I previously worked as relief manager at a couple of the Market Town Taverns’ pubs with accommodation so it’s not the first time I’ve done full hospitality, just never in a hostel setting. I’d worked for MTT for 12 years at that point & it had recently been taken over by a much bigger pub group; I felt like it wasn’t the small independent company I had enjoyed working for anymore. Of course, everything changes & it was time for me to take charge of my changes & make a positive choice! The very next day I saw the Art Hostel Manager’s job on Nic’s FB feed; it was like fate. Something new & exciting, where I could use my skills & knowledge whilst still getting to meet new & interesting people all day long. Perfect!

The difference between working in the retail sector & for an arts charity is massive! Just things like attitudes to work; being actively encouraged to take my holidays, not come into work when I’d been unwell, the level of support from management & colleagues alike has been brilliant. Prioritising need and necessity over just how much things cost, for example, & being able to make necessary day to day financial decisions without having to jump through hoops makes life so much easier too! It’s just so much less stressful than I anticipated and had previously experienced.

In some ways the position is very much what I was expecting it to be (setting up laundry suppliers & other accounts, day to day financial systems, choosing a suitable booking engine, staff training etc) but we’ve just met so many wonderful, weird & different types of people; from staff, volunteers, guests, artists & creatives hosting & taking part in various events in the Art Hostel; every day, every booking, every situation is different!

Choosing a favourite room is a difficult thing. I love the Riverside Mission Room because it’s beautiful & looks so comfortable; it’s where I’d put my folks if they came to stay. Room 2 is an incredibly pleasurable room to clean; it looks amazing when we get to do the whole room; when the sunlight sparkles off the shiny, freshly mopped floor, with all the bed rolls pristine & neat. It satisfies my OCD no end! Then there’s A Stranger In Pink… Enough said!

My favourite Art Hostel acquisition has to be ‘Wardrobia’ it’s amazing. I’m also super pleased that Jesse created it AND delivered & installed it! I would’ve had absolutely no way of getting it down the Basement Stairs but he & his willing team of helpful friends made it look easy. I’d love to host a clothes swap event down there & get even more crazy garments for her.

The most challenging aspect of running any sort of business is getting the right team around you & supporting them to be their very best. Mix this with satisfying the demands of a constantly changing customer base & you know you’ve got to be constantly on your toes & not get complacent with having your previous good reviews! We’ve been very lucky with the team we have, everyone puts in 110%. We’re constantly meeting new volunteer team members; this means ongoing staff training & support, keeping everyone motivated & making them feel invested in us and a real part of our Art Hostel family! Of course, the hardest thing is always having to say goodbye to volunteers who’ve also become amazing friends, as they leave to carry on with their adventures.

Christmas was a particularly special time; we had been so busy is the months leading up to it, everyone had been working so hard, & it must have been strange for the volunteers to not be with their families but we had such a great time, all together, exchanging gifts, in our big snuggly jumpers. It was just so lovely, the Art Hostel felt so homely.

Worst thing ever… Picking up used gross furry earplugs. *Shudder*. Hideousness, ten times worse than emptying the shower drains. *Bleugh*. Rude people are my absolute bug-bare. Luckily we don’t meet too many of them! A please will get you a loooooong way with me.

I’ve cheated & picked two pictures, almost exactly a year apart. The first one’s of a BBQ we had last summer in the back yard and the second doesn’t actually have me in it (!) and is of everyone out on the front step this summer. Both are excellent representations of our Art Hostel life, team & the family vibe we always seem to generate, even though our group is constantly changing. Good times!

Impossible to answer who I miss the most! I’ve met so many amazing people that have affected my life in the best way possible & who will always have a place in my heart. Some people have made themselves more obviously memorable than others, as you can imagine (John LaHood; I’m looking at you!) but I like to think I’ve acquired good friends from all over the world. We’ve been so bloody lucky with the amazing volunteers we’ve had, which is all down to Kate & Andreea’s excellent selection process & Hannah’s amazing staff training & motivation to music!