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A November greeting to you all,
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Writing a newsletter in these times is a perilous business. Luckily, I didn’t send it out right at the beginning of this month since Lockdown 2 hadn’t quite started and there was no hint of a vaccine. So, here we go, I’m taking the plunge in the hope that there won’t be any more earth-shattering changes in the next few weeks.
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I refuse to be gloomy, I’ll leave that to my least favourite category of human beings, the Channel Four News journalists, who manage to do that in spades every evening. Actually, we’re feeling optimistic about the future, in fact rather chipper as they would have said in the old days. What a strange word, I had to look up the meaning... cheerful and lively. Your support for Quod, Gees (the standout winner) and latterly, the Parsonage Grill, with its special ‘game menu’, has been truly amazing and I, along with my 200 fellow ‘Collectives’, thank you all. Despite the dreaded ‘C word’, we have thrived by creating safe, suitably distanced settings without compromising the unique atmospheres of our three restaurants.
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Talking future; we are currently re-erecting the much-applauded 20th anniversary party cover over the Quod Terrace in readiness for a multitude of Winter guests who will emerge from Lockdown 2 in a few weeks’ time.
Occupancy at the Old Bank and Old Parsonage hotels has been halfway between Cornwall (95%) and London (5%). Certainly, better than expected despite the dearth of our usual travel guests from abroad. We know we have to concentrate on the UK market and to that end we have found that our carefully researched and crafted ‘staycation menu’ for hotel visitors has been really well received. Not surprisingly, Oxford, and just beyond, reveal so many fascinating hidden gems to visit. If any of you have exceptional ideas for inclusion, we are offering £100 restaurant vouchers for the
three best individual suggestions. Share your ideas with us by simply replying to this email (PS. We do know about the smallest door in Britain, located on Little Clarendon Street!).
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You may have noticed that Amazon are making a big deal about the huge number of electric delivery vehicles they have ordered. Well, we are doing our bit for the environment too and are currently installing electric car charging points at both of our hotels, we’re obtaining 15 electrically assisted bicycles for our hotel guests to tour the city, plus a fully electric van to run between the hotels to deal with day to day delivery and maintenance issues. Our sincere hope is that Oxford City Council will exchange all their current diesel/petrol vehicles before imposing an ‘electric only’ policy on the City. Good news on the bus gate threat which would have singlehandedly seized up the City Centre... It has been put on the back burner to await proper consultation and impact research. Thank you for writing in to the County Council with your support for our view that the bus gates would be an
existential threat to the economic well-being of the City and our three little businesses.
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Our swallow friends have safely arrived in South Africa and have sent us a present... Her name is Tamara and she’s our new Marketing Assistant. Tamara’s main focus is helping to bring us into the 21st Century from a social media perspective, so look out for her regular posts which will keep you informed and bring you up to date with everything going on in our world.
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We have taken back our premises next to Gees and have plans there for 2021. Also, as an intriguing starter for ten; we are working on an interesting Churchill tie in for the Old Parsonage Hotel which, if you’re good, I may tell you about next time...
Exciting times ahead,
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