We get some superb emails from our customers some days, but last week we received an email that we just had to publish on our blog because they’ve used our brollies in such a superb and novel way!
John and Sandy, the owners of the beautiful Southfield House B&B in Dartmouth, Devon, sent us their story. About six years ago they decided that they needed roof blinds in their B&B’s conservatory. They obtained quotes for the roof blinds but found that they would cost in the region of £3000! Being extremely creative, they mulled over the issue and thought about using parasols instead.
So for approximately one-twentieth of the price of the rather costly roof blinds they hung a range of colourful paper parasols from the glass ceiling of the conservatory. They help to keep the glare of the sun out through the summer, whilst being extremely attractive and providing a focal point for the guests. And in the winter they simply take the parasols down. All of the guests at the Southfield House B&B comment on how wonderful the parasols are because they look so pretty; they’re a real talking point! An additional benefit is that, bees (or occasionally butterflies) don’t get stuck behind them! 
Saving on pesky maintenance! If you look closely at the photographs that John and Sandy have provided, you’ll see that they chop the handles down where there’s any risk of someone walking into them.
Inevitably, over time the colours fade in direct sunlight, and by the end of a couple of summers, they get replaced, but compared to the prohibitive cost of conservatory blinds, they are still much more economical and do an excellent job!
The team at Brolliesgalore thought this was a fantastic idea and we’re wondering if any of our other customers have been creative with their umbrellas. If you have a story, why not send in your information along with a photo and we might feature it on our blog in future.
If you are looking for a break in Devon, we’d highly recommend the Southfield House B&B, you can visit their website at www.southfieldhouse.co.uk for further information and bookings. If you plan a visit, tell them Brolliesgalore sent you. We wish John and Sandy all the best for the future and thank them for allowing us to feature them on our blog.
To see our full range of paper parasols, please visit our dedicated page at Brolliesgalore.
~The Brolliesgalore Team