Busy, busy & busy!

Firstly congratulations to Sue & Trefor (it IS spelt with an F!) above who celebrated their Golden Wedding with us on Saturday. Well, themselves and  friends and family - with a great time had by all. I do so love working functions such as this as it always gives me a thrill to give customers a great event to be remembered - hopefully, for all the right reasons!

On top of that we had a full pub downstairs as well as a few hardy individuals braving the elements in the garden, so a busy, busy Saturday night indeed.

The weather is playing havoc in knowing how the staff levels are going to work out, but we're getting a bit steadier so hopefully we've got the rota's right! We're starting to get our students back - the lovely Austin is here - this year with curly hair and a motorbike! Sam is also here - taller than ever but still as handsome. Sadly, the lovely Alex won't be here this summer but he's managed to get an internship - so his future career is really important to him - but we have his younger brother George as a 'runner'. Our very young 'runners' have almost finished their exams so they are chirpier and look less worried about life. Our staff numbers are growing and growing as the business continues to grow, and its one part of the job that I absolutely adore - the staff! I like to think of each and every one of them as members of a special and unique family.

A customer actually spoke to me on Saturday as I was doing my weekly job of arranging the flowers. She said she'd seen me on many occasions and that she was always impressed how I worked with the staff and how I treated them - she did in fact think one of them was my daughter. Don't get me wrong, I can and do occasionally come down sharp with them, but its because I genuinely want them to be the best they can, for themselves and of course, our business. But on the whole we all get on really well, and in fact the amount of repeat summer staff and our retention levels must mean we are doing it ok??? Some of my favourite times are at the end of a busy shift and the pub is emptying and we may sometimes have a small drink and a bit of a laugh. The same in the kitchen - we usually have a bit of a 'post-mortem' on the in's and out's of the day.

In fact when I visit other establishments I am almost always comfortably re-assured at how well we ARE doing! I've been in Manchester this week for 2 days - I went to the Robbie Williams concert - and my goodness, I do wonder how some business's continue to exist. Dirty tables in the pubs, dirty glasses and couldn't give a shit staff!! In particular a large chain of pub was absolutely filthy!! The hotel we stayed at served me a Gin & Tonic in a glass that frankly I would have given the drink for free if it had been in the Vic and I had seen the state of the glass - and to be honest the barman couldn't have cared less - 'Its the glass washer'!!  No it bloody well isn't, it's you!!  Ok, climbs off soap box, but really, it gives our industry a terrible bad name.

Also, say what you like, but places such as Costa have got it so very right in terms of customer service, when on the other hand Debenhams sent me to 3 different changing rooms because they were short-staffed!! Aarrghhhh!!

Anyway, it's Portsmouth for me next weekend to see my lovely family, and then the week after that its my Michael Buble concert with some lovely girl friends at the 02 arena. You know the one?? The one where OH said we couldn't afford to bid for the Buble tickets at The Savoy, but we did and I danced round the Ballroom of the Savoy because I was so ecstatic!! And ever so slightly tipsy!

Then, it should be into the summer trade full on - so no more trips for a good couple of months. Well, that's the plan!!