If everything has gone according to plan, then yesterday the keys of the hotel was finally handed over to the developers so they can redevelop the land for ‘luxury’ housing.

I thought this might be a good time to reflect over my 12 years working and living at the Alton Grange Hotel.

To start with, I must say, in the over all balance of things, I thoroughly enjoyed working at the hotel. Some times it was very difficult and tiring, as is the norm in the hospitality industry, but the counter to that was working with a wonderful bunch of talented people who helped make those difficult days few and far between.

I started working at the hotel at the turn of the century. I had come being a site supervisor for Travelodge, which as many people will know is not that taxing in the mental facilities. I had enjoyed the hotel experience I gained from working for Travelodge and though I’d like to expand my talents by working in a proper hotel.

I saw an advert in our local press for a Receptionist at a 3* hotel and thought I’d apply for the job. I had not had any experience at reception in a hotel. Being the site supervisor, my main duties were securing the lodge, checking on the days takings, fire safety, and organising the staff for each days shifts. I rarely dealt with the customers or even answered the phone, let alone taking and processing the reservations for staying at the lodge – a call centre dealt with these. So going for the interview, I really had no idea what they expected of me.

I arrived at the interview prompt and well turned out, if I do say so myself, and after waiting in the lounge for half an hour, one of the owners of the hotel, Mrs Andrea Levene arrived to see me. Now, first impressions can mean a lot to some people, though I try not to judge people on them, but when I first met Mrs L, as I would later come to call her, my first thought was here is a 1960′s ‘It’ girl trying hard to keep a hold of her past glories. She floated in with such assurance and strong demeanour that helped belay her small stature. I remember thinking that this was a woman who was not one to cross and that I would more than likely not enjoy working for.

We sat and had the interview, going through the normal earlier work experience questions, what skills I had and what I would be expecting to gain from working at the hotel. I remember the interview only lasting for ten minutes when Mrs L suddenly got up and vanished for the next 45 minutes. I was not sure if the interview had ended and I was to leave or if I should have followed her. I kept thinking that I hadn’t got the job and how rude was this woman just to leave me sitting here without clarifying what was happening. I clearly remember just waiting in the lounge, twiddling my thumbs getting more frustrated and embarrassed while staff and guests just wondered past.

What I did not know at that time, and it wasn’t until a lot later that this told to me, that Mrs L had gone to see the two senior receptionists and have them come spy on me during the time I was waiting in the lounge, to gauge their impressions of me. They were to casually walk past me making little notes and just observing me. So after 45 minutes, Mrs L returned offering no explanation and asked me if I could start the following Saturday then promptly took me on a very extensive tour of the hotel. I had gotten the job.

What followed was the most rewarding and enjoyable 12 years of my life.

Over the next few weeks, in build up to the hotel finally being demolished I am going to regale you readers of my blog with some of the more memorable and interesting adventures that occurred at our little hotel. I hope you will find them amusing and enjoyable. There will be lots of dramas, a few tears, cats, and some of the most assassinating and ridiculous work-mates you could find in an out-of-the-way place like Alton.