And That’s a Wrap!
Well, campers & glampers, it’s the end of another season here at Howgill Lodge, and what a season it’s been with… Surprise warden departures, alpacas ‘unpacking’ and a plentiful number of heroic mums and dads struggling with massive tents (seriously they seem to get bigger each year!) amongst kid fuelled chaos. There have been immense highs and some lows, which naturally come within the hospitality world, but this year, we are counting our blessings that the camping season went off (mostly) without a hitch – a first for us!
And also it happens to be a last for us! It isn’t just the end of the season, it’s the end of an era. After five years, Rich and I are hanging up our ‘royal blues’, retiring our walkie-talkies and saying farewell to Howgill Lodge. This campsite has been so much more than just our office (and what an incredible office the Yorkshire Dales National Park makes), It’s been our home and It has also been one hell of a journey…
Since rocking up at Catgill Farm in 2019, eager and determined to fulfil our new role as Campsite Wardens, to moving to Howgill Lodge in 2020 to begin our role as Campsite Managers (in the middle of the peak camping season and in the middle of a pandemic). We’ve seen the campsite and the business grow astronomically over these past few years and we couldn’t be prouder to have been a been a part of it’s success. The decision to depart was not made lightly. For those of you who may not know, Rich and I met in Australia. We returned last October to get married and more recently the opportunity arose for us to spend an extended period overseas with family – A dream come true for us! Though, that doesn’t make the goodbyes any easier…
To Our ‘Dream Team’… Oliver & Cat, Thank you for this incredible opportunity and thank you for being more than just our employers- you’ve been wonderful mentors and great friends. And to all our colleagues and friends at Catgill & Howgill over the years…It has been a pleasure to know you and work alongside such an amazing team. We are leaving with a mountain of memories and a wealth of knowledge gained.
To all our lovely guests, you are the heart and soul of this place. From those seasoned campers & glampers who return year after year (or in some cases month after month! – Shout out to our regulars!) and to the first-timers, who often forget everything but the kitchen sink and who categorically swear they’ll never attempt camping again (but still book for next year!) and every friendly face in between…you’ve made this job unforgettable!
The alpacas… possibly my hardest goodbye! We’ve nursed them, birthed them, halter trained them, hand reared them and despite the kicks and the spitting and the charging ‘life flashing before our eyes’ moments, we have loved them. It has been a privilege to care for these beautiful, characteristic animals and I am definitely going to miss seeing them every day.
The Howgill Lodge baton has now been passed to Alex and George, who we know will bring their own magic to this special place. They’re inheriting a community with this campsite and we have every confidence that Howgill Lodge will continue to be the gem it is.
As we pack up our wellies and walking boots and say goodbye to this beautiful corner of the world, we leave with a great sense of achievement and full of gratitude. Despite the many challenges; the good, the bad, the totally unexpected, we’ve loved every moment! From meeting and greeting, fixing and finding, cleaning, creating, improving, maintaining. It’s been everything we thought it would be and more.
So, for the last time, it’s over and out from us. Thank you. It’s been an honour to be part of your adventures!
Your now ex-campsite managers.
Rich & Jo
