Tuesday

Tuesday in the Groups and Events department was great. After arriving on time without train delays I had a bit of locker key trouble, but luckily the security guards helped me solve my small problem. Once in uniform I started my work in the office editing the 2010 Wine List and writing out personalized menus for the events that day. I was then given the huge task of organizing the filing cabinets, and boy was it a LOT! I sorted, labeled, threw away, and organized all the papers and details from every event that had occured in The Ritz during 2009. I sorted through multiple wedding plans and dinners venues, and I even got to see all the details from the week President Bill Clinton stayed at the hotel. After an hour or two of awkwardly crouching on the ground (in heels and a skirt) while organizing the stacks of paper I had sprawled out on the ground, I got to stretch my legs and help Jo and Harsh. Jo is the Groups and Events Manager and is in charge of all weddings that come through the hotel. And Harsh is the man that makes the events happen, doing everything from meeting guests as early as 5:00 AM to go over details (like this morning) and staying at every event to make sure its runs to Ritz perfection. I followed Jo and Harsh into the WKH where a food tasting with two clients was happening. Once they had finished their food the five of us sat down and went over each part of the menu they had tasted and their feedback. These two clients happened to be from a company specializing in creating enviromentally friendly businesses, so The Ritz had designed for them a green themed dinner created from products grown locally. We soon said goodbye to the guests and I returned to the office to continued my battle with the filing cabinet, coming away with a giant blue bandaid (or plaster as it is called here) on my finger from a massive paper cut. I finished my work and checked out for the night, meeting my grandparents outside the staff entrance. The three of us went to dinner at the lovely Langins Brasserie across the road and then went off to see Phantom of the Opera. The play was outstanding and afterwards we had a nice walk back to Victoria Station, passing Buckingham Palace and Nelsons Column all lit up. And in the horizon we could even see the top of Big Ben and The London Eye. Arriving home at 11:45 we were exhausted and went straight to bed!