may be able to fit them both in, as long as you park nose to tail and right
up to the drain. Please ensure Flats 1 and 2 can readily access their spaces.

Hot water and central heating: Hot water is heated as it’s drawn so will
not run out, but running a bath may disrupt the flow elsewhere, especially as
we have now limited the water pressure in the flat as Salcombe’s pressure has
become dangerously high for domestic systems.

The central heating is set to ‘On’ on the boiler and the individual radiators
have been balanced to ensure the bedrooms and bathrooms all enjoy heat
when the heating is on – please therefore do not adjust the boiler or radiator
settings. Instead, please adjust the heating solely via the left hand
thermostat on the landing wall outside the bedrooms – the right hand one is
redundant. On departure, please leave the thermostat at 15 degrees.

Bathroom heated towel rails: These should be switched off when you
arrive and, if you are using the central heating regularly, should not be
needed as the central heating system includes the towel rails. If needed, the
heated towel rails are controlled via switches outside the bathrooms.

Bathroom under floor heating: On arrival, the under floor heating should
be off (the control units outside the bathrooms should be showing a suitcase
sign). If you wish to turn the heating on, please open the right hand flap and
press the sun button. Please do not adjust the programmed settings. On
departure, please turn the heating off again by pressing the suitcase button.
Owners’ cupboard: The locked cupboard in the main bedroom contains
personal stuff, so please do not open it.

                                       5

Upper and lower terrace doors: Please ensure that you secure these
immediately if you open them as, otherwise, the wind tends to catch them
and slam them shut, with expensive consequences. The same applies to the
internal glass doors at the bottom of the stairs.

Dishwasher: The dishwasher does not need salt or rinse aid – the local
water is soft and the tabs provided are all you need. Please be careful to
select the right programme – the default setting takes hours and is a total
waste of water and electricity. The button with the wine glass, cup and two
arrows underneath is a 30 minute wash which is normally perfectly adequate.

Washing machine and dryer: The Hotpoint washer has been confirmed by
Whirlpool as not one of those affected by last year’s recall. Every time you
use the dryer, please pull out the blue filter just inside the door and remove
any accumulated fluff, as this is a major cause of fire. Please also occasionally
empty the water container (in the pull out drawer).

Nespresso machine: Please only use Nespresso (or Nespresso compatible)
capsules in the machine.

Consumables: On arrival, you should find an ample supply of Fairy Liquid,
Finish dishwasher tabs, soap dispensers (in the kitchen, utility room and
bathrooms) and white and black waste bags. On departure, please leave
behind any unused supplies which will be topped up for the next guests.

Amenities: Unlike the consumables, the amenity bags are yours to keep!

Towels: We provide good quality Egyptian cotton bath and hand towels.
Please do not take these from the apartment, and please take care with any
products you may use. Sadly we have had towels ruined by hair dyes,
tanning products and waterproof mascara. The cost of damaged or missing
towels may be recovered from your security deposit.

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Flat 3, Albany House
            Lighting, phone, Wi-Fi, and music

External lighting: There is external lighting on the upper and lower
terraces. Carolyn complains that the house looks embarrassingly like a
Christmas tree when they are all on, so please be selective! Please ensure
that they are turned off before going to bed. The garden lights are on a timer.

Fuse boxes: The fuse box for the ground floor is located in the utility room.
The fuse box for the bedroom floor is in the twin bedroom. Both have been
upgraded and certified in July 2020.

Telephone: The telephone accepts incoming and outgoing calls. Feel free to
use it for local calls. Any significant BT charges during your stay may be
deducted by Coast & Country Cottages from your security deposit.

Wireless internet: Flat 3’s wireless broadband network is BTWholeHome-
JTRC; access code: RTd9EkTXUDPT. Capacity on the network is unlimited.

Music: The sound bars connected to the sitting room and bedroom TVs are
Bluetooth-enabled for streaming music from your own device. Manufacturers’
instructions are provided in the folder in the utility room if needed. National
radio stations can be accessed via the TVs on channels 701 and above.

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Flat 3, Albany House
            TV, BT YouView and Blu-ray/DVDs

Wi-Fi: BTWholeHome-JTRC; access code: RTd9EkTXUDPT

Security code (for Pay TV, BBC iPlayer etc):

Remotes: In addition to the TV, there are two boxes and a sound bar, so
four remotes to master in total downstairs (but only three upstairs!).

Sound bar: This should come on automatically whenever the TV is turned
on, so you probably won’t need to worry about the small remote which
operates it. However, if the sound bar doesn’t come on, locate the remote
and turn it on. You will also need to use this remote if you wish to stream
music from your phone or other device via Bluetooth (please refer to
manufacturer’s instructions in the folder in the utility room if required).

Once the sound bar is on (and showing “TV”), please check that the bass
speaker behind the TV has also turned on (it should be showing a green
light). If it hasn’t gone green, turn on the speaker by pressing the button on
the back.

TV and BT YouView: The TV receives Freeview digital TV and radio
channels, plus Sky Sports Main Event, BT sports channels, catch up TV, and
On Demand services via the BT YouView box.

TV: If you just want TV or Radio, use the Panasonic remote to turn on the TV
and press the TV input button (top right hand corner). Press GUIDE for a
listing of all TV and radio channels. Note HD channels begin at 101. Press
APPS, and navigate using the arrows, for alternative sources including
Facebook and Netflix. If the TV says ”No Signal” see Troubleshooting below.

                                       8

BT YouView: For BT YouView, turn on the YouView box by pressing the
power button on top of the box. If the purple light doesn’t immediately turn
blue, or if it’s showing red, reboot the BT box by following Troubleshooting
below. Once you have a working BT YouView box, read on!

If the TV does not automatically tune itself to BT YouView, press the AV input
button (top right hand corner) on the Panasonic remote and select HDMI1.

Press the blue Y button (above the four coloured buttons) on the BT remote.
This will take you to a screen with the following choices – Guide (channel
listings, including BT Sport and Sky Sports Main Event), Players & Apps (BBC
iPlayer, ITV player, 4OD, Demand 5, Netflix), MyTV (where your recordings
will be stored), BT Player (further free and Pay TV programmes) and Settings
(you should not need this except for Troubleshooting – see below). Note:
navigate with the silver bit around the “OK” button!

To record a programme, choose Guide (or just press the Guide button on the
BT remote), select the programme you wish to record and press the red R
button in the middle of the BT remote.

BT Player provides lots of additional TV programmes and films, some free,
others not. Please inform Coast & Country Cottages of any Pay TV costs when
you leave so that they may be recovered from your security deposit.

Troubleshooting: We have had problems with the BT box losing signal
and/or not starting up as it should. So, in case it misbehaves during your
stay, be prepared to reboot it and retune the channels, as follows. It is
usually showing a red light when this happens.

Feel round the back of the BT YouView box on the left hand side and locate
the On/Off rocker switch next to the power lead. Turn it off, wait for a few
seconds and switch it back on again. It will then take a few minutes before
it’s ready to use. Press Guide to confirm that the Freeview channels are
accessible – try 101 (BBC1 HD), for example. If these channels are not
working, go to Settings (see above), click on TV Channels and navigate to,
and click on, Retune channels, which will take a few minutes.
                                       9

The only other known cause of TV problems in Flat 3 is the aerial booster
being unplugged or switched off. Please check this has not happened – it is
located at the back of the lower shelf under the bedroom TV.

Sony Blu-ray/DVD player: To play a Blu-ray/DVD, turn the Blu-ray player
on using the Sony remote. If the TV does not automatically tune itself to the
Sony box, press the AV input button (top right hand corner) on the Panasonic
remote and select HDMI2. Use the Sony remote to operate the Blu-ray/DVD.
There is a large collection of Blu-ray/DVDs in the cupboard in the utility room.

   A rare view of Albany House, taken after the visit of the “Beast from the East” in February 2018

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Flat 3, Albany House
            The garden, rubbish and recycling

Terrace and garden: The terrace and the whole garden are for your
exclusive use. There are two barbecues, one up at the house and one at the
very bottom of the garden. Barbecue cooking tools should be located in the
barbecues or the utility room. Please clean and return them after use – the
utility room sink is best for this (as it is with the grill tray from the oven!).

Please do not attempt to move the wavy seats as they are very heavy and the
slats will break if lifted. Please do not try to move, or climb on, Biffo the bear
– he would almost certainly survive a fall; you/your children might not, as he
is half a ton of solid oak. Or at least he was, as he has been bored out a bit
and is now doubling as a bee hotel! Please ask children not to play with the
garden lights. For the avoidance of doubt, the same applies to the adults!
There is a hose under the steps – please mind your head.

Rubbish: We have a private rubbish collection service (Friday collection) and
are charged £3 per bag. Please place (preferably few and full!) rubbish bags
in the large blue bin marked 3 Albany above the steps.

Recycling: If you wish to recycle glass and paper, there are council facilities
available - go down Shadycombe Lane (before the church on the left), take
the first road on the right and the recycling is opposite the entrance to the
boat park. Annoyingly, they do not accept plastic, tins or cardboard there.

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Flat 3, Albany House
     Pubs and restaurants, shops and directions

Pubs and restaurants: At the time of writing, not all of the pubs and
restaurants listed below are yet open and/or have decided how they will
operate this summer. You will almost certainly need to book, even if you just
fancy a drink. The Salcombe entries are listed in order starting at the top of
the town. The STD code is 01548.

On Fore Street
Sailor V                                      843555
Dick and Wills                                843408
The Victoria Inn                              842604
The King’s Arms (Boatswains & Fish Bar)       842202
Boatswain’s Burger Bar (in Russell Court)     842189
Captain Flint’s                               842357
The Fortescue Inn                             842868

On Island Street (below Coast and Country Cottages’ offices)
Island Street Bar and Grill                 844007

At North Sands
The Winking Prawn                             842326

At South Sands
The South Sands Hotel                         859000

At South Pool (accessible by boat around high tide only)
The Millbrook Inn                             531581

At Gara, East Portlemouth (see the Gara walk)
The Gara Rock Hotel                           844810

At East Prawle (see The Pig’s Nose walk)
The Pig’s Nose                                511209

                                      12

Mill Street, Kingsbridge
Maha Bharat (Indian)                             857072
Restaurant 27 (fine dining)                      288847
Wild Artichokes (pop up)                         07376 559078

Bigbury
The Oyster Shack                                 810876

South Milton Sands (see the South Milton Sands, Bantham, Thurlestone walk)
The Beach House                              561144

Shopping: The main provisions shops are located at the bottom of Fore
Street. There you will find a butcher, fishmonger (Easter to end October
only), baker, grocer, off-licence, newsagent and ice cream shop. Boots is
located half way up Fore Street. The Post Office is at the SPAR shop on
Loring Road near the junction with Raleigh Road - from Albany House, walk
down the hill to the first junction, climb Acland Road opposite and keep going,
crossing Bonaventure and Grenville Roads. Loring Road is the third road you
come to. Turn right and the SPAR shop is on the left. There is a well stocked
Co-op at the far end of Island Street by the main car parks. Our favourite
butcher (Lidstones, 852313) and fishmonger (Catch of the Day, 852006) are
in Kingsbridge at 70 and 54 Fore Street, respectively. Order in advance.

Directions to the town: Turn right and down the hill, and right into Onslow
Road; the road winds down into Salcombe at the bottom end of Fore Street.
This route has no steps but no pavement either in places.

For a more direct route, especially if you want to get to the Ferry Inn steps
(from where the ferry runs in the summer - in winter, the ferry runs from the
pontoon off the main square), turn left and left again into Devon Road. Just
after the trees, take the steps down to the right, which come out on Fore
Street next to the Yacht Club. It’s not so easy coming back up.

Alternatively, carry on down Devon Road and take the steps on the right just
after ‘Ria View’ and either turn right, for the middle of Fore Street, or go left
and down through the park, for the bottom of Fore Street.

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Flat 3, Albany House
         Salcombe Harbour Hotel Spa and Gym

At the time of writing, the Salcombe Harbour Hotel Spa and Gym are closed
and, we suspect, will not re-open to non-residents this summer. But just in
case…

As a guest at Flat 3, Albany House, you have temporary membership of
Salcombe Harbour Hotel’s spa and gym - the membership card should be in
the desk opposite the utility room. Please ensure you return it there at the
end of your stay. The hotel is located on the waterfront - it is a five minute
walk down Newton Lane (the first road on the right as you head down Devon
Road).

Please note that there is no parking available at the hotel.

Please visit the Harbour Spa website to see the range of facilities and
treatments available.

The facilities, which are available to Flat 3, Albany House adults only, include:-

      Swimming pool
      Gymnasium
      Sauna
      Steam room
      Treatment rooms

Membership entitles you to free use of the pool, gym, sauna and steam room
and a 10% discount on treatments and products. Please note that the pool is
not large and numbers are restricted.

Sadly, the spa does not admit children unless they are staying at the hotel.
However, the open air heated swimming pool at the top of Onslow Road, on
the right, is open to non-members.

To book treatments or contact the spa, please call 0844 858 9187.

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Flat 3, Albany House
                            On departure

Thank you once again for staying at Flat 3, Albany House. We hope you have
had a lovely stay and will come back either next year or sometime in the
future. Remember we will be with Toad Hall Cottages from 2021!

Before you go, we should be very grateful if you would:-
   Strip the beds, including mattress, pillow and duvet protectors, and put
    all your bedlinen and towels in the zipped bag which was left in each
    bedroom by our cleaners for you to use. Please zip up the bags.
   Turn the central heating thermostat on the landing back to 15 degrees
   Turn off the heated towel rails, if used
   Turn off the bathroom under floor heating, if used, by pressing the
    suitcase sign under the right hand flap
   Remember to empty and clean the Nespresso machine and teapot (yes,
    I know, but you’d be surprised!)
   Throw away any chipped or broken mugs, glasses or plates and let Lisa
    (who runs LA Cleaning) know if any stocks are running low
   Report any more serious breakages and anything not working to Coast
    and Country Cottages (or LA Cleaning if you see them before you leave)
   Let Coast and Country Cottages know if you have clocked up any PayTV
    charges or significant phone bills on the landline
   Return your keys to the key safe
   Return the SHH membership card to the desk downstairs and
   Generally, leave the flat as you found it!

Finally, please give us your feedback, have a safe journey home and do visit
Flat 3, Albany House again soon.
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Flat 3, Albany House
                        Our favourite walks

In the separate file, we provide guides to our favourite local walks.

Walk                                                            Appendix

Batson Creek and Snapes Point                                           1

Bolt Head and Overbeck’s, and variants                                  2

Gara Rock                                                               3

Prawle Point and The Pig’s Nose                                         4

South Milton Sands, Bantham and Thurlestone                             5

A cross country walk to Collaton and back via North Sands               6

Thurlestone and Bantham                                                 7

                                       16

On the coastal path to Gara at New Year.

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