Help on a beautiful smallholding in France.

France

Favourited 242 times

Host rating
Feedback
35
Last Activity
10/12/2017
Nº of Facebook friends
364
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Availability

2018

Min stay requested: at least a week

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Description
We've met some amazing new friends through workaway from around the world! We haven't needed the help of a few years but we do again now :)

I'm pretty sure everyone who we worked with came away with the feeling that it was an equal exchange :) We provide Interesting work, new skills, great food, (almost) unlimited wine, you have a great time. You may meet people from different parts of the world, if not we've lived about a bit :)

Looking for a couple of couples who don't mind a bit of work, along side me, learning new skill. Also don't mind good food, plenty of wine, and me beating you at poker :)

We have Just a couple of weeks from around the 1st to the 17th July open... Stone walls, working with wood, messing around with a mini digger, bit of dry stone walling, some painting... lots of laughs!

Preferred, couples for the full 2 weeks give or take!

I'm not going talk about us too much... read the reviews, they tell it better... and yes, Karen and Izzy are nicer than me, but it's a high bar! :)

Looking forward to meeting you!
Type of help
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Help
The work will be varied and interesting... at the moment we are dry stone walling, doing some wood work, painting and general maintenance.

Ged has a agricultural qualification, a PDC and loads of experience in renovation/building so if you have specific skills then that's great, but if not and are interested in learning then he's happy to teach!
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are happy to teach if you are happy to learn :)
Languages spoken
English and very broken (but improving) French
Accommodation
Accommodation is provided in a shared downstairs bedroom with its own access and on suite toilet and shower. WiFi is available for those who would like it. We will provide three meals a day, seven days a week in return for 25 hours work a week. We like our volunteers to be part of the family and as such will be expected to help with general tasks such as peeling potatoes for an evening meal outside work hours. We are carnivores so please let us know if you are vegetarian, or have any other dietary requirements when you contact us. We prefer a stay of two weeks, but will work with a week. Please specify the dates you'd like to stay when you contact us.
What else ...
Looking forward to meeting you!
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
5

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Feedback left by and about host (35)

15/09/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Nina & Andrew)

A really great 'couple' fun to be around and great workers, although I have to say Nina's weeding put Andrew's to shame :) We'd be happy to welcome them back any time, and I'm sure if we were doing much larger projects they'd be the guys we'd be happy to host at the time. See you next year?

(Excellent )

03/09/2012

Left by Workawayer (Nina & Andrew) for host

This was our first workaway experience and we were so lucky to have Ged and Karen as our hosts, within a few days it felt more like visiting old friends or family than staying with people we had just met. We were treated every day to delicious meals, lovely wine, wonderful company and the delight that is Issy who we completely fell in love with,… read more

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(Excellent )

05/08/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (jordi)

Susy & Jordi are a lovely couple and great house guests. We enjoyed Susy's Spanish cooking and Jordi's coffee making skills :) You'll have to ask Izzy if you can borrow here spade next time Jordi.

Good luck with the new jobs and if we are ever in Barcelona, we'll look you up!

(Excellent )

03/08/2012

Left by Workawayer (jordi) for host

Susy and I staying with Ged, Karen and Izzy and we are very happy. We having a great experience.
Ged: thank you very much for your patience with our english level. Thank you for your good advices at work, but next time, I would like to work with a plastic pick and spade ;-) You are a great person. And a great chef!
Karen: the sweet and… read more

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(Excellent )

15/07/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Geneviève)

Another couple that I wish I could leave an Excellent + for! If you ever have the opportunity to host Gen and Oli then bite their arm off!

They worked tirelessly for us when we were days away from welcoming our first guests on our camping site and to be honest, without them we wouldn't have been ready! Both Gen and Oli are skilled, motivated and… read more

(Excellent )

15/07/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Philip)

Doctor Phil was a joy to host, really threw himself into everything and occasionally came out smelling of roses :) Izzy and Jasper loved him as we did (not in that way Phil!). He got on really well with the others who were here and we would be happy to welcome him back any time, now he knows which end of a paintbrush to hold! :)

A great guy!

(Excellent )

15/07/2012

Left by Workawayer (Philip) for host

The time I spent at Les Etangs were absolutely brilliant. I can't imagine there are many hosts out there who are as kind, accommodating and friendly as Karen and Ged. I arrived with no working experience and this was not a problem with Karen and Ged, who were more than willing to help if/when I messed up! I left feeling like I had learned loads in… read more

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(Excellent )

23/06/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Nikolaus)

Nik was a hard working volunteer and we were happy he helped us out when we were very busy getting ready for opening our small campsite. Nik's English isn't that great (much better than my German, it has to be said) and as a result, he can come across a little abrupt at times, but he has a good heart, works very hard and I would be happy to… read more

(Very good )

18/06/2012

Left by Workawayer (Nikolaus) for host

My stay by Karen and Ged was like a multicultural meeting, often there are more than two workawayers. The work was varios and intresting. I learnd how to build a terrase and build a kitchen, we had good conversations every evening and sometimes to much wine. In my spare time i enjoyed the contryside and vist the old ford in cluis. The accomodation… read more

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(Very good )

13/05/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Paul)

Not that few words Paul! What can we say about 'The quiet man', well quite a lot, he came with a host of skills and was kind enough to teach me a few things, great with any landscaping/tree work and lays a half decent tiled floor. He'd think of something that needed doing if I wasn't around to give him a job and go and do it. Fun to work and… read more

(Excellent )

12/05/2012

Left by Workawayer (Paul) for host

Well I'm a man of few words, so I'll keep it short. Very welcoming and generous family, really to feel like part of the family is special and thats how I felt so thank you Hughes. Karens cooking......ooh la la, I'm still dreaming about it and the banana bread at 11's, It was like dining at a restaurant, no exaggeration. In fairness Ged, you know… read more

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(Excellent )

30/04/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Nicole)

Another couple of great ambassadors for the workaway concept. Great workers and great people. Really enjoyed having them stay with us, the month flew by. Nicole was especially great in the garden and Josh could turn his hand to most things and regularly went above and beyond. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to any host!

(Excellent )

29/04/2012

Left by Workawayer (Nicole) for host

Our stay with Ged and Karen was the best-case scenario for us. The work was varied and interesting, from gardening to building and many other jobs on their beautiful land. They are both very knowledgeable in what they are doing and we learned a lot from them. Their home is comfortable and the food and wine were outstanding! We worked hard and also… read more

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(Excellent )

22/03/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Susan)

Dan and Susan were another great couple and a credit to the workaway system. Great to have around the house and to work with. Got a lot done with their help and had a good laugh doing it. They were great with Izzy who was very taken with them both and has been on a number of (imaginary) holidays to visit them at their house :)

Dan is very… read more

(Excellent )

21/03/2012

Left by Workawayer (Susan) for host

Dan and I stayed with Ged, Karen and Izzy for 2 weeks this past February and what a great experience it was! We found the exchange to be ideal in terms of the work that Ged had for us and also the time that was alloted for working and time off. Ged puts a lot of thought into the work to be done, offering varied tasks and asking for imput to… read more

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(Excellent )

17/02/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Kristie)

We really enjoyed having Echo and Kristie with us. They were up for everything and worked diligently at every task asked of them. They did a great job of the site survey I asked them to do, which wasn't an easy task and required quite a lot of thought (and maths). We really appreciated the amount of help they gave around the home as well, there's… read more

(Excellent )

16/02/2012

Left by Workawayer (Kristie) for host

We have no reason to sugar-coat our review for Ged and Karen.

Our first workaway experience was a disaster, and we didn't quite know how to go about rating it. Unfortunately, we took a passive and pansy approach and rated that family much higher than they should have ever been rated.

Being cautious and unsure after our first experience, we… read more

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(Excellent )

20/10/2011

Left by Workawayer (Gwen & Meirion) for host

Ged, Karen and Izzy were fantastic hosts! They were our first ever workaway and the experience could not have been any better! They exceeded our expectations! From the moment we met they made us feel so at home and relaxed! They are really generous hosts and genuinely lovely people! the wine was always flowing and the food was amazing, every… read more

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(Excellent )

17/10/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Gwen & Meirion)

Wish there was an Excellent Plus for Gwen and Mei. They were brilliant from the moment I picked them up from the train station till the moment I dropped them off. They refused to stop working if I still had things to do, Mei has some great experience in Roofing and stone walling but turned his hand to anything, Gwen found things to do if you left… read more

(Excellent )

13/10/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Andrew & Lisa)

Andrew and Lisa were great to host. They worked well and were always happy to help around the house. They fitted in with the other guys we were hosting really well, we all had a great time and got loads done. Wish them all the best in their further travels and hope they come back and see us sometime!

(Excellent )

12/10/2011

Left by Workawayer (Andrew & Lisa) for host

We really enjoyed our time with Ged, Karen, Izzy and the crew. We thoroughly enjoyed the many various tasks we had and the re-building of an old stone building (‘Duck House’) was a real highlight. Ged managed the workload well, it was always varied and was nice to have him working alongside us. Izzy was a real delight and it was fun spending time… read more

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(Excellent )

02/09/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Georgia)

Joe and Georgia were great, both worked hard and could complete a task without much supervision, Joe especially had lots of useful experience coming from a farming background and Georgia wielded a brushcutter like it was an extension of her arm!

Great fun to host we had many laughs together, just don't get Joe onto his 'tubes theory', you have… read more

(Excellent )

02/09/2011

Left by Workawayer (Georgia) for host

Ged and Karren were brilliant hosts. We felt very welcomed into their home and enjoyed the opportunities to learn new skills while helping out with their project. We feel like we really got to know them as a family and loved spending time with Izzy. A fantastic place to start our workaway and travel experience. The food was especially AWESOME.… read more

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(Excellent )

01/09/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Leah)

Leah was a dream workaway, with a great outlook on life and a constant smile on her face she was a joy to host (just please don't encourage here 'home-made jokes") Leah booked for a month and stayed for two, we'd have been happy if she'd stayed longer. I know Izzy will miss 'her' Leah as much as we will.

A hard worker and welcome back any time,… read more

(Excellent )

01/09/2011

Left by Workawayer (Leah) for host

The hughes open up their hearts and home to all those willing to become a part of their blossoming project. Ged works outside alongside you everyday and would never give a task he would not do himself. Karin will teach you the ins and outs of delicious jam and chocolate cake making all while preparing a hefty lunch and watching their beautiful… read more

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(Excellent )

27/06/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Sonia)

Sonia was great! Wielded an SDS drill like a pro and as happy in a trench as at the Maire! Unfortunately had the worst two weeks weather we've had here since March, but she worked away with a smile every day. Great girl and can't recommend her highly enough!

Good luck with your travels Sonia, you're welcome back any time.

(Excellent )

25/06/2011

Left by Workawayer (Sonia) for host

I stayed two weeks with Ged, Karen and Izzy and had a fantastic experience! Ged and Karen are both wonderful individuals - especially enjoyed Ged's sense of humour and Karen's lovely cooking :) Izzy was a joy to have around and will be missed! Workwise, everyday was different, definitely did not get bored, and what's more, I picked up new skills!… read more

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(Excellent )

26/06/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Lucas)

Cancelled the day he should have arrived.

(Negative )

11/06/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Janelle & John)

What can I say about 'The J's', a truly lovely couple who were a real pleasure to have in our home. With a great sense of humour and an impressive work ethic they took us as they found us and fitted in straight away. Willing and able to turn their hand to almost anything, just don't ask them to build an IKEA wardrobe without instructions :)

We… read more

(Excellent )

11/06/2011

Left by Workawayer (Janelle & John) for host

We stayed with Ged, Karen and their adorable daughter Izzy for two weeks in early June, 2011. Our only regret is that we didn’t have time to extend our stay. The work varied each day and we often worked side by side with our hosts. They would never ask you to do something they wouldn’t do themselves. They have lived in their house only a short… read more

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(Excellent )

31/05/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Tara)

Tara was a joy to have stay. She got stuck in with everything we asked her to do and was positive and energetic.

Tara, quickly become one of the family and was a real joy to have around. All missing her, especially Izzy.

Can't recommend her highly enough. Welcome back any time!

(Excellent )

31/05/2011

Left by Workawayer (Tara) for host

I spent three weeks with Ged, Karen and their beautiful daughter Izzy and I can not wait to go back. It was an amazing opportunity and I couldn't have dreamt of a better Workaway experience. Every day was completely different and with so many projects on the go it was impossible to get bored and a great opportunity to try you hand at many… read more

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(Excellent )

01/05/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Alexander)

Confirmed with us weeks ago and then a 'no show'. Disappointed as we'd had to turn down lots of other requests and are now a little short handed.

(Negative )

30/04/2011

Left by host for Workawayer (Christina)

Christina came for two weeks and ended up staying for six, and we were glad she did. A hard worker willing to take on any task asked of her, she fitted in very quickly. We wish her the best of luck in her travels and would recomend her to any host!

(Very good )

29/04/2011

Left by Workawayer (Christina) for host

I had a great time working and living with Ged, Karen, and Izzy. They are just starting out, and it was a profound experience watching their home come to life. There are many ongoing projects, so you will never be bored, and you get two full days off a week. Ged was happy to supply or obtain the adequate tools for any job, and wouldn't ask you… read more

(Very good )

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Host ref number: 17948124744d

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