The Vlog (V's Blog)
24th February 2020
Virginia – or just ‘V’ – is one half of Moss Wood’s new warden team along with Miles, who are joining seasonal wardens Sue and Dave, along with the rest of the team. We thought it would be great to share this unique inside view into the comings and goings of the award-winning Moss Wood Caravan Park…
An authoritative “V” came from Henry’s office, followed quickly by “Virginia!” I scurried through from Reception to find Henry and Neil looking at me. Henry said to Neil – “Go on then Neil, you ask her, it was your idea.” Neil answered “no it wasn’t, it was yours. You ask!”
Top and bottom of it was that the two must have been struggling for ideas that rainy afternoon (and we had run out of biscuits the previous day) and it had been decided that it might be interesting if I did a blog.
I said yes of course, eager to please my new boss and then googled ‘What is a Blog?’
Daunting. Apparently, it’s to be an informative and topical narrative/diary entry about things that interest me. Heaven help us- this is going to need some serious editing! 😊
So, let me start by saying Hello everyone. I’m Virginia, my other half is Miles. I say other half because he’s not my better half, just my other half. We are completely different in so many ways but completely in tune where and when it matters. He will put his hand in dirty stuff and on dead stuff. I wont. He can’t make bread (from scratch – no cheating bread mixes or bread machines) I can. nor can he ……….. actually I’m struggling to think of anything else he can’t do ….. anyway – so the relationship works, pretty well, most of the time, especially on holiday when I get completely my own way about where we go and which hotel and where we eat. What else matters!
I bet most of you chose to have your holiday home here because the lady half said it was ‘the’ place. Happy wife, happy life, just saying guys 😉
We thought a good starting point may be – what brought us to Moss Wood.
It all happened quite quickly and was a bit of a whirlwind to be honest, but I will start at the beginning, several years before!
Miles has been a farmer all his life. Born on a farm, dad was a farmer, grandad was a farmer. His mum was from a farming background. Farming has changed and small tenant estate farms are no longer viable, and as his dad got older, he didn’t continue with the tenancy and one of the Big Boy farmers with thousands of acres took it over. The family got to stay in the farmhouse but fed the cattle etc. by way of rent. Miles’ dad became increasing ill and a 15-year-old Miles (who had the same physique he has now), being the only son did most of the work before and after school to help his dad.
One rainy afternoon, Miles came skipping in from the cattle shed and burst out in high pitched excitement “Mam, Dad – Mr Platt has just offered me a job when I leave school!” And there he stayed for 34 years, becoming the main man. Miles isn’t one to blow his own trumpet but he was the top drill man (a job that requires great skill in operating the machinery and thus creating a top class crop) and was often offered jobs around the area to which he replied ‘Nope, I’m happy where I am mate, thanks though”. He can weld, he fixes things, he understands engines, he is a total go to. My hero.
I have to confess though, at first, I thought he had a massive drink problem. He was always in his local pub at any given opportunity. He wouldn’t just have one pint; he’d sink several and he was often giving the landlady free sacks of potatoes. It turns out the shy reserved farmer had a bit of a soft spot for the landlady. Me. As he didn’t work with animals anymore and was only on the arable and workshop side of things he didn’t smell, and our banter turned to great friendship and I liked having him around. Then one night he plucked up enough courage (a lot of it Dutch) and asked for a kiss when I was trying to kick him out so I could lock up.
And that, your Honor, is how it all started!