A 94-year-old former apprentice turned head chef has returned to his former workplace this National Apprenticeship Week, taking a trip down memory lane to see what has and hasn’t changed over the years.
Ernest ‘Bill’ Hill took a trip to Cowes to visit the clubhouse of the Royal Yacht Squadron – a place where he worked for 47 years. Bill rose to head chef in the kitchens having initially started as an apprentice aged 16 in 1944.
The team at Island Healthcare, who care for Mr Hill, were inspired by National Apprenticeship Week to take some of their residents out to former workplaces to help generate positive memories and to allow them to reflect on their working achievements and enjoy remembering times gone by.
Upon arrival at the RYS clubhouse, Bill was warmly greeted by the current head chef, Paul, who, following a spot of tea and cake in the Lady’s Dining room, showed Bill around, taking him down to the kitchens and talking him through the changes since he’d left, while Bill reminisced on the things that had stayed the same.
When Bill was heading up the kitchen team, they had 2 chefs and a part-time kitchen porter, with 2 more joining during the peak time of Cowes Week. Now though, there are 4 full time chefs during the winter months, which rises to 22 kitchen staff during the height of summer – something that underlines the rise in demand for the venue’s services.
During the tour, Bill was taken aback by how high-tech the place had become and didn’t recognise any of the latest equipment – something that shows how professional kitchens have progressed over the years.
But the visit certainly brought back memories, and Bill recalled some of the high-profile guests he’d interacted with over the years, including Prince Phillip, saying:
“Prince Phillip used to come down to the kitchen – he always came on a Thursday during Cowes week! Lord Mountbatten always bought his friend David with him and always had a police officer on his motorbike outside. The police officer once stopped me and charged me £30 for speeding – so I said to him, don’t you expect any more breakfast from me!”
After an enjoyable afternoon of fond recollections and sentimentality, Bill said:
“It was brilliant to go back – but the place has changed so much! It’s great to know that it’s thriving though and that my hard work over the years hasn’t gone to waste.”
