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Subject Topic: Campsite warden - a change of lifestyle Post Reply Post New Topic
23/3/2017 at 4:16pm
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View Norfolkcampers1's Profile View Profile   Reply to Norfolkcampers1 Reply   Quote Norfolkcampers1 Quote  
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Hi all,

I am fed asking for peoples thoughts,

Both my wife and I are fed up in our current jobs...

We both have a real passion for the outdoors and after much mulling over have come to the conclusion we'd both really enjoy a warden/site assistant job.

Our plan would be to work march - oct/Nov and then spend the winter on a seasonal either in U.K. Or abroad....

We've a relatively 'small' mortgage and would intend on renting the property out in theory cancelling out the mortgage. Additional to this we've £400 a month in other debts/ bills, which we'd be unlikely to clear before embarking on this (2018 season).

The downsides I can see are as follows-

- we could murder each other with spending all day and night together 😂.

- when we decide to start a family (I'll be 28 and she 24 next year) will I find another job.

- of course there is the practicalities of where will all our possessions go, what if we have no tenant in house etc etc.

But what I'm asking is if you know of any other less obvious issues, perhaps you are of know of a warden and could share thoughts???

Like I said I don't feel (to best of my knowledge) why we wouldn't suit the job, we both have had customer facing jobs and (most of the time) have the patience of a saint!

Thanks in advance

Paul and Aimeé


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23/3/2017 at 7:56pm
 Location: North West
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25/3/2017 at 9:05am
 Location: Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
 Outfit: Outwell Whitecove 5
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Paul and Aimeé,

I know from experience where you are coming from with this.
My wife and I did exactly (almost) the same thing in 2005.
We were in standard 9 to 5 jobs, mortgaged, in a bit of debt and with 4 teenage kids between us.
We had previously run a tenanted pub for three years so we knew we could work together 24/7 but we had no idea what we wanted to do.
On the Whitsun weekend we went camping in Pembrokeshire and on the Saturday evening got chatting to the warden over the bar in the clubhouse.
On the Sunday afternoon, we were in Aberystwyth being interviewed for Park Managers vacancy on a park near Aberaeron. We got the job and only giving a weeks notice in work, packed the car, sorted tenants for the house and started work the following Monday.
The park was 16 acres of a mix of 80 owner occupied statics, 4 letting statics, a 3 bedroom rental lodge, camping for 75 caravans and 25 tents. There was a clubhouse, restaurant, games room and swimming pool and us!
The position was full time, 12 months of the year with a month off to be taken when the park was shut between November and February. During this period, the only person we saw on the park other than the MD was the postman!
We were paid a salary as a couple, had a percentage bonus of clubhouse sales, had a £200 bonus per caravan sale.
During the winter we worked 8 - 4 five days a week. During open season 8 - 5 and 7 - 12 on weekends. We had one day off per week until school holidays where we would work 7 days a week 8 - 5 and 7 - close.
We were also on call 24 / 7.
Nothing like sitting down to your meal break and someone knocking your door because they need gas or want to check in!
Long hard days! A typical day would be open reception, check all buildings, clean shower blocks, clean and treat pool, clean and prepare clubhouse for next opening, clean laundry, cut grass / hedges ( I could disappear for hours cutting 15 acres of grass on a ride on), welcome guests. Break. Open clubhouse, serve at bar, still attending to campers, serve food until 9pm (my OH was chef), serve at bar until 11 - 12AM, entertain guests (bingo, cabaret nights, karaoke, etc!) SLEEP!!!!
We would get two full time assistants on the park for the summer season)
However, we lasted three full seasons on site. The day came when in late 2008, we had had enough. I called my old employer who were looking for someone with my experience and within two weeks, we had found a new home and I had started back with my old company basically on my old salary.
I suppose after all of that,my point is it is a big step, it's a great lifestyle change, you are young enough (we were 40 - 45 at the time), you are re-employable as you will have a new set of skills. We would do it again in a heartbeat.


25/3/2017 at 10:20am
 Location: Cleveland
 Outfit: Swift select 164
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Youtube.. (Walters wardens) couple just starting out with the caravan club, sorry that should be caravan and motorhome club.
Might be worth a look see.


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25/3/2017 at 1:43pm
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View Norfolkcampers1's Profile View Profile   Reply to Norfolkcampers1 Reply   Quote Norfolkcampers1 Quote  
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Quote: Originally posted by Megellen on 25/3/2017

Paul and Aimeé,

I know from experience where you are coming from with this.
My wife and I did exactly (almost) the same thing in 2005.
We were in standard 9 to 5 jobs, mortgaged, in a bit of debt and with 4 teenage kids between us.
We had previously run a tenanted pub for three years so we knew we could work together 24/7 but we had no idea what we wanted to do.
On the Whitsun weekend we went camping in Pembrokeshire and on the Saturday evening got chatting to the warden over the bar in the clubhouse.
On the Sunday afternoon, we were in Aberystwyth being interviewed for Park Managers vacancy on a park near Aberaeron. We got the job and only giving a weeks notice in work, packed the car, sorted tenants for the house and started work the following Monday.
The park was 16 acres of a mix of 80 owner occupied statics, 4 letting statics, a 3 bedroom rental lodge, camping for 75 caravans and 25 tents. There was a clubhouse, restaurant, games room and swimming pool and us!
The position was full time, 12 months of the year with a month off to be taken when the park was shut between November and February. During this period, the only person we saw on the park other than the MD was the postman!
We were paid a salary as a couple, had a percentage bonus of clubhouse sales, had a £200 bonus per caravan sale.
During the winter we worked 8 - 4 five days a week. During open season 8 - 5 and 7 - 12 on weekends. We had one day off per week until school holidays where we would work 7 days a week 8 - 5 and 7 - close.
We were also on call 24 / 7.
Nothing like sitting down to your meal break and someone knocking your door because they need gas or want to check in!
Long hard days! A typical day would be open reception, check all buildings, clean shower blocks, clean and treat pool, clean and prepare clubhouse for next opening, clean laundry, cut grass / hedges ( I could disappear for hours cutting 15 acres of grass on a ride on), welcome guests. Break. Open clubhouse, serve at bar, still attending to campers, serve food until 9pm (my OH was chef), serve at bar until 11 - 12AM, entertain guests (bingo, cabaret nights, karaoke, etc!) SLEEP!!!!
We would get two full time assistants on the park for the summer season)
However, we lasted three full seasons on site. The day came when in late 2008, we had had enough. I called my old employer who were looking for someone with my experience and within two weeks, we had found a new home and I had started back with my old company basically on my old salary.
I suppose after all of that,my point is it is a big step, it's a great lifestyle change, you are young enough (we were 40 - 45 at the time), you are re-employable as you will have a new set of skills. We would do it again in a heartbeat.




Thankyou Magellen for that very detailed response!

It seems you was in a very similar position to ourselves in fact it was slightly more complicated with your kids involved also.

Sadly as I would be penalised for leaving my job with various training costs etc to cover before January we are realistically looking at 2018 to start.

Having a good read up on the net it looks like maybe a 'house sitter' who covers our bills at home in return for a warm place to live looks like our least stressful and painless option. Fortunately I may have the person in mind!

What you say strangely doesn't daunt me, my current job (domestic engineer) is very much a thankless job and the bulk of my time isnt doing anything 'productive' or relat d to job directly. My OH is a senior care assistant and understandably dealing with the end of life stuff she does isn't exactly rewarding in the usual sense and I have no idea how she does it!!

Would you recommend we put the feelers out now?

What would you suggest we be looking for in terms of a contract?

If a job is offered with accommodation is there a chance we can get a better salary package in exchange for us supplying our own tourer from your experience?

Would our lack of 'direct' experience be a big sticking point?

Sorry for the questions but it seems you're best qualified to give a judged answer!

Thanks

Paul


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25/3/2017 at 1:44pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Johnnie Boy on 25/3/2017

Youtube.. (Walters wardens) couple just starting out with the caravan club, sorry that should be caravan and motorhome club.
Might be worth a look see.




Cheers will do 😁


25/3/2017 at 3:40pm
 Location: Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
 Outfit: Outwell Whitecove 5
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Hi Paul,

Didn't mean to try to daunt you. In fact as I said, we'd do it again in a flash but having a heart attack three years ago probably means that August Bank Holiday madness is best avoided!
The kids actually made our lives so much easier. Two lived with us full time and were going into year 8 when we started and being taught in Welsh. They adapted very, very quickly to our hare-brained idea! We had built in bar staff and waitresses!
I think primarily its the smaller touring parks (Easter to End October) that do the free pitch, electricity, smallish salary in exchange for labour type of contract. They will start looking for staff usually around Jan / Feb for that season.
We were on a small to medium sized family owned (3 parks in the area)holiday park open for 9 months with 3 months of maintenance in the off peak season.
We had a 3 bedroom chalet (parkhome) in its own grounds with gas, electric, water and poll tax included and approx. £500 per week between us plus clubhouse bonus and sales bonus.
This type of contract can appear at anytime. The jobs section of this site is a good place to look. Most accommodation will be offered in a staff static caravan.
Hope this is of some help.
Don't hesitate to ask more questions, if I can help - I will.
Good Luck.


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25/3/2017 at 3:49pm
 Location: Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
 Outfit: Outwell Whitecove 5
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Sorry - missed the last question.
We only had pub experience when we went in.
I didn't know one end of a strimmer from another.
I only ever went in a pool in my trunks.
When it's down to you - you learn and quickly.
I can use ride on mowers, diggers, dumpers, chainsaws, strimmers, hedge cutters.
I can wire and plumb caravans in. I can strip and rebuild a pool pump and filtration system. I learnt how to test and balance the water quality in the pool.
Manoeuvring static vans around with a quad bike, two four by fours, a dumper and numerous chains is like brutal ballet!
Our sales and customer service background helped us especially in refusing refunds because it was 'raining all the time and our tent is soaking and we've had an awful time and your beer is the wrong sort' - TRUE!
You'll both be fine!


27/3/2017 at 3:24pm
 Location: SHROPSHIRE
 Outfit: ABI VICEROY
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crikey megellen that sounds like hard work.
this job isn't for the money,we work on a site in oxfordshire fri/sat/sun/mon.i run the office and my husband maintenance/groundwork along with other staff.
we have a private pension to see us through the winter and still got a daughter at home paying her way whilst we are here.
if you don't have a caravan to live in what we did the first year was go as reps working in france.hard work but a laugh.
only downside is what do you do when the season ends?
good luck.



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