Posted by Rob Boden on October 19, 2007 at 15:50:08 from 88.104.149.9 user humyar.
In Reply to: Mrs Tyson posted by Janet on October 18, 2007 at 12:01:17:
This raises some interesting questions. For example, the cost of the Swallows' holiday in SA. By the time they set sail for the island, the seven of them (including the nurse) have been staying at the Jacksons for 11 days. The current rate for B&B is around £30 ppn in the Lakes, so this alone would cost £30x7x11 = £2,310 let alone evening meals and lunches. [And what was the arrangement when the 4 Swallows went to WCI? Could Mrs Jackson have relet their rooms, or would the rooms have been kept on in case they had to return? (another £210 per night)].
I'm sure it's possible to calculate how long they were on the island, but say it was two weeks. Total bill nowadays would have been £30x7x11 + £30x3x14) = £3,570: plus evening meals and lunches - say £10 a day each x (11x7 + 14x3) = £1190. Grand total £4,760 for their summer holiday. But actually, they'd been prepared to stay at the Jacksons for the whole time = £40x7x25 = £7,000! Admittedly, self-catering costs less, but somewhere for 7 for 4 weeks in summer could cost £1,200x4 = £4,800.
The same applies in Swallowdale, when they would appear to have come for the whole of August; their stay at Alma Cottage; Mrs Barrable's long-term yacht hire (say £500 a week); and WH when the Swallows and Peggy stay at the Jacksons for over a month. Only by PP and PM are they all staying at Beckfoot, and in BS where the D's stay with the Dudgeons.
The answer is I suspect that things were much more informal then. These were farmers getting a little extra income from renting spare rooms (presumably the Jackson children had left home!) compared to their main farming occupation. And, coming back to Mrs Tyson, much of the food would have been home-produced e.g. lamb, potatoes, apples. So the cost would not have related to modern day prices where B&B income is an important factor for farmers.
Rob