DENNIS
You can’t have Beano without Dennis and you can’t have Apex Hotels without our very own prankster, Payroll Assistant Dean McCluskey. Dean’s childhood nickname was even ‘Dennis’ due to the things he would get up to AND he's also a dog lover so has definitely earned his red and black stripes!
He says, “I used to work in a small country pub and had a prank-off with the Head Chef! He started it by putting dog food in my steak pie, so I retaliated by pranking what he loves most – his car. I made it very smelly by hiding fish under the seat and cheese in the boot and then covered the whole thing in berry fridge magnets right before he was due to drive home! We’re good friends really but it was a laugh!”
MINNIE
Minnie is Dennis's Cousin and - according to her - the real mischief maker in Beanotown!
Our very own Finance Assistant, Michelle Sandham is a bit of a mischief maker herself!
She says, “I love a good party, and one of the most mischievous things I ever did was at a fancy dress party. I used a bedsheet to make my costume. Things got a bit out of hand and I had to help tidy up after we had a huge cake fight! I also got into trouble with my parents for ruining the bedsheet so you can say I’m definitely a minx like Minnie.”
DANNY
Danny is one of the main members of the Bash Street Kids. He is known as fearless and swashbuckling and channels Beanotown's pirate spirit!
Our Danny is Danielle Ramsey, Head of Talent Acquisition who isn’t quite as fearless but embodies the same love of adventure as Beano’s Danny.
She says, “I'd love to swim with sharks like my husband did on our trip to Australia. Although I did learn to dive, I wasn’t quite brave enough to go in with the sharks so stayed on the boat instead! I love the ocean so next time I get the chance, I will definitely dive in.”
SMIFFY
Another Bash Street Kid is Smiffy. Smiffy is known to think differently, and his prized possessions are raffle tickets!
Jon Smith-Lane, one of our Operations Managers at Apex Hotels, makes the perfect Smiffy! Although he doesn’t go in for as many raffle tickets as Beano's Smiffy, he has been known to win a thing or two...
He says, “The best win I had was a £300 watch from a £5 ticket - result! The worst was a membership for something that I wasn't really interested in - it was my first unwanted Christmas present as a child. About halfway through the year there was a local meeting for it that my Mum dragged me to and I ended up winning another year’s membership in a ‘guess the number of feathers in a jar’ competition! What rubbish luck!”
WALTER
Dennis’ enemy is Walter Brown. Walter is always running into Dennis and his crew when trying to play his recorder.
Our PR Lead, James Walter, doesn’t play the recorder but likes to think of himself as a bit of a musician.
“I’m a songwriter so I’d like to learn to play the piano properly so I can bash out some more tunes! Luckily, I don’t have a nemesis who keeps getting in my way, I only have myself to blame that I haven’t learned yet!
If you want to jump into the world of Beano, be sure to check out our Blamazing Break at Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa here.