Park Home People - The High Pines

Dave Williams is a real advocate of park home life. It’s now 24 years since he downsized from his large four bedroomed house to buy a 2 bed Omar Wentworth and it’s a decision he doesn’t regret. “It’s a really good way of life,” he says. “Here it’s lovely and quiet and as with many parks the community here is really friendly. We have a great residents association and there’s just no pressure, you’re away from a lot of hustle and bustle you’d find in other places.” 

David lives with his partner Linda and their home is now almost unrecognisable from the property they bought new 24 years ago, having undergone a complete transformation inside and out. Before buying he was familiar with park homes, and as an electrical engineer he used to carry out maintenance on parks, something he continued years after buying his home. He also spent part of his career in fire protection, so has a good understanding of the compliance regulations relevant for park home owners.

The community has naturally evolved over the years but is still really friendly – Dave said he was one of the last to retire and one thing he really enjoyed was coming home to friends who would often be ready with the barbeque going and a cold beer at the ready. The reason Dave enjoys the company of good friends becomes even more apparent when I ask about his early life and career.

Dave was born at the end of the war in 1945. His father William Williams started his working life in the coal mines at the age of 13. One of the lucky few to return from the Dardanelles campaign in the World War I, William went on to become a fire warden and worked for the Post Office. He met Dave’s mother Winifred while working at Dollis Hill Post Office research station as part of the Telstar communications satellite team.

Young Dave proved to be musically talented from a tender age. Remarkably, at 14 he built himself a base from a tea chest and a broom handle.  He went to school with Dave Sutton, better known as Screaming Lord Such, who was forming The Savages, so the need for Dave to upgrade his equipment to get in the band became more urgent.  He managed to persuade his father William, who would usually never buy anything ‘on tick’, to help him buy a proper base.  Dave repaid weekly for some time but it proved to be well worth the money. He went on to enjoy an active semi-professional music career and social life in the 60’s and beyond, playing in a variety of bands and places. Venues included the world renowned 2I’s coffee bar in Old Compton Street where many stars found fame, and air force bases in the UK and Germany.   Another highlight was a big hit with Good News Week while playing for Hedgehoppers Anonymous and working with Jonathon King. 

The period Dave enjoyed most though was playing the Great Western circuit (Fullers Beers) with the band Rodeo. They also played at the National Rooms, Kensington, one of the biggest country and western venues back then, and were playing at the Red Lion when it won Pub of the Year in 1963.

It’s fair to say that Dave’s not the only one who enjoys the social life on the park though. His partner Linda was an import co-ordinator for Elizabeth Arden for 29 years, so her job was to bring raw materials in for the brand’s make up production in the UK. She now enjoys the park lifestyle and the rest and relaxation it delivers. As Linda has had few health problems, the couple have found that having supportive friends and neighbours around has been really valuable to them.

Although he’s retired from maintenance on the park it’s clear that Dave is  passionate about looking after his home properly. Together with his son Mark, a builder, they’ve made several internal changes including plaster boarding throughout. “I think that park homes are a lot easier to maintain than many brick built properties and that’s really important when you’re thinking of retiring” says Dave.  He booked his home in for a chassis refurbishment last year with Park Home Chassis Services which he describes as a key ‘good housekeeping’ exercise for park home owners.

The work they carried out included removing the surface corrosion from the steelwork chassis, repainting with rust inhibitor paint, re-levelling with new adjustable support stands and replacing those which were corroded. They also tightened coach bolts between the chassis and timber floor bearers.  Dave said: “I didn’t really fancy crawling under there so left it to the experts instead. It took a day and a half and I’ve been really pleased with the results. I also have a 10 year warranty on the work carried out - for those thinking of selling that would be really important although I’ve no plans to move on at the moment. Peace of mind and knowing my home is in tip top condition is more important to me.”

What next, we asked. Dave is currently ‘having a good old clearout’ in his back garden, taking out conifers and cutting back bushes and shrubs to freshen it up. We asked if he still plays with a band and he said “I just play for fun now. One of the residents here has some great parties I play at. I collect guitars and he collects sports cars, not much difference really!”

In a nutshell:

• Dave and Linda really enjoy the park home lifestyle and the company of their friends on the park. 
• Dave believes there’s less maintenance on a park home than a traditional brick built home.
• He likes to keep his home in tip-top condition so in addition to interior work and sorting out his garden, he has also had the underside of his home refurbished by Park Home Chassis Services.
• He says this has given him peace of mind, so he can relax and enjoy the next few years without worrying about what he can’t see. 

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