Howard & Alexandra

United Kingdom
Login to see last activity

Badges (3)

Give the gift of Workaway

Profile information

Reply rate

100.0 %
Travel information

We are currently

Travelling
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.

Find a language partner
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:

Light gardening

Creative DIY projects

Helping around the house

Light 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 & 60
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

Website Safety

Feedback

7 Aug 2026

Left by Workawayer () for host (Chalet-hotel located in a ...)

We spent three wonderful weeks in the French Alps with Paul, Jess and their friendly hotel team. Our first week in May involved renovating a bathroom and putting together a large raised vegetable bed. Our second stint of two weeks in July were spent on general garden duties. Paul and Jess are very kind welcoming individuals who let us organise our … read more

(Excellent )

6 Aug 2026

Left by host (Chalet-hotel located in a ...) for Workawayer ()

Howard and Alex were a pleasure to host and they have helped transform our garden in their 2 stays with us. They are always ready to help, and bring hard work, enthusiasm and an eye-for-detail approach. And still have enough energy left to be hiking or cycling in the afternoons!
Was great to have them around, and they were super easy going, … read more

(Excellent )

27 Jul 2026

Left by host (Beautiful space in Haute ...) for Workawayer ()

A great Workaway duo.
Howard and Alex were hardworking, energetic and great company.
A great mix of skills, enthusiasm, practicality and good humour. They worked on our garden and the difference they made was evident-thank-you. They love to be outdoors and did lots of cycling in the area. I would recommend highly- I love when people have … read more

(Excellent )

24 Jul 2026

Left by Workawayer () for host (Beautiful space in Haute ...)

Our workaway experience with D and E has been incredibly rewarding and stimulating. They are kind gracious hosts and fun to be around. Their home is set in spectular surroundings with stunning views of among among Blanc.
Our work involved primarily laying a path of oak timbers and preparing the garden for further grassed areas. We also worked on … read more

(Excellent )

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 )

View all

Give the gift of Workaway

Friends

Feedback

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Communication:
(5.0)

Skills:
(5.0)

Observed house rules:
(5.0)

7 Aug 2026

Left by Workawayer for host (Chalet-hotel located in a ...)

(Excellent)

6 Aug 2026

Left by host (Chalet-hotel located in a ...) for Workawayer

(Excellent)

27 Jul 2026

Left by host (Beautiful space in Haute ...) for Workawayer

(Excellent)

24 Jul 2026

Left by Workawayer for host (Beautiful space in Haute ...)

(Excellent)

15 Oct 2025

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

(Excellent)

15 Oct 2025

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

(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)

To leave feedback make sure you are logged in & your account is online

Find your perfect host

$The image depicts a wooden sign with the word \"LAGANA\" in large letters, set against a vibrant sunset backdrop with palm trees and people in the background.$