I’ve been at Eastnor for 13 years. I started out waitressing at some of the glamorous dinners, before moving into the office – I was interested to see how it all came together behind the scenes. In the office, we arrange everything from guest logistics to filming, then hand the event notes over to the brilliant house staff to bring it all to life. Everyone’s role is important here; there’s no snobbery, just mucking in.
I like variety, and Eastnor has plenty of that. I look after holiday cottages, manage our Land Rover partnership, oversee filming and photoshoots and help coordinate events for the family. You’re not chained to a desk; one day you’re answering emails, the next you’re rescuing ducklings from the lake or pulling a sheep out of a hedge. No two days are the same.
I’ve had many memorable ones. When Succession filmed here for eight weeks, it was like the circus had come to town – the house was full of kit and there were stars everywhere. I mostly liaised with the location manager, but every single person, from Brian Cox to the director, was delightful. It was really busy, but also really interesting to be inside their world.
Another big part of my role is looking after Land Rover. Eastnor is known as the “home of Land Rover”, and all the testing is done here, but the relationship goes both ways – it’s been important to us ever since James [Hervey-Bathurst]’s father first forged the connection.
All new team members do the Land Rover Experience as part of their induction. When I joined, we also had to zipline across the lake from the top of one of the turrets. I hate heights and thought I might die – not on the zipline itself but climbing through the tiny hole in the roof and onto the turret. Terrifying.
My favourite room at Eastnor is the Gothic Drawing Room. People always walk in and go, ‘Oh, it's terribly grand,’ but by the time they leave, they say they’ve never felt so relaxed. It’s rich and sumptuous, but not overwhelming – and just delightful at night with the open fires roaring.