Apparently we write blogs now...
Evidently, writing blogs is something that people do.
So we thought we’d jump on the band wagon and see how it goes…and what better place to start than to rewind back to where it all began. You’ve heard it from the papers, radios and hopefully your neighbour… so why not hear it straight from the horses mouth?
Ever wondered what it was like to plan, build, plumb, tile, design and dig a lake in a few months without knowing a nut from a bolt?
I mean, I can answer for Sarah and I when I say that; but Mark was the star of the show. We soon picked up what I think was a hammer? and started nailing a few bits and bobs together. No honestly, we weren’t that bad.
Luckily growing up with two engineers in the family something brushed off on us and we were on our way to building the dream, literally. But, I’ll let you into a little secret; before you can build you have to go through this rollercoaster called planning. Meeting after meeting, Google search after Google search, we typed our hearts away and figured out how to write a business plan, amongst many, many other things. Despite numerous frustrations and setbacks we were granted planning in May 2016. A quick trip to Simon Safety to get the essentials, who knew they stocked size 5 builder’s boots?
Onto even more paper work for building regulations… and 8 months later we were on site with the Locke Brothers; Pembrokeshire’s unsung heroes who often laughed at Sarah and I who re-enacted scenes from the ‘Chuckle Brothers’ daily.
The first day, Sarah will never let us forget how she single handily carried six hundred bricks through what can only be described as Shrek’s swamp to Mark who patiently lay them after getting some tips off YouTube. That first day set the scene for how the next 8 months would go: daunting, freezing, plenty of mud and plenty of hard work.
We returned day after day, doing all sorts. There was no need for gym memberships or petit filous because we definitely grew stronger carrying every delivery from steel frames to roof trusses, from one area of bog to a different area of bog. To fund our dream, we also worked part time evening jobs and what better way but to all work at the same hotel… as if we didn’t already spend enough time with each other!
When we could, we roped in friends and family and couldn’t thank them enough. Our Mum often brought lunch and hot tea to the site to keep us going. She also provided much entertainment and now has no intention of ever doing a ‘Tough Mudder’.
It was often very surreal coming to the site everyday, and still is now. It’s not a project that just ‘happened’, it’s one that is very personal and we threw ourselves into at the deep end. Our idea was not just to have a Wake Park but for the park to be a community hub that everyone can feel a part of.
No grass, no car park, no cladding but half the decking done.
In June 2017 although we didn’t feel ready to open, our eldest sister (the sensible one) and brother in law twisted our arms and pointed out the fact that we’d never feel ready and so, our first customers arrived a few days later and we haven’t had time to look back.
At the end of all this I hope it’s still obvious...no we are not builders (although Sarah and I have now decided we will somehow build our own houses), no we are not designers, professional wake boarders or even business people! We’re just 3 siblings who love mud, enjoy challenges and appreciate Pembrokeshire and the lifestyle it provides.
