Both of us had high-flying leisure careers before we owned the bookshop. Richard had held several senior management positions with international blue chip travel companies, whilst Jasmine had worked as a 5-star hotel executive and then as a bank manager after gaining an MBA. For two years, we searched high and low, all over the country. We viewed a stately home in south Wales, a Tudor mansion in Norfolk, a Manor hotel in the Isle of Wight, a grand private residence in the Cotswolds ...... We visited so many places, checked the figures and researched the market potential. But still, no place seemed to be right. Then, on a cold, icy winters day in 2013, when first visiting Woodhall Spa, we were immediately attracted to, and fell in love with the place. Located in the centre of Lincolnshire, this elegant and charming village is known as the Jewel in the Crown†in the county. The Viking Way passes directly behind the back of the Manor. This historic property is a beautiful red pile surrounded by lush greenery, with a golf course either side. The layout inside is so perfect and the atmosphere, even when derelict, has a warm feeling about it. It might just be worth having a go!
When looking back, the whole journey has taken longer than we envisaged. A few years ago, during a long overdue holiday, we made a promise to ourselves that we would have a change of life! We were not tired of London and running an antiquarian bookshop was really quite a lot of fun — but we would like to do something else that we are also passionate about: having a business in the country!
