Saturday 14th - As Mrs Angus has already organised relief operators to work over the weekend, we are free to move into Ashley Court and sort ourselves out. There are lots of young people coming and going, and before long we are invited to a 'party' being held in one of the rooms that evening. The 'parties', which are a constant feature of Ashley Court, are in fact, just young people congregating in someone's room, we may crack open a bottle of wine, but more often than not its coffee all round, sometimes, we even have the luxury of drinking it with milk! Someone will stick on a record and prance around a bit, but mostly we sit on the floor and chat. Someone suggests going to a jazz club, so off we go to the Café des Artiste. Climbed into bed at 3.30am!

Sunday 15th - Kathy has gone home to Merstham to collect some things. Went to check out the T.V. lounge, there are lots of well-worn settees and easy chairs clustered around an ancient TV set. A young man in there introduces himself as Peter Jones and invites me out for a coffee.

Monday 16th - Kathy and I are thrown in at the deep end, we are working together, each knowing as little as the other, but muddle through as best we can. There are four shift patterns - 7.30am to 3.0pm, 8.0am to 4.0pm, 4.0pm to 11pm and 3.0pm to 8.0pm, the pattern alters daily, so that when we are on the early shift and finish midway through the afternoon, we are not on again until the following afternoon. Finishing at 11pm and then having to be on again at 7.30am isn't quite as bad as it may seem, in due course, I shall fit in another shift in between!! Ashley Court is a great place to live, despite being in the 'garret'. There's a bar, a T.V. room and a games room. We also have a 'Ballroom' on the first floor, with a balcony running the length of it, where many a party will be held. Breakfast is also included - but I prefer a lie-in, (when I can get one!) There is also maid service - which is not necessarily a plus! There are also tiny kitchens on each floor, which contain a cooker and a sink, so we can cook if ever we find the need (or the time!). Yet to be discovered, are the many bathrooms scattered throughout the building, and over the years to come, I shall attempt to try out all of them!

I love walking round the shops, and often walk down Oxford Street to Marble Arch, where there's a large branch of C&A's. Apart from the large choice of clothes, the prices are more suitable to my pocket! I get paid £10 per week, out of which is deducted £1.50 for my accommodation. There are plenty of opportunities to earn more, though. Telephonists are always in demand, not only within the Group, but also in hotels throughout London. There is a network of telephonists who are willing to 'work the clock round', in an attempt to supplement their wages, and it isn't long before both Kathy and I are drawn into it.

When we have our holidays, we have to find our own replacement, if someone is off sick; we are expected to work extra hours to cover, which can sometimes mean working from 7.30am until 11.0pm. We don't mind doing this from choice, as usually it is at another hotel, where we meet different people, also, 'reliefs' are usually treated very well. They can ring room service for trays of tea and biscuits, and often eat in the restaurant. The routine is different from hotel to hotel, and we soon decide which hotels we like working in the best. Not only are the conditions different, but so is the pay. This can vary from 5/- per hour to £4 per shift (regardless of number of hours worked) and, best of all - it's cash in hand! Some hotels have 'night telephonists', the pay is usually higher for night work, even though one can often settle down and have a bit of a nap by putting on the alarm bell. The bell will ring when someone picks up a telephone. Some hotels rely on the night porters to take care of phone calls during the night, and this is the case at The Stratford Court.

Craig Douglas's offices are still on Knightsbridge and I pass them everyday on my way to and from work. I catch the no.73 bus from the Royal Albert Memorial, which takes me along Kensington Gore, past Kensington Barracks, (Craig's office is next door) along Knightsbridge, around Hyde Park Corner, along Park Lane, where the bus passes The London Hilton, The Dorchester, and The Grosvenor House Hotel. Then past Marble Arch and up Oxford Street, I get off at the stop just after Selfridges.

Mum is pleased that I'm now settled in a job, of course I haven't told her about my 'adventures'. I wouldn't tell her anything that might worry her, but my letters are long and probably a bit patronising, we young things think our parents don't know anything about the big wide world beyond their garden gate!

I am very taken with the receptionist I met at my interview, but he is very shy and I am finding it very difficult to get to know him. No one else seems to know anything about him either. All the receptionists have to wear name badges, so I know that he is called Mr. Niederer, they are all very formal with each other, consequently, no one knows his first name.

I'm not a happy bunny, this week that nice Mr. Niederer is working opposite shifts to me and life just isn't the same without him on reception. When he's here, I make any number of excuses to go out to reception for something, but he always blushes furiously when I speak to him, getting to know him is going to be even more difficult than I thought.

Most hotels in London have a contract with various airlines to accommodate their crew. So there's never a dull moment when the crew from EL-Al Airlines arrive, in fact its pandemonium! It seems their first priority is to sort out their social life - and we telephonists seem to be on the front line! They are a good looking bunch of guys, but my instinct tells me to be wary of them, their tactics tend to be rather aggressive, and they get just a little bit upset when I refuse to go on a date with any of them. The porters have warned me that they are only after one thing... But one of them, Aarron, who is actually from India, does appear to be different from the rest, he's a big man, but has a sweet, gentle nature and we become good friends. I agree to go for coffee with him, he tells me that he is married and shows me photos of his two young children, he says the crew do get lonely and miss their families, but none of them are to be trusted - although he maintains that he can be trusted!

I've been at 'Stratter's' for a month now, and seemed to be no nearer getting to know Mr. Niederer - until today, we had our lunch break together, and as we were the only ones in the staff room, managed to have a reasonable conversation. That lovely accent comes from him being Swiss German, I feel much happier now. Every time we have some sort of a conversation, and I get to know a bit more about him, my joy knows no bounds - I'm afraid I'm besotted with the man!