The Hotel

Stack 'em high and sell 'em cheap' is Manager Mark's business philosophy, and packing the hotel with coach parties paying rock bottom prices is helping to keep them afloat this summer. "Most hotels would be happy to achieve 70% occupancy, but for us we would go out of business," says Mark. But without a computer, his ‘fail safe' old-school booking system of Tippex, paper and coloured pens comes a cropper and the hotel is now overbooked. A new coach party arrives at the hotel, driven by Allan from Liverpool - one of Mark's regular drivers. With his unique sense of humour and collection of silly hats and colourful waistcoats, Allan's joined for once by his long suffering and travel-phobic wife Barbara. Among his passengers are the all-singing all-dancing Baxendale family from Wigan and deaf couple Jimmy and Theresa. Also checking in this week is 11-year-old Basher from Birmingham with his mum Lisa and step-dad Luke. As a special treat for his summer holiday, Mum's agreed he can have the word ‘Bash' shaved in to his hair before he's back to school in the autumn. As the coaches pour into town, Deputy Manager Christian reveals: "The best part of the coaching holidays are the people - so many characters here to have fun. But then again, you could say what's the worst part of the tours and coaches - it's the people..." Unable to cope with the number of bookings, Mark finally decides to embrace the 21st century and, for the first time, allow guests to reserve their holiday on the internet. But with disastrous results, all is not good in Mark's brave new world. "I wish computers hadn't been invented. It's the customers that are confusing us by wanting to be able to book on-line," Mark concludes.