In 1976 I lied about my age to get my first job, at The Fantail Restaurant, pouring coffee for the owners of the sports cars and Rolls Royces lined up in its car park.
I loved that job – the calm of the restaurant, the chaos of the kitchen. But not as much as I loved RAY LOVELL.
I was 14, he was 19 and a trainee chef with impossibly blue eyes, floppy blond hair and a scooter.
Now, I was super-focused on my job. I could carry 7 cups and saucers at a time. But I hadn’t reckoned on Ray.
Towards the end of the evening, the floor of the steamy kitchen was damp and greasy. One night I rushed in to get a bottle of milk from the fridge. When I turned to dash out again, I caught Ray looking at me. I slipped and came crashing down on the milk bottle.
The scar remains on my hand to this day (see photo).
We all lose focus from time to time. This COVID period has certainly been a challenge for me.
Have you found yourself losing focus? Is it time to identify why you’re doing what you’re doing?
Sadly, Ray left for Canada with the Housekeeper from The Strand Palace before we had a chance to live happily ever after and I cried so much my mother thought I was pregnant. Don’t let that happen to you!
