AA rewards bed and breakfast couple for friendly welcome for guests

GUEST house owners Sandy and Steve Poingdestre are officially among the most friendly in the country.
The couple run the six-bedroom Kenella House, in Tregonwell Road, Minehead, and were judged runners-up in a nationwide contest.
More than 4,500 bed and breakfast providers were involved in the competition, which was sponsored by the AA and the Daily Telegraph.
And Sandy and Steve were placed in the top 15 in the country as they were also awarded four out of five of the AA’s coveted yellow stars.
They received an engraved decanter and certificate and a £100 Harrods gift voucher when they attended the presentation evening held in The Galleries, in South Kensington, London.
The couple moved to Minehead in 2002 after running a public house in Lymington, Hampshire for 12 years.
They bought Kenella House in a run-down state and completely renovated it before starting to trade in 2003.
Sandy, who started her career as a silver service hotel waitress 29 years ago, said the decision to move to West Somerset was taken after spending holidays in Dulverton and Lynton and falling in love with the area, and also because Steve’s health had been deteriorating.
She said: “There was a Jamiroquai song at the time with a line which goes ‘I love this corner of the earth, it smiles on me’ and that was how I felt. I only found out later that he wrote it while staying along the road between Minehead and Bridgwater where you can look across the bay and see Minehead.”
Reaching the finals of the AA award came as a complete surprise to Sandy and Steve as the annual contest is initially judged by mystery guests and telephone callers without the owners’ knowledge and 100 accommodation providers are nominated.
Sandy said: “I did not even know we were entered for it. We were very pleased, and it is good because we love what we do and this shows some appreciation for our hard work.”
A second Minehead guest house, the 11-bedroom Glendower House, also in Tregonwell Road, was also awarded four AA yellow stars.
The AA four-star award signifies attentive staff who provide a good level of service with at least half of the rooms having an en suite bath and a shower and at least one restaurant available offering a good range of hot and cold skilfully-prepared food.

• Our photograph shows Steve and Sandy Poingdestre outside Kenella House with their AA certificate. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref TCPKH0015. Order image reprints online at http://www.tcpbymtp.co.uk/.