Hotel My Story

This story belongs to Isla and Mummy Sarah.

It's a tiny tale about Mummy Sarah's life

growing up in a hotel.

Isla and Mummy Sarah just love going for long walks on the beach.

And now it's time for Mummy Sarah to take Isla on a journey of discovery

and share her stories of when she was younger.

Isla is helping Mummy Sarah in the hotel lounge.

-Isla, is that Granny's car?

-Yes.

-That looks great.

I need to count the rooms that are booked for tonight.

We've got three doubles, three twins and one single. How many is that?

Seven.

That's great. Thank you.

When I was a little girl, I used to help my Mummy and Daddy in the hotel.

They did the same job that I do now.

They looked after reception, answered the telephone

and made sure everything worked properly.

Isla and Mummy Sarah live on a small group of islands

off the coast of Scotland.

Many years ago, you would have to have your own boat

if you wanted to travel to the island.

Or you could travel on the mail boat

that delivered letters to local people.

Nowadays, the ferry sails into their village twice a day

and brings lots of visitors from all over the world

to the island and its hotels.

Mummy Sarah is a hotel manager.

A hotel is a big building with lots of bedrooms

that visitors can stay in when they're on holiday.

Lots of people work in hotels and do lots of jobs.

Look at these old pictures of receptionists, chefs and waiters.

Isla's family have owned this hotel for a very long time.

Over 100 years.

Isla's great-great-grandad, William,

bought the hotel all those years ago.

Look how the hotel has changed since Mummy Sarah was a little girl.

I remember when we were young

and Uncle Camie and Uncle Andy and I used to have lots of fun

playing in the hotel garden. It's huge.

And we used to play hide-and-seek in the trees,

sometimes we played on the swing

and sometimes we played in our little pretend houses.

We also had a little paddling pool which we played in

in the summertime.

Aren't old photographs fun to look at?

This is one of the rooms I had to share with your uncles

when I was a little girl.

It was different back then. My bed was over there

and Uncle Camie and Uncle Andy slept over there.

Would you like to share a room with your brother, Hamish,

-and your little sister, Flora?

-No way!

Do you like being a hotel manager?

Oh, yes. I love meeting new people

and hearing all about their interesting stories.

-And there's always things to do.

-What kind of things?

I have to make sure all the rooms are clean and tidy

and I need to make sure that nobody has been messing with the pillows

or having a pillow fight.

ISLA LAUGHS

Pillow fights are so much fun.

Look at those amazing old cars.

I wonder who they belong to.

-This is my grandad.

-Hello!

And he used to be the manager of the hotel, like my mum.

-This is my granny.

-Hello!

She used to work in the hotel, too.

I think we'll go for a wee trip. Which car would you like to go in?

Granny's car. The blue one.

Very good. Let's go.

Look at Granny Helen's lovely car.

And look at the beautiful countryside.

There are lots of hills, rocks and sandy beaches around the island.

The roads aren't very wide and they're called single-track

because only one car can travel on the road in one direction,

while another waits in a passing place.

The island has an old road called the Golden Road.

Local people say it's called this because it cost a lot of money

to build through the rocky and hilly land.

Isla, do you know what these books are?

They're called visitors' books.

People who come to stay,

they sign their name and they leave a little message.

Do you know what that says, Isla?

No.

That says "Charles" and "Camilla".

It's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.

That's Prince William's dad.

That's correct, Isla.

Prince Charles is also grandfather to Prince George.

Look at this old book. It's older than Grandad John.

That says "J.M. Barrie". Do you know who he was?

No.

He was a famous writer and he wrote a story called Peter Pan.

I know that story.

He had a friend called Wendy.

There's a little fairy called Tinker Bell

and a bad man called Captain Hook.

That's right. And when J.M. Barrie stayed here, he sat in that chair.

And he wrote his name in that window

and we still have that piece of glass in the hotel today.

Look at this very old photo of J.M. Barrie.

And this is the most famous character he created - Peter Pan.

Here's the actual signature he scratched onto the glass

in Mummy Sarah's hotel.

What an amazing piece of history.

J.M. Barrie has signed the guest book

and I think it's time for our own little star to sign it, too.

-Would you like to leave a message in the book?

-Yes, please.

What beautifully neat handwriting you have, Isla.

Let's find out what Mummy Sarah and Isla are up to now.

-Isla, would you like to help me set the breakfast table?

-Yes, please.

When I was a little girl, I helped my mummy set the tables...

and I did the dishes, and I helped make the beds,

and I served food to the guests.

Here's Granny Helen having a well-earned rest after

the morning's breakfast rush.

Here she is again. Can you see the other lady in the background?

I wonder what strange object that is.

When Granny was a little girl,

everybody had dinner at half past seven.

-Do you know how they knew it was half past seven?

-No.

Granny used to ring a gong.

This is the hotel gong.

-Would you like to ring it?

-Yes.

-Dinner time.

-GONG BLARES

There are plenty of things to see on the island,

including lots of wildlife.

Mummy Sarah and Isla are looking for something very exciting.

Isla, this is a special place.

Visitors to the island come to see if they can spot golden eagles.

-Have you ever seen a golden eagle?

-No. Have you?

Yes. I'm lucky. I've seen quite a few.

-Will we try and see if we can see one today?

-Yes.

Let's have a look over there, over that mountain.

Golden eagles have lived on the island longer than the people,

and are Britain's largest birds.

From wing tip to wing tip, they're longer than a small car.

The golden eagles live on the island all year round

and don't fly off to warmer countries like some birds do,

so that means visitors can see them in the summer and the winter.

I can't see any.

Shall we try over this side?

Can you see anything?

What's that at your feet, Isla?

Look! Look!

-What is it?

-A caterpillar.

Oh, it's a shame Isla didn't see an eagle,

but a big, hairy caterpillar is a good find, too.

This is my dad and he is the manager

of the restaurant next to Mum's hotel.

He makes the best macaroni in the whole world.

Hello.

Daddy Bill came to the island to work in Mummy's hotel as a chef,

and they fell in love, got married and they have three children -

Hamish, Isla and Flora.

This is my little sister, Flora, and my big brother, Hamish.

Hello, Hamish. Hello, Flora.

Oh, Flora, did you pick that beautiful flower for me?

THEY LAUGH

One of the best jobs in the hotel is working in the reception.

-Would you like to be the receptionist today?

-Yes, please.

-Here comes a guest now.

-Hello.

Hello and welcome to my mum's hotel.

-My name is Isla and I will help you check in.

-Thanks.

-What is your name, please?

-Mr Smith.

Mr Smith, I see you have booked a single room for two nights.

Do you want a newspaper or an alarm in the morning?

No, thanks.

I see you are in room 25, which is a very, very good room.

-My mum used to sleep there when she was young.

-Oh.

-It's just straight up the corridor and turn left.

-Thanks.

That was great, Isla.

I think you'll be the hotel's next manager.

Thank you, Mummy, for telling me stories about when you were little.

My pleasure.

-Can you remember all the special things we did together?

-Yes.

I helped you check the room bookings.

Granny and Grandad took me for a drive.

We looked at the old visitors' books...

and I wrote a message in one of them.

I helped you lay the table...

..and rang the dinner gong.

You showed me the room you used to sleep in and we had a pillow fight.

We went to see golden eagles...

..and we didn't see any.

But you did see a big, hairy caterpillar, Isla.

And I got to be a receptionist.

-What was your favourite thing?

-The pillow fight.

That was lots of fun, wasn't it?

What was your favourite thing?

Spending time with you, Isla.

What a fabulous heap of fun.

That was Isla and Mummy Sarah's tiny tale about the things

Mummy Sarah used to do and the fun she had.

Mummy Sarah has shared her story with Isla,

and now Isla is starting her own story.

Do you know someone with a story to share?