Full time through winter in search of new life
- Thread starter dawsey
- Start date
Ha. All will be welcome - If we turned down everyone with strong right wing politics I’d have to exclude most of the French!Don’t forget to charge the B voters double
Or q’s looking to leave…You keep ‘pitching’ it like that and you’ll have Q’s of guests looking to stay!!!
One thing we found in our research is that virtually every campsite has its negative points you don’t see in the adverts (but you can find if you trawl the reviews/comments).
One idea is to present it warts and all, highlighting every potential negative (as I just did) including the industry which is minimum 1km and the sewage treatment plant (reed beds, next to the Vienne river) which is actually 3km away… call it ‘honest advertising’ which is an oxymoron if I ever heard one - do you reckon it would catch on?
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UptheGas
Free Member
Honesty is the best policyOr q’s looking to leave…
One thing we found in our research is that virtually every campsite has its negative points you don’t see in the adverts (but you can find if you trawl the reviews/comments).
One idea is to present it warts and all, highlighting every potential negative (as I just did) including the industry which is minimum 1km and the sewage treatment plant (reed beds, next to the Vienne river) which is actually 3km away… call it ‘honest advertising’ which is an oxymoron if I ever heard one - do you reckon it would catch on?
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Please don't tell the Bank Manager you are offering free pitches
Not sure about your total honesty plan. If it won't affect people I wouldn't. Some people are easily scared off.
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I know this is a tongue in cheek comment but it is a really important issue. After liquidating all our assets and more, we bought our UK site (now sold) in 2006. Then the banks would lend you money on the back of a fag packet business plan and associated experience, with LTV’s of 95%. They couldn’t lend money quick enough. Cue the financial crisis and today you would maybe get LTV at 65% with a crucifying interest rate because of lack of experience, if indeed you could get it at all. I’ve no idea how it works in France, but I would guess that banks are banks. I really wish you well in your venture.
Up until about a month ago we had no idea either - we are on a steep learning curve
Best comparison? Think of UK 30 years ago. No credit files, no credit referencing agencies, no ‘computer says no’ automated decisions in minutes. Just you, your application, your prepared documents, suited and booted, in person interviews and a real bank manager making the decision. It’s still proper ‘old school’ over here.
I hope they don’t ask about school qualifications, I was suspended age 15 for getting caught riding a Suzuki GT185 to school and never returned
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Thank you. We both very much appreciate these messages of support. Glad you are enjoying my meandering diatribes..Wow what a really interesting thread ! Really hope things work out for you dawsey .
Totally with you on the B… stuff, what a colossal faff and all for …. ?
Would love to come out and stay at your new gaff with my wife and kid sometime ( we’ll happily pay the going rate ) . I’ll even offer to help with a bit of grass cutting if you like but that’s about as far as my usefulness goes
Will keep reading with interest, good luck
I’m very pleased you are enjoying it. It does seem as if all the really ‘fun’ bits are still very much to come…Just read the whole of your thread…. what an adventure! And like Ginam ..love your style of writing…. can’t wait for more instalment’s
I am looking forward to seeing some photos of the place now
Ha. Soft focus, at distance and ‘photoshop’ spring to mindI am looking forward to seeing some photos of the place now
- at least for now.Sadly we are honour bound not to share with anyone as the owners do not want the staff to know until the end of the current season.
It’s their wish and we have to respect it, a condition of allowing us to move onto the site in our camper from the end of this month. I do feel for the staff though, they will have no idea they are all being appraised by the new owners, a bit like that TV show….
It sounds like it’s been a lovely journey to get where you are, all the travelling in the Motorhome through different countries and sites, aires etc.
I hope the reality of the site is just as good, personally I would have continued just with the journey.
I hope the reality of the site is just as good, personally I would have continued just with the journey.
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I get you, completely. I/We have however done all that many times. 30yr ago friends and I did every country in europe and eastern europe wild camping the entire summer in an old Bedford CF with a Sherpa BMC 1800 diesel engine welded in. 20yr ago I spent a year exploring every country of SE Asia (and Scuba diving many of the islands, from those off Burma and Thailand/Malaysia/Vietnam to islands off Borneo, much of Indonesia and Philippines and even right out to Polynesia..) all as part of a giant 18m rtw adventure. 10 yr ago with Bea we spent 5 months all round western Europe wild camping in an old Talbot Express based A-class (to get Bea into campers..) . Now it’s time for us, or me at least, to sit on the other side of the reception deskIt sounds like it’s been a lovely journey to get where you are, all the travelling in the Motorhome through different countries and sites, aires etc.
I hope the reality of the site is just as good, personally I would have continued just with the journey.
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Nanniemate
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Any transfer of ownership is usually kept confidential until it is all signed and sealed as it deters rumors and stops both employees and customers having concerns about their security .Ha. Soft focus, at distance and ‘photoshop’ spring to mind
Sadly we are honour bound not to share with anyone as the owners do not want the staff to know until the end of the current season.
It’s their wish and we have to respect it, a condition of allowing us to move onto the site in our camper from the end of this month. I do feel for the staff though, they will have no idea they are all being appraised by the new owners, a bit like that TV show….
One of my contractors has just changed hands and we were told by email at 7pm in the evening 1 week later. As the announcement was made on their website.
With of course the assurances that there will be no changes and it's business as usual
Ps loving your adventure good luck and keep writing
Yes I do understand that and respect their privacy, will you keep the staff on? well I suppose the ones you find are worth keeping onHa. Soft focus, at distance and ‘photoshop’ spring to mind
Sadly we are honour bound not to share with anyone as the owners do not want the staff to know until the end of the current season.
It’s their wish and we have to respect it, a condition of allowing us to move onto the site in our camper from the end of this month. I do feel for the staff though, they will have no idea they are all being appraised by the new owners, a bit like that TV show….
Ha. Soft focus, at distance and ‘photoshop’ spring to mind
Sadly we are honour bound not to share with anyone as the owners do not want the staff to know until the end of the current season.
It’s their wish and we have to respect it, a condition of allowing us to move onto the site in our camper from the end of this month. I do feel for the staff though, they will have no idea they are all being appraised by the new owners, a bit like that TV show….
At least you will know what staff to keep, the site I am on now has two new staff and because the owner knows me and I will give an honest opinion of said staff from a customers view….
Nanniemate
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Secret shopper stuff , great funAt least you will know what staff to keep, the site I am on now has two new staff and because the owner knows me and I will give an honest opinion of said staff from a customers view….
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Yes of courseYes I do understand that and respect their privacy, will you keep the staff on? well I suppose the ones you find are worth keeping on
Our expectations aren’t high though, remember this is the land of the 35hr week, the 2hr lunch break, the mandated stop every 30min to look cool dragging on a Gitane or practising how to properly make the ‘pfff’ noise with the correct level of disdain and of course the (soon to be raised
) retirement on full pay at 62 yrs….
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Nanniemate
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I can see the benifit of living over thereYes of course
Our expectations aren’t high though, remember this is the land of the 35hr week, the 2hr lunch break, the mandated stop every 30min to look cool dragging on a Gitane or practising how to say ‘pfff’ and of course the soon to be raised retirement in full pay at 62 yrs….
That's it I quit I am moving over thereYes of course
Our expectations aren’t high though, remember this is the land of the 35hr week, the 2hr lunch break, the mandated stop every 30min to look cool dragging on a Gitane or practising how to say ‘pfff’ and of course the soon to be raised retirement in full pay at 62 yrs….
I found this thread this morning whilst unable to sleep. What a great read it has been, please keep posting and let us know how you get on. I think your wife is marvellous !
That's it I quit I am moving over there
Well, there will be jobs from the second we take over. We are keeping back a significant pot to invest to turn round the site as quick as possible. There will be thousands of things to do, from making up new pitch number signs (all are rusty) to refitting out the shower blocks, tiling etc, to tree surgery, grass recovery (it’s all been left to go to scrub and weeds, any ideas?), pitch levelling, planting of many many new perennials around the chateau and the grounds (Bea wants loads of flowers..). I will recommission the huge old well and use it for irrigation, then there’s stone masonry, pointing, rebuilding 17th century walls etc etc.
I’ve experienced, to a point, most of the general building type things (I worked for a general builder as a labourer for a time when I got kicked out of school), I/we have done up houses in UK large and small, so are not afraid other than the obvious worries about time and cost. We will need to be employing crews to help us get stuck in, I can’t graft like I used to be able to, now too old and knackered to continuously put in too many hard shifts, I’ve spent too many years going soft in an office….
Thank the stars that the Eastern Europeans are still available to employers in France. I can employ them, but the French, like most of the countries in western Europe (and unlike the UK was and still remains) are super strong on policing ‘black market’ work, so it’s ‘cards in’ and suck up the heavy employer social charges. It will still work/be worthwhile though, if I can find a Hungarian or Polish winter crew. The work ethic of those eastern europeans is far beyond any west Europeans (esp the French), as anyone who has ever employed any of them would affirm.
If anyone with any particular skills out there fancy a relaxing late autumn, winter or spring free holiday in return for a days work/help (or supervising/guiding/teaching keen but inexperienced and mistake prone young grafters) with literally hundreds of jobs we are completely open to it. I suspect there is some real heavyweight experience in many of the areas we have to get stuck into lurking on this forum…
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What an opportunity. Wish we were young enough, fit enough, skilled enough etc etc. We'd be there by tomorrow (exaggeration but you know what I mean). We'll just have to keep an eye on your from afar and join in when appropriate.
Ha - I saw this this morning and wasn’t sure what it meant, I showed it to Bea who was most pleased to have a fan!
We have a bet - who is doing all cooking and cleaning tomorrow on what was meant….
a) marvellous just for tolerating me (she wins)
b) marvellous in her own right from what snippets can be garnered about her from what I write (I win)
c) neither. typo/autocorrect - you meant to say ‘life’ - draw
It’s A !!!’ I’m a lady myself and I don’t think I would be so marvellous as Bea ! My other half is nodding his head here . Really enjoying reading all the posts you have made and maybe one day might end up your way .
Your positive attitude is a pleasure to read, do continue to post and send photos
Chris
Your positive attitude is a pleasure to read, do continue to post and send photos
Chris
Shame I’m working full time as it sounds like a nice plan and I would have come over, young, fit and strong and done a couple of houses up.
seriously ? Pot Pourri !Please don't tell the Bank Manager you are offering free pitches
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