Paying guests
When you decide to spend your children’s inheritance on a holiday home at the seaside, it’s inevitable that people will want to come and see it – if only to remind you how mad you have been. And because it may well be some distance from their actual homes, these visitors will need to stay overnight. And why not? We all need to replenish the shared friendship memory bank from time to time.
From the very first party here (my 50th birthday) when there was no heating and we all sat on scaffold planks on top of breeze blocks with the flimsy wallpaper tables buckling under the weight of the cold crab and winkles, it has always been popular with those who don’t expect a lot. Which is just as well, as Highclere it certainly isn’t.
So the question I face is, can I ask people to come to a party and then expect them to have to pay to stay in a neighbouring bed and breakfast?
Most second homers try their best to fit in with their new neighbours, but asking them to take the overflow of your guests takes more years than I have currently served in this town. I realise this is quickly turning into a First World woe, but how does a host decide who doesn’t get a free bed for the night?
As another birthday looms, and with it another party – this time I do have some chairs at least – I have decided to go with a first come, first served policy. There will be lots of hospitality and nobody will be expected to bring anything other than themselves – but will that be enough to encourage them to spend £50 per head on a room and a full English?
It’s become the norm for enthusiastic party-givers to stage elaborate celebrations in random locations just because they think it would be fun. Last year I was invited to buy myself a flight to a 40th in Singapore for no other reason than the birthday girl had always wanted to go there.
I once travelled all the way to Suffolk, checked into an expensive hotel recommended by the hosts, wore a long dress as instructed, bought a thoughtful gift as expected, only to be served ‘ironic’ ham ‘triangles’ in white Mother’s Pride bread for supper. There wasn’t even any mustard. In short, I went all the way to Suffolk for a sandwich. At least in Hastings there is a reasonable chance of getting a bag of chips as well.
Next time: Undercoat as overcoat
From the very first party here (my 50th birthday) when there was no heating and we all sat on scaffold planks on top of breeze blocks with the flimsy wallpaper tables buckling under the weight of the cold crab and winkles, it has always been popular with those who don’t expect a lot. Which is just as well, as Highclere it certainly isn’t.
So the question I face is, can I ask people to come to a party and then expect them to have to pay to stay in a neighbouring bed and breakfast?
Most second homers try their best to fit in with their new neighbours, but asking them to take the overflow of your guests takes more years than I have currently served in this town. I realise this is quickly turning into a First World woe, but how does a host decide who doesn’t get a free bed for the night?
As another birthday looms, and with it another party – this time I do have some chairs at least – I have decided to go with a first come, first served policy. There will be lots of hospitality and nobody will be expected to bring anything other than themselves – but will that be enough to encourage them to spend £50 per head on a room and a full English?
It’s become the norm for enthusiastic party-givers to stage elaborate celebrations in random locations just because they think it would be fun. Last year I was invited to buy myself a flight to a 40th in Singapore for no other reason than the birthday girl had always wanted to go there.
I once travelled all the way to Suffolk, checked into an expensive hotel recommended by the hosts, wore a long dress as instructed, bought a thoughtful gift as expected, only to be served ‘ironic’ ham ‘triangles’ in white Mother’s Pride bread for supper. There wasn’t even any mustard. In short, I went all the way to Suffolk for a sandwich. At least in Hastings there is a reasonable chance of getting a bag of chips as well.
Next time: Undercoat as overcoat