AIBU to wonder what on earth the issue is?

[DowntonNappy]

t to check out a hall I'm hoping to book for dd's birthday next month.

The caretaker was miserable from the start. No smile, telling dd off for being too noisy (she was singing happy birthday because she's excited about her party - there was no one else in the building and she wasn't being excessively loud imo), and basically trying to put me off booking there.

First off, she showed me a hall downstairs which was much too small and low-ceilinged for a bouncy castle. When i politely pointed this out to her, she said "But are you sure you want a bouncy castle?"

I said I'm sure so she huffed and puffed and took us upstairs to the bigger hall, all the while telling me that the company I've hired will have to bring the bouncy castle through the back way.

I said that's fine, not understanding why she was saying this as if it was a problem. She then said that they'd have to bring the castle through the storage hall. I told her that's fine.

She then said "But there's thousands of pounds worth of equipment in there, so the caretaker on duty that day will have to stand by the door while the the castle is brought through, and then again when they're taking it back out". I still didn't understand the problem. I asked if this was an issue because it meant the front desk would be temporarly unmanned, she said no because there's CCTV cameras.

She took me back downstairs and checked her diary and cracked her first smile, saying, "Thank God I'm on holiday that week. And the other two caretakers that work here refuse to do birthday parties, so the council will have to get a strange one in".

She started making recommendations for another community centre.

I just don't understand what the issue is? She was making out like standing by the door in the storage room was a big ask. What's the difference between the caretaker sitting at their front desk, and having to stand by a door for 15 mins at the start and end of a party?

Can anyone enlighten me?

She's put me right off that centre now, as i think something will go wrong with access/bouncy castle on the day due to them being difficult about it now.

But it's the best hall around and on the same street I live on, and close for all dd's school friends.

Oops. Should say at the start *just been

She's lazy. That is the issue.

We have a hall 'committee', who sound just like her, particularly if it's a teenage party.
They're always moaning about playgroup using the hall too.
I never get involved.
I think it must be a power thing, just go ahead with your party and smile and ignore.
Having said that by lovely brother and his wife are hall caretakers down south and they're lovely.

She probably doesn't like kids.

The 'thank god i am on holiday' comments pretty much shows that.

Not everyone has to like kids. She was rude but she is not going to be there anyway.

The fact that the other 2 refuse to do kids parties, and the council are ok with this, says (to me) that there have been issues in the past.

She sounds like the "computer says no" woman. If you're having doubts, then go to another place.

I'd be thinking thank god she's on holiday too! As she won't be there and it's such a convenient location I'd book it.

She clearly doesn't like children and isn't shy about it. Sounds a bit lazy too!

Ah, i see! I thought there might have been some underlying health and safety issue i wasn't picking up on.

I've contacted the bouncy castle company with all that the caretaker said, (coming through the back, storage area etc), and they said that's fine.

The one thing it could possibly be is that the caretaker did say the storage room/hall holds thousands of pounds' worth of stuff, and that's why the caretaker has to stand charge at the doors. Maybe they're just funny with people having to go through that way whenever they want a bouncy castle?

There is a door in the actual party hall, but it's a fire door and apparantly alarms go off when it's opened. That's why the castle can't go through this way.

Storage hall is right next door to party hall anyway, so no big deal.

she must just like a good huff and puff moment there,s always one.