Gleneagles Hotel Staff Handbook, Auchterarder, Perthshire | Heich Abune The Heich
Introduction by J. K. S. Bannatyne (Hotel General Manager) Jean-Maurice Cottet (Head Chef)
(Book #ID 115128)
Printed by A. D. Garrie & Son Auchterarder, Perthshire circa 1977. 1977.
Original wire stitched white card wrap covers (soft back). 8vo. 8½'' x 5½''. Contains 13 pp + covers with small monochrome illustrations and double page plan of the hotel. I worked as a commis chef at Gleneagles in 1977, in those days it was a seasonal Hotel owned by British Transport Hotels which opened between April to September, with the Dormy House staying open until Christmas. Being collected from Auchterarder station by the staff bus on Saturday afternoon and taken directly to the Hotel, little of us were aware at this stage that the Hotel was run and operated as Stalag 15 (with discipline to match | however, I had better keep all of the kitchen stories to myself, but the barbers shop in Auchterarder was quite the little business for the Sous chefs who were on a cut (no pun intended) - so the more chefs they sent down there (and there were over 90 chefs in the brigade, the more money they made). All of the new seasons staff were ushered into a large banqueting room and issued with this staff handbook where they were lectured on what was expected of the male and female staff; for example, on finishing work late at night (or any other time) you were not permitted into either of the opposite sexes staff block, duty managers used to hide in the hedges late at night and those staff seen visiting the opposite sexes block, were quietly escorted back to Auchterarder station the following morning. The management knew this was inevitable, so at the beginning of the season I estimated that they took on approximately 50% more capacity than they were going to need. So to the handbook, which refers to all of those amenities which were available to staff when they were off duty, such as Rule Number 5: 'Staff may not use the swimming pool or sauna except as members of the swimming club, see page 14', Rule Number 7: 'Staff are entitled to use the golf course in accordance with instructions laid down on Page 14', taking the handbook back to your box room quarters, which had a small high window which could only be looked through by standing on a chair, you suddenly became aware of what you had let yourself in for, the handbook ends on Page 13, could you hold out for the season in this camp? Marks to the covers. Member of the P.B.F.A.
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