We're pleased to say the cottage has just gone "smart". Just in terms of audio-visual options though - we have upgraded the TV in the cottage to a Smart TV, which also happens to be bigger, higher resolution and more energy efficient. The "smart" moniker refers to the fact that the TV is also connected to the internet and so amongst various clever things it can stream video on demand. For many people this is probably becoming the norm: BBC, ITV and C4 catch up services are all there. It has a useful EPG (Electronic Programme Guide). And that's all great.

What it does not have and the old TV did, is any ability to play DVDs. We used to put a modest varied selection of DVDs in the cottage in case anyone wanted to just snuggle up and be entertained if there was nothing on. But it seems even DVDs are slowly becoming older technology. Instead we're offering Netflix to guests. This means a huge range of TV shows and films, including entire "box sets" of series are available, to play on demand, and to pause and pick up again if wanted. So a vastly bigger selection than before, and it keeps growing and keeps up-to-date.

Why now? Of course one of the sustainable challenges of modern life is the fast turnaround of advancing technology, with people needing to upgraded computers, phones, TVs and much more well before the older product actually fails. The best sustainable approach is to try and make technology last as long as possible before moving it on. In our case though the change is because we needed a TV for our Annexe which we are refurbishing and plan to offer on weekends, via AirBnB (more on this in the next post). So rather than buy a new TV for the Annexe we have moved the cottage one over, and took the opportunity to ensure the cottage remains as premium as possible.

Postscript: this blog title is a little homage to a comedy programme I loved as a young teen. Some of the older readers of this blog might remember the American TV comedy "Get Smart", a satire-cum-spoof of the James Bond films written in part by the wonderful Mel Brooks. The lead character, a secret service agent, was an inept and bumbling character in the mould of Inspector Clouseau (the equally wonderful Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther), but in this case armed with the most idiotic of secret weapons.

So following a poll featured in the Daily Mail to find what people think is the "Best View in Britain", whilst the view from the summit of Mount Snowdon came in first, Cheddar Gorge was a creditable fifth. The views from inside the gorge looking up, or on top looking down are all spectacular, but the view that people find the most iconic is the one from the highest point on the east side looking over the gorge to the reservoir and on along the Mendip Ridge towards the Quantock Hills.

The full list was: Snowdon summit, the Three Sisters mountain range in Glen Coe, Stonehenge, St Ives Bay, Cheddar Gorge, Loch Ness (from Dores), Buttermere in the Lake District, the Palace of Westminster (viewed from Westminster Bridge), The Giant's Causeway in Co Antrim and finally Loch Lomond.

So we feel Cheddar Gorge is up there in the best of company. See more on the Daily Mail article.

Last week we had our second artist in residence (not a formal position, just a guest who was an artist). Last year we had the lovely Australian Lucy Campenau staying: we blogged about it and she posted a lot of her work from her stay on her ArtShedAngel Facebook page. Indeed Lucy is planning to return this year. Out latest artist was Carolyn Lamb, a Bristol-based painter, and so considerably closer to us than Aussie Lucy. Carolyn loves Cheddar Gorge as a subject and taking a week out to paint in the cottage in March gave her the opportunity to paint from inside the cottage when the weather was less than clement. The view across to the gorge is rather beguiling.

Carolyn also has her own art blog, and exhibits her oils and sketches in Bristol (currently at the Caffee Clifton). Anyone can buy her work and we are thinking of buying one ourselves to add to the local art we put up on the walls of the cottage. Check out Carolyn's blog (including sketches and paintings) from her cottage stay here: "Artist Retreat at Gorge View Cottage, Cheddar"; and here: "Cheddar Gorge in the Mist" on ArtSiteCarolyn.