I volunteer at Waddesdon, and right now I’m having an absolute whale of a time in the wine cellar. It’s my niche. I absolutely love where I am, though I’m still on the rota for other roles because the wine shifts are so popular you can’t always get one. I’ve been on the wine cellar team since it started — it’s quite new — and it’s amazing. On a cellar shift you’re talking to visitors pretty much the whole time: welcoming them down the stairs, showing them how to swirl and sniff, making a few light-hearted jokes as they taste, and keeping the atmosphere warm and fun. I’ve worked down in the cellar itself, at big wine tastings and the smaller cellar experiences, and with different teammates. You learn so much. I’m a wine drinker, but tasting here is completely different from a quick bottle from the supermarket — the quality is on another level and the staff are brilliant. You never feel awkward asking questions; if you need an answer, someone will help.
There’s a difference between the two formats. In the cellar experience you pour two wines for a group; at a full wine tasting it’s eight wines, and you might have anything from ten to thirty people. In the cellar there are usually two of us, so you really do have to spread yourself and talk to everyone. At a full tasting there are nearly always four team members, which helps. The cellar itself is three spaces: you come down past a little room with a screen that sets the scene, then into a long, narrow section with the proper cellars — the wine is locked behind metal doors — and an impressively long tasting table lined with glasses. There are benches and rows of chairs along the length, and another room beyond with the statue of Bacchus. You can easily host a big group; it isn’t one square hall but a run of connected rooms that flow.
I’ve done plenty beyond wine, too. I’ve helped at events (which I love — there’s loads to do), hosted in the house (very beautiful, very calm, though I’m a busy person and prefer to be in the thick of things), welcomed on the grounds down by the North Fountain, and even tried catering, which is a newer volunteer slot I enjoy. Honestly, Waddesdon is the perfect place to volunteer. I’ve been here about twelve years now, moving through different roles, and that variety suits me. If I can’t get a wine shift, I’ll happily jump onto something else so I can still be here.
I also volunteer in other places — I do it to give something back. I’ve had a good life and a good job, learned a lot over the years, and I’m still learning. I’m 74 now, and while dancing and exercise are a bit tougher than they used to be, volunteering gives me fresh things to master at a gentler pace. It lifts you. I’ve told family members with their own struggles to go and volunteer: help someone else, be useful, and see how it changes how you feel. It really can steady your mental health. You do something kind for others and it makes you happier and more relaxed.
One of my favourite recent moments actually happened upstairs in the shop. We had a tasting in store of a wine called Love by Lube — a gorgeous £20 bottle that’s a brilliant alternative to a summer Pimm’s. I asked Ollie if I could jump in and help. There I was behind a little desk with glasses stacked two-high — too high for me to lift down without a bit of ingenuity — and a constant stream of visitors. I started calling people over, booking them in, pouring a small taste, and chatting them through the basics from the tasting sheet: where it’s from, style, ABV, whether it’s one to sip at home in front of the telly rather than before a drive! I must have poured for somewhere between 130 and 150 people and, through those tastings, we sold 47 bottles. I came away buzzing. The guests were lovely — even those who didn’t drink were cheerful about it — and the whole thing was huge fun.
As for how I got here: when I first retired I was worried I’d be fed up at home. I tried an allotment (not very successful), some line dancing (also not terribly successful), and a few other bits. Just before I stopped working I came in for an interview and started in the house. It was nice, but not quite busy enough for me. I added grounds hosting, then events, and gradually found my niche; now that I’ve discovered wine, I’m in my element. I put my name down for as many shifts as I can — once I put it down for so many that Megan rang and asked me to leave a few for others! The only real frustration these days is when I can’t get a wine slot for a couple of weeks. I miss it.
What keeps me coming back hasn’t really changed: I want something purposeful to do, I love being useful here, and I adore engaging with people. I can (and do) talk to anyone — the queue at the bus stop at Christmas is a delight — and I think that’s part of being good at this kind of volunteering: you need to be happy chatting. Visitors of all ages stop to ask questions, and I’m in my element putting them at ease, joining them in a laugh, or pointing out something they might have missed.
Do I see myself continuing? Absolutely. I’ve even persuaded a few friends and acquaintances to join, and I’ll keep recommending it. If someone tells me they’re thinking about volunteering, I say: go for it. Don’t hang about — do it. Try the house, try grounds, try events, try catering, and, if you can get a shift, come down to the wine cellar. You’ll learn, you’ll laugh, you’ll meet lovely people, and you’ll give something back. I can’t imagine not doing it now.
