Cluny in the Summer of 1976

 

Forres, Cluny Hill College. Cluny archive

Forres, Cluny Hill College. photo ©Cluny archive

Ah yes, I remember it well. On April 1st we were still wrapping up Cluny’s renovation for community use, not yet running it as a workshop space, and, for a season, as a 4-star hotel for coach parties as per the purchase agreement. We bustled about, and were all ready for an expected coach party, when – April Fool! They didn’t show up. Somewhere in our archives is a photo of Ike Isaksen, with a seaman’s telescope glued to his eye, up on the outdoor spiral staircase, peering down the driveway for our missing guests.

Cluny Hill College bathroom photo ©Adriana Sjan Bijman

News of the cancellation had slipped through the cracks of communication between the two community members sharing the management. But another coach appeared within days, and we were off and running, literally.

There were about 35 of us getting coach parties and their luggage into rooms in the late afternoon, preparing and serving their dinner 4-star hotel style, with waitresses at each table, and a sweets trolley rolled out. We’d sweetly bid them adieu, before hurriedly setting up the dining room for our programme guests’ (vegetarian) dinner. Then in the morning seeing off our coach guests, full of bangers, kippers and fried eggs, before clearing up again and serving workshop guests with porridge and vegetarian delights. Then quickly cleaning rooms, stripping beds, washing, drying and getting the linen back on the beds before the next coach arrived. Having a coach party stay more than one night was really heaven.

As night porter, my job was in large part to serve the coach parties their early morning teas and wake-up calls. Each evening the tour host/hostess gave me a list of guests wishing to avail themselves of this 4-star service. I’d have all my tea trays set up ahead of time from supplies in linen cupboards dotted around the guest room hallways. From around 6.50am until around 7.15am, I raced all over the place delivering teas, stopping to catch my breath and saying gently, from the old-fashioned switchboard in Reception, “Good morning. It’s five minutes to seven,” before rushing off to deliver more teas.

Clun Hill College, dinging room/
© Adriana Sjan Bijman/Findhorn Visuals

It was a wild summer. We completed our contract around the end of September, and reverted to strictly Community use of dear old Cluny. Some members wanted me to continue doing early morning teas and wake-up calls, but sadly I had to decline the request. I’d done my dash as they say. As had Cluny – and proud of it.

Stan Stanfield