An Inspector Calls: Making a big Deal of Bear's Well - a family home turned lovely small hideaway on the east coast of Kent

By The Inspector

Published: 12:23 EST, 6 July 2015 | Updated: 12:25 EST, 6 July 2015

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Ted greets us with genuine affection, without wishing to come across as over-familiar.

Ted is a pretty boy, too.

'He's just come back from having his hair cut, so he's looking smarter than usual,' says Nichola Tullo, who, along with her husband Peter, runs Bear's Well B&B in Deal, Kent.

Bear's Well: Family-run accommodation at its best - and very much the real Deal

Ted is a Bichon Frise pooch — and with his polite manners and pristine white fur he sets the tone at this charming double-fronted Georgian town house, 200 yards or so from Deal's pebbly beach.

Peter used to be a film locations manager, while Nichola still works in the TV and movie industry as a make-up artist.

She came to Bear's Well at the age of five, when her father was posted to Deal by the Royal Marines. Last year, her father moved to sheltered accommodation nearby and rather than sell the house, Nichola and Peter decided to give it a makeover, with three gorgeous rooms for guests.

Ours overlooks the garden, with its immaculate lawn, weeping willow and huge cherry blossom that Nichola's mother planted in the Sixties. We love the powder-blue walls and cheery Osborne & Little curtains; the sleigh bed, the free-standing slipper bath.

And what's this on the chest of drawers? It's a postcard of Deal with a stamp already on it.

Nice touch.

Deal's seafront is a handsome parade of higgledy-piggledy houses, independent shops and restaurants — and its pier gives us clear views of France.

But Calais doesn't hold a candle to this town.

It's a balmy June morning when we wake to birdsong, before joining two other guests at the large communal dining room table. We're all given proper napkins in silver rings, the jams have been decanted into small glasses, the granola and plum compote is home-made, the butter balls are served in pretty little dishes and a bowl of fresh roses from the garden sits in the middle of the table.

I suspect it's exactly how things were done when Nichola's parents lived here.

Ted wags his tail as we leave - but we're sorry to be going. Bear's Well is the real Deal.

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