After a couple of not that newsworthy weeks we’ve been quite busy here in Padstow this last few days, what with David Cameron in the hotel yesterday and then today it is lifeboat day and we’ve got Billy Smart’s Circus up the road!

I was having a chat with Adam in the kitchen when we could hear a helicopter - both of us thought that this was going to be Keith, the hotel owner, dropping in for a pot of tea but I remembered hearing Tony talking about the lifeboat coming in today so we spent a few minutes watching them do some mock rescues and drop offs just otside the harbour wall.  I must admit it was pretty impressive the way in which the pilot handled the helicopter, not too sure if I would have wanted to have been in it.

The harbour side was really busy wih plenty of people watching and more lined up on the path to the crazy golf, I just hope they raised enough money to pay for the helicopter’s fuel!

I had seen some posters saying a circus was coming to town but hadn’t given it that much thought so I was quite surprised to see such a splendid big top up by the football field yesterday.  I haven’t seen inside it but the whole set up looks very professional.

This morning was very tight on time as we had a Q and A session organised by our regional morning paper, The Western Morning News.  We had to have breakfast all finished and cleared away and then set up for a theatre style meeting for 70 all by 10.30.

Mel had her team organised and two rooms set up for breakfast to buy us as much time as she could and it was a very good decision as we found out that the guests had all been asked to be with us between 10 and 10.30 so that they could all be seated before the VIP guest arrived.  Most of the guests arrived on time, some were even here before 10!  Our VIP arrived and made use of the Met lounge to collect his thoughts before the session began.  My claim to fame now is escorting him down to the toilets but I did wait outside!

Having tantalised long enough I can tell you that our VIP guest was David Cameron, who is spending his summer holiday near here, though if this is a holiday….

Thank you to the Western Morning News for bringing him here.  We’re hoping to get a few mentions in the paper as well as on local radio, there will be video footage on the Western Morning News website later on today or tomorrow and I am hoping Spotlight will pick it up too - the sun was shining on the estuary out of our picture windows and looked great!

Here’s the link to the Western Morning News article with the video clip, as of Wednesday morning it is just a preview, am hoping for more than 1 minute 21 seconds later on today!

http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk/news/VIDEO-WMN-readers-quiz-Cameron/article-242093-detail/article.html

We have our first members!

I should explain that the Richie Rhino Club is for our younger guests and is nothing to do with spearmint!  We have launched this across all the hotels to give something extra to the children who come to stay with us.  The children get a special bag with a drinks bottle and some colouring pencils and a book but the best thing is the cuddly toy, a cute little rhino.  I have had to lock them all away to stop the receptionists having their own one each.

The other benefit while in the hotel is the complimentary coke or lemonade with dinner and the chance to fill the drinks bottle at breakfast.  I know this summer hasn’t exactly been like the costas yet but it is still important to keep hydrated.

We also have a website for the members to log onto http://www.richardsonhotels.co.uk/richierhino.php where there are some games to play and space to upload pictures and holiday stories.

Coming back to our first members - it was great to be able to give the first packs to two young ladies who have been coming to the hotel for a number of years with mum and grandma - the colouring books were being filled in rapidly last night, I hope they last the stay!

Yesterday evening was fairly quiet for me, got away form work at a very respectable time to go to a meeting, back home after that for a quiet beer when the phone rang.  Amy had had a call from a neighbouring police force regarding somebody they were concerned about who was staying with us, they said they would send somebody down to see her.  Amy was a little unsure at this stage as she felt it may not have been quite right so rang me to check, I suggested she rang our police to check as they should know.  I decided I ought to come in and check so jumped in the car, having left the slightly sipped beer in the fridge.  Less than halfway in to the hotel Amy rang me back to say all was OK, the local force knew about the situation and had given her a reference number.

So a quick turn around and off home to finish the beer.  Just going to bed and while cleaning my teeth I heard a siren go past my house and wondered where it was going.  Two minutes later if that and Amy was back on the phone:  I did need to come in as the guest in question was in a bad way, talking to one police officer with others in attendance.

Flew back in to the hotel and met up witht he police and the sergeant who came in shortly after me.  Naturally I won’t go into the details but we did have to stop a few people going to bed, must say they were most upset at having to go to the bar for a drink!  The police team did a great job and everything was resolved safely and the guest was taken to hospital. 

After a few cups of tea all around and a debrief the police team were on their way and I was able to get home too.  All in all a very dramatic end to the day and most unusual for this quiet corner of Cornwall!

… as there are people using the pool!  It’s always a rush to get the pool ready for its 1st July opening date and Tony managed to get everything ready despite losing his right hand man for the last couple of weeks.  As you can imagine we get the pool open and then the sun goes in, much like at home when I get to sit in the garden!

We had our first swimmers in yesterday afternoon and again this morning - they didn’t stay in for long but at least they did appreciate the warm water and a bit of sunshine.  It is also good for us to see people in the pool and making the most of it.