Bridbury is not really a town that people just happen to be passing through. Travellers looking for a room have to be actually in the town itself or its surroundings; commercial travellers, railroad officials from London or representatives from the county who are paying an official visit to Geoffrey Redbridge’s town hall. Angie and Mickey Russel, whose daughter Lucy is married to Jaimy Barnet from the bookshop, welcome them all into their hotel.

Angie makes sure the guests are provided with clean bed linen at least once a week and ensures that they can enjoy a breakfast like no other: bacon and eggs, fried tomatoes, sausages, baked beans, and black pudding. Pete Hammersmith, the local baker, supplies freshly baked sweet smelling bread and Angie buys a bag of liquorice to put on each guests pillow from Caroline Croydon’s sweetshop. In the evening Mickey provides bar meals, but he prefers to direct guests wanting a big dinner to restaurant "Eating Time" run by Mary Sutton.

His best friend is Pat Hackney, the local Christmas tree merchant, whose profession means that he spends a lot of time in the woods around Bridbury, and with whom he enjoys hunting for wild boar and red deer. They divide the catch between themselves and sell it at the backdoor of the hotel for welcome extra income. After the hunt they enjoy a pint of bitter with Bobby Taylor at the bar of his "St.George's Pub" to toast the catch.