Who's Who

8 April 2011

Wayne - the Manager

Wayne, 48, is the General Manager of the Damson Dene Hotel in Cumbria. He was born in South Wales into a working class family. His father was a coal miner and his mother a housewife. His father has passed away but he returns to Wales to visit his mother every few months.

Wayne started working at the Damson Dene in September 2009 and is a father figure to many of the younger staff, especially Amos, the general assistant. He is the charismatic heart of the hotel and a born philosopher: "I think as people get older, we all have more baggage to carry around.... Being in this job and having the opportunity to people watch as much as I do, I'm still always surprised at what is behind the façade of people who come in to the hotel."

He's full of anecdotes about the people he's met while on the job: "I've met some bizarre people and I once met a family that told me they could see dead people. They then went on to say they felt that I had ‘the gift'.  They asked me if I wanted them to show me how I could speak to and see dead people. Why would I want to do that? I'm a hotel manager, I have enough of a problem with the living!"

Wayne lives in a caravan at the back of the hotel garden with his border collie, Fly.  When not pampering Fly, he is often seen at the local church singing in the Gospel Choir.  Wayne is also very particular about oral hygiene and likes to brush his teeth at least 7 times a day.  Wayne has a degree in Tourism and has worked in the hotel industry since he was 19. 

His dream is to play Thenardier in Les Miserables.

Wayne - the Manager

Wayne, 48, is the General Manager of the Damson Dene Hotel in Cumbria. He was born in South Wales into a working class family. His father was a coal miner and his mother a housewife. His father has passed away but he returns to Wales to visit his mother every few months.

Wayne started working at the Damson Dene in September 2009 and is a father figure to many of the younger staff, especially Amos, the general assistant. He is the charismatic heart of the hotel and a born philosopher: "I think as people get older, we all have more baggage to carry around.... Being in this job and having the opportunity to people watch as much as I do, I'm still always surprised at what is behind the façade of people who come in to the hotel."

He's full of anecdotes about the people he's met while on the job: "I've met some bizarre people and I once met a family that told me they could see dead people. They then went on to say they felt that I had ‘the gift'.  They asked me if I wanted them to show me how I could speak to and see dead people. Why would I want to do that? I'm a hotel manager, I have enough of a problem with the living!"

Wayne lives in a caravan at the back of the hotel garden with his border collie, Fly.  When not pampering Fly, he is often seen at the local church singing in the Gospel Choir.  Wayne is also very particular about oral hygiene and likes to brush his teeth at least 7 times a day.  Wayne has a degree in Tourism and has worked in the hotel industry since he was 19. 

His dream is to play Thenardier in Les Miserables.

 

Kirk - the Head Chef

Born and bred in Barrow in Cumbria, Kirk is the head chef at the Damson Dene Hotel. He started working at the hotel in April 2010 and was surprised to find himself the only Brit in a kitchen of four staff. The language barrier can send Kirk to boiling point, especially during peak times and weddings.

Kirk likes the kitchen to be bustling and full of activity and his language is peppered with profanities. He doesn't like afternoons when he has to do the prep for the evening meal all on his own.

Kirk hates cooking desserts and will have nothing to do with them in the kitchen. He also hates vegetarians, and says his daughters have turned vegetarian just to wind him up. His favourite thing to cook and eat is a good piece of meat.

Kirk wasn't always a chef. When he first started he was a green keeper looking after the golf course and then worked in a pub. It was here that he met his wife, but when they later decided to have kids, he retrained as a chef. Kirk says he's always wanted to be a chef but career advisors at school talked him out of it.

Kirk loves being a husband to his wife, Alison, and a dad to his twin teenage daughters. Whatever spare time he has, he spends with his family, and they particularly like watching movies together. If money were no object, Kirk says he would like to own his own restaurant and cook good, honest food.

 

Amos - the General Assistant

Amos, 24, is a general assistant at the Damson Dene. He waits on tables at breakfast and dinner and also helps housekeeping prepare guest bedrooms.

Amos is the newest member of staff and the general manager, Wayne, has put him on a three months trial to test him out.  He's extremely willing and tries very hard, but has an impressive track record for breaking glassware and crockery.  As Wayne tries to mentor Amos through his NVQ, he privately wonders whether Amos is cut out for the hustle and bustle of hotel life.

He says his job at the Damson Dene is the start of a new life.  "I try to do the best and make everybody happy because if my boss is happy I will be happy.... If I fail, if I lost my job, this will be quite difficult for me. I think it is a good opportunity to change. Under this sky, everything is possible."

Amos is working hard to learn English, but in the meantime, break downs in communication lead to some entertaining exchanges with guests.

Amos is from Romania and initially came to the UK to work as an au pair. He was unhappy with the family he was placed with so he resigned. At the college he was attending, he was introduced to bar manager, Paul, and housekeeper, Lavinia  - also being from Romania - and they brought him over to the Damson Dene.  Amos is now close friends with Paul and Lavinia and they helped him get his national insurance number.

Amos says his early life in Romania was very unhappy. His father was an alcoholic and left him and his mother when he was three months old. His mum couldn't afford the flat they lived in and they ended up homeless. He is saving money to be able to look after his mum.

His dream is to start a company that helps homeless people.

 

Jonathan - the Owner

Hotelier Jonathan Denby, 63, is a suave, dapper character with a keen business acumen and a talent for gardening.

After starting his career in the City, Jonathan moved into hospitality by accident some 20 years ago.  His wife Margaret came from a hotel background and it was her passion and influence, together with what he describes as "instant job satisfaction" that drove him to buy his first hotel.  Today he has four hotels in the Lake District with the Damson Dene joining his portfolio in 2000.

Set amongst the picturesque hills of the Lyth Valley, the Damson Dene Hotel is a typical three star property set within its own gardens.

With all his hotels, Jonathan aims to offer value for money for the ordinary visitor - a great holiday without costing the earth: "We're not trying to be one of those high class, highfaluting hotels that just provides every luxury because we know we can't do that. I would say we cater for ‘Mondeo man', we cater for the ordinary visitor."

Jonathan lives with his wife and three daughters in Grange over Sands, where he opens his gardens to the public.

 

Paul - the Bar Manager and Lavinia - the Waitress

Paul and Lavinia are married and live together in the staff block at the back of the hotel. Paul is the bar manager and Lavinia is a waitress as well as a general assistant.  They have worked at the Damson Dene for 3-and-a-half years.

Paul and Lavinia are Romanian and came here to experience life in the UK and to earn money. They say they can make about four times the amount of money in the UK than they can in Romania.  Paul and Lavinia were saving to buy a house back home, as that's where they would like to live once they have a baby.  They've just managed to buy the house that they've always wanted.

Paul and Lavi, as she is affectionately known, have been married for a year and a half. They are madly in love describe the other as their best friend and soul mate. Lavi has strict rules about public displays of affection during work but Paul manages to sneak in a kiss from time to time.

Lavinia takes her job extremely seriously and often has to train new members of staff. She has a front of house NVQ and is now studying customer service at the local college. Back home she used to be a teacher and has a degree in Geography and Cartography.

Paul had never been a bar manager before but he enjoys his job and likes being in charge.  He doesn't see this is a long-term career however and would like to start his own business, perhaps running a café.

Paul and Lavinia are very popular members of staff and everyone seems to get along with them. Wayne, the general manager, considers them to be amongst his best friends.

 

 

From Wayne the manager, Kirk the head chef, Amos the general assistant, the owner Jonathan and not forgetting Paul  the Bar Manager and Lavinia the Waitress. They are all characters... 

Wayne - the Manager

Wayne, 48, is the General Manager of the Damson Dene Hotel in Cumbria. He was born in South Wales into a working class family. His father was a coal miner and his mother a housewife. His father has passed away but he returns to Wales to visit his mother every few months.

Wayne started working at the Damson Dene in September 2009 and is a father figure to many of the younger staff, especially Amos, the general assistant. He is the charismatic heart of the hotel and a born philosopher: "I think as people get older, we all have more baggage to carry around.... Being in this job and having the opportunity to people watch as much as I do, I'm still always surprised at what is behind the façade of people who come in to the hotel."

He's full of anecdotes about the people he's met while on the job: "I've met some bizarre people and I once met a family that told me they could see dead people. They then went on to say they felt that I had ‘the gift'.  They asked me if I wanted them to show me how I could speak to and see dead people. Why would I want to do that? I'm a hotel manager, I have enough of a problem with the living!"

Wayne lives in a caravan at the back of the hotel garden with his border collie, Fly.  When not pampering Fly, he is often seen at the local church singing in the Gospel Choir.  Wayne is also very particular about oral hygiene and likes to brush his teeth at least 7 times a day.  Wayne has a degree in Tourism and has worked in the hotel industry since he was 19. 

His dream is to play Thenardier in Les Miserables.

Wayne - the Manager

Wayne, 48, is the General Manager of the Damson Dene Hotel in Cumbria. He was born in South Wales into a working class family. His father was a coal miner and his mother a housewife. His father has passed away but he returns to Wales to visit his mother every few months.

Wayne started working at the Damson Dene in September 2009 and is a father figure to many of the younger staff, especially Amos, the general assistant. He is the charismatic heart of the hotel and a born philosopher: "I think as people get older, we all have more baggage to carry around.... Being in this job and having the opportunity to people watch as much as I do, I'm still always surprised at what is behind the façade of people who come in to the hotel."

He's full of anecdotes about the people he's met while on the job: "I've met some bizarre people and I once met a family that told me they could see dead people. They then went on to say they felt that I had ‘the gift'.  They asked me if I wanted them to show me how I could speak to and see dead people. Why would I want to do that? I'm a hotel manager, I have enough of a problem with the living!"

Wayne lives in a caravan at the back of the hotel garden with his border collie, Fly.  When not pampering Fly, he is often seen at the local church singing in the Gospel Choir.  Wayne is also very particular about oral hygiene and likes to brush his teeth at least 7 times a day.  Wayne has a degree in Tourism and has worked in the hotel industry since he was 19. 

His dream is to play Thenardier in Les Miserables.

 

Kirk - the Head Chef

Born and bred in Barrow in Cumbria, Kirk is the head chef at the Damson Dene Hotel. He started working at the hotel in April 2010 and was surprised to find himself the only Brit in a kitchen of four staff. The language barrier can send Kirk to boiling point, especially during peak times and weddings.

Kirk likes the kitchen to be bustling and full of activity and his language is peppered with profanities. He doesn't like afternoons when he has to do the prep for the evening meal all on his own.

Kirk hates cooking desserts and will have nothing to do with them in the kitchen. He also hates vegetarians, and says his daughters have turned vegetarian just to wind him up. His favourite thing to cook and eat is a good piece of meat.

Kirk wasn't always a chef. When he first started he was a green keeper looking after the golf course and then worked in a pub. It was here that he met his wife, but when they later decided to have kids, he retrained as a chef. Kirk says he's always wanted to be a chef but career advisors at school talked him out of it.

Kirk loves being a husband to his wife, Alison, and a dad to his twin teenage daughters. Whatever spare time he has, he spends with his family, and they particularly like watching movies together. If money were no object, Kirk says he would like to own his own restaurant and cook good, honest food.

 

Amos - the General Assistant

Amos, 24, is a general assistant at the Damson Dene. He waits on tables at breakfast and dinner and also helps housekeeping prepare guest bedrooms.

Amos is the newest member of staff and the general manager, Wayne, has put him on a three months trial to test him out.  He's extremely willing and tries very hard, but has an impressive track record for breaking glassware and crockery.  As Wayne tries to mentor Amos through his NVQ, he privately wonders whether Amos is cut out for the hustle and bustle of hotel life.

He says his job at the Damson Dene is the start of a new life.  "I try to do the best and make everybody happy because if my boss is happy I will be happy.... If I fail, if I lost my job, this will be quite difficult for me. I think it is a good opportunity to change. Under this sky, everything is possible."

Amos is working hard to learn English, but in the meantime, break downs in communication lead to some entertaining exchanges with guests.

Amos is from Romania and initially came to the UK to work as an au pair. He was unhappy with the family he was placed with so he resigned. At the college he was attending, he was introduced to bar manager, Paul, and housekeeper, Lavinia  - also being from Romania - and they brought him over to the Damson Dene.  Amos is now close friends with Paul and Lavinia and they helped him get his national insurance number.

Amos says his early life in Romania was very unhappy. His father was an alcoholic and left him and his mother when he was three months old. His mum couldn't afford the flat they lived in and they ended up homeless. He is saving money to be able to look after his mum.

His dream is to start a company that helps homeless people.

 

Jonathan - the Owner

Hotelier Jonathan Denby, 63, is a suave, dapper character with a keen business acumen and a talent for gardening.

After starting his career in the City, Jonathan moved into hospitality by accident some 20 years ago.  His wife Margaret came from a hotel background and it was her passion and influence, together with what he describes as "instant job satisfaction" that drove him to buy his first hotel.  Today he has four hotels in the Lake District with the Damson Dene joining his portfolio in 2000.

Set amongst the picturesque hills of the Lyth Valley, the Damson Dene Hotel is a typical three star property set within its own gardens.

With all his hotels, Jonathan aims to offer value for money for the ordinary visitor - a great holiday without costing the earth: "We're not trying to be one of those high class, highfaluting hotels that just provides every luxury because we know we can't do that. I would say we cater for ‘Mondeo man', we cater for the ordinary visitor."

Jonathan lives with his wife and three daughters in Grange over Sands, where he opens his gardens to the public.

 

Paul - the Bar Manager and Lavinia - the Waitress

Paul and Lavinia are married and live together in the staff block at the back of the hotel. Paul is the bar manager and Lavinia is a waitress as well as a general assistant.  They have worked at the Damson Dene for 3-and-a-half years.

Paul and Lavinia are Romanian and came here to experience life in the UK and to earn money. They say they can make about four times the amount of money in the UK than they can in Romania.  Paul and Lavinia were saving to buy a house back home, as that's where they would like to live once they have a baby.  They've just managed to buy the house that they've always wanted.

Paul and Lavi, as she is affectionately known, have been married for a year and a half. They are madly in love describe the other as their best friend and soul mate. Lavi has strict rules about public displays of affection during work but Paul manages to sneak in a kiss from time to time.

Lavinia takes her job extremely seriously and often has to train new members of staff. She has a front of house NVQ and is now studying customer service at the local college. Back home she used to be a teacher and has a degree in Geography and Cartography.

Paul had never been a bar manager before but he enjoys his job and likes being in charge.  He doesn't see this is a long-term career however and would like to start his own business, perhaps running a café.

Paul and Lavinia are very popular members of staff and everyone seems to get along with them. Wayne, the general manager, considers them to be amongst his best friends.

 

 

From Wayne the manager, Kirk the head chef, Amos the general assistant, the owner Jonathan and not forgetting Paul  the Bar Manager and Lavinia the Waitress. They are all characters... 

Wayne - the Manager

Wayne, 48, is the General Manager of the Damson Dene Hotel in Cumbria. He was born in South Wales into a working class family. His father was a coal miner and his mother a housewife. His father has passed away but he returns to Wales to visit his mother every few months.

Wayne started working at the Damson Dene in September 2009 and is a father figure to many of the younger staff, especially Amos, the general assistant. He is the charismatic heart of the hotel and a born philosopher: "I think as people get older, we all have more baggage to carry around.... Being in this job and having the opportunity to people watch as much as I do, I'm still always surprised at what is behind the façade of people who come in to the hotel."

He's full of anecdotes about the people he's met while on the job: "I've met some bizarre people and I once met a family that told me they could see dead people. They then went on to say they felt that I had ‘the gift'.  They asked me if I wanted them to show me how I could speak to and see dead people. Why would I want to do that? I'm a hotel manager, I have enough of a problem with the living!"

Wayne lives in a caravan at the back of the hotel garden with his border collie, Fly.  When not pampering Fly, he is often seen at the local church singing in the Gospel Choir.  Wayne is also very particular about oral hygiene and likes to brush his teeth at least 7 times a day.  Wayne has a degree in Tourism and has worked in the hotel industry since he was 19. 

His dream is to play Thenardier in Les Miserables.

Wayne - the Manager

Wayne, 48, is the General Manager of the Damson Dene Hotel in Cumbria. He was born in South Wales into a working class family. His father was a coal miner and his mother a housewife. His father has passed away but he returns to Wales to visit his mother every few months.

Wayne started working at the Damson Dene in September 2009 and is a father figure to many of the younger staff, especially Amos, the general assistant. He is the charismatic heart of the hotel and a born philosopher: "I think as people get older, we all have more baggage to carry around.... Being in this job and having the opportunity to people watch as much as I do, I'm still always surprised at what is behind the façade of people who come in to the hotel."

He's full of anecdotes about the people he's met while on the job: "I've met some bizarre people and I once met a family that told me they could see dead people. They then went on to say they felt that I had ‘the gift'.  They asked me if I wanted them to show me how I could speak to and see dead people. Why would I want to do that? I'm a hotel manager, I have enough of a problem with the living!"

Wayne lives in a caravan at the back of the hotel garden with his border collie, Fly.  When not pampering Fly, he is often seen at the local church singing in the Gospel Choir.  Wayne is also very particular about oral hygiene and likes to brush his teeth at least 7 times a day.  Wayne has a degree in Tourism and has worked in the hotel industry since he was 19. 

His dream is to play Thenardier in Les Miserables.

 

Kirk - the Head Chef

Born and bred in Barrow in Cumbria, Kirk is the head chef at the Damson Dene Hotel. He started working at the hotel in April 2010 and was surprised to find himself the only Brit in a kitchen of four staff. The language barrier can send Kirk to boiling point, especially during peak times and weddings.

Kirk likes the kitchen to be bustling and full of activity and his language is peppered with profanities. He doesn't like afternoons when he has to do the prep for the evening meal all on his own.

Kirk hates cooking desserts and will have nothing to do with them in the kitchen. He also hates vegetarians, and says his daughters have turned vegetarian just to wind him up. His favourite thing to cook and eat is a good piece of meat.

Kirk wasn't always a chef. When he first started he was a green keeper looking after the golf course and then worked in a pub. It was here that he met his wife, but when they later decided to have kids, he retrained as a chef. Kirk says he's always wanted to be a chef but career advisors at school talked him out of it.

Kirk loves being a husband to his wife, Alison, and a dad to his twin teenage daughters. Whatever spare time he has, he spends with his family, and they particularly like watching movies together. If money were no object, Kirk says he would like to own his own restaurant and cook good, honest food.

 

Amos - the General Assistant

Amos, 24, is a general assistant at the Damson Dene. He waits on tables at breakfast and dinner and also helps housekeeping prepare guest bedrooms.

Amos is the newest member of staff and the general manager, Wayne, has put him on a three months trial to test him out.  He's extremely willing and tries very hard, but has an impressive track record for breaking glassware and crockery.  As Wayne tries to mentor Amos through his NVQ, he privately wonders whether Amos is cut out for the hustle and bustle of hotel life.

He says his job at the Damson Dene is the start of a new life.  "I try to do the best and make everybody happy because if my boss is happy I will be happy.... If I fail, if I lost my job, this will be quite difficult for me. I think it is a good opportunity to change. Under this sky, everything is possible."

Amos is working hard to learn English, but in the meantime, break downs in communication lead to some entertaining exchanges with guests.

Amos is from Romania and initially came to the UK to work as an au pair. He was unhappy with the family he was placed with so he resigned. At the college he was attending, he was introduced to bar manager, Paul, and housekeeper, Lavinia  - also being from Romania - and they brought him over to the Damson Dene.  Amos is now close friends with Paul and Lavinia and they helped him get his national insurance number.

Amos says his early life in Romania was very unhappy. His father was an alcoholic and left him and his mother when he was three months old. His mum couldn't afford the flat they lived in and they ended up homeless. He is saving money to be able to look after his mum.

His dream is to start a company that helps homeless people.

 

Jonathan - the Owner

Hotelier Jonathan Denby, 63, is a suave, dapper character with a keen business acumen and a talent for gardening.

After starting his career in the City, Jonathan moved into hospitality by accident some 20 years ago.  His wife Margaret came from a hotel background and it was her passion and influence, together with what he describes as "instant job satisfaction" that drove him to buy his first hotel.  Today he has four hotels in the Lake District with the Damson Dene joining his portfolio in 2000.

Set amongst the picturesque hills of the Lyth Valley, the Damson Dene Hotel is a typical three star property set within its own gardens.

With all his hotels, Jonathan aims to offer value for money for the ordinary visitor - a great holiday without costing the earth: "We're not trying to be one of those high class, highfaluting hotels that just provides every luxury because we know we can't do that. I would say we cater for ‘Mondeo man', we cater for the ordinary visitor."

Jonathan lives with his wife and three daughters in Grange over Sands, where he opens his gardens to the public.

 

Paul - the Bar Manager and Lavinia - the Waitress

Paul and Lavinia are married and live together in the staff block at the back of the hotel. Paul is the bar manager and Lavinia is a waitress as well as a general assistant.  They have worked at the Damson Dene for 3-and-a-half years.

Paul and Lavinia are Romanian and came here to experience life in the UK and to earn money. They say they can make about four times the amount of money in the UK than they can in Romania.  Paul and Lavinia were saving to buy a house back home, as that's where they would like to live once they have a baby.  They've just managed to buy the house that they've always wanted.

Paul and Lavi, as she is affectionately known, have been married for a year and a half. They are madly in love describe the other as their best friend and soul mate. Lavi has strict rules about public displays of affection during work but Paul manages to sneak in a kiss from time to time.

Lavinia takes her job extremely seriously and often has to train new members of staff. She has a front of house NVQ and is now studying customer service at the local college. Back home she used to be a teacher and has a degree in Geography and Cartography.

Paul had never been a bar manager before but he enjoys his job and likes being in charge.  He doesn't see this is a long-term career however and would like to start his own business, perhaps running a café.

Paul and Lavinia are very popular members of staff and everyone seems to get along with them. Wayne, the general manager, considers them to be amongst his best friends.

 

 

From Wayne the manager, Kirk the head chef, Amos the general assistant, the owner Jonathan and not forgetting Paul  the Bar Manager and Lavinia the Waitress. They are all characters...