Life's A Picnic

One Fine April Morning

Hmmm, good afternoon. Well, it was the morning when I started working, just I didn't realise whilst sat at my desk it had just merged into the afternoon...just like that, quick as a flash. So much to do, my head is like a washing machine on super fast spin mode! By the end of the month, I might look like a banana...or a nut, as in going bananas, or nuts, for any slow readers. Do not fear. I can hold it all together and it's all exciting stuff anyhow.

Re: The Bug and my naming quandary...thank you 'Miss' Hailey for your suggestion and to 'Rally' Rob too. Appreciated, although not taken up as yet. No prizes Rob, sorry! Bloody hell, where is this gorgeous man who is going to be sending the fresh flower for me each week? He's being a bit bloody slow on the uptake. I mean I thought all you readers out there would be telling him to get in touch. Damn! You're all sacked.

(Ha, ha).

Onto other real stuff. picnic Boat trip today and the sun is blazing. I am training up new skipper Anna this week. She is studying hard downstairs as I write. Frank and Constance are already showing their efficiency with taking over the boat bookings (much better than me!). All this whilst I negotiate buying my new pad in Newquay, selling my house here and the transfers of all business dealing, banking, direct debits, email systems, database, safety systems..bla, bla,bla.

Am I yellow yet??

Hayley and Rob, keep up the thinking!

x

Common As Muck

Bugger. I must be a wally. I didn't think every Tom, Dick and Harry would call their VW Beetle Bug, but it seems that they do. Of course. Thinking of a name change. Blue? Any ideas? Will post some photo's soon and perhaps you can help with such a terribly important dilemma.

April Snow Showers...(well, it's a title)

Done! Well almost. My Picnic Boat sim card and the booking diary is now with Frank and Constance. Does it feel like a weight off my shoulder? Not quite. Not yet anyhow! Still plenty to be doing. The Picnic Boat goes back in the water tommorrow. Trips start on Wednesday of which i will be skippering and also training up Anna, new skipper and hostess.

To let you know that I now have a new mobile number. B & B inquiries can go to the old 07968 752625 but better to catch me on 01803 752625 for that. Do carry on booking. The house hasn't sold yet, but I know it will, so will carry on until that point.

Meanwhile, Newquay I can't wait. Looking forward to a fresh start and whatever it brings....

It's A New Relationship I'm In

I'm dying to tell you a bit more about Herbert the Bug, my new VW Beetle convertable, cos I seem to have started a whole new relationship and already it's cracking me up, as in the laughing side of cracking me up.

First of all, if you didn't know already, you buy one of these cars and you get.....

THE FLOWER.

Wow, the flower. Honest God's truth in the showroom out comes your salesman (hello Gavin at Mann Egerton, Exeter) holding about 8 different flower choices to choose from to go in the special little in built vase next to the steering wheel. No word of a lie. Here I was, purchasing (well leasing) a £21k car and being offered a bloody fake flower. What a laugh, almost too cheesy for words. Now dear readers, I quite like a bit of deliberate cheese..and if I can have this flower and have a giggle whilst having this said fake as fake flower, then sod it, I'll jolly well have it. Oh, but yet again, what colour does one have? Do I get a contrasting pink perhaps, or a vibrant yellow? Nope, I go for the blue to match the car!

Quick request. I am looking for a handsome man to send me a fresh flower once a week to replace the fake.Don't get if you don't ask!!

The cheesy fake flower does act very nicely for very silly moments with my newphews or any other kids I look after as a wicked fake microphone...and so now, we can do karioke from the back of the Bug to any song we like. Fab.

Further into the bargain are the heated leather seats. OOH la la. Number 1, can't really feel it, no. 2 ..it's def there. No. 3..now you're chattin, no. 4 EXTREME hot arse. My mate Fi from new York said it was a strange sort of almost feel like you've wet yourself feeling of warmness. Hmmm, well! I've tested the waters with Millie in the front seat, but can't bring myself to turn the heat setting to 3 as yet. She seems to settle at no. 2, but God only knows what she thinks of it all. Oh, shes a dog. Is she really?!

The boot just seems to amaze me any time I put anything in and get anything out, such a small entrance. Imagine a dog giving birth to a cow, well actually don't, cos thats warped, but now you've already thought that, you catch my drift about the boot and my delight in it.

Now, what else to  tell you about the Bug. The colour. Ladies, some of you may understand this, but you fella's will think I'm nuts, but I've started sub conciously buying clothes that will suit the Bug...colour wise. I mean, this summer, the whole Riviera look is in and I found myself with 2 girlfirends in Bath shopping, lookings in Hobbs and noting this factor and now I have a red and white scarf and a cool new jacket. What a twat!!!!

Not a 'Plug In' But A 'Plug'

www.millionairemum.co.uk get signed in if you are a Mum and get booked in for the conference. www.mothers_angels.co.uk for Mum's in Torbay that want a helping hand after giving birth. Give Racheee my oldest friend a call on that on 01803 752376.

www.judithmorgan.com for the best business advice around.

www.businessblogangel.com speak with Claire Raikes..she did my blog!

www.greenoakliving.co.uk to improve the look and the value of your home in and around London and Surrey...it's my bro and he's doing such a good job.

www.dartmouthyachtcharters.co.uk speak with Sue or Jody about chartering from this here River Dart.

Plugs...over and out. Good night. That's it. Honest. Apart from hi to Charlie in the BVI, hi to Rosie in Switzerland, Rob in Kingskerwell, Fiona in New York! Bon nuit.

I've Got...The Bug

Did I tell you what a dreamboard was...is?

Well, when my life was a bit shitty after the 'best, worst friend, husband thingy stuff going on, my brother bought me a bit of white board about 3 ft by 2 ft. He told me to stick up cuttings of stuff that I wished, liked, wanted on there. Try it yourself, if you're ever feeling a bit low or want to feel inspired. So, off I went to the supermarket and bought the following magazines: Classic Car, Yachting World, Country Living, A Place In The Sun, GQ and Men's Health. I picked out all sorts of stuff and began my collage. ranging from tropical shores, an Oyster Yacht, Jaguar XK150 'S' 3.8 litre Roadster (cream with red leather seats), 1958 2220S Ponton Cabrilolet (silver with red leather seats), a hammock between 2 palm trees, a log cabin, bunting, cool wedding cake, a families legs and shoes in a line on the beach, cool kids in funky, shabby chic clothes playing in the woods, a wall display of family framed photos, an indoor swimming pool, a luxurious bath, some poetic quotes, some stripy and dotty cutlery, a picture of Uma Thurman and a pic of a Great White shark. Hmmm....now...

Picnic Cottage for you

I am folks, did I tell you? Moving to Newquay. I have an offer of a 3 bedroom 2 storey flat going through as I write (well, not as I write cos there is no way on this earth any soliciter would be working on my house purchase whilst the moon is up..unfortunately). I have found out that I cannot do B & B from there, of which I'm not surprised, but thats ok. More importantly...Millie can come..just as well, as I wouldn't leave without her.

So, I have been playing with the numbers on Picnic Cottage. Can I rent and cover the mortgage, or holiday let? I think the answer is no, sadly. So! This is what i would like to put out to the Universe.

Would anyone like to buy a share in Picnic Cottage and have it as your holiday home or holiday let? Or, would you like to buy the cottage for £359,950 as your own home by the sea? Or perhaps, you would like to rent it for a sum of £1500 plus bills per month for one year and run it as Picnic Cottage B & B and take all the income from that to offset against your rental. Why? a chance to try your hand at B & B in one of most beautiful parts of Great Britain...Kingswear and The River Dart.

If no one grabs these offers, then I might be selling I'm afraid, giving me a change to take on a project of some kind in Cornwall. How about a Bonsai version of The Eden Project? Just joking! Buy the house now and you get to choose the coulour of the cottage and how you want the garden, all in the price...and I'm offering the new stainless steel cooking range with house. Note to self (as in Bridget Jones diaries). Get some photo's of the house here on the blog asap. Will you remind me!

Picnic Cottage B & B will be running as to such point as all is in place, so don't worry there, book in as usual.Spring is springing, sprung, sprong, so come along.....

Hit That Hammer Cos it's Sold!

Fan fare please and drum roll. Da, dada, da...da, daa, daaaa. Well, sorry, but I don't know how you'd write a drum roll do I. Why the drum roll?

The Picnic Boat...IS

............SOLD. You want to know where I advertised the business for sale? Two places. www.dartmouth.tv.com and www.thepicnicboat.co.uk blog. That is all.

Congratulations to Frank and Constance on their purchase, almost complete. Frank and Constance are probably my oldest customers. Not eldest, but oldest, in that, they have been coming every year since I started. They have sipped champagne and eaten a lot of lobster. Frank had seen my blog (hadn't you Frank!) and decided he didn't want to miss the opportunity.So, we met and drove down to Noss Marina, where the boat is kept and sat and had our discussion. With the hand shake and price agreed, we effectively and not in boat man's terms, went 'for a spin'.

''Would you like a go at the helm Frank?'' I asked. To which he did and he did. ''How does it feel then? I asked.

''I know it's corny,'' he said, ''but I sort of feel like I belong.''

So, Frank, who has his professional helicopters pilot licence thought that helming the boat made him feel as good as he felt, when he first landed the helicopter on his own. Now ladies and gentleman, I think we can recognise this as a passion and to run this cute little Picnic Boat business, that...is what you need. Constance, you are very important in the cogs of this whole thing too, as is Anna.

Meanwhile as for moi? Plenty to do. I have put the boat through it's annual licence today with the local Harbour Authority. i have also stripped her bare of cover, belongings and started the sanding. She gets lifted out in the morning and I have just 10 days to licker with all lovely things a boat likes such as bilge paint, antifoul, varnish, polish etc. Into the big green ghost filled shed at Noss she goes for some TLC.

On April 6th, my sim card goes over to Frank and Constance, as does my website. (I keep the blog and liz@thepicnicboat.co.uk, I think) then all the paperwork, database and so on. THEN WHAT THE HECK DO I DO???!!!

Well....I think I shall be a self employed skipper on board for a little while. Hmmm. Cool. I'm ready to move on folks but you know what...I can't wait to book the boat, sip champagne and sit with friends on that stern seat and just watch the world go by. Fantastic!!

Ditch The Suit

Hello to you!

Well, the interest into buying The Picnic Boat is picking up and I now have 6 potential buyers who are all doing some sums.Mean while I am still going to do more on line advertising with firms such as www.businessforsale.com and www.daltonbusiness.com, perhaps even an add in The Evening Standard, Country Living and a few others.

DITCH THE SUIT, DITCH THE OFFICE...

If you are reading for regular updates, to let you know that the bookings are rolling in for the summer, which is great. I plan to run the boat trips myself until the business is sold. I then intend on a handover period with whoever buys, to show them the ropes, how the business functions.

Anyone serious about buying should call me 07968 752625 and at cost I will send a buyer's information pack.

Just think, you are fed up with your boring job, it's been year after year now and this year you really want to do something different with your life. You love the water, you love boats, you love good food and adore the Westcountry and you love meeting people. You know how to spot an opportunity when you see one, you have a vision for The Picnic Boat.

On the less selling a business side of things I...

Just Busting

Morning! Well, I'm just busting with stuff to do to get on with 'Plan B'.

I got back home to Devon last night and have been spending my morning getting the house straight, my bags up to my room and finally made it to my desk. I have a million emails and a money spider has just dangled in front of my computer screen (a good sign?).

Hello to you regular readers who have sent me messages on hearing of selling and wishing me well on my move. Remember The Picnic light's not going out completely. I'm keeping Picnic Cottage, I want a book published and thr same ethos will be on it's way to Cornwall.

I've got stacks to tell you, lots to write, but I'm not going to launch into it all now (I need to get back to you with your bookings).

I've just spent 4 days at an Anthony Robbins 'Unleash The Power Within' seminar at Excel and WOW, I'm even more fired up than before. I want to tell you about that, because if anyone of us can attempt to achieve the things he has then, that would be quite something. He is an inspirational man.

I've got bookings to take, number's to work out, a business for sale to advertise, a boat to get ready, a move to Cornwall. It's basically 'all going on'. How cool is that?!!

Please write in if you have advise for me selling, phone if you are interested in buying, get in touch with all your ideas. Will appreciate them.

Have a great day yourselves.

Love Lizzie xx