Wellstead - 14. WSD Chapter 14

Looking at the plans in front of us, I studied them carefully.

“Do we really need to expand the guest accommodation that much?” Anne asked.

After some thought I replied, “I think maybe just two extras, plus two bungalows to replace the two that we will be occupying, but we will make them two-bedroom bungalows only. All the other planned additions I think we can go ahead with, and maybe add a second giant gazebo between the two groups of guest bungalows as extra shelter during the wet season, plus another gazebo to link our two gazebos together for the same purpose.”

Taking out my telephone I called Frank.

“Hello. When is the earliest you can get out here? We have some things to discuss that you need to be here to see to understand,” I said when Frank answered.

“As a matter of fact, I have just cleared a week starting in three days for that exact purpose. Can you organise accommodation for me please?” Frank answered. I gave a short laugh and said it would be organised and hung up the phone.

Anne excused herself and left me and Elspeth remaining in the guest lounge.

“You haven’t said much in all of this. What are your thoughts, Aunty?” I asked her.

After what seemed a very long time and with tears in her eyes she replied, “I can never repay you back for what you have done to help Lloyd and myself to get away from that evil man. And now all this new residence, and Lloyd going to school in Townsville. I just don’t really know what I can do,” she said.

Moving over to sit beside her I put my arm over her shoulder in a sideways hug. “Just be happy is all I want you two to be, and maybe help to look after me and my new home. That is all I ask,” I said with a smile.

Wiping away the tears Elspeth smiled. “Oh, I will happily do that for all you have done for me and my son,” she replied as she turned to face me and gave me a big hug.

Early the next morning, I quietly left the bungalow so as not to disturb Elspeth and Lloyd, and made my way to the guest lounge where the night manager soon appeared with a cup of tea and the morning paper from the mainland.

“All 23 of the staff will be gathered in the restaurant in ten minutes, Sir,” he said before leaving.

I nodded and began to read the paper with occasional sips of tea. When the night manager reappeared, I stood up and followed him into the restaurant. In the folder I had been given the evening before was a list of the staff, their names, ages, the position they held and how long they had worked at the resort. I had that list with me as I walked into the restaurant where everyone hushed and stood up.

“Please sit… My name is Grant Alexander Wellstead. As you are aware as of today this place is under new ownership. All staff are welcome to remain with me as the new owner, or you may leave with one week’s notice. I will leave that up to you to decide, but you will only have three days to make that decision.

“Most of you are aware that my family and personal staff are currently guests here in the two top bungalows. These will remain as my residence from now on and will be maintained by my own personal staff, so no staff are to be seen near these two bungalows at any time, the exception being the manager and night manager in case of emergencies.

“The planned new improvements for this property will go ahead but with a few modifications. There will be only four new bungalows, all of them being two bedrooms each. Two large gazebos will be constructed instead of one, and all other improvements will remain the same. As of now we are open for business for new guests, so let’s get busy to get this place tidy, as it isn’t to the standard that I want it to look at all times. May I see the two managers in the conference room please?” I said as I headed in the direction of the staff service passageway, which led to administration.

Seated at the head of the conference table, I waited for the two men to walk in and sit down on either side of the table. “Now, Gentlemen. Firstly, I would like to know if you both are interested in staying on in your current positions?” I asked up front. Both men nodded yes.

“Good. Now I have some immediate recommendations. Firstly, the housekeeping standards are not up to scratch. I see the Housekeeping Supervisor has been here for two years, which is long enough to know that guests expect a clean bungalow to stay in. I suggest demoting her, and my housekeeper, Mrs Anne Parkes, will take on the role of Housekeeping Supervisor.

“Secondly, the grounds seem to be very untidy this morning and there was no wind around. I have spotted a few bits of rubbish and cigarette butts on the paths on my way here this morning. I suggest demoting the Grounds Supervisor. The youngest nephew of Mrs Parkes, Quinn, will take on that new role.

“I have my Aunt Elspeth and cousin Lloyd staying with me, and Anne’s older nephew, Kyle will be attending university. Anyone who is enquiring about me or my Aunt or cousin is to be told you do not know them, and I am to be informed right away.

“A Mr Frank Hills, Q.C, will be arriving in two days’ time. He is to be given a bungalow and I will cover all of his costs. There are only a handful of people who will know where my family is and all staff are to be made fully aware that revealing any information about me or my family being on this island will result in legal prosecution,” I said sternly to make sure that they fully understood how serious the matter was.

With that all spelt out to the two most senior staff, I stood up and left the conference room and returned to the dining room for some breakfast. I found Anne and Elspeth already there waiting for their orders.

“Good morning, ladies. I hope you both slept well as today is a new beginning,” I said cheerfully as I sat down at their table. The waiter appeared soon after and took my order for breakfast and disappeared to the kitchen to announce the order. I also noticed the Housekeeping Supervisor and Grounds Supervisor heading in the direction of the conference room.

“Have we missed anything important, my dear?” Elspeth asked when she saw me watching the staff disappear through the service door.

“Oh, just business. As of today you, Anne, are the new Housekeeping Supervisor, so after breakfast I suggest we go meet your staff. Oh, and also Quinn will be the new Grounds & Maintenance Supervisor as of today,” I added with a smile.

On saying his name, I saw Quinn along with his older brother and Lloyd stepping into the dining room. Anne couldn’t help but give a little laugh at the timing, as the boys all sat down.

“Now, guys, I have some big news for you all. Over the past twenty-four hours some things have been happening very rapidly. As of this morning I am the new owner of this fine family resort…” I paused to let the news sink in before continuing.

“Also, as of today Anne is the new Housekeeping Supervisor, and you, young Quinn, are the new Grounds & Maintenance Supervisor, since you have both worked for me for some time and know that I have high standards, which is better than what I can say for the out-going two supervisors.”

Once again the timing was perfect, as the two staff members appeared from the service door and without looking in our direction went straight outside. Once again Anne gave a short laugh and Elspeth and I joined her in the little giggle.

As soon as I had a straight face again I continued. “Lloyd, I am looking into finding a good high school for you to attend in Townsville. You will travel by ferry to and from school each week day. And for my good friend, Kyle, you are getting your wish young man. I am looking into getting you into the local university to do your science degree in Veterinary or Marine Biology or both if that’s what you wish.”

Kyle sat there stunned at the news. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he looked at Anne who just nodded to say ‘Yes, it is all true’.

At that moment Mr Brandish, the resort manager, appeared.

“By the way they left here I presume they didn’t like the idea of being demoted,” I said to the manager.

“No, I’m afraid not, Sir. They both resigned effective immediately,” was his reply. I nodded acceptance of the decision and I introduced him to everyone at the table.

Once breakfast was over, Mr Brandish returned and took Anne to meet the housekeeping staff, and with Quinn in tow I went looking for the grounds and maintenance staff, eventually finding two of them weeding a garden at the very front of the property, and one of them busy replacing a sprinkler. As soon as they saw me they stopped and stood up.

“Your Grounds & Maintenance Supervisor has resigned. This is Mr Quinn Parkes. He will be taking over that role. I suggest you listen to him carefully, as there are a number of areas that need attention. Also if you know of anyone who wants a part time groundsman job, get him to come and see Mr Brandish,” I said and we both left them to continue on with what they were doing.

At the Grounds & Maintenance workshop, both of us had a good look around, and I asked Quinn to make a list of tools and equipment that needed to be purchased or replaced. In the G & M office, we looked at the records and had a discussion before I picked up the phone and called Mr Brandish, asking him to come to the office where we were. When he arrived I invited him to sit.

“With general management of the business, I will usually leave it to you to make all the decisions, but I think for the first week we need to catch up on things that have been neglected, so I have got Quinn to make a list of tools and equipment that will be required to get this department working properly. I will cover those costs personally, as well as any other costs that occur in other areas where updating of tools and equipment and supplies are required. That includes your area of administration too, so if you can make a list of what’s needed so I can approve purchases.

“I have asked the groundsmen if they know of anyone who is interested in a part time job in grounds to speak to you,” I said to Mr Brandish.

“Sir, in the past two weeks we have had to reject booking enquiries as we thought we were closing down. So far this morning I have been able to contact 80% of those enquiries and have managed to get 12 confirmed bookings for the next three weeks, but at a slightly reduced rate to that quoted, to make good the inconvenience of it all,” Mr Brandish said looking happy with his achievements.

“That is excellent. Keep up the good work. I would like to have a weekly meeting with all supervisors and managers at 5.30 pm each Monday evening. Can you make sure that the night manager and chef are informed of this as they will be required to attend?” I asked, and stood to indicate that it was the end of the conversation. Quinn followed me out the door and we made our way back to the bungalow.

Back at the bungalow I sat down with Quinn and I asked him how he felt about his new role at the resort. Quinn felt a bit uneasy about the question.

“Quinn, I have given you the job because I know you have the skills to do the job properly and effectively. I have watched you during the time at our previous home. I know you can do it. You just have to believe in yourself. I know you can do it,” I said to him to try and get him to recognise that he can do the job.

Quinn smiled and nodded then he stood up and went to his room where he changed into some more suitable work wear. He returned to the G & M Office to work out what needed to be done over the remainder of the week. I was pleased to see that Quinn now had the motivation to try this new challenge, and once Quinn was tackling his new role, I looked online at websites for any local building firms to get quotes for the next stage of improvements.

Over the next few days I watched as Anne and Quinn tackled their new jobs. There were a few small hiccups during this process, but they were quickly fixed and everything was soon running smoothly. In the meantime, Frank had arrived and I gave him the full tour of the property. He was very impressed with what was there.

In the lounge of my bungalow I showed him the plans of the future improvements, which he was pleased to see would be very beneficial. For three days Frank relaxed and enjoyed his short holiday in tropical North Queensland, and he was present for the first Management meeting, so as to give a legal perspective on any issues that were discussed.

When Frank had left to return to his home, I took Lloyd into Townsville to look at four private schools that I had enquired about. We met with senior staff at each school and were given a tour of each of the schools and their grounds, before catching the afternoon ferry back to the island. The following day I made a similar trip to Townsville, this time with Kyle, as we visited James Cook University to see what courses he would be interested in. After some discussion with a number of staff, Kyle felt that he wanted to do Zoology and Marine Biology both part time, so he could do both of them at the same time.

Elspeth had settled into her new role as housekeeper for me and Anne and her two nephews, and she was loving the new environment, enjoying the walks on the beach, the sounds of the waves crashing on the pure white sand beaches, and seagulls swooping around the area looking for their next feed. It was just very fulfilling and she was feeling her life was now full of happiness.

Once I had everyone settled with their new jobs or new education classes, I continued with the task of the new projects on the property. I had managed to find a building firm that would build the 4 new two-bedroom bungalows, plus the gymnasium, sauna and the two large gazebos. I had also managed to find another building firm that would build the spa pool, the private jetty and the zip line flying fox. While I was online looking at a number of supplies required for this work, I accidentally came across an advert for a property for sale.

“For sale, 15-acre property, located off the main road on the north-east side of Magnetic Island, located next door to a small family resort. Plenty of private coastal beach frontage, covered mostly in tropical forest with a number of small patches of lawn. A large double garage / shed at the front, with a three-bedroom guest cottage behind the shed, and main 4-bedroom bungalow located centrally on the property. All reasonable offers considered”.

I liked the sound of this, and the description fit with it being very nearby, so I decided to go for a walk and investigate, going to the road and heading north. I didn’t find anything after walking 500 metres, so I turned around and returned to the front of my resort and continued south, and soon saw the property next door, which had a double garage and a shed. Walking down the footpath between the two buildings, I saw the stone cottage to one side, as the path continued to wind through the forest. I knocked on the front door of the cottage and an elderly lady answered the door.

“Good afternoon. I saw an advert online for a property for sale, and I was wondering if this was the property,” I said politely.

“Yes, it is, young man. And may I ask why you have an interest in a property like this?” the lady asked, as she sat down on the bench seat on the veranda.

“I will not mislead you in any way, Ma’am. I have just purchased the family resort next door, and when I saw that this was for sale, I thought it would make an added bonus to the resort, providing me and my Aunt and cousin with a new home away from the main resort, and a peaceful retreat that can be explored and enjoyed by the staff and my family,” I explained.

“Well, young man, I thank you for your honesty. Now what would you be offering me for this fine piece of paradise?” she asked expecting I’m sure a less than acceptable offer, which she would have to negotiate upwards to make her happy enough to sell. But when I made my offer which was half of the cost of the resort, but double the price of a residential property, the lady was caught quite by surprise.

“Well, that is more than a generous offer - a lot more than I had expected. Give me twenty-four hours to consider your offer and you will have my reply,” she said as she stood up and made her way towards the door. I stood up too and wished her a good day and walked back to the resort.

Back in the bungalow, I called Frank to let him know that I wanted to purchase the neighbouring property. Frank said he would look into the details of the property and get back to me in the morning with what he had found out about it. I decided not to say anything for now until the deal was finalised and I had taken over ownership, so I kept myself busy with finalising preparing for the new works projects that would be starting any day now.