Exploring cultures and communities – the slow way

Cheryl Summerbee deserves to be better known. hidden europe takes a sideways look at one of the more intriguing characters to have emerged from a campus novel. Conceived by David Lodge in Small World, Cheryl works at London's Heathrow Airport. Or rather, she used to work there.

article summary —

You may not quite realise it, but if you have flown on one of those airlines that still have real check-in desks - you know, the sort of carrier that follows such oldfashioned courtesies as pre-assigning numbered seats to each passenger at check-in rather than sanctioning a hapless scramble for seats on boarding - then you have probably met Cheryl Summerbee.

The legendary Cheryl Summerbee, for there are many of her kind, works for British Airways - or, rather, used to work for British Airways prior to an unfortunate tussle with her employer that resulted in an abbreviated career at Heathrow Airport.

Cheryl Summerbee - our one that is - was wonderful. She had that knack of assessing passengers at check-in, identifying to a tee their fads and foibles and so manipulating the seating plan to ensure that peculiarly compatible passengers might find themselves in adjoining seats.


This is just an excerpt. If you are a subscriber to hidden europe magazine, you can log in to read the full text online. Of course you can also read the full article in the print edition of hidden europe 13.

About the authors

hidden europe

and manage hidden europe, a Berlin-based editorial bureau that supplies text and images to media across Europe. Together they edit hidden europe magazine. Nicky and Susanne are dedicated slow travellers. They delight in discovering the exotic in the everyday.

This article was published in hidden europe 13.