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Modern B&B owner nominated for top prize
David Hogg NO LONGER do you have to tiptoe across the landing of your Bed and Breakfast to avoid disturbing the landlady-cum-rottweiler - the modern guesthouse owner is a much more thoughtful and forgiving sort.
Take Lynn Laughton who seven and a half years ago ditched the green overalls as an ambulance paramedic to convert the house on her family farm in Westow, North Yorkshire, to a bed and breakfast.
The decision has earned her a nomination in the coveted AA landlady of the year awards and it is thanks to her attention to detail as well as her patience and ability to listen.
The 43-year-old, who worked as a paramedic in York for four years, said: "The ambulance service gave me great skills which I've used as a landlady, believe it or not.
"I'm a landlady all year round but for the people who come and stay it's their one or two nights away from it. They might want to sit down and talk all night, which can be repetitive, but I've got to remember to listen to them and try to appreciate what they are saying."
Although working as a paramedic was a worthy, way to make a living it was not, she felt, one which gave Mrs Laughton much time with her young daughter Alice.
She said: "When I had my little girl my outlook on life changed completely. She was farmed out to my mum and child minders and I wanted her to be like me rather than her take on other people's characteristics."
And so she took the decision to quit her job and open up the Clifton Farm Bed and Breakfast – since then the business has gone from strength to strength with word of mouth keeping fully booked around the calendar. She has visitors from as far away as Australia and Canada.
She was recently visited by an AA inspector who kept his job hidden from her until the last minute. He stayed overnight at Clifton Farm only to reveal his true identity in the morning, after he had sampled one of Mrs Laughton's hearty English breakfasts.
The inspector was impressed by her style – less prison warden, more "helpful but non - intrusive", as a guest from Bath put it.
A total of 100 landladies and landlords were chosen from over 4,000 Bed and Breakfast guesthouses featured in the 2006 AA Bed and Breakfast Guide, and this number was whittled down to a shortlist of 20 finalists from England, Scotland and Wales
"It is absolutely gratifying and a huge accolade, " Mrs Laughton said.
"I work very hard and am always on the lookout for ways to improve the way I do things. I treat people as I would like to be treated myself. Everything is home-made and I like to have tea and coffee on for them when they arrive. I am always looking for new ideas. I just think 'will this go well in my place'. This is so rewarding it doesn't even feel like a job."
Mrs Laughton will attend the awards ceremony at Tylney Hall, Rotherwick, Hants, on May 17th with all the award winners featuring in the AA Bed and Breakfast Guide 2007.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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