Alison Stonehouse celebrates 25 years’ service at Ragdale Hall Spa

The team at Ragdale Hall Spa celebrated an incredibly special work anniversary for Guest Liaison Officer and Duty Manager, Alison Stonehouse, who recently reached the landmark of 25-years as a member of the Ragdale Hall team.

Alison’s a very familiar face for most of our guests as she’s usually the first person they see on arrival – and the last as they depart (and if you’re a regular guest we imagine you’re nodding your head in agreement at this!)

Before Alison joined the Guest Liaison team, she trained to be a nurse in Leeds, but deciding this wasn’t the career path for her undertook Beauty Therapy Training. Alison initially started her career at Ragdale as a Beauty Therapist back in November 1996 – and confesses she was only planning to stay for a year! As a therapist, Alison enjoyed meeting and chatting with our guests – with pedicures, mud wraps and salt scrubs being some of her favourite treatments to perform.

Even though she enjoyed her role in the Beauty team and had undertaken adult teaching qualifications so she could train our new therapists, in 2005 Alison took an opportunity to cover a colleague’s maternity leave, as a member of Ragdale Hall’s Guest Liaison team. She enjoyed the front of house role so much she never returned to the Beauty department, and now she is one of the most recognised faces at the Hall, welcoming thousands of guests as they arrive each year.

Alison also had another important job – looking after Ragdale Hall’s cat, Raggles. Alison says: “I loved looking after her. I had many trips to the vets with her over the years, and she even stayed the night at my house once before the vets!”

Alison’s role involves overseeing check-in and ensuring guests’ requirements are accommodated. She’s also become a Duty Manager, which means it’s down to her to ensure the Hall runs smoothly throughout the day and evening when she is on duty. Alison comments: “On the Duty Manager shifts you never know what’s going to happen and there is never a dull moment. I love working with such lovely staff – we work so well as a team. Guests frequently say it is such a well-oiled machine. I’m proud to work at Ragdale. Here’s to a very happy and smooth-running year.”

Congratulations Alison, from all of your colleagues, friends and guests at Ragdale!