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Published: August 8th 2007
Firewood...
In the snow (Marianne & Sam)Tuesday 20th
Having spent the day on the ‘running your own business course’, with the last 2 days on finance (profit forecasting, etc.) - have a much better understanding of it, but we all know that maths is not really my thing, so brain is a little frazzled! So, from Basingstoke to Otford (near Sevenoaks) in Kent - in good time (the GPS kept me on target - and feels a lot safer now I have a holder attached to the windscreen, rather than my phone flying around on the seat!).
Arrived at
Otford Manor, home of
Oakhall Expeditions, just after 6 - good timing, as this is dinner time (although with the amount of food on offer at the training course, wasn’t sure I was hungry!), so I got to meet quite a few people (including Ian and Judy Mayo who started the whole thing 45 years ago) - there’s 22 places set for staff, although the numbers of people at the Manor seems to change hourly - there’s a lot going on! Oakhall Manor is particularly popular with New Zealanders and South Africans who come for a few months/years to work/travel - small communities who let each other know
What a view...
from the ladies! about the opportunities.
Lovely meal of chicken drumsticks and potato wedges & veggies - and I was sat next to Kate who’d cooked it, and is from South Africa! The next couple of hours were a bit of a blur, being introduced to people, finding my room, and having a tour of the Manor (there’s so much to it) with Tracey who was also to be my roommate, until she headed off on her next trip. Went out for a hot chocolate in Sevenoaks with Liz (from the office), and Mark - who was supposed to be ski instructing for the season, but has rather a major break to the leg - caused by skiing into a tree or some such, so is also working in the office! Went to bed tired - and with a bruise on my head from smacking into a beam - but ready for my early start!
Wednesday 21st
Here starts the daily routine. Breakfast by 8.25 - help yourself, then onto Bible/prayer session from 8.25-9 (a good way to start the day), before the first block of work starts at 9am. Working sessions are 9-11, 11.15-1, 2-4, 4.15-5.30/6, with plenty
Shiny windows!
and lots of them! of breaks and chances to meet up with everyone else over a never-ending supply of biscuits! I was put onto the house-keeping team for today, working with Jen (OBVIOUSLY from the West Country) for today - cleaning the toilets (including the ones upstairs at which I’d been promised an amazing view - they weren’t wrong!), hoovering, etc. for the morning, before meeting over a nice lunch - after which we all help clear up. For the afternoon, we were set to cleaning the windows, and my, does the Manor have a lot of glass to be cleaned - see the photo of the sun streaming in through the lovely clean windows in the dining room (apart from the top 8 on the outside - couldn’t reach them!) Very satisfying work though, seeing the glass come up clean - and Marianne joined in once her other chores were complete, and it became quite fun too! Lovely dinner in the evening, with more shared washing up, then a chance to download my email (hurrah, finally) as everyone can chip into the internet fund - although for wireless, it’s pretty much compulsory to sit on the stairs - best signal! Bit of a
late night as we watched
John Grisham’s ‘The Chamber’ on the large-screen used for meetings - thought-provoking, especially when you are reminded that this kind of thing still goes on elsewhere in the world.
Thursday 22nd
For the morning, back on housekeeping, and was despatched to the East Wing to ensure it would be ready for this weekends guests, and re-set the room which had had its carpet washed - this place is very clean! Paired with Sam from Australia for today, and, after collecting wood in the SNOW, we went out into the front lawn with some plants/bulbs, and were to plant them. The borders had disappeared, so it was a heavier job than first appeared, as we got a couple of forks, etc. and set to, turning the soil over. We didn’t complete it by 6, so plan is to come out and do some more!
After dinner I sat down to do some of my i-to-i TEFL training, but still have LOADS more to go, only on module 2 or 10 - and this one’s the grammar module! Part of the reason I’m doing TEFL is to improve my own understanding of grammar. I use it
correctly without even thinking about it, so trying to understand the rules is kind-a interesting, but tough! Was offered the chance to watch
Napoleon Dynamite, which Sam and Jen have been quoting from pretty much since I got here, but wanted to go to bed earlier as am now shattered, so I missed it - thought I’d get a chance to watch it later, as by this point I’d offered to stay the following weekend!
Friday 23rd
Tracey’s flown off to lead/instruct on another ski trip - heard her go very early! Was on house-keeping in the morning with Sam, as we ensured that all the rooms and public areas were ready for the guest’s arriving that evening. I then had until 5pm off, so took the chance to go for a run round the local area - quite hilly, and roads are a bit narrow and busy - but it was a great chance to stretch my legs. Then came back in time for a bit of a read of Stuart Lee’s ‘Will the real me please stand up?’ - picked it up in a charity shop for 50p ages ago, but never read it - interesting
stuff to think about! After dinner, was back on duty for the evening, welcoming the guests, serving tea/coffee, etc. Quite a late one, and a chance to meet (more) new people… although this group were getting to know each other more! My new roommate has arrived, Anta from Latvia - a snowboard instructor, who’s back for a week.
Saturday 24th
Saturday passed in a bit of a blur, as we ensured that the guests were having a good time, the toilets were clean, and that they were plied with plenty of food. Again, the afternoon was free, and I spent most of it having a walk around, some chats, and reading some more of my book! I knew I had Sunday off to look forward to, and had arranged some ‘family time’!
Sunday 25th
Sunday I got a bit of a lie-in, then charged up the GPS for a visit to my brother - Matt, Pippa and Nicole - who just keeps growing (strange that “My haven’t you grown” being such a great comment, especially when received from someone who hasn’t seen you for YEARS!). Had a nice chilled out time, a healthy lunch,
Nnnnnnnnnnnhhh
Ruth and Liz M... reputed to dance and bounce all the time... a good chat, watched Nicole playing - with
Madagascar on in the background. Managed to follow directions to the petrol station on the way back - was worried as was well-below red by this point - and was back JUST in time to go to
St Nicholas’s in Sevenoaks for the 6.30pm service - fun service, led by the ‘Contact’ youth group. I’d spied the name of an Oakhall trip speaker earlier in the week and thought - “I know a Simon Heather from when I was in Winchester” - the name recurred as the Sevenoaks youth minister, and yes, it was the same Simon as I knew. Went up to say hi at the end of the service, and Simon said “you should come on this trip that I’m speaking at in Lauterbrunnen”, and I said “would be good, but I’ve offered to stay at the manor until end of next weekend, and that trip goes Thursday evening!”
Monday 26th
Monday morning prayer time, Ian Mayo was back from trip to the Alpine regions to see how the holidays were going. Mention was made of some spaces still needed filling on the trips - I’d offered to stay at
Beautiful...
Sam and Trace the Manor for an extra half week to help out with another set of guests, but my head kept nagging that I should mention to Ian/Andy that if they so desired I was available for a trip, in any capacity, but would need to know by the Tuesday to re-arrange other plans I had (sorry Nicky & Toby!).
I spent Monday in the office, helping out with odds and ends, such as filing, and sorting the lost property (how many people leave their Bibles behind and never reclaim them!) for the morning, and then in the afternoon, Andy offered me some Dictaphone work. This was really interesting stuff about Oakhall’s work in Serbia - where Andy and Faye had been living for the last 10 years, but were now happy to see locals doing the work needed, and ensuring that the work is supported from the UK.
At lunchtime took advantage of the lovely weather to take a few photos of the manor. The evening was Liz M’s birthday ‘party’. Liz is from New Zealand, is an ex-dancer, and is described as ‘bouncy Liz’, as opposed to the other 2 Liz’s on team! That was a fun evening,
Ha Ha
Let's take another one!!! with popcorn made with condensed milk (and honey? - Sam, let me know how you made it as it was sickly but awesome!), pass the parcel, the chocolate game, Knights of the Tin tray, and just lots of general silliness and fun - especially involving fitballs (I must see if I can find my adaptor so I can re-inflate mine!)!
Tuesday 27th
Tuesday morning I met with Andy & Ruth for a bit of a chat about what had brought me to Oakhall, my journey of faith, etc. and they said “yes, we need someone to act as caretaker in Lauterbrunnen on Thursday - can you do it”?! So, after a day in which I was back in the office sorting courier’s packs and re-editing newsletters re: Serbia I headed off back to Suffolk… missing out on Napoloean Dynamite (again) - although I’m sure I know it all now as Jen/Sam have quoted endlessly from it - and maybe I’ll get to see it in Lauters as Jen is head cook there for the week! An amazing few days - hard work, but such a team atmosphere going on!
As I left for the drive
Wireless access!
Woo-hoo... take a comfy sitting position... back to Suffolk to pick up my passport, I picked up a postcard I saw lying around, with a web address which some people might find useful for Christian Flatshares, although I quite like sharing with the ‘unholy crowds’ too, even if Andy did continually tell me to do ‘Hail Marys’ for things and I’M NOT A CATHOLIC! I think there’s a cost with
Christian Flatshare to advertise, but not to choose - and any profits are given to charity - thought it was quite a nice idea, especially for those of us who know what it’s like to move cities at short notice!
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