When I was a little girl, all I ever wanted was a Wendy House.
I loved building dens – indoors and out – but it was my Wendy House that I enjoyed most. My parents used to deliver the milk and bring me snacks as I fluffed the cushions and made my home from home.
This soon expanded to Uni digs, from room to house, then to flat – until, finally, one day my husband-to-be Jim and I bought a campervan! Yes, a type 2.5 white VW camper, which we christened Nobby.
Nothing quite beats that feeling – of being able to go anywhere and bed down for the night, get up early to have breakfast on the beach, or just have warmth and a cuppa on a day out on the hills. After Luke and Tom came along, a high-top was needed and staycations were what we lived for.
So it felt natural to take the next step – running our own campsite. A staycation at the end of our garden!
It’s been quite a journey. Finding the right place. The right views. The right location. Not only for the campsite, but for the boys as well. After all, they’ve already decided what role they’ll play on the site when it’s open and delivering the peace and tranquillity we have in mind.
So, here we are!
Beautiful views of Bredon Hill and the Malverns, with a bonus view of Tunnel Hill and Hipton Hill.
Roe deer live here, and we’re surrounded by orchards. The veg patch is in place, and has delivered its bumper first-year crop, and the chickens keep us fed with fresh eggs.
Our hope is that we’ll open late spring 2020. But creating the site to meet that aim really is the tough bit!
Jim and I are both managers. We run teams and make sure jobs are run to a timescale and delivered by deadline. The big challenge with Bredon-Vale Caravan and Camping is that we’re learning new project management skills.
Jim’s an automotive engineer and I’m all singing and dancing, so civil engineering, sewerage systems and building an amenity block are fresh ground.
Are we daunted? Once in a while. But it’s mostly just plain exciting. We’re ready to get stuck in, get dirty, and feel the success of our efforts, but this is the part that requires patience – no matter how much we’re looking forward to the day when we feel the buzz that will come with running the site and seeing our visitors love being here.
That last bit’s what we’re confident about, because we know what it takes for that to happen.
We’ve been the lucky visitor, and we’ve experienced the hard work to come, thanks to our working holiday in the Forest of Dean.
A sense of humour is a definite going forward, too – I might just watch Carry on camping! again – and lots of focus to deliver the dream.
As Winston Churchill – a man with a local connect you might be fascinated to discover, at some point – once said: ‘Never give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about.’ See you in 2020!