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We recently hosted the Glamis Senior Citizen Friendship Group to an afternoon of tea and bed bouncing, but reaped much more than we ever expected. We rekindled local support for both Castleton and Lands of Loyal from a very discerning and insightful group of local ladies. Before the cooking demonstration we invited the Ladies to inspect and probe all nooks and crannies of the bedrooms even to pinch the bathroom free bees, (but they didn't). We were quite happy to face the consequences of their findings and this set the tone for the rest of the afternoon, it was open, honest and friendly and altogether an experience that hoteliers should put themselves up for, more often.

So it was, with this new found determination to boldly invite criticism, in whatever form it came, that the ladies tucked in to their tea and scones. Only it wasn't criticism that came my way, it was in fact a fascination for hotelkeeping. It is a dispiriting fact that that only after a hotelier has met every mental, emotional and physical challenge imaginable, someone will say that its a profession any fool could do. The ladies however were kind and sympathetic to the daily tribulations at Castleton and the Lands of Loyal. They wanted to know about the people we serve, the staff we employ the suppliers we use and of course the accidents and mishaps. Everybody likes the mishaps, such as pigs escaping whilst a wedding party enjoy drinks on the lawn or Sharon Stone having lunch without anyone realising it. Then there are the public dramas that everyone else has in the privacy of their own home, such as radiators bursting and bats flying in through bedroom windows.

But no one aspect can cause a hotelier to lose more sleep than the staff they employ and I was delighted to share some insight of the agonies as well as the joys of employing people. I am the first to admit that across our three hotels we have had some dark moments and I wish I could say they were all behind us. But unfortunately about the only prediction I dare make about this varied and wonderful career is that we will, despite our best efforts to avoid it, be let down at some point again. And all I would ask is, if it is you, is please show us some of the sympathy and understanding that the Glamis Village friendship group showed me the afternoon they visited Castleton.