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Samantha & Alan

United Kingdom
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Profile information

Travel information
We are currently
Travelling
Activities we are interested in:
Looking to be with hosts who match with our skills in Belgium, mid Germany and mid to South Austria. We have secured enough hosts in Switzerland.
Our next destination:
Scotland, United Kingdom - from Apr 2024 until Apr 2024
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Description
Hello and thank you for looking at our profile.

We are a happy enthusiastic couple who are seeking to discover new locations whilst working with like minded people.

Our plan is to travel through the UK during April and May before heading to Austria via France (eastern France only) and Switzerland, then on to Germany, Belgium and north east France before returning to the UK at the end of September 2024. We will be using our own transport where viable.

We are outdoorsy types who love to go travelling to experience the new locations, people and culture in a none tourist environment. We often go ad hoc hiking and camping in lesser populated areas.

We are both non smokers, physically fit, hardworking and have been known to turn our hand to many new tasks and challenges.

Between us we are able to offer skills that include:
House sitting
animal care
assistance with I.T.
interior and exterior painting
garden maintenance / land maintenance
Pond clearance / maintenance
Path construction / ground clearance
woodworking / DIY
labouring
basic limited cooking
up-cycling furniture
simple sewing

We are both competent using a wide selection of hand tools.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Samantha & Alan
Interests
Winter sports
Water sports
Van life
Technology
Sustainability
Self development
Sailing / Boating
Plant care
Photography
Outdoor activities
Nature
Movies & TV
Mountain
Languages
Hiking
Gardening
Fitness
Events & social
DIY & crafts
Cycling

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Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
More details about my language interests
We are keen to learn basic Spanish, French and other European languages. (please, thank you, how to ask for something, pleasantries).
Find a language buddy
Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
Some knowledge of:
Eco Projects
Charity Work
Art Projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Life at a Farmstay
Able to teach about:
Being an elderly companion
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
Full I.T literate
woodworking
basic cookery
construction / maintenance
sewing
up-cycling
gardening
growing vegetables
using hand tools
painting and decorating
Age
54 & 59
What else ...
Our hobbies include
Board games
artistic welding
walking / keeping fit / hiking - munro bagging / climbing / mountain biking / wild swimming
Upcycled sewing
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements
  none processed foods, no red meat, fish or peas for Samantha, Alan will eat anything

Feedback

3 Mar 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

For us It was an absolute pleasure to host Samantha and Alan.
Two great individuals who together as a team are dynamic.
They come with a vast array of practical and management experiences and this was evident in how they went about their tasks.
Aside from the practical skills they have an artistic approach too, best demonstrated by the stunning… read more

(Excellent )

4 Dec 2023

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Help with small projects ...)

Our hosts, Chris and Christine, who we would now call “our friends” were warm, friendly and funny.

They made us so welcome it was something else, just exceptional. Chris and Christine are an easy going couple and we got along brilliantly. We had an excellent time over the 5 weeks we spent with them. What a lovely couple. Nothing seemed to be too… read more

(Excellent )

1 Oct 2023

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Help us to create a family ...)

Alison and David made us welcome and provided us with accommodation in thier self contained jète. Meals were provided within the main house.

Unfortunately since initial contact, the jobs that are listed within the hosts profile have changed.

However, there was still plenty for us to do during our 2 week stay including the upcycling of furniture,… read more

(Excellent )

2 Jun 2023

Left by host (Help me with house sitting ...) for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

Samantha and Alan are a good humoured and energetic couple who between them have extensive experience in many areas and are not afraid of hard work or getting their hands dirty.

They got stuck into a number of jobs during the 5 weeks that they were here and were able to both work independently and as part of a team as we had other helpers here at… read more

(Excellent )

29 May 2023

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Help me with house sitting ...)

Susan and Richard are excellent hosts. They are warm, easy going and friendly.

Accommodation and all food was provided during our stay. We were lucky enough to be housed within the fully equipped annex. Lunchtime and evening meals were always held together with our hosts and any other guests who were present during our stay. Food was tasty,… read more

(Excellent )

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Friends

Photos

Garden 1 before pic

Garden 1 after pic

chair prior to upcycle

chair following upcycle

Ballatar workaway

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Volunteering with animals - alpacas

Volunteering with animals - kunekune pigs

Volunteering with animals

House decoration, wallpapering and painting

Organic vegetable preparation

Pond maintenance

Feedback

3 Mar 2024

Left by host for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

(Excellent )

4 Dec 2023

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Help with small projects ...)

(Excellent )

1 Oct 2023

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Help us to create a family ...)

(Excellent )

2 Jun 2023

Left by host (Help me with house sitting ...) for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

(Excellent )

29 May 2023

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Help me with house sitting ...)

(Excellent )

20 Dec 2022

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Workawayers welcome for ...)

Excellent, 5 star couple. Easy to get along with and a great sense of humour.

At our first introduction, we were warmly told that we would be included as part of the family during our stay, and this certainly was the case.

Allan and Philippa’s profile is accurate and if you get the opportunity to be hosted by this couple, you will be well… read more

(Excellent )

19 Dec 2022

Left by host (Workawayers welcome for ...) for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

Wow, wow, wow! What a fab time we had hosting Samatha and Alan. They came as workawayers and left as friends and we sincerely hope to see them again. They stayed for 5 weeks at our house in Brittany and made such a difference! Samantha got stuck into painting and decorating among a host of other tasks. Alan tackled many projects on the outside of… read more

(Excellent )

21 Oct 2022

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Unique charity project, ...)

Clare and Martyn are brilliant hosts. They are exceptionally kind, thoughtful and caring people who made sure our volunteer experience at here was fantastic.

Accommodation was provided for us in a cosy cabin which is located at the front of the property. We had the pleasure of seeing the alpacas and pigs right outside our cabin window!!

With… read more

(Excellent )

5 Oct 2022

Left by host (Unique charity project, ...) for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

As a couple Samantha and Alan complement each other beautifully.

They arrived at 10pm after a rough ferry crossing but were up raring to go the next morning at 8am!

Neither had worked specifically with animals before let alone alpacas, rare breed sheep, Kunekune pigs, peacocks and a huge variety of unusual chickens and ducks (150+ animals in… read more

(Excellent )

7 Aug 2022

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Stay in beautiful rural ...)

Robin and Lara are open, friendly, honest and warm hearted with a wicked sense of humour.

To other workaways, if you are heading to Galloway, this stop off is an absolute must! You can thank us later 😊

We thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this workaway experience, it was almost like being on holiday with Michelin star chefs thrown in. We were very… read more

(Excellent )

5 Aug 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

Samantha and Alan are a wonderful couple, full of enthusiasm, energy and good humour. They are totally reliable and trustworthy - great people to have around.

Parts of our garden were totally overgrown when they arrived. They hacked back and tidied valiantly until the paths were clear and the flowers visible. They got into the smaller pond and… read more

(Excellent )

30 Jun 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting Samantha ad Alan not once but twice. A couple who are very easy to get on with, interesting and hard working. They dug a soakaway, cleared and edged a long drive; weeded one section of the garden leaving it pristine, cleared algae out of the pond and carried it in buckets up to the compost, and walked the dog and this… read more

(Excellent )

24 Jun 2022

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Experience our lovely local ...)

Great hosts!

Jenny and Graham welcomed us at their place with a lovely meal on arrival which was unexpected. They live in a pretty place that is very comfortable, just outside of Ballater and there were fantastic views from our room to boot!! The river Dee is within 5 minutes walk and there are transport links from the end of the driveway that… read more

(Excellent )

10 May 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

I agree with the former host who wrote, “ It was an honor and a pleasure to meet, and work alongside, these two brilliant people. “

Alan and Samantha came in October to help clean out our very overgrown pond, though in fact they did all the work as I'd sustained a knee injury.

They stood in the mud and emptied the pond of countless buckets of… read more mud and vegetation (toads carefully caught and temporarily relocated to the adjacent banks) , along with hacking out and removing giant lumps of waterlily roots. Then Samantha did a great job on sorting out the plants and vegetation at the pond side while Alan used his engineering skills to rebuild the side of the pond including a nice ledge for shallow plants, and tolerated me trying to hang on to all my favourite stones!

The weather wasn't great – mostly cold and damp – but their willingness to work hard and crack on with the job was in evidence every day; always with good humour and a laugh and a joke. They always went above what was required of them – we tried to get them to restrict their work to half a day but we often had to persuade them to stop for lunch! Having finished work on the pond they set to and shifted a huge compost heap and tackled some of the worst weeds in the garden. They have loads of experience and knowledge between them and were willing and able to tackle any problem put in front of them. We really enjoyed their company and having them to stay with us. They are an inspiration!

You will be very lucky if Smantha and Alan come and stay and work with you!

We can't thank you enough , both of you, and we're looking forward to seeing you again soon. Meanwhile love and all the very best, Phyl and Neil

2nd stay; 5-12 July 2023

Alan and Samantha were our first ever “workaway” visitors and we could not have wished for a more fun and hardworking couple , with such an ethos of kindness . We were lucky enough to have them return in July this year to help us out again. With their usual adaptability they turned their hands to whatever jobs that came up. We had got behind in both the garden and the house - Alan and Samantha set to with cheerful attitudes and sense of humour. Alan shifted one of our big compost heaps, then patiently riddled the soil for another heap. He trimmed all the garden borders, painted our big garden shed, twice, and various other sheds. Samantha prepped and varnished all the outside windows and the front door of our cottage (whilst passing on useful “how to” tips ), painted our close and did some hedge trimming and pond skimming. I recommend Samantha and Alan wholeheartedly – they are good fun to be with, creative, hardworking and patient. You will be lucky if they choose to stay with you! A big thank you to Alan and Samantha for all you are and all you do, Phyl and Neil xx

(Excellent )

24 Nov 2021

Left by Workawayer (Samantha & Alan) for host (Learn about foraging and help ...)

Borana is such a kind and friendly lady who gave us a very warm welcome to our first workaway project.

She was always cheerful, happy, open and respectful. We learned alot from her regarding workaway and how it works.

We got to stay in the master suite at the Marine, where the terrace garden is located. This is a beautiful location, right next… read more

(Excellent )

13 Nov 2021

Left by host for Workawayer (Samantha & Alan)

It was an honor and a pleasure to meet, and work alongside, these two brilliant people. Alan's banter is top of the charts, just a funny and hardworking fellow with some major tenacity and electrical skills to boot (my vent fan, heating fan, and light bulb changes thank you again). Samantha is like a real-life practical skills version of Google,… read more you name it she's done it, DIYed it, wrote the book, then gotten back to restoring the terraced garden or dredging a pond (as I understand is the current project). It was wonderful to hear her opinion on what areas to leave natural on the terraced-garden renovation project, or what could be amended, what plants could be halved and replanted, as well as just the everyday conversations about life, love, and children.

They worked with mechanical and electric tools; hedge trimmer, strimmer, pickaxe, saw, clippers, rake, shovels, brooms, drills, and I'm sure I'm leaving something out but if something was outside of their purview they honestly and respectfully expressed themselves.They pulled up grass, made nice dug out terraces, gathered bulbs, cleared the loose grass, trimmed trees, made a compost bin out of pallets, trimmed and strimmed nonstop, used a pickaxe to get out hardy Scottish brambles, strimmed long grass, tidied up after themselves, and made me happy to see them every day. No smoke and mirrors here, though the work they did sure did seem like magic. I wish they could have stayed longer! I look forward to them coming to visit in the future for a vacation rather than work!

I tried to keep work to a few morning hours per day as they were taking care of their own food but they just chose to "crack on" as was commonly heard by them both. Every day that I'd show up in the afternoon another part of the garden had been conquered. That internal work ethic is not something you see every day, let alone from two people that don't owe you but a few measly hours a day. They were energetic, always up for a laugh, and relentless in their desire to help me form my vision. I am grateful.

GUYS: May you never hesitate to make your way over and we will do the same if we are in the area.
I wish you both health, happiness, and blessings on all your journeys. Hopefully, this first experience sets the tone for all the ones to come. Samantha was able to document our progress with photos, still in shock at what was accomplished in such a short time.

Thank you for everything once again, can't say it enough.

With Love and Appreciation,
Borana

(Excellent )

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