No, run us over to the hotel…

It is always in August that I completely lose confidence in my ability to run a coconut-shy, let alone a hotel. It's almost like the peak of our personal mountain before the mellow autumn months bring us to the end of our year.

This August has been no exception, as the bedroom chart has been full and I have been expected to perform miracles at every turn.

This has included running a competent hotel with all the staff seemingly on holiday for the whole month. Then there's been the heat of the past few weeks. A hot chef is a grumpy chef - and in my case, can be a horrible husband.

But, as always in Tal-y-Bont, there has been some drama to break up the long days of continuous work. We have just had a Tuesday lunchtime with a 90th birthday party for eight, our usual lunch customers, and a diamond wedding anniversary party for some rather nice regulars.

I spent the morning doing flowers for the diamond group, special menus and all the other little things that one does for nice customers. The sun was shining, the staff were all here and Simon was mercifully smiling in the kitchen. We were all set for a lovely day.

We saw the diamond wedding couple arrive in the car park and I made my way to the hotel steps to greet them and their guests. In the next 30 seconds, all hell broke loose.

Mandy rushed toward me and asked me to come to the car park immediately, then she grabbed our wheelchair and rushed outside. The diamond wedding husband was lying on the ground with anxious people milling around. We helped him into the wheelchair and brought him inside.

First aid

Our first-aid training was invaluable as we dressed his abrasions and immobilised his injured leg. As we did this, it came out that his son-in-law had inadvertently run him over during parking manoeuvres.

We didn't think he had broken bones, but in any case the diamond couple were adamant they weren't going anywhere right then. They'd booked lunch for themselves and their guests and lunch they were going to have. They'd waited 60 years for this anniversary and what difference were a few hours going to make before they got a more thorough medical check-up?

They did agree to go to the hospital straight after lunch, but a subsequent thank-you letter confirmed they had enjoyed a wonderful day.

Mandy made me chuckle later, when she announced that she had been sceptical about first-aid training, but now thought it had been quite a good idea after all.

Next diary from Barbara Baldon is on 25 September