The Receptionist worked at the desk in a Harrogate hotel where Mike Baldwin and Jackie Ingram attended a trade conference in 1990. To put his partner Alma Sedgewick's mind at ease, Mike had lied to her that he was there representing Ingram's Textiles alone. Alma was therefore surprised when she rang the hotel to speak to Mike, and the receptionist - unable to get hold of Mike due to him being in conference - passed the phone to Jackie, who happened to be in the vicinity. When Alma did get hold of Mike, he managed to explain away Jackie's presence by saying that she'd turned up unexpectedly and he was trying to get rid of her.