Cold weather no longer a problem for Park Home owner Lynne Conway

Park Lifestyle Editor Bella Brodie speaks to Lynne Conway, who with her partner Eric has recently bought a park home in a stunning location in Presteigne, just inside the Welsh border.

As a self-confessed workaholic I recognise this potential trait when I see it in others.  Twelve months ago Lynne Conway might possibly have put herself into that category too. However, looking at the changes she’s made in the last year you really couldn’t get a better example of how to find a good balance in life, valuing the things which are really important.

Lynne is definitely a high-flyer, and used to lecture full-time in law at Croydon College where she had worked for 10 years, in addition to working for the Open University. Eric works in Canada as an aircraft designer so is also very much a high flyer in a different way and spends most of his time away. Lynne and Eric owned a beautiful house in Croydon but had a large mortgage to match so Lynne working at that pace was a financial necessity rather than a lifestyle choice. 

Nearly 10 years ago Lynne fell ill though, and that signalled the start of over 8 years of sickness, and the start of a series of operations due to kidney related problems.  This time last year she hit a real low. “I was so ill I seriously thought I was dying,” she said. “I was struggling at work, felt really ill all the time and guilty for taking time off when I needed it.  I ended up having a major operation in a last-ditch attempt to sort everything out, and although that worked I really needed more recovery time than I could afford.” Lynne did return to work but didn’t find it easy and ended up taking more time off because she had gone back too quickly.

That’s when, together with Eric, she made a life changing decision to leave her main job and sell up to take the financial pressure off so she could recuperate properly. “It was a huge decision but to be honest I didn’t really have a choice, circumstances dictated what I needed to do and the budget I had to work with but I do think that actually worked out for the best. We might not have looked at park homes if we’d had a larger budget but I’m so glad we did! Now, I don’t understand why more people don’t do it and enjoy spending a bit of their hard-earned money.” 

Lynne and Eric already had a small holiday flat in a converted vicarage in Knighton, about 4 miles from where she lives now so it was the perfect stepping stone while they looked around for somewhere more permanent to live. They looked at a few parks, including some in Cheshire, but found that many were a bit too regimented until they looked at Norton Manor Park which Lynne describes as ‘absolutely beautiful’.  The park is reached via a grand driveway across open parkland, and itself is set on several levels on the hillside next to Norton Manor, now an independently run plush hotel and restaurant.  It’s run by Barrs Residential, and although the grounds are already mature, owner Jason Barr has made significant investments recently into the infrastructure and services on the park.

Lynne does still work with the Open University and travels to London every month for work and also uses it as an opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues but says she wouldn’t want to go back to live there and really enjoys living in a countryside setting. With grown-up children in Reading and Chorley, Presteigne was the perfect location for them, and they moved into a 30 year-old park home there in May this year.

The home itself is in a fantastic position, overlooking the parkland and looking down on the well-stocked lake below.  It was partly renovated 8 years ago but since May, Lynne and Eric have had a new kitchen put in, moved walls and widened doorways to give it a completely modern feel. Eric’s son has been really supportive of the move and has really helped them already with the work.  “I don’t think of it as park home,” says Lynne. “I think of it as a bungalow even though I know we wouldn’t have found brick built property in such a good location within our budget – this really is the best of both worlds.”  Eric is now looking for a job closer to home so they can spend more time together, and they are looking forward to giving their garden a new lease of life in a country-cottage style.

They have also refurbished the underside of their home with the help of Park Home Chassis Services Ltd, who they had seen in one of the park home magazines, and who had also carried out work on another park home at Norton Manor.   In a day, they added more supports to the underside of the home to ensure the home is supported within its tolerance levels and also insulated the underside of the home. PHCS installed Celotex insulation boarding and then sealed it with their polyeurothane spray foam system. This means there are no air gaps and cold drafts will be prevented from penetrating underneath the flooring and will make the home warmer.  Lynne says; “It was brilliant – I actually went out for the day and it was all done when I got back; there was no disruption at all and they were really friendly. I’m now really looking forward to winter here. My sister used to own a park home so I knew heat could be an issue if we didn’t insulate properly.”

Lynne is now settling in to a more relaxed lifestyle and has the time to go out to lunch and potter about the locality exploring and visiting tea shops. “It’s a really lovely community here, really friendly although we’re not all in each other’s pockets. There have also been social events to enjoy on the park and locally such as fish and chip suppers, 60’s nights and the Norton show activity and socials. It’s great.

She’s also enjoying the changing seasons now she doesn’t have to worry so much about the cold. “This place is a real tonic- the autumn leaves in the sunlight are so pretty and I can’t wait to see what it looks like in the snow. Our home is ready, and I’m ready to change to winter tyres if I need to so I’m not worried.” There are some lovely walks from the park over the hill to Offa’s Dyke which they are yet to tackle. “That’s only a matter of time though, we’re looking forward to it,” she says. “It’s a complete new lease of life and I’m loving every minute of it!”

In a nutshell:

• Downsizing to a park home can provide a great solution for those needing to, retire, reduce living costs or wanting to release some of their equity to enjoy

• Many park home owners say that living in a park home is like being on holiday permanently – if you’ve had a stressful time that can be quite restorative.

• Park Home Chassis Services also carries out insulation work which can really help save costs and keep you warm over winter.

• It’s not disruptive having the work done – it’s a relatively quick process, you can stay in your home when the work is being carried out without getting cold. 

For further information on Park Home Chassis Services, visit www.parkhomechassis.co.uk, email info@parkhomechassis.co.uk or call 0118 984 3107