Japanese tourists

What an exceptionally busy day today........... music of course to the ears of our bank manager and accountant, (both if whom we've been talking to over the course of the last couple of days in readiness for the move), but completely knackering for us right now!

Ah yes 'the move', I really will be telling you very soon about where and when etc - but right now, the Golden Lion is taking up our every ounce of energy!!

Its all really hard work here at the moment as our cook has taken 2 weeks off for the school holidays and while SOH has been taking most of the shifts in the kitchen, I have been either clearing up after him or taking the remaining shifts. I'm really OK when its Sunday lunch or when the orders come in 2 or three at a time, but anything more than that and I've been known to turn round on the spot for 2 or 3 times as I try to pull it all together........... hugely funny for anyone who should watch me (if they dare!!) but not funny for me. I get really anxious with it all - and as I sit here typing tonight I have a thudding headache and a really stressed sore stomach........still, it affords me all the more empathy with kitchen staff!

As well as the normal lunchtime trade we have had 14 Japanese tourists here today on a scheduled stopover before the Queen Mary cruise out of Southampton - and SUCH delightful people. I learnt the only word of Japanese I now know - 'konnichiha' - 'Hello, and there was an awful lot of smiling and bowing - on both sides!! After lunch there was the obligatory photograph taking of me - with them, and of course looking like a hot, sweaty creature from the deep after a lunchtime in the kitchen....... :(

I just have this vision of these photo's being shown - and there have been various groups over the last couple of years: South African boys cricket team - such darling polite boys: various American groups - mostly quite charming: and Italians - chic, sophisticated (made me feel like a mongrel at Crufts next to the women) around parts of the globe and all people will see is a picture of a harassed English woman in a striped pinny smiling slightly manically....................

One very positive side of today was a contact with the coach driver of the party who was very impressed with their visit and who may be interested in putting more trade our way - particularly so in Devon, where he takes countless German and other EU walkers.........mmnnn....... but all and any extra trade is welcome trade - so a contact worth following up in a few weeks.

So, another day comes to a close - have just made up diary with staff and realise we only have a little over 2 weeks before we finish................ crikey!! I think I may just have a glass of wine tonight!! Tomorrow is another day.........................