Let’s face it, there’s never a good time for a water tank to burst, but for
it to happen on a Saturday night in the height of the season with the Inn fit to bursting – if you'll pardon the pun, it really
doesn’t get much worse.
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| Our old tank, cut-up for removal |
Of course, all you lucky folks with a B&Q at the end of the street can
count your blessings but here in the Glen we are a long way from the nearest
plumbing supplier far less one that opens on the Sabbath. However, we managed
to limp through breakfast thanks to innovative staff and cheery guests who
graciously accepted bottled water to brush their teeth with many insisting on
carrying their own buckets to flush the loos.
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| "Right", said Fred, "did anyone measure the gap?" |
Monday morning the plumber & joiners arrive and after some minor
adjustments to the loft hatch the tanks are in place ready for Gavin to do his
magic. Pity the local supplier was 'out of stock' on a pretty major piece of
the jigsaw so Keith headed off on a 160 mile round trip to Inverness to get the
crucial part.
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| "Now, where does this go?, wish I'd brought me specs!" |
It's been an eventful couple of days, the front desk has been bombarded by
requests for information from guests, customers & staff alike. Without
water & working toilets we had to decant some of our residents to another
hotel, bars were unable to open and many folk requiring refreshments & food
were turned away. The impact on the business has been significant and it's not
just about the pounds, shillings & pence that are missing from our tills, we'll
get over that - although not so sure about the cost of putting it right - what we care about is the disappointed look on the faces of folk who turned up
on our doorstep only to be turned away, many of whom we may never see again, a
missed opportunity to offer our unique brand of hospitality.
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| Gavin: Tank Commander! |
Our apologies to those folk we couldn't look after and a very big thank you to our staff & guests who put up with us during this trying time. We talk a lot about the recovery when things go wrong, and occasionally you
don't necessarily need to go the extra mile, you just have to get your finger out, get on with it and do the best you
can.
