Fawlty-style hotel owner gets fruity with guest

By DAVID WILKES, Daily Mail

Last updated at 08:14 02 September 2005

In fictional Fawlty Towers, Torquay, Basil mentioned the war - but thought he'd got away with it.

In the real-life Gainsboro Hotel, Torquay, Stephen Kuhlmann mentioned the possibility of having fresh fruit for breakfast and definitely didn't get away with it.

He thought it was a reasonable request. But, in a Basil-like backlash, the guesthouse's owner Roger Rixson told him to leave.

And later, when the 59-year-old cricket umpire wrote to complain, the reply he got read like a script from the classic BBC comedy.

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Mr Rixson told him tartly: "We are still amazed that you and your partner should choose to stay in a £25 per night Bed & Breakfast when you are obviously in need of, or used to, far more superior accommodation.

"On your arrival, I asked you to pay the balance of the bill and was promptly told that your chequebook was in the car and that you would 'pay in the morning'.

"It is our policy to collect payment when Guests arrive, and I found your attitude to be somewhat intimidating and dictating.

"Then, having shown you the Hot Breakfast Menu, you made it clear there was nothing to your liking. The next morning, my wife entered the Dining Room to find you looking at the Cold Buffet Breakfast with distaste. There is always a variety of items, but again nothing to your liking.

"In a very loud voice you asked, 'Is there any fresh fruit?' My wife was very taken aback with the loudness and tone of your voice, but especially with your intimidating attitude. She informed you there was not any fresh fruit that day. The loud 'TUTT' was obviously for everyone in the Dining Room to hear. Having found nothing to your liking, you proceeded with the cutting of your own strawberries. You left the cooked breakfast untouched on the plate."

Referring to how Mr Kuhlmann filled out a breakfast order form for the following morning before setting off to umpire a match, Mr Rixson wrote: "The Hot Breakfast Menu for the next day was rejected, with 'Fresh Fruit Please' written on the bottom. My wife and I were becoming increasingly worried about the atmosphere being created in the Dining Room and were anxious about sustaining the enjoyment and comfort of our other Guests.

'Apalling attitude'

"Since you were planning to stay for four days, we could only anticipate this situation escalating. Therefore, on the basis of appalling attitude and dissatisfaction, we thought it best to ask you to leave. We had realised by now that our B&B was obviously not the place for you. We thought this was a fair assumption.

"In conclusion, we have never had a situation like this before where we have been met with such an appalling attitude from a Guest, and where we have been unable to satisfy in any way with either our product or our service."

Mr Kuhlmann, of Porthcawl, South Wales, said yesterday: "The owner said my attitude had been entirely wrong and presented the fresh fruit request as evidence.

"This had apparently upset his wife. I courteously pointed out that we didn't want a cooked breakfast, but some fresh fruit.

"The response was, 'You obviously don't like what we are here and I want you to pack and leave now.' We pointed out this would be a pleasure.

"I am still astonished by the whole episode - but greatly amused to find Fawlty Towers really is in Torquay."

Yesterday, 49-year-old Mr Rixson, who has run the AA four-star guesthouse for two years with his wife Lynn, said of Mr Kuhlmann: "He was a big fish in a small pond. The Gainsboro Hotel isn't really like Fawlty Towers. It was all a storm in a fruit bowl."

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