our four in a bed journey

Visit 1

In May 2021, during the first week after the lockdown restrictions were lifted, our team embarked on a two-week filming journey for the television show "Four in a Bed." Our first destination was the lovely village of Broomhill in Northumberland, where we stayed at the Trap Inn, owned by Nyoami and Joe. While the room at the inn impressed us with its size, it didn't quite capture the cozy ambiance of a countryside pub.

One of the highlights of our visit was a remarkable boat trip to the Farne Islands. As we set sail from the Port, we were greeted by a couple of dolphins, which was an incredible sight. As we approached the islands, we were surrounded by a sea of nesting guillemots, puffins, and grey seals. It's truly a sight to behold, especially during springtime. In the evening, we enjoyed some drinks at the bar before proceeding to pre-order our breakfast for the following day. Although some of us weren't too keen on the idea of deciding our breakfast choices the night before, we made it work.

Bedtime filming took a few takes, with the cameraman having to go outside to capture the moment when the lights were turned off for the advertisement break. The following morning, we were awakened at around 7:30 am to film our wake-up scenes. After that, we filmed our breakfast, which took a staggering two hours to capture. We couldn't help but wonder if they would include the scene where Damian exclaims, "'Oooo, I do love a nice sausage," as our friend Max dared us to say it. Finally, it was time to pack our bags and leave the Trap Inn, hitting the road back to Newholme at around 2:30 in the afternoon.

Visit 2

So on our second visit, it was our turn to host after being closed for five months. We had spent that time refurbishing and deep cleaning all of our rooms, as well as replacing the bedding. We were fully prepared for the occasion.

Our scheduled activity for the day was a visit to the amazing Blackpool Illuminations Lightworks Factory. It was a dream come true for both Nigel and I to witness how everything was put together. We even had the honor of "switching on" the Blackpool Illuminations, which was a huge hit with everyone.

However, as the day progressed and we filmed with the director, tensions began to rise. He seemed to be purposely trying to create conflicts between us, and to make matters worse, the food we were served for lunch was cold and burnt. It was so bad, I wouldn't even have served it to my dog. At that point, we had had enough. We both expressed our frustrations, threatening to put an end to the filming before the evening drinks. Liz and Tracey also threatened to do the same.

Visit 3

During the second week of our filming journey, we traveled to Scotland and had the pleasure of staying at the picturesque Portsonachan Hotel & Lodges. Our accommodations were in one of their Lochside self-catering units, which were absolutely beautiful.

As we were conducting room inspections, we happened to notice some dust on top of the kitchen units. To be honest, it's not something we would typically check when staying somewhere, but the director insisted that we examine every nook and cranny.

While we were being filmed during the inspections, they asked us to go up the stairs of the property. Unfortunately, they failed to point out the downstairs shower room, which we discovered after they had left. It was quite a surprise, as we had been discussing how small the bath was upstairs, especially for Damian who stands at an impressive 6'6".

The planned activity for the day was originally fishing on the Loch. However, due to the weather conditions, we were forced to change our plans at the last minute. Thankfully, Liz came to the rescue and organized a visit to the breathtaking Inveraray Castle, which is an absolute must-see if you ever stay in the area.

We enjoyed our stay at Portsonachan Hotel & Lodges so much that we actually decided to return four weeks later for a short break before the busy season started. We were also counting down the days until Christmas 2022, as we couldn't resist experiencing the holiday festivities in such a fantastic setting.

Visit 4

We made our way from Portsonachan Hotel & Lodges to the beautiful Isle of Arran, where we had the pleasure of staying at Lamlash Bay Hotel. The views from this hotel were absolutely outstanding, with a stunning sight of Holly Isle in the distance.

One of the activities planned for us was gin tasting, specifically Arran Botanical Drinks, which was right up our alley. Unfortunately, Damian couldn't fully enjoy himself due to a leg ulcer, and it was disheartening to see that most of the production company didn't seem to care. Eventually, they managed to find him a chair so that he could participate.

In the evening, we gathered around a campfire for some cocktails. However, our enjoyment was cut short by the Scottish midges, who seemed determined to feast on us.

The next morning, there was a tense mood amongst the production company. Liz and Tracy had been left stranded the previous night and were begrudgingly given a lift back to the hotel by the crew. To make matters worse, there was no taxi available for Tracy in the morning, and the damage done to their property was dismissed by the producer. As a result, they made the decision to leave. We were also asked if we wanted to continue, and despite the circumstances, we chose to carry on. So, when you see the breakfast service in the footage, please note that it took place around 11 am.

After breakfast and bidding farewell to Liz and Tracy, we had to rush to the ferry terminal with only 15 minutes to spare in order to catch the ferry to Ayr for the payment day the following day. In the midst of all the rushing, we managed to squeeze in a two-hour master interview, which would later become part of the payment day footage.

Payment Day

Finally, we had the opportunity to address the unpleasant surprises we encountered during our stay, such as the unwelcome surprise in the bathroom, the slimy serving at breakfast, and the hair in a brand new bed.

It was unfortunate that Liz and Tracey couldn't continue until the end, but we appreciate their comments and the £15 over payment they made, which would have made a significant difference on payment day. It would have bumped us up from 3rd place to 1st place. However, it seems like it wasn't meant to be in the end.

Congratulations are in order for Meg and Yvonne at the Lamlash Bay Hotel.