Holiday Snaps: Poston Mill Country Holiday Park

Wayne Jones is the owner of Poston Mill Country Holiday Park in Herefordshire, which he runs with his wife Sarah. Once a farm, watermill and bakery, the 35 acres of countryside that is Poston Mill was purchased by the couple in 1992. Since then, Wayne and Sarah have consistently improved the park and have won numerous awards for their efforts; including awards for Excellence in Tourism in both silver and gold over consecutive years, Excellence in Sustainable Tourism, Holiday Park of the Year 2015 and a Hereford Chamber of Commerce Tourism Business award. Poston Mill is also a member of the Best of British group and affiliated to the British Holiday Home Parks Association.

How is 2016 shaping up for Poston Mill?

In a word - excellent. We have developed a new premier holiday home area and we have secured planning permission for more touring pitches to include a luxury camping area and new play area. Our online bookings are already showing an increase, so I feel 2016 will be a positive year for us.

What are the main challenges facing the holiday park industry at the moment?

The main challenges facing us are financial constraints, we have so much we would love to do but still need to pay the bank.

If you had to identify one element, what is the most crucial aspect to the success of Poston Mill?

Without a doubt, our team is the main reason for our success. Without them we would not be able to offer the service or have an award-winning park. We are so lucky.

What does a typical day in the office for you consist of?

I love my job, because I do not have a typical day at the office. Communication is very important, so every morning I catch up with the team and discuss what happened the day before and plans for the rest of the day.

What has been your most interesting experience in the industry?

I love talking to other people who own and run their own caravan parks. You can learn so much from talking to others and hearing their experiences. Everyone within the industry is so friendly and very often they have a solution to your problem or vice versa.

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given and by whom?

Never stop moving forward. This advice was given to me by a guy we use for business management consultancy. He was the one who pushed me to sort out the planning, that will come to fruition this year. I thank him every time I see him!

Last word?

Owning a park is a way of life, not a job. You have to be prepared to work anti-social hours and muck in at all times. But the people you meet and the people you work with both colleagues and beyond, far out-weigh any of the challenge. I wake up every morning looking forward to the day and wouldn’t change my life for anything.