by Nigel Heath
The iconic Elizabethan, Star Castle, stands out proudly on Garrison Hill on the main island of St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly.
It is one of the first impressive sights that passengers crowding the decks of the RMV Scillonian III see as the ship manoeuvres slowly onto the harbour after her two-and-three quarter hours voyage out from Penzance.
The castle has in fact been an hotel for some eighty years and is currently run by, James and Ella Francis, following its acquisition by James’ father and hotelier, Robert, who is currently Chairman of the Isles of Scilly Council.
As my wife Jenny and I were going to stay at the Star Castle in order to participate in the annual Walk Scilly Week, it also created an opportunity to interview the couple about all the challenges of running a highly successful hotel operation on an island.
While James had literally grown up in the business with his father owning hotels in Cornwall, and knew all about the Star Castle, Ella also had her own personal link.
For both her grandparents and her family holidayed on the island, but never could she have imagined that she would one day be bringing up her own two children while helping to run the castle.
Ella grew up in Leicestershire, but gained catering qualifications at Cardiff University and surprise, surprise, took a summer holiday job as a pastry chef at the hotel.
Here synchronicity wove its magic, because that was back in 2003 when James’ father Robert was in the process of acquiring the property from close friends, and he was also helping out in the kitchen.
I met James in the small reception area in the heart of the castle prompt at 6.30pm and a relatively quiet time in his busy day and we headed up the small and intimate staircase and into the cosy lounge with its cluster of comfortable arm chairs and two seater sofas.
It was the welcoming port of call for many a guest, including Jenny and I, who were invited up to the lounge to await a most welcome cup of coffee because we had arrived early and our room was not quite ready.
While there are eleven guest rooms within the castle walls, there are another twenty-seven comfortable, spacious, and extremely well-appointed rooms within the immediate castle grounds and gardens.
And reaching these is all part of the guest experience because they are accessed via the sheltered battlements and over the moat via a small hand railed footbridge.
From the confines of the famous castle, one is suddenly and quite unexpectedly in an oasis of calm where, tucked away at the far end of the lawn is a conservatory restaurant and a glass covered and heated swimming pool.
“So, what are the main challenges of running a successful hotel on an island?” I asked James, once we were settled and I had produced my notebook and pencil.
“While receiving regular food supplies was generally a smooth-running operation, because the mainland suppliers worked closely with the shipping company, it was when something went wrong, like a cooker, fridge or dishwasher, or some other essential appliance,” he explained.
“One can’t simply pop out and buy a new one, or order a next day delivery and the same is true if a technical or plumbing part is needed and one doesn’t happen to be available on the island,” he added.
“On the odd occasion that we have an issue, our guests are mostly always understanding because many of them are repeat visitors, but there is only so long anyone wants to be without hot water,” said James.
Most everyone in hospitality on the island faced challenges when it came to recruiting and accommodating staff, but the Star Castle was fortunate in that respect because it has its own on-site accommodation.
“So, what happens if someone joins you for the season and decides island life is not for them?” I asked.
“I always think those are Marmite situations where youngsters come over here and either love it and embrace island life or hate, it but luckily we do have another option,” he revealed.
For some ten years ago, the opportunity had come up to go into partnership at the Mermaid Inn at the end of the quay and there had been situations where a staff member was not really cut out for hotel work, but felt far more comfortable in a pub environment, he explained
“And what about the joker in the pack, the weather, when a sea mist blows in and grounds all flights to and from St Marys, or the rare occasion when rough weather cancels a sailing,” I asked.
“Yes, those situations did occur and affected everyone in the hotel, B&B and self- catering business and had to be worked around, but generally-speaking, it all worked out in the end,” he said.
It would have been great to have interviewed James and Ella together, but the practicalities of running a busy hotel prevented that so Jenny and I managed a chat with her in the hotel’s famous Dungeon Bar shortly after our arrival.
So, what did she most enjoy about helping to run the hotel, alongside their small, core, and highly experienced full-time and year-round team, including Sarah who had been the hotel’s receptionist for some thirty-five years, I asked.
“That has to be our guests, many of whom, come year after year, without exception, and we get to know quite a bit about them and their lives and families,” said Ella,
“As a matter of fact, and by a complete coincidence, there was one week in March when we seemed to know everyone who was staying with us,” she added.
Ella had been a member of the St Mary’s woman’s pilot gig boat team for some years and competed in the annual world championships until the couple had their two children, Tom, now aged ten, and Sophie, thirteen.
But she has never stopped rowing and now aged forty, this was her first year in the seniors, she told us
The poor weather had kept them practising in the harbour, but they had just managed one row out into open water, she revealed.
In their leisure time, the whole family embraces the outdoor sailing life with beach barbecues with friends, sometimes out on one of the uninhabited islands.
And if their son Tom had his way, he would spend every hour he could out on his grandpa Robert’s boat, hauling in the lobster pots.
For more information visit the hotel website by following this link.
