The Hall In The Field: Margaret Evans

When Margaret Evans found herself running Maesyneuadd, an old historic manor in the foothills of coastal Merioneth, as a family hotel, she had one small son, was pregnant with another, knew absolutely nothing about catering and couldn’t speak a word of Welsh – and the first guests were due in a few weeks...This is the lively and engaging story of how she coped. Margaret and her husband James first found the redoubtable Mrs Ridley, a Yorkshirewoman, a fountain of hardwoork, information and reliability, who acted as general handywoman and chambermaid and who, with the aid of a permanent wave and set of false teeth, was also able to double as a waitress. As they increased their staff and sacrificed their comfortable beds to the guests, Margaret learnt how to strain custard for thirty, transform burnt chickens into a palatable Easter dinner and simultaneously changing little Tim’s nappy on the vast kitchen table while fishing Nick’s collection of worms out of the milk saucepan. And when it all got too much she would dash outside and and look down at the ancient stones of Maesyneuadd, with Snowdon towering in the north and again find tranquility and the strength to continue.