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Topic: Campsite warden - a change of lifestyle
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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.
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Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
25/3/2017 at 1:43pm
Location: None Entered Outfit: None Entered
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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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