RUOK

When one of our guests did not come down to breakfast and having missed dinner the night before, and being an older man, we were concerned.

He had been with us a few days already and is in our suite - which has a telly while no other room does, and as he is partially deaf, we could hear the telly from outside the room and as no one was in rooms nearby, the volume was not a problem - and we knew he was in.

But on this day, silence.

So at around midday I banged on his door and went in and he was asleep., so I left him.

At least he was not in need of help.

When he didn't come down to dinner for the second night - knowing he had not eaten all day - I popped up again and found him watching telly happy as a lamb and he thanked me for my concern and worry and said he likes to spend a couple of days every week in bed, watching a bit of telly, sleeping and just being lazy, and I laughed and agreed and left him to it. I did say that if he needed anything, to just give us a shout but as long as he was okay, we'll leave him to it.

I had forgotten what those days are like, when there is fuck all to do - or more to the point, fuck all you WANT to do even though it does need doing, and you luxuriate in bed all day - watching telly and falling asleep - missing the end of the movie and waking all cosy and warm on a cold winters day outside and even better still if it is raining.

Trouble is, when you do eventually get up, you are knackered. Worn out and needing a nap.

I can honestly say I have not had one of those days in decades. Other than being ill and staying in bed for the day, which until recently has not happened since being at Hamilton Hall - so 22 years healthy and not a single day off ill, it was probably back in my 20's the last time I had one of those lazy all day in bed days, - so some 40 years ago plus ... ( OMG )

Hamilton hall is 365 a year - if I have a lay in and get up at 10am instead of the usual 7.30am - then the workload is still there except now I am a couple of hours behind and need catching up on. No benefit really, so I get up and get on.

Hamilton Hall in not some anonymous hotel where you could die in your room and not be found until the chambermaid finds you. If a customer is not seen for a while we check they are okay while valuing and respecting their privacy. With an older person generally visiting, we do watch out and act like Mother ( or is it Matron... very Kenneth Williams... CLICK HERE ) some times and at least you know you are in safe hands... or at least as safe as we can offer.