JANET PARKER, 42, is the manager of traditional tearooms Bettys in Harlow Carr, Harrogate. Married to David, she has two children, Ellie, 10, and Josh, 9
Christmas starts in September for us when we
start selling Christmas cake, mince pies and special blend teas and coffees – quite a temptation when you work here every day! It only really starts to feel like Christmas when we make the first mulled wine in October and I can smell the cinnamon, cloves and oranges. In December, we have carol singers in, dim the lights and light candles – it’s really magical. “Over 1,000 people a day visit us in the run-up to Christmas – we’re open every day apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day. There are lots of shifts and it’s my job to make sure it’s organised. As well as people who pop in, we have regular customers who make a tradition
out of coming at Christmas. I’m always pleased to see them because it feels like your extended family coming round. We don’t get a breather until Christmas Eve, the one day of the year when we get to close early.
The panto producer
LAURA TAYLOR, 34, is associate producer of First Family Entertainment and oversees 12 pantos across the UK at the same time. Recently married, she and husband Anthony live in Ware, Hertfordshire
the country. The workload will start about September and it doesn’t stop until January. “This will be my 16th
panto I don’t think anyone quite
realises how much work goes into putting on a panto. Each one is the scale of a West End production and it’s a year-round job getting them all to open at the same time, on time, all over
season of working seven days a week, travelling around the country, making sure casts are OK. This year there’s Cinderella in Manchester and Peter Pan in Bristol. It’s exhausting but it’s probably the most fun you can have at work. I meet the most exciting people and stars that stand out for me include Pamela
Anderson and David Hasselhoff (pictured) – he’s great fun on stage and a real all-rounder. “For most kids, it’s probably
their first time in a theatre, and to see them booing the baddy gives me a real buzz! “We do get Christmas Day off
so I can relax. But though there is a sense of triumph, there’s no chilling out period. Tickets for the next year’s shows go on sale straight away, so it’s back to work for me on Boxing Day.