Moff Moffat

Pinewoods Site Warden

I am a warden at Pinewoods and have been in this role since June 2018.

I’m not sure that I can define a typical day for a Pinewoods warden! We have daily checks and duties to carry out, but a large percentage of what we do is reactive. So, we must react to, and deal with, any situations that present themselves on any given day! We quite literally have no idea what we might be doing from one minute to the next. We mainly take care of all the maintenance work on the holiday park itself, but we also help to look after the pine woods and in the holiday months we provide a presence on Wells Beach too.

What was your route into Pinewoods?

I was made redundant from my previous job in May 2018 and I decided to sent my CV to Pinewoods. Becky, now my manager at Pinewoods, invited me along for an informal chat and offered me the role of seasonal warden. I was lucky enough to be taken on full time before I even reached the end of my first season, and the rest, as they say, is history!

 

How would you choose to spend a day out at Holkham?

Lunch at The Victoria would always be at the top of my list! After that? A walk through the deer park and a nosey in the gift shop. A walk around the Walled Garden is always nice, too.

If you could work in another role, which would you choose?

I’m more than happy where I am to be honest, but if I was to try something else, I’d probably opt to give the nature reserve warden role a crack. I know it would be a massive learning curve and I appreciate that it’s not easy work, but that would be my first choice.

 

 

What makes Holkham a great place to work?

That’s an easy one, the people. Well, the people and the environment that we are lucky enough to work in. There’s such a positive outlook from everyone that I’ve met since working here. Right from the top, Lord and Lady Leicester, down through senior management to managers, to the teams on the ground, everyone has a ‘can do’ attitude and just cracks on with whatever needs doing. If you’re lucky enough to work in a team like that, against the magnificent backdrop that we do, then what’s not to like?

If someone was interested in becoming a Pinewoods warden, what advice would you give them?

Make sure you’re really up for it and that you’re resilient enough for the role. By that I mean you’ll be going out in all weathers doing all sorts of different things; that’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Also, be aware that there is an element to the job that is public facing, so you need to have good people skills and the ability to deal with any situations you find yourself in, in a calm, polite and controlled manner.

Other team members

Vicki Uttridge

After attending the Recruitment Open Day in 2022, I secured a role in the Visitor Team where I have been for the past three years. No two days are ever the same in the Visitor Reception. The role is wonderfully varied and every day goes by in a happy blur.

As a member of the Visitor Experience Team, the number one priority is to look after our visitors. Our role involves meeting and greeting, dealing with phone and email enquiries, selling entry tickets and generally making sure everyone is having a great time whilst here. We are also on hand to support other teams where necessary.

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Curtis Austin

My day to day work in the forestry department can vary from carrying out thinning and clear-fell work with chainsaws, to using some of our machines to assist the others foresters with felling. During the winter we are focussing on planting which comprises many steps such as staking, making holes, tree selection, planting and tubing which you may have spotted throughout the estate.

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Jane Gooderham

I joined the Holkham team in March 2010, working in the Stables Cafe which is now the Courtyard Cafe.

I have worked in many of the Holkham cafes over the years, including the Rose Garden which is now Ancient House – accommodation at The Victoria.

Whilst the Stables Cafe was being refurbished, I worked in the pop up cafe which was situated by the front of the Hall in a marquee.

Now, I am mainly based at the Courtyard Cafe, but I do occasionally work at The Lookout and the Beach Cafe.

I started my job at Holkham as a general cafe assistant before being promoted to cafe supervisor in 2012.

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Gavin Chapman

Before joining Holkham as a general builder, I worked for a family business for 19 years where my Grandad and Uncle taught me everything I needed to know to build a house from footing to finish. Together we constructed anything from new builds and barn conversions to renovations and more.

Now, as a qualified builder I relish the opportunity to pass my skills onto the next generation.

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Abi Faima

I am a Holiday Sales Adviser at Pinewoods, and I have been I my current role since 2016 where I began as a trainee. After two years, I qualified in my current role.

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Mai Sussex

I have worked at Holkham since July 2022. I was a trainee for just over a year and have been a qualified forester since then.

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Dave Pearson

I was a regular visitor to Holkham after moving to Norfolk in 2012, attending many events and thoroughly enjoying the amazing variety of experiences that Holkham Hall has to offer visitors. Christmas was then and of course still is, a highlight, my two young grandsons had certainly never been serenaded in a car park by elves before. We left that day with fond memories and with me starting to think that this might just be the ideal place to work a few days per week in my impending retirement.

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Katy Allison

I have been with Holkham since 2021 but have worked in a few different roles during my time including with the car park team, in visitor reception and in the gift shop.

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Ethan Bix

I’ve been a Wells Beach Bus Conductor since March 2023.

My day as a conductor starts with getting to the depot in the morning to meet my fellow colleague who will drive the bus that day. From then, we discuss the day’s plan and the weather conditions to enable us to prioritise tasks such as cleaning the buses and getting them looking pristine for the day ahead. I also help the driver with some of their daily checks too.

Once I get down to Beach Road, I open up the bus stops and make sure everything is in order and ready to welcome our brilliant passengers!

Throughout the day, I am always in communication with the driver and our car park team to make sure the day runs smoothly, along with welcoming passengers and answering any questions about Wells and Holkham that they may have.

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