the gates of Parliament. I am
burning with a righteous sense of indignation.
‘Hang on, this is a listed building,’ Emily leaps in. ‘There are restrictions on what they can do. They won’t be allowed to tear it apart.’
‘They can’t alter the basic structure but that won’t stop them ripping out everything inside and putting in IKEA wallpaper,’ Marion contends.
‘Someone’s got to do something,’ I splutter. ‘They can’t allow this – the Moonlight Hotel is a piece of Cumbrian history.’
Cate frowns. ‘So when is this all happening?’
‘The new boss is going to be here tomorrow speaking to all the staff about their future,’ Marion says ominously. ‘What about the future of the bloody salsa class?’
In all honesty, the fact that Marion hasn’t got a venue for her class is the last thing on my mind. I’m not even thinking primarily about the fate of the staff, although
that’ll be bad enough if people are out of their jobs. It’s what’s going to happen to the hotel. The thought makes my stomach swirl.
‘I’ll ask around Ambleside to see if I can find somewhere else, if you like,’ Cate suggests. ‘Shouldn’t be too hard.’
‘Maybe this isn’t such a terrible thing,’ Emily ventures. I glare at her. ‘Obviously it’s a nightmare for you having to find another venue, Marion, but this place
is obviously in need of renovation.’
‘Some TLC, Emily, that’s all,’ I correct her. ‘Not for the entire character of the place to be bulldozed and all the staff to be sacked.’
The door opens and Esteban enters, wearing combat shorts and a luminous yellow muscle top that looks as if it belongs in one of Jane Fonda’s 1980s fitness videos. ‘Evening, ladies,
how are things?’
Marion launches into a repeat of her tale of woe, virtually beating Esteban into submission until he agrees wholeheartedly how horrific the entire thing is. The others start to arrive shortly
afterwards. The nurses aren’t here tonight, but there’s one new couple – a geologist called Andi and her husband, who I recognise from the local press as an environmental
campaigner.
Then Lulu puts on some music – a salsa version of a Maroon 5 track – and Marion is forced to turn her attention to something other than winding everyone up. We start with the same
basic moves on the spot that we’ve learned so far, and then move on to rotating back steps with a ‘crossover’.
Lulu gives us a slow-motion demonstration with Esteban, before we all get to have a go ourselves. It feels good to be actually moving, covering some ground instead of being rooted to the
spot.
‘Couldn’t Mike make it tonight?’ I ask Stella, as Lulu thrusts Will in front of her.
‘He’s given up,’ she says, making it clear that this isn’t a decision of which she approves. ‘He insists he’s a hopeless case. Nothing will persuade him to
come. Which means either I’ve got to do my first dance alone, or we don’t
do
a first dance –
or
I find someone else to do it with.’ She looks up. ‘Do
you fancy the job, Will?’
‘Not sure what Mikey would make of that,’ he grins, glancing down the row of dancers to Cate. She waves. His smile widens. And Stella begins dancing in the certain knowledge that her
partner would rather be elsewhere.
As with last week, Lulu insists on us swapping partners and I find myself dancing with one of Will’s Mountain Rescue friends, Luke, a divorced dad of three who’s
significantly better than me with the footwork.
During a short break, I go on chatting to Stella.
‘How are your wedding preparations going?’ I ask, keen to discuss something other than the future of the hotel. ‘Apart from the first dance, obviously.’
‘I hate to tempt fate, but pretty good really,’ she replies. ‘It’s a big wedding but we’re trying to keep things relaxed – you know, with a hog roast, instead
of a formal, sit-down meal. Oh, and I went to see Cate this weekend to book her to
burning with a righteous sense of indignation.
‘Hang on, this is a listed building,’ Emily leaps in. ‘There are restrictions on what they can do. They won’t be allowed to tear it apart.’
‘They can’t alter the basic structure but that won’t stop them ripping out everything inside and putting in IKEA wallpaper,’ Marion contends.
‘Someone’s got to do something,’ I splutter. ‘They can’t allow this – the Moonlight Hotel is a piece of Cumbrian history.’
Cate frowns. ‘So when is this all happening?’
‘The new boss is going to be here tomorrow speaking to all the staff about their future,’ Marion says ominously. ‘What about the future of the bloody salsa class?’
In all honesty, the fact that Marion hasn’t got a venue for her class is the last thing on my mind. I’m not even thinking primarily about the fate of the staff, although
that’ll be bad enough if people are out of their jobs. It’s what’s going to happen to the hotel. The thought makes my stomach swirl.
‘I’ll ask around Ambleside to see if I can find somewhere else, if you like,’ Cate suggests. ‘Shouldn’t be too hard.’
‘Maybe this isn’t such a terrible thing,’ Emily ventures. I glare at her. ‘Obviously it’s a nightmare for you having to find another venue, Marion, but this place
is obviously in need of renovation.’
‘Some TLC, Emily, that’s all,’ I correct her. ‘Not for the entire character of the place to be bulldozed and all the staff to be sacked.’
The door opens and Esteban enters, wearing combat shorts and a luminous yellow muscle top that looks as if it belongs in one of Jane Fonda’s 1980s fitness videos. ‘Evening, ladies,
how are things?’
Marion launches into a repeat of her tale of woe, virtually beating Esteban into submission until he agrees wholeheartedly how horrific the entire thing is. The others start to arrive shortly
afterwards. The nurses aren’t here tonight, but there’s one new couple – a geologist called Andi and her husband, who I recognise from the local press as an environmental
campaigner.
Then Lulu puts on some music – a salsa version of a Maroon 5 track – and Marion is forced to turn her attention to something other than winding everyone up. We start with the same
basic moves on the spot that we’ve learned so far, and then move on to rotating back steps with a ‘crossover’.
Lulu gives us a slow-motion demonstration with Esteban, before we all get to have a go ourselves. It feels good to be actually moving, covering some ground instead of being rooted to the
spot.
‘Couldn’t Mike make it tonight?’ I ask Stella, as Lulu thrusts Will in front of her.
‘He’s given up,’ she says, making it clear that this isn’t a decision of which she approves. ‘He insists he’s a hopeless case. Nothing will persuade him to
come. Which means either I’ve got to do my first dance alone, or we don’t
do
a first dance –
or
I find someone else to do it with.’ She looks up. ‘Do
you fancy the job, Will?’
‘Not sure what Mikey would make of that,’ he grins, glancing down the row of dancers to Cate. She waves. His smile widens. And Stella begins dancing in the certain knowledge that her
partner would rather be elsewhere.
As with last week, Lulu insists on us swapping partners and I find myself dancing with one of Will’s Mountain Rescue friends, Luke, a divorced dad of three who’s
significantly better than me with the footwork.
During a short break, I go on chatting to Stella.
‘How are your wedding preparations going?’ I ask, keen to discuss something other than the future of the hotel. ‘Apart from the first dance, obviously.’
‘I hate to tempt fate, but pretty good really,’ she replies. ‘It’s a big wedding but we’re trying to keep things relaxed – you know, with a hog roast, instead
of a formal, sit-down meal. Oh, and I went to see Cate this weekend to book her to
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