Providencia Country House is owned by Fiona and Neville Baker. They have the wonderful knack of being around when you need them but are not there when you need to be alone. It was cold and damp when we arrived late in the afternoon but we were heartened by the warm welcome we received. Before we knew it, Fiona had the electric heater on in the lounge room and the water jug was boiling away for a cup of hot tea or coffee.

The house is grand but not at all daunting. Fiona explained that it had been relocated from town some years ago and she and Neville were only now getting close to putting the finishing touches on their ''baby''. We showed interest in the building so she happily, with two boys in tow, gave us a guided tour. The two self-contained bed and breakfast bedrooms, the guest lounge and the wonderful turret room are in the front of the house. The family living areas and bedrooms are at the back. What the Baker''s have achieved is quite remarkable. Anyone interested in architecture or renovation would be fascinated.

We were the only guests so we had sole use of the B&B areas. We sat in the turret room reading magazines. We ate biscuits and drank coffee in the lounge while sitting close to the comforting heater. We were shown the guest refrigerator containing free beer, soft drinks and juices. We gazed at the decorative ceilings, the lovely paintings, the warm drapes and the fine furniture. We were comfortably at home.

If we had wanted privacy from other guests, we could have stayed in our bedroom. It was huge. There was a king-size bed, two armchairs, the usual furniture and a tray laden with fruit, drinking water and a decanter of port. The adjacent bathroom was almost as large with the standard of fittings and fixtures all very high. The whole property certainly qualified as "luxury bed and breakfast accommodation".

Fiona has prepared a menu so that guests can chose a time and order what they wish for breakfast. At the appointed time, it was ready for us on a table in the sitting room. Muesli, fruit, yogurt, fresh orange juice, toast, butter, jam and coffee for me; eggs Benedict with mushrooms and tomatoes, fresh orange juice and English Breakfast tea for my wife. We delayed our departure as long as we could and left reluctantly.