A day in the life – The Watermill Housekeeper and a stuffed monkey!

3 January 2012

The day begins with the alarm making its noise at 5.45am.  I like weekends because then the alarm doesn’t go off, but it’s Monday again and the weekend has been and gone.

Clean clothes having been put out the night before, I am soon climbing into them, my face and the rest of me having been splashed by water and soap as quickly as possible. Breakfast follows and a quick look at the news – I don’t know why I bother, it’s usually all doom and gloom, unless some politician has built another duck house and has been found out – that usually makes me chuckle.

Monday is bed day at The Watermill, so after feeding the cat and checking the dressing rooms, we (that is the housekeeping team, Claire, Brenda, Jill and me, depending on which day of the week it is) clean the theatre, bar, dining room and toilets, then begin to sort the bedding.  If the accommodation is full of actors we could have 18 beds and rooms to do.  And you never know what you’re going to find when you walk into the green room (the actors’ sitting room) – we’ve been met before by a large stuffed monkey who appeared in a different place every day – one day, suspended from the light fitting, the next with his head in the oven!

We have a daily routine which includes cleaning all public areas and removing rubbish from offices, toilets, foyer and accommodation. The extras are fitted in as and when – dressing rooms on Wednesday, downstairs office on Friday, upstairs on Sunday.  We try to polish the dining room floor every three to four weeks.  Other areas are done when we can fit them in.  If we’re not full, we may manage a bit of spring cleaning – can you hear the spiders yelling for mercy?!
At this time of year, with the Christmas show on, the routine alters and we clean the toilets first, so the floors are dry before the first coach load of excited children arrive. We check them once again before the next few coach loads arrive for the afternoon show – why do children enjoy throwing paper towels on the floor?!

When we enter the dark period, the time when the theatre closes for maintenance work in early January, we often struggle to find a spare spot to clean as the theatre is taken apart and lighting and kit spread all around.  If we do get to clean an area, it often gets messed up again the following day.  So beware – if you stand still you may get polished!
Our CVS have expanded no end – ace fitter of toilet seats, unblocker of sinks and drains, cleaner of gullies, floor polisher par excellence, cleaner and feeder of cats, fish and chickens!

In spite of the changing routines, isn’t it a great place to work?  Where else on the planet could we be approached at 7am by the Artistic and Executive Director and asked the very important question, “Have the chickens been let out?”  Magic!

Judy Cuthbertson – Housekeeper