Written up as an an answer to the many questions I see / have had asked. It's 2 years since we appeared now, and the show format develops with time, so so things may no longer be the same.

* People's reasons for taking part are many and varied. Some have thought it through, others not fully.

* Contestants selected to make interesting TV

* 800 applied for our series; 48 selected

* Pre-interview process for shortlisted applicants

* You don't know which part of the country you're going to until the previous week, now where / who you hosts are until you meet for the first time.

* By the fourth visit, some contenstants may have picked up clues as to their destination

* Contestants are not given any guidance as to accommodation price norms in the areas they visit

* Filmed over a fortnight

* Arrive at each location late in the morning. Film through to lunchtime on the following day.

* Stay in "stagng hotels" between each visit. Thus:

 Monday (daytime) travel
 Monday night - Yann's, Crieff
 Tuesday night - Knock Castle [HOST 1]
 Wednesday night - Imperial, Blackpool
 Thurday night - Barton House [HOST 2]
 Friday afternoon - home
---
 Sunday afternoon - others arriving in our area
 Monday night - Well House Manor, our place [HOST 3]
 Tuesday night - Coventry Arms, upton Snodbury, Worcestershire
 Wednesday night - Applewood Glamping [HOST 4]
 Thursday night - Coventry Arms (formerly Attwood's)
 Friday - at hotel in centre of Worcester [FINAL MEETING]
 Friday afteroon / evening - home

* Each set of contestants stay in different staging hotels and do not mix / meet between places / film sessions.

* Rooms paid by contestants who are paid back by the production company.

* Underpayments made up to full asking price by the production company.

* Contestants are encouraged to check for dust / pick rivals up on little things

* There's a lot of waiting around between filming shots as the crew goes round each group recording

* When somethng happens, the same scene if often re-played ('do that again') to get a different camera view

* We had a lovely film crew consisting of a team of 6 or 7 who worked REALLY hard - even longer hours than the contributors.

* A very great deal goes on that doesn't get shown - recording (at our place) 14 DVDs of 40 minutes each. You see a selection of stories

* Show appoints a person at the production company to look after contributors through the show

* Web site gets huge traffic surge at time show initially goes our, and smaller surges upon repeat

* Different contributors report different response effects on teir bookings

* Previous guests (actual, and ones who imagine they visited) get reminded and submit online reviews

* Contestants will be recognised in their own locality for years afterwards

* And if you're travelling, you may be recognised and approach a very long way from home too!

* People want to talk and hear from you about the experience and how it all works/work(ed)

* Many contributors become friends with each other, stay in touch after the show, visit, etc. But that is not universal.

* The show has had a very marked and long lasting positive effect on us - far more effect than a typical fortnight would have.

We applied in June 2012, film tested in July, filmed in September 2012 and appeared the first week in January 2013 (series 4, episode 3) - repeated in various places 4 or 5 time since. We're Well House Manor - 48, Spa Road, Melksham, Wilts, SN12 7NY. At the time of writing, we offer almost identical services to those shown and remain delighted to welcome guests.
(written 2015-03-31)

 M444 - Well House Manor - Four in a Bed
  [3864] Guest Guide for Well House Manor and Melksham - (2012-09-18)
  [3924] The bedrooms at Well House Manor - (2012-11-16)
  [3933] Behind Melksham Spa - Mood Mist over wet fields. - (2012-11-23)
  [3948] Quiet little town? Advanced Technology Centre? - (2012-12-08)
  [3962] Melksham welcomes visitors - new blue plaque trail and more - (2012-12-27)
  [3965] Well House Manor, Melksham - on national TV next week - (2012-12-30)
  [3968] Expecting nothing, but prepared for anything - (2013-01-05)
  [3970] Comparing four VERY different places to stay - (2013-01-11)
  [3971] The Experience - (2013-01-11)
  [3972] Four in a Bed - comment on results - (2013-01-11)
  [3973] Well House Manor on Four in a Bed - the ongoing story - (2013-01-12)
  [3975] Being an amateur hotel inspector helps me run a professional hotel - (2013-01-14)
  [3977] A variety of continental breakfasts - (2013-01-16)
  [3984] 20 minutes in to our 15 minutes of fame - (2013-01-20)
  [4112] Really good friends - four in a bed! - (2013-06-09)
  [4138] Should a hotel accept guests who book for just one night? - (2013-07-11)
  [4147] A hidden hotel gem in Melksham - (2013-07-31)
  [4156] A further chance to see Melksham on TV - (2013-08-22)
  [4204] With the Shpigs and Donkeys - (2013-11-10)
  [4232] Not wanted here - hotel guests who will not be happy - (2013-12-30)
  [4241] Four in a Bed - the story continues - (2014-01-27)
  [4474] Effect on external factors on traffic to our web sites - an update - (2015-04-26)

Back to Neighbourhood Plan - travel and transport thoughts

Previous and next or Horse's mouth home

Forward to Sorting in Python 3 - and how it differs from Python 2 sorting

Rosslare to Fishguard - foot passenger on the ferry
Leopardstown to Rosslare by train
Testing in Python 3 - unittest, doctest and __name__ == __main__ too.
Sorting in Python 3 - and how it differs from Python 2 sorting
Four in a Bed - most popular answers
Neighbourhood Plan - travel and transport thoughts
Moving from C to C++ - Structured to Object Oriented - a lesson for engineers
Sockets, time handling and keyboard interrupt handling in C
Catching up on a week all in a single post (?)
Rail Conference, Nottingham