As if I did not have enough to do, Tony and Theresa had decided to spruce up life in the village, and our hotel was going to have a beach party! A beach party? I was wondering how they wanted to accomplish such a thing in the hotel, but was soon enlightened about the extent to which they would go to make this a success!
I must say this of Tony, he wasn't up to snuff about running a hotel, and the rules regarding his contact and dealings with the guests, but he was full of ideas, all of them not always the most practical, but at least he tried!
So, on the Friday morning, with my lip already hanging to the floor, and my voice hoarse from trying to get the young Sam to get on with his job, I watched with wonder a big lorry, loaded to full capacity with sand, pulled into the parking lot! This was the sign for Sam to take off his pinny, in order to go and find out what was in the wind, him not knowing about the proposed party!
I tried in vain to call him back, but he kept himself quite deaf, and I was going into a bally fit of hysteria, as I was instructed to make a lot of beachy dishes, or rather, dishes usually served at seaside cafe's. That made for a lot of extra work, as the reastaurant was still to operate, and as week-ends a lot of people came out to dine more formally, I just could not neglect that part of my prep!
Within minutes it seemed that the whole town had come to inspect what was going on, as the lorry had now parked in front of the pub door, and dumped the whole heap of sand on the doorsteps! Tony, Theresa, Willie Dowel, and the be-painted, or rather be-tattoo-ed Frazer, looking like a colourful reptile without his shirt, frantically carrying buckets full of sand into the pub lounge! Bally madness! But soon there were quite a few helpers, who after their amazement had subsided, helped to cover the pub lounge's floor in a thick layer of sand!
I must say, when I later went to have a look, I was quite pleasantly surprised, as the lounge was transformed into a very credible beach, with umbrellas everywhere, and a few loungers, and colourful towels, and so forth!