The Skiathos Bulletin Board

Darrell · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:14 pm Post subject: Claire, Darrell and Sophia update

Well it has been a while since we updated our story.

Sophia is loving Kindergarden, and when playing, she is singing Greek songs and counting in greek. Her hair has gone sooo blond now. She loves her teacher Lily, who is the mayors wife, and an excellent teacher. In the afternoons we usually go swimming somewhere (quite often Oasis, because he has swings etc for her to play on to, and Mike and all his staff are truly superb)

The studio's are getting buzy, so I am up there most mornings from about 9 till 10.30 if anyone wants to pop in and say hello.

I have finally worked out my greek oven, and now it is too hot to cook anything!! We had some rain last night, but only for about an hour. We were sitting at the Oasis and saw a wonderful show of lightning before the rain started. We hoped it might have cooled down the weather a little bit for today, but no such luck. I think I am going to spend August sitting under the air con unit.

Darrell is very buzy at work at the moment and doing really well.

A friend and I have been trying to get tickets to Moma Mia, and due to both our work commitments, and the lack of tickets (even though there are 2 shows a night) we can't seem to find a time to go. Both our husbands are not really interested in it, so we may have to wait for the DVD to come out.

Hi to Fast Eddie and TJ, it was great to meet you and look forward to seeing you in September. Suejet, thanks for the book and mag, and it was great to finally track you down at the airport, Darrell says hi to all those he met whilst working, I can't remember everyones name, but last week he met discopants.

It is Saturday night, our weekly night out so I am just waiting for Darrell to get home from work and we will take a slow walk into Skiathos town for dinner (hopefully Sophia will fall asleep on the way in). Pap street is now very buzy at night, a few weeks ago you could walk down there quite easily, now its a different story. It is our wedding anniversary on Wednesday and we are off to La Bistro. Not been there before so we hope it will be nice. Sophia also has her 3rd birthday on 28th July and we are having a little party for her at the Oasis (yes we do spend a bit of time there, for the above reasons).

Claire
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TJ · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 69

72 days to go Very Happy

Liza Kay · Joined: 13 Jan 2008 Posts: 30 Location: nottingham

Hi Claire, Darrell was our rep at our hotel (Kassandra Bay) when we got married,he is a top bloke !!,he mentioned that he had a studio apt, that he would give us the details but we never got chance to sort.Not sure if that was because we were a rowdy lot!!,16 of us in total.Anyway would like details if poss for the 4 of us ,
Thanks Liza Kay

fast-eddie · Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 6:00 pm Post subject:

Hi lisa, have a look here.
http://perigiali-skiathos.com/
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Darrell · Last edited by Darrell on Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:28 pm; edited 1 time in total

Well guys and wags,

We have managed to last our first summer out here and what a summer it has been.

Everything got off to a great start,we had people in the Perigiali and the job with Olympic went well.It was all hard work but we had our family time in the afternoons that we spent next door at the Oasis studios.By the time Claire picked Sophia up from kindergarten and I finished my duties,that was all we had time for.We only managed to go to the beach twice,and that was in June ,and last month we manged to get over to Tsougria for the afternoon.I didn't manage a single water-ski session all summer!!

Friday was always our busiest day ,it was my airport day and many arrivals for Claire which meant she spent most of the day taking people back and forth to the airport.Saturday was my welcome meeting day and I usually did 6 meetings and this was follwed by follow-ups to collect excursion money etc etc.Both long hard days as you can imagine.On a Sunday night we did our "walkabout" in town and then on Monday night was my quiz night at the Xanthi Studios in Kolios.Tuesday night was the night before my day off,so we all used to go to the Oasis for the kareoke with many fellow reps and friends.Wed night was a relax night followed by Thursday which was the night before airport day and then it was a repeat of the previous week!

Obviously a social life had to be fitted in somewhere and also Sophia had to be in kindergarten by 8.30am and be picked up by 1.30pm......phew!!

The season was looking good and profitable.Excursions were going well,especially our catamaran day out with Neil and Capt George and also the Skop/Alon trip.The movie probably helped with this.They started showing this here on July 3 and were still showing it up until the 2nd week of Sept.

Until.........one Friday morning about the 12th of Sept we got the news of Kosmars demise.This sent a shockwave across the island like you have never felt before,forget your earthquakes,you can insure against this.I actually got a text informing me about 8.00am.As you can imagine news like this spreads like wildfire.

All of a sudden the world comes crashing down and smacks you in the knackers,all the graft that everyone has put in is worthless.We had owners that had not been paid,petrol/diesel suppliers out of pocket and also many reps,some were very good friends of ours,working for nothing and still getting grief from guests and also losing all there last months wages,bonuses,with-held commisions and other payments.
All very sad as you can imagine.

Once the kosmar debacle had cleared we all knuckled down for the last 3 weeks of the season only to be confronted by the worst weather known to man!! Out of our last 3 weeks it rained for about 16 days.The whole of our wonderfull first summer had ended in the worst way possible.Oh well, we thought,only a few days to go,what could go wrong now?? famous last words eh!!

On our last day we saw the Gatwick flight leave and then the Manchester flight boarded.We all sat upstairs at the airport and saw MON 1787 taxi down the runway.All the reps,bar the boss went back to our homes and me and Claire were toasting the end of our season went the phone went!!

The plane had gone tech and all the guests had to spend one extra night in Skiathos.This was our last flight and I hadn't even got my uniform off.We all rushed back to the airport and ferried 215 people on 5 coaches with the minimum of fuss to the Skiathos Palace.All went well and the guests were in good spirits,if this happened in August we would be f****d.

We went back to the Palace the following day and started the transfer all over again,the sun was at it's hottest and this was the first day that many of our guests had seen such good weather,typical or what!!.

We waived the guests off from the airport and the season for us was over.All the Olympic reps,Claire and Sophia went out for dinner that night and had a super time.

So,all this and now the summer is over.We are now into Autumn.Our days are lovely and sunny and the place is quiet.The last UK flight went on Friday,today the Scandinavians left and I think there are a few Dutch people here.We are now on a short holiday,enjoing Skiathos as we have never seen it before.

I am starting work next week at the Hotel Atrium re-furbishing a number of bathrooms,so no rest for the wicked.

Sophia is doing well in the kindergarten and speaking a little Greek,she understands a lot more!! When she is there, Claire and I potter around and do stuff at home.We go for a drink down the old port cafe and maybe something to eat in Kabourelia.
Our first summer is over and done and we have the winter to look forward to.
Our first Christmas is looming and we have our tree from the UK and we will have roast turkey for our dinner and friends over to eat it.

I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and my thanks goes out to everyone we have met this year including Olympic guests,Perigiali guests,anyone we bumped into in the meantime and friends here,the old ones and especially the new ones.....you know who you are.
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Foxy · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:28 pm Post subject:

I love these updates because it's still a dream of mine. I've already mentioned.. I think, that we have now fostered our two granddaughters aged 2 & 5 and we can't wait for the day when we can bring them over.

I'd love to bring them up on the island instead of this hell-hole.

Liz & Ian · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 45 Location: Sheffield

Hi Darrell,lovely update - so sad the season ended the way it did but hey - at least you get to stay on the beautiful island - it could be worse you could be here in the UK!!! Was good to meet you in September (outside the Xanthi the week after XL went under). Hope you have a good winter - look forward to returning to Skiathos some time soon.

TJ · Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 69

That was a great read - thanks!

Val & Kev · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 130

lovely read, great to hear that despite it all you had a good year and can stay there.

Kriandos · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:29 am Post subject:

adrianxw · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:23 am Post subject:

Foxy · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:31 am Post subject:

Ian · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:47 pm Post subject:

Darrell

Great report. Sorry about that "8am text message" Wink

...
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Darrell · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject:

Foxy,
The one good thing about watching Tikkabilla is waking up to Sarah-Jane Honeywell.
She is rather er... "foxy"
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Darrell · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:22 pm Post subject:

And as for Balamorey.......Miss Hooley......would ya?
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