It’s good to hear what it’s been like. Considering the warden route to semi retire in a few years time. More for the lifestyle than the money but that would help. Hopefully better times are ahead both work and weather wise. Maybe you could get some Christmas shifts in retail to tide you over the next few months. My husband enjoyed being a picker for the home deliveries in a well known supermarket. He did 5am-9am or 6am-10am and had the rest of the day off to pursue other interests. They only did part time contracts of 20-25hrs a week and he could pick up extra shifts. Not the most interesting of jobs but he didn’t deal with customers. Also discount on shopping and in their cafe too.
Elton....mate.... I have followed you for some time, and find this vid really informative about you and your lifestyle and your issues/problems. I have been there, and i'm currently in a very similar situation to you, and will explain further. I'm a Brit, however, with an ex SA wife and kids that live both in UK and CT (some currently going through UCT). I love SA, and think, especially with the way that UK seems to want to go at the moment that is the place i want to retire Some of the comments im about to say may upset(probably the wrong word) you but they may also resonate with you- but dont take it personally. I also have an IT background, but because of the way IT works in always going at 1000 miles an hour, also feel unemployable nowadays. Over the past few years,as you know, I have also taken the Campsite Warden route (bascially in order to 1) get income and 2) free accommodation) and have been in almost constant employment for 3 years - in sites that have had shitty tyrant owners, sites that have crap management, and sites that are just generally shit with shitty co-workers - however, i have survived - and the main reason i have survived is that i have kept my mouth shut and taken the bullshit , yes, however tough it is. I just say yes and dont bother trying to counter it - ive learned not to oppose it - it just aint worth it. I just take my monthly salary and keep my mouth shut. Now, and dont take this personally, but most Saffers in England are thought of as being arrogant (rightly or wrongly) - even my son born in CT thinks that Saffers in UK are arrogant and its something that is picked up on quite quickly by Brits. I have come to the conclusion this year that destiny has to be in my hands - and have spent the past year binge watching any YT vid re Forex Trading, and also (my favourite) Betfair Sports Trading (especially, but not limited to Cricket) - that way i can Trade from my house in Hermanus to my hearts content and not have any crap management having a go at me for being 2 mins late for work - i also am in throws of doing my Uber knowledge at a town on South Coast which will give me the fall-back of being able to work when i want to with the view of doing 6 months in UK , and 6 months in Hermanus looking after my Airbnb. Also, UK winters are shit ! I hope you take this in the constructive way that it was intended Stu BTW, the aerial photography is great - love the one at Weobley? Castle
@@stuartwallace7536 I’ve got thick skin Stu, I’m not easily offended. And totally agree that many SAFFAs in the UK are considered arrogant. That’s because many of them don’t appreciate they are no longer living in South Africa and constantly want to compare. Or say things like ‘that’s not a Braai, that’s a bbq’ (who the hell actually cares!?) I don’t think I’m an arrogant person. Opinionated, sure, but not arrogant. My issues on the campsites aren’t down to arrogance. They are down to managers who have lost the plot with their ‘power’. People who in any other line of work would never be entertained as being management. What it boils down to basically is that I can earn what I do at a campsite through the services I provide without having to just say ‘yes’ and be treated like crap. The manager on the New Forest site was a total hypocrite. She told wardens off for something that she herself did. She had the wardens mowing her grass around her static caravan! I flat out refused as it simply was a piss take and a total abuse of her title as site manager. On my first site in Devon the site managers were truly awesome people who couldn’t do enough for their wardens. But they ended up leaving with many others that season due to the senior management team in head office and how they were managing their site staff. Those managers had been with the club for 15 years. I would happily work on a campsite over the winter. As there isn’t really much travel and exploring that can be done here in the UK then anyway, but I really need my festival fix. I have worked the past 3 summers and I’m getting withdrawals. So I really cannot consider campsite work over the summer again. Once my pooch crosses over I’m going to head back to SA for a while. I’ve not been back for 18 years so it’s going to be a total shock to the system I think. But I also want to explore the 6 months there 6 months here option. Be well buddy.
Two more wardens left the New Forest mid season inc Gary and your replacement, many seasonal pitch owners are leaving in a few weeks due to cost and Gas safety Cert which is a way to drum up business for the very local caravan engineer enough said.
@@Pitchup-v6x the SNT simply don’t have a clue about running a camping business and how to keep things ticking over in the off peak periods. Really quite sad as they are lovely sites. I’m not surprised the seasonal are leaving, the pitch fees are simply ridiculous for what is on offer especially at the ‘back to basics’ sites. I know of several people who left other of the NF sites since my departure including one who was apparently bullied by the HR person. Sums it up really
I'm also early 50s and design and host websites from a van, also fit fast and reliable broadband for rural (via 4G) and an ex IT professional. I dropped you an email a month or so back but no reply. Get in touch, happy to chat and help. Good luck 💪
It’s good to hear what it’s been like. Considering the warden route to semi retire in a few years time. More for the lifestyle than the money but that would help. Hopefully better times are ahead both work and weather wise. Maybe you could get some Christmas shifts in retail to tide you over the next few months. My husband enjoyed being a picker for the home deliveries in a well known supermarket. He did 5am-9am or 6am-10am and had the rest of the day off to pursue other interests. They only did part time contracts of 20-25hrs a week and he could pick up extra shifts. Not the most interesting of jobs but he didn’t deal with customers. Also discount on shopping and in their cafe too.
Elton....mate.... I have followed you for some time, and find this vid really informative about you and your lifestyle and your issues/problems.
I have been there, and i'm currently in a very similar situation to you, and will explain further.
I'm a Brit, however, with an ex SA wife and kids that live both in UK and CT (some currently going through UCT). I love SA, and think, especially with the way that UK seems to want to go at the moment that is the place i want to retire
Some of the comments im about to say may upset(probably the wrong word) you but they may also resonate with you- but dont take it personally.
I also have an IT background, but because of the way IT works in always going at 1000 miles an hour, also feel unemployable nowadays.
Over the past few years,as you know, I have also taken the Campsite Warden route (bascially in order to 1) get income and 2) free accommodation) and have been in almost constant employment for 3 years - in sites that have had shitty tyrant owners, sites that have crap management, and sites that are just generally shit with shitty co-workers - however, i have survived - and the main reason i have survived is that i have kept my mouth shut and taken the bullshit , yes, however tough it is. I just say yes and dont bother trying to counter it - ive learned not to oppose it - it just aint worth it. I just take my monthly salary and keep my mouth shut.
Now, and dont take this personally, but most Saffers in England are thought of as being arrogant (rightly or wrongly) - even my son born in CT thinks that Saffers in UK are arrogant and its something that is picked up on quite quickly by Brits.
I have come to the conclusion this year that destiny has to be in my hands - and have spent the past year binge watching any YT vid re Forex Trading, and also (my favourite) Betfair Sports Trading (especially, but not limited to Cricket) - that way i can Trade from my house in Hermanus to my hearts content and not have any crap management having a go at me for being 2 mins late for work - i also am in throws of doing my Uber knowledge at a town on South Coast which will give me the fall-back of being able to work when i want to with the view of doing 6 months in UK , and 6 months in Hermanus looking after my Airbnb.
Also, UK winters are shit !
I hope you take this in the constructive way that it was intended
Stu
BTW, the aerial photography is great - love the one at Weobley? Castle
@@stuartwallace7536 I’ve got thick skin Stu, I’m not easily offended. And totally agree that many SAFFAs in the UK are considered arrogant. That’s because many of them don’t appreciate they are no longer living in South Africa and constantly want to compare. Or say things like ‘that’s not a Braai, that’s a bbq’ (who the hell actually cares!?)
I don’t think I’m an arrogant person. Opinionated, sure, but not arrogant. My issues on the campsites aren’t down to arrogance. They are down to managers who have lost the plot with their ‘power’. People who in any other line of work would never be entertained as being management.
What it boils down to basically is that I can earn what I do at a campsite through the services I provide without having to just say ‘yes’ and be treated like crap. The manager on the New Forest site was a total hypocrite. She told wardens off for something that she herself did. She had the wardens mowing her grass around her static caravan! I flat out refused as it simply was a piss take and a total abuse of her title as site manager. On my first site in Devon the site managers were truly awesome people who couldn’t do enough for their wardens. But they ended up leaving with many others that season due to the senior management team in head office and how they were managing their site staff. Those managers had been with the club for 15 years.
I would happily work on a campsite over the winter. As there isn’t really much travel and exploring that can be done here in the UK then anyway, but I really need my festival fix. I have worked the past 3 summers and I’m getting withdrawals. So I really cannot consider campsite work over the summer again.
Once my pooch crosses over I’m going to head back to SA for a while. I’ve not been back for 18 years so it’s going to be a total shock to the system I think. But I also want to explore the 6 months there 6 months here option.
Be well buddy.
Two more wardens left the New Forest mid season inc Gary and your replacement, many seasonal pitch owners are leaving in a few weeks due to cost and Gas safety Cert which is a way to drum up business for the very local caravan engineer enough said.
@@Pitchup-v6x the SNT simply don’t have a clue about running a camping business and how to keep things ticking over in the off peak periods. Really quite sad as they are lovely sites. I’m not surprised the seasonal are leaving, the pitch fees are simply ridiculous for what is on offer especially at the ‘back to basics’ sites. I know of several people who left other of the NF sites since my departure including one who was apparently bullied by the HR person. Sums it up really
I'm also early 50s and design and host websites from a van, also fit fast and reliable broadband for rural (via 4G) and an ex IT professional. I dropped you an email a month or so back but no reply.
Get in touch, happy to chat and help.
Good luck 💪
@@MrFrobbo mmm. Which email address did you use? The easiest way is probably to contact me via the contact form on my website eltoncilliers.com
@@GrumpyGitsRoadTrip Hi Elton, resent to the email listed on your website (rather than contact form).