The home that never sleeps

It’s the house that never sleeps.”

That is how Neil Freemantle refers to Bramshott Grange and it means in his role as Maintenance Assistant, there is always something to do.

Whether it’s changing a lightbulb, unblocking a toilet, decorating a room, descaling a shower head and much more, Neil, along with our Maintenance Manager Cristi are responsible for the day-to-day upkeep of our home.

Neil has always been ‘handy’, so he says it is the perfect role for him, although in his earlier career, it was more about being handy with other people’s money.

He explains: “I worked in financial services and ran my own business for 17 years but with my children having grown up, I decided I didn’t need the stress any longer and then I had a brush with death after a motorbike accident, so this made me evaluate my life.”

After covering maternity leave teaching photography in a school, Neil says he came to a crossroads.

“For the first time in my working life I thought about what I would do next, which is something I had never felt before; then the job at Bramshott came up.

“I was doing a few odd jobs for people in my hometown of Brighton, and so joining the maintenance team seemed like a good fit and I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made.”

Neil works 20 hours a week at Bramshott and says this gives him the perfect work/life balance. He even travels to the home in his motorhome and effectively treats it as mid-week break, staying at a campsite nearby after his shift is over.

“I am a Scorpio so have always enjoyed my own company and there’s nothing better than getting in the motorhome, travelling to work and staying over,” he says.

Neil describes working at Bramshott as more of a vocation than a job.

He adds: “You have to remember that this is not our home, but the home of the ladies and gentlemen who live here so everything we do is aimed at making their lives better and more comfortable.”