Heads on Pillows by Joan Campbell

 

Given their significant role in Scotland’s hospitality sector – they were ‘traditional’ well before anyone realised just how important tourism is to the economy – it’s perhaps surprising that there have been few books about the history of the bed and breakfast. These are the recollections of Joan Campbell, whose 40 years as a Highland 'B&B wifie' saw her learn on the front line – or should that be front step? – and helped gain recognition for a) its vital role in Scotland’s economy, and b) it being more than just an inconsequential way for a homebound wife and mother to earn a little extra – that it was, and is, real work! Stories about guests and her husband (aka ‘Himself’) are plentiful, although only a few grand set pieces really stick in the mind, such as the author’s Herculean effort to serve guests their evening meal while regularly checking on the condition of a lambing ewe in a nearby muddy field. Competently told, this isn’t the B&B answer to ‘It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet’, but as an introduction to this home-based industry – and to how much has changed within one person’s career – it is good solid entertainment. [Paul F Cockburn]