Howard & Alexandra

United Kingdom
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Profile information

Reply rate
100.0 %
Travel information
We are currently
Travelling
Our next destination:
Bormes-les-Mimosas, France - from Mar 2026 until Apr 2026
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Description
We are motivated by the outdoors and in particular the great outdoors.

Happiness for us comes from physical activity (bikes, walking, gardening, skiing etc) and achieving the challenge of going the extra mile.
Interests
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Winter sports
Water sports
Technology
Team sports
Sailing / Boating
Plant care
Outdoor activities
Mountain
Languages
Events & social
Hiking
Gardening
Fitness
Cooking & food
Art & design
DIY & crafts
Cycling
Carpentry
Charity work
Books
Architecture
Adventure sports
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Dutch: Intermediate
More details about my language interests
Howard has a general interest in European languages.
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Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
We're interested in:
Languages
Hospitality/Tourism
Some knowledge of:
Charity Work
Able to teach about:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Helping around the house
General Maintenance
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
In the 30+ years we have been together we have renovated several properties. We run our own property portfolio and rental business and do our own maintenance on all our properties. This highlights how happy we are doing diy tasks.

We are very keen gardeners and have worked on gardens in the UK, South of France and Colorado where we lived for 10 years and built a new garden from scratch.

Howard volunteers with the National Trust where he works with the Estates team increasing his hard landscaping skills. Alex has a keen eye for interior design.
Age
68 & 59
What else ...
Having lived in the Rocky Mountains for 10 years we are keen mountaineers. Our hobbies include skiing, hiking, via ferrata, rock climbing, mountain biking and road cycling.

In the past we have played competitive tennis, squash and volleyball to moderately high levels.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  No
- Special dietary requirements
  No

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15 Oct 2025

Left by host (Join us at our beautiful ...) for Workawayer ()

Howard and Alex were a great pleasure to host. They drove up with beautiful smiles and intelligent conversation, and it was all a great experience to have them here! They are respectful, kind, generous, educated, independent, self-starters, experienced, and knowledgeable volunteers with years of DIY experience and organizational skills.

Howard… read more is a cheerful gentleman who worked on tasks ranging from setting up the flame throwing weeder to sorting out an installation issues with our French-speaking staff (he speaks excellent French!). He helped install an extremely heavy antique fountain basin for our rose garden, stacked yards and yards of wood, polished our pots and pans until they had mirror finishes, laundered bedding weekly, carried out errands to the hardware store and supermarket, helped move furniture around, took out trash and compost, and regularly helped set up and clear up after meals, among many other tasks. He's brilliant at new table games (Qwirkle and Spoons) and an excellent competitor. He took on clearing pasture manure responsibly, with a team and with Alex, and everyone enjoyed his company. He's a team player who showed, and received, respect and appreciation.

Alex, Howard's wife, is a bright and cheerful personality whose "good morning" greeting blows the cobwebs away. She is inspiring and possesses an infectious warm personality. It feels good to be around her. Her strengths lie with organization. She understands where things need to go, what makes sense where, and employed this skill especially well on her last 3 days with us to help us organize a newly decorated and very large living room into a comfortable and intimate living space. She demonstrated this skill daily when clearing the dishwasher to put things away, with pressing laundry, and preparing rooms for new volunteers. She was a very big help with our large rose garden, watering and weeding, and deadheading. Her hidden talent is with cooking. She makes a delicious spaghetti meat sauce and beautiful salads. Like her husband, she is kind, intelligent, and generous, and an excellent conversationalist. She mentored new volunteers, and passed on her knowledge to incoming volunteers.

Again, Howard and Alex were a great pleasure to host. They were respectful of all our house rules, every single one, especially on the weekends. We truly hope to see them again, and we wish them well with all their future adventures!

(Excellent )

15 Oct 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us at our beautiful ...)

We have just returned from an amazing and enriching workaway here. We spent a month at the chateau and would happily have stayed another month with Micaela and John, our superb hosts.

From the moment we arrived we knew we were in for a fun and stimulating workaway. John and Micaela are incredibly kind, generous and welcoming individuals. They… read more

(Excellent )

18 May 2025

Left by host (Collaborative projects and ...) for Workawayer ()

Very good experience hosting Alex and Howard. Between them, they have excellent gardening skills, creative instincts and very good work habits. On the social side, they proved to be excellent pickleball players and warm generous guests "hosting" a lovely meal for the host and another workaway simultaneously in residence. Come back soon Howard and… read more

(Excellent )

10 May 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Collaborative projects and ...)

This is a fine house and exceptional Mediterranean garden in a beautiful and convenient location a few kilometres from the sea. The property has superb views to the coast. There is an abundance of towns, villages and beaches to be discovered by foot, by bike or by bus/car.

The hosts are a particularly interesting and sociable couple. Nicky is a… read more

(Excellent )

16 Mar 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join our family and help us ...)

Spending time working with Seton and his wonderful family on their super small holding was time very well spent.
- the work was interesting and rewarding.
- guidance was provided when needed, and we were left to our own devices when appropriate
- superb location if you like to be active in fabulous rural surroundings
- cycling their crazy 2.4… read more

(Excellent )

14 Mar 2025

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Howard and Alex are fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed having them to stay and really apreciate all the work they did. They attacked our garden with so much energy it was staggering and still managed a 30 km cycle in the afternoons! The lovely thing about them was that they know what they are doing and they would just get on and do it. They are also… read more

(Excellent )

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