Who am I?
Hi, I’m Cerys, the creator of Sunsets and Stars holidays. You have probably gathered by now that I have a shepherd’s hut and holiday cottage. My partner Emyr is a 5th generation farmer and we live with our twin daughters on the farm where he and his father work. Without giving you my full CV, the short version is that I left banking and financial services to become a student in my late 20s. After gaining my degree I began working in education, first as a lecturer in further education colleges, and then for the last 14 years I taught in a local independent boarding school.
Why a Shepherd’s hut and Cottage?
Well, I blame my brother, he saw some shepherd’s huts for sale and suggested I should buy one. They were very basic and without bathrooms, but it sparked the idea, so I started looking. In 2020 I found one. Very highly specified, cleverly designed, and of the highest standard. So I begged and borrowed and saved until I could buy it. Although I was teaching online throughout the lockdown, during the evenings I was researching, everything! Fabrics, colour schemes, towels, bedding. So much to think about and I wanted it all to be of the highest quality, so I took the time to try to think of everything that might be needed. Then the guests started to arrive.
Why do I do it?
Because I love it! I had no idea that I would enjoy it so much. I have met and continue to meet, the nicest and most interesting people you can imagine. They have unfailingly treated the hut and the cottage with so much care. it has been fantastic. What I really love though is the interaction before my guests arrive. I make sure I know what they like and need before they get here. The preparation is half the fun, getting everything ready, cooking and baking, and even shopping for their wine, or fizzy water. Meeting my guests and doing what I can to look after them is what makes me happy. Ok though, I will confess that doing the changeover after they leave isn’t my favourite thing, and I do feel a bit sad when they leave. They come back though and come back as friends.
What about the cottage?
I bought the cottage when I was 23 and barely held onto it for the first few years. Mortgage interest rates were phenomenally high back then. I lived there for 25 years in the end and loved it, never tiring of the view. In 2021 I completely renovated it; with a new kitchen, bathroom, and roof (I wasn’t expecting that) It was a scary time investing so heavily, and holding on to the belief in what I was doing. My motivation was being able to share what I had experienced for so long, with you.
What do I want?
I want to share the place I live with you. North Wales of course and more specifically, the shepherd’s hut and holiday cottage themselves. I want you to enjoy them, their fabulous locations, the views, and the whole experience of a sunsets and stars holiday.
My aim is for my guests to arrive and have nothing to do or worry about until lunchtime the following day. I want them to relax in the knowledge that I have everything arranged for them. I hope that everyone who has stayed with me has left as a friend and wishing they could stay longer.
Please know that you are very welcome here.
