DIY – Knowing When to Call in the Professionals

Posted: Tue 4 October 2011 at 13:14

DIY seems to sit neatly alongside the manly pursuit of BBQing; “No help required thank you.  Just stand back and let me show you how it’s done.”

It is hard to ignore the manly instinct that tells us DIY is good and we can do it without professional help.  Maybe we just want tools, or perhaps it’s some kind of homo sapiens nest-building urge, but we do need to recognise our limits.

 I recently went to do a bit of work in a friend’s house, and it took a lot of persuasion from his wife to convince him to call me in to help.  He is very handy himself and could have easily managed the jobs I did for him… if he had the time.  A new job and a second baby doesn’t leave much time for DIY sadly, and although it was a slight dent to his pride to get me in, I know it was a great relief.

 I was in the same position myself recently, confronted with a large DIY job at home which I just didn’t have time to do.  It is funny how a small job can slowly gain momentum and snowball into a huge one.  The light bulb blew in our landing light and we decided that we’d change the light fitting – we had been thinking of doing this for some time, and the bulb blowing was just the catalyst required to push us into John Lewis lighting department.  The only problem was, the light we bought looked rather good, and made the crack-filled, scuffed landing look even more unacceptable… now we needed to redecorate. 

 Changing a light bulb swiftly turned into a full redecoration job and all went well.  That is until, after stripping away the wallpaper, I realised that the entire hallway needed lining paper prior to painting.  At that point things ground to a halt.  We were by now quite accustomed to the walls in their rustic if rather unfinished state.  My mother-in-law said they looked quite ‘Provencal’ which was perhaps stretching the truth a touch, but at least she didn’t say they had character.  Suffice to say, I surrendered and the decorator was duly called to finish the job.

 There are lots of reasons why people need help with jobs in their properties, and it isn’t always a lack of know-how, but often simply a lack of time or a realisation that time could be better spent doing what we know best and letting other people take the pressure off.

 Joe White works full-time for Accommodation Windsor Limited as Maintenance Manager.  If you require help with maintenance, redecoration or design advice at your property, please do not hesitate to contact us at www.accommodation-windsor.co.uk on 01753 833747.

My First Week at Accommodation Windsor Limited

Posted: Thu 23 June 2011 at 13:31

With the end of my degree looming and the promise of final year exams soon to be over I decided it was probably a good time to start thinking about life after university; or as we like to call it “the real world”.  Luckily I stumbled across a job advert on Facebook of all places.  This advert stated that Accommodation Windsor Limited was looking for an Office Junior to help with administration, marketing, accounts, sales and much more besides.  I thought what a great opportunity that would be to try my hand at a bit of everything.  So I responded with my CV attached and waited patiently, but not altogether optimistically!

Alma House, Windsor Berkshire UKI didn’t have to wait very long, the next day I received a call asking if I would be interested in having a phone interview for the position, which of course I was. Fifteen minutes later, the friendly woman on the other end of the phone told me that she thought it had gone really well and I would hear shortly about having an interview in person.  A week later I was in the office of Accommodation Windsor for an interview, which was (to my relief!) very relaxed and informal and 2 weeks later I began working as an Office Junior.

When people ask me what I’m doing now I’ve finished my degree they usually expect me to say either one of 2 things, looking for a job or doing something related to the environment, my degree being a BSc in Geography.  They are always surprised therefore when I tell them that I am working full time for an accommodation company.  When they ask why I was interested in the job I tell them that I wanted to gain experience of working in a busy office environment where I could learn as much about the different aspects of running a company as I can.   And I definitely picked the right job for that!

My first week at Accommodation Windsor was a blur of new information and new faces.  I was shown how to check people into the Bed and Breakfast, how to work the databases, how to create, pay and file invoices, how to check the keys back in everyday and so much more that I’m still trying to remember!  Now I have a long list of daily tasks, my favourite of which is checking people into Alma House B&B because I get to chat to so many different people from all over the world.

 Windsor Castle benchesEach day I walk into the town centre during my lunch hour and see that it is always buzzing with people either shopping or sight-seeing.  As far as places to sit and eat your lunch on a sunny (or even rainy!) afternoon you’d be hard pressed to beat the benches outside Windsor Castle.  I am curious how long it will take before I stop feeling amazed at how beautiful a place Windsor is!

I am still getting to grips with some aspects of the job and learning new things everyday and of course I still make some mistakes now and then but I always go home at the end of a long day feeling satisfied and happy that I was lucky enough to get such a lovely job in such a lovely place.

Top Ten reasons to visit Windsor

Posted: Tue 22 March 2011 at 15:45

Windsor Castle Tickets

Windsor is a delightful town in the Royal County of Berkshire.  Nestling on the River Thames with oodles of history, easy to get to by road or train there are so many reasons to visit, here’s our Top Ten:-

1. Windsor Castle

The largest inhabited Castle in the world and Queen Elizabeth’s favourite residence.  See St George’s Chapel, the State Apartments and the Changing of the Guard.  This year the Round Tower opens to the public for the first time in 40 years.   Lots of holiday activities for children plus don’t miss Queen Mary’s Doll’s House, the Castle provides a stunning back drop for photos too.

2. Theatre Royal Windsor

Built in 1793, Windsor’s beautiful Theatre produces a wide variety of performances from classics to pantomime.  Fantastically located along the High Street in the shadows of the Castle, walking distance to restaurants and bars.

3. Restaurants

Windsor boasts a huge variety of places to eat.  From cafes to fine dining, there is something to suit all tastes and budgets.  There are great bars too and for those with the energy a thriving club scene.

4. River Thames

Windsor sits on the River Thames about 20 miles west of London.  Jump on a French Brothers boat trip all the way up to Hampton Court, or for the brave at heart hire your own motor boat.  Alternatively, and less energetically, head over to the Brocas and kick back with your picnic blanket.  Enjoy the best views of the Castle and watch the boats go by.  Don’t forget to take some bread for the swans.

5. Parks

Windsor is surrounded by acres of Crown land.  Fantastic for walkers and picnickers alike!  Check out Savill Gardens with it’s stunning new Rose Garden, Windsor Great Park and Virginia Waters or head down to Alexandra Gardens just next to the river.  With multiple activities all year round from mini-golf to bungee trampolining, Alexandra Gardens hosts an ice-rink in the winter months and the Windsor Wheel throughout the summer.

6. Shopping
A great selection of individual and High Street shops and two stylish department stores make Windsor a fantastic choice for shoppers.  From monthly farmers’ markets to craft fayres and the latest in High Street fashion, there’s plenty to keep the shopaholics happy.
7. Horse Racing
Not only is Windsor located just a hop and a skip from world-renowned Ascot racecourse, but it also has a fabulous and unique figure of eight flatcourse all of it’s own.   Voted best small racecourse in the South East of England, this is a great day out for all the family.
8. Events
With it’s proximity to London and convenient plane, train and automobile links, Windsor is superbly located to host regular calendar events throughout the year.  Events include the Windsor Horse Show with the Royal Tattoo in May and Royal Ascot in June.
9. Art Centre
Windsor has a thriving local art scene going on at the Firestation, with comedy, music and cinema.   There are numerous galleries in Windsor and Eton plus the Contemporary Art Fair which takes place in November each year.

10. Eton High Street

With it’s charming unchanged High Street and imposing College, there is plenty to do and see in Eton, located just a short stroll across the pedestrian bridge from Windsor.  Lots of cafes, bistros, art galleries and individually owned shops for an unusual and interesting meander through this historic town.
 If you are planning a weekend trip to Windsor or relocating permanently, please get in touch to see how we can help with your accommodation needs  www.accommodation-windsor.co.uk.