Archive for the 'motorhome' Category

Time for Mandy to party at Ruarc’s motor-home sales business

Published on February 13, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Mandy looked with concern over at her boss Ruarc who was standing, smiling and waving the caravans and motor homes containing his family onto the grass. He ambled over, still grinning.

“You’re looking worried, Mandy” he said. “You don’t need to be. Just relax and enjoy yourself. My family knows what to do. It’s been a successful day for the motorhome sales business and now you are off duty – and that’s an order!”

“Er, am I invited to the party?”

“Gal, if you didn’t come, I’d come and get you. Now get a drink in your hand and start enjoying yourself.”

Ruarc, waved his hand at the rest of the motorhome sales team gathered around.

“And that applies to the rest of you too. You’ve worked really hard and come up with the results. Well done! Now party!”

Ruarc’s family seemed to know exactly what to do to set the party going and it was as if a well oiled machine had gone into action. A hog roast suddenly appeared with a fire underneath wafting wonderful smells across the grass. A few yards away, a bar was set up with barrels and bottles with not one proprietary trademark in sight. Mandy suspected this was some of the famous Irish hooch she’d heard of.

A band started up with guitars, accordions, violins and flutes and a couple of young girls leapt into the circle doing an Irish step dance besides the hog roast. Within minutes the field was alive with the sound of Irish music, dancing and laughing.

Mandy saw Ralph link arms with Katerina and take her onto the dance area. Ruarc, commandeered Gladys who seemed very pleased to be chosen. Suddenly Mandy felt alone. She had worked so hard for this day and it looked as if her job was secure at least for a while into the future. But, even as the party-goers jigged and reeled around her, there was an emptiness that made her heart ache.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder and, when she turned around, there was the smiling face of Tom Hutchinson. She slowly and uncertainly returned his smile then he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the dancing area.

They ate, danced and drank their way through the night until it was well past midnight and completely dark except for the fires flickering flames which sent wisps of smoke away into the night. People were everywhere in couples and threes, just talking, catching up with each other, some kissing and cuddling and finding privacy in the dark among the motorhomes and caravans.

Mandy and Tom sat with their arms around each other on a log outside Mandy’s motorhome. Suddenly, Katerina and Ralph emerged out of the darkness.

“I go stay Ralph tonight,” Katerina said, cheerfully. She pointed to the farmhouse. “I OK!”

“Are you sure?” said Mandy, looking worried.

“I sure, Ralph promise be nice.”

As they disappeared off into the dark, Tom and Mandy exchanged smiles then Tom kissed Mandy long and deeply.

A long time later, Tom said quietly:

“I suppose this means you will be alone in your motor-home tonight.” He had a cheeky grin on his face.

“I don’t think so,” said Mandy, “if you are the man I think you are!”

Then she squealed as Tom lifted her into his arms and carried Mandy inside her motor home.

The End – for now …

Motor home hire and rental prize-giving day arrives with Mandy’s fingers firmly crossed

Published on February 12, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

If Mandy had been religious, she would have prayed for good weather but, in the event, the weather on Ruarc’s motor home hire and rental prize-giving day was about as good as it possibly could have been for late November in the South of England.

As Mandy walked over to the motorhome sales office, she mentally ran through all the things that needed to be checked relating to the motor home prize-giving day. The sun was peeping from behind the tall trees and the rooks were cackling and swooping above.

By 11 o’clock when the gates opened, sunshine was pouring down and Ruarc’s motorhome sales was beginning to look almost festive. In the centre of the circle of motor homes had been placed a marquee where visitors could congregate and talk about their experiences and dreams of motorhoming. Outside the marquee there was a raised stage where the prize-giving would take place.

By midday Ruarc’s motorhome sales was humming with people chattering, laughing and enjoying the day. Even Ruarc lent a hand talking to the customers and Mandy saw him leading off a pair of sisters who were interested in a motorhome rental for a holiday in Italy she heard them planning.

Gladys was enjoying seeing all the people she’d been talking to for weeks on the telephone and was even exchanging kisses with some of them. It was almost as if Ruarc’s motorhome sales had suddenly grown an extended family. However, Mandy knew that each new member of the family was a prospective customer and the good relationships that were being developed that day would be needed to see the motorhome sales business through the next months and possibly years.

2 o’clock came, all too quickly, and the stage was set to announce the winners of the free motorhome holiday. This was a moment they had been working towards for weeks. Mandy’s fingers were firmly crossed that it would go well. How would all the people who had hoped to win a two weeks’ holiday feel when they found it had gone to somebody else? Perhaps there would be a riot. Perhaps they would no longer feel so friendly.

Ruarc, took to the stage and spoke into the microphone, in his rich Irish brogue, instantly charming many.

“Hello, hello. 1 2 3 … Can you hear me?”

The gathered crowd roared “Yes!” Many still had wine glasses in their hands and a contented glow in their cheeks.

“I have to make an announcement before I pass you over to the distinguished counsellor who has not only worked so hard judging your excellent entries but has also agreed to make the presentation of the prize.”

An announcement? Fear clutched at Mandy’s heart. She had no knowledge of any announcement. Ruarc was just supposed to welcome the guests and hand over to the local councillor. What on earth was he playing at?

“I, as proprietor of this humble motorhome sales business have been so impressed by the quality of the entries for this competition that I have decided to offer not one but three free holiday prizes and a few minutes ago, I asked our distinguished judge to select two more winners from the list of entrants.”

Loud applause greeted this announcement and someone even started off three cheers. Relief flooded through Mandy.

“I will now pass you over to our distinguished friend from the Council,” said Ruarc. He winked at Mandy, as he came off the stage. The wink said that he was still in charge and would  run the show as he wished. He was obviously enjoying her discomfort and his little surprise. Mandy suddenly felt she had been warned.

The councillor stepped onto the stage. He was a short round, balding friendly looking man. Mandy could see how many people would feel at ease voting for him. His best quality was that he was inoffensive.

“I must first thank Ruarc’s motorhome sales for the opportunity of coming here and presenting these prizes. Of course it was a very difficult task to choose the winning entries from so many. However, generously expanding the winners from one to three certainly made the choice a little bit easier.”

The names of the winners were called out and they all trooped onto the stage to collect their certificates detailing their prize except one of the winners who was disabled. Instead, his carer collected his certificate and took it down to where he sat in his wheelchair, looking pleased.

There was a lot of clapping and even some cheers. Then it was all over and people started drifting away.

“I hardly dare to ask,” said Mandy quietly to Gladys. “How many sales?”

“Two,” said Gladys.

“Oh!” said Mandy, disappointment washing over her.

“Zero,” said Gladys, with a triumphant smile on her face.

“Twenty! screamed Mandy with excitement. That’s fantastic. Now we really do have something to celebrate.

Katerina joined in the group hug and they were still jumping up and down with happiness when the first caravan appeared bearing Ruarc’s family.

Within minutes, one caravan had turned into a steady stream.

Mandy confronts Rita about the motor home sales promotion

Published on February 11, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

“Rita, making motor home rental sales is the whole point of running the motor home competition. It’s a motor home sales promotion. It might be a lot of fun and enjoyable for us and for the people entering the competition but at the end of the day it is aimed at getting more motorhome rental and motorhome hire sales.”

Mandy was facing Rita across the counter of the farm shop and Rita’s face was set in an uncooperative glare.

“Even the councillors from the Council are possibly an important future part of your motorhome business activities. So it’s not really just a party or a celebration from the motorhome business’s point of view.”

“Are you suggesting that I shouldn’t have invited my family. You are getting too hoity toity, gal – too hoity toity by far,” hissed Rita.

“I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t have invited your family,” said Mandy, inwardly seething at Rita’s stupidity. “all I’m trying to do is make sure the motorhome business runs efficiently on a very important day that may well determine its success throughout the next year – which is already bound to be a very difficult year because of the recession.”

“You are meddling in things that are not your affair,” snarled Rita, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

Mandy grasped at a final straw.

“Okay, what time have you told them to turn up? Perhaps they could come after all the selling has been done and we could have a party that was more for family and friends and, hopefully, to celebrate a great day’s business.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. Our family knows when parties start and won’t be arriving until the evening. What party would ever start before the evening? Are you stupid, gal?”

Mandy almost fell over with relief. The motorhome sales area was open from 11 o’clock in the morning for visitors with the prize presentation at 2 o’clock. According to her plan, it would definitely be completely finished well before the evening.

“Thanks, Rita, “she sighed, gratefully.” I’m so glad that’s sorted out,” and made her escape.

Motorhome holiday ideas competition entries many and varied

Published on February 10, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

The next day Mandy went through the motorhome competition entries and was amazed at the quality and variety of ideas about what people wanted to do with a motorhome for two weeks if they won the prize. She decided to make a synopsis of each with the aim of passing them to the independent judge.

Many of the competition entries talked about a love for different UK destinations or European destinations. There were many entries describing the beautiful Welsh mountains, the quaint Cornish villages and memories of hot lazy days in Provence. Scotland was a popular place to visit with many talking about the beauty of its Highlands and the joy of staying at remote camping and motorhome sites.

Many other competition entries talked about visiting family and using the motorhome to stay locally at a campsite because there was not enough accommodation at their relatives house. Their pleasure was a simple pleasure of staying with their family made possible by the convenience of the mobile accommodation.

Other competition entries were from disabled people who needed to carry with them a lot of equipment on holiday because of their disability. An ordinary holiday was not possible and the motorhome holiday would be ideal.

A few feared their economic circumstances could soon make them homeless and wanted to know if they could live on the open road and become full-timers. Increasingly high council taxes and their own personal reducing incomes had brought them to the stage where they felt they needed to find an alternative. For them, two weeks in a motorhome was an experiment in another way of life that might be cheaper and more sustainable.

One applicant wanted to spend two weeks learning how to surf and living with a surfing community by the sea in Cornwall. It had always been his dream and he vividly described the crash of the sea and the joy of being in the waves if he won the competition.

The dream of returning to the village where a woman had lived as a child and standing in the school playground where she had played was described in another entry. For her it was a pilgrimage into her memories and the motorhome prize was the way by which she could make that journey.

In the course of making a synopsis of more than 100 entries, Mandy often found herself fighting back the tears, such was the power of the human stories. In one sense, it was a pleasure to read so many accounts of so many lives. In another sense, she was glad when it was ended because the journey had been so harrowing.

Mandy looked across the motorhome sales area and saw a young couple needing help and quickly passed her notes to Gladys to be sent off to the independent judge who was also a local councillor nominated during a recent Council meeting to be the final judge and to present the prize the next Saturday.

It was not by chance that Mandy had chosen the judging to be done by a local authority councillor. Getting support from the local Council was fundamental to the next stage in her plans.

Mandy discovers motorhome competition celebration arrangements might have hidden problems

Published on February 9, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

It was a hot lazy afternoon the next day and Mandy decided to look through the guest list for the motorhome competition celebrations  that were taking place on Saturday now only 48 hours away.

She was pleased to see that many of the motor home competition entrants were bringing families and friends to swell the numbers and a few Council representatives and officials were also going to be present.

“Typical Council officials, always keen on a free lunch,” moaned Ruarc, focussing only on the cost.

“We need them on our side,” chided Mandy, gently. “They may get a free lunch but, afterwards,they are less likely to stand in the way of any plans we have. Plus we might be able to get some advice from them on what we can or can’t do to develop the motorhome business and remember they are not charging us for their advice on this occasion.”

Ruarc nodded grudging agreement, he liked the idea of getting assistance for free.

Mandy looked down the list that Gladys had prepared and saw an entry she didn’t fully understand.

‘Ruarc’s family’, it said.

“What’s this entry described as ‘Ruarc’s family’”, she asked.

Ruarc was non-committal.

“A few of the family are coming over from Ireland.” He grinned wolfishly. “They like a free lunch too!”

“How many of them will there be?” said Mandy.

“You’ll have to talk to Rita about that. She’s the one whose been doing all the telephone calls.”

“All the telephone calls? Have you a big family in Ireland?” pressed Mandy. She didn’t really want to have to talk to Rita.

“For sure, our family is big – but they won’t necessarily all come over at the same time. You’ll have to talk to Rita, she is the one who does family stuff.”

On a day that Mandy saw as being critical to the future of Ruarc’s motorhome sales and its survival through the recession, the thought of possibly hundreds of surly Ralphs, Ruarcs and Ritas with their general lack of social communication skills mingling with prospective customers and business contacts suddenly filled Mandy with dread.

Mandy had hardly spoken to Rita for weeks. Her surly attitude and open contempt for what she regarded as hired and unnecessary help made it an event Mandy didn’t look forward to. Ruarc recently had largely accepted Mandy as a driving force for the business but Rita was a different matter and, ultimately, she had a lot of influence over Ruarc.

Filled with trepidation, Mandy resolved to see Rita later that day.

Mandy makes steady progress with motor-home hire and rental strategy

Published on February 6, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

The next few days passed for Mandy in a blur of activity. Katerina, who was slim and small, slept in Mandy’s motor-home luton. Since Ruarc point-blank refused to agree a wage for her, Mandy said she would reimburse Katerina out of her own pay.

The wages Katerina said she’d previously been paid whilst in the UK were so pitiful it would be no great hardship, Mandy thought.

At least, Ruarc agreed for Mandy to take a laptop from the farm shop and install it in her motor-home so Katerina was able to make a start with improving the Web site design aspects of the motor-home business.

Customers came and customers went. Sometimes Mandy felt optimistic and sometimes she felt in the depths of despair. The recession was biting hard and everybody had horror stories to report about shops closed down and businesses failing.

But the motor-homes were looking spic and span and the customers were reading the information now sellotaped to the motor-home windscreens alongside the price and obviously valued the information.

Entries for the motor-home competition were also now going strongly and the telephone and email information was proving invaluable for follow-up calls made by Gladys who looked in her element.

Gradually the motorhome rental side of the business was growing and, although no motor home sales seemed imminent, Ruarc had begun to treat Mandy more like an employee and advisor than a lackey.

Perhaps he had warned Ralph off too because his son hadn’t been  around causing problems with Katerina.

For a few days, Mandy had been worried about the gang-master coming around for his share of Katerina’s wage however, as it turned out, it seemed the gang-master had so many workers that, if one went missing, it was not so important, especially one as weak and tiny as Katerina.

A group of fishermen entered the competition and then came around to make a regular motor-home hire booking. Seizing the opportunity of regular business, Mandy was even able to agree a special deal price with them which left them very satisfied.

It seemed they needed the motor-home to go away together for regular sea fishing expeditions.

After the first trip, the four fishermen  left the motor-home they had rented in quite a state but Katerina with a shrug and a smile quickly set to work to make it spic and span and good as new.

One day, a middle-aged man turned up and quite took to Mandy. He was going into hospital soon for radiotherapy and didn’t want to travel the 60 miles each day for treatment. His plan was to park the motor-home at a campsite near to the hospital for the duration of the treatment. He told Mandy that, when his treatment was over, if it was successful, he would come back and try to persuade Mandy to go out for a date with him. Mandy found herself shedding a tear as the man drove away in his rented motor-home.

Which made Mandy wonder about Tom Hutchinson. For somebody who seemed so keen, it had now been several weeks that he had not called. Perhaps his plans had changed or perhaps she had mis-read his intentions.

Each day, Mandy went to work at the motor-home sales office, greeting customers and working hard to make sales. Katerina started her day cleaning the motor homes then sat studiously updating Rick’s motor-home sales web site on the laptop.

When the month-end came, Mandy handed Katerina her share of Mandy’s wages and was pleased to see Gladys was also continuing to be paid.

The grand finale to the motor-home hire promotional competition was rapidly  approaching and Mandy made arrangements with the local press and media to televise the prize-giving. It would be good public relations for Ruarc’s motor-home sales business.

Mandy’s only worry was that Ruarc was insisting his suppliers should come down and join in the celebrations.

Mandy had not forgotten Ruarc’s special relationship with his suppliers and, according to him, their special needs.

Mandy negotiates motor-home cleaning and Web site design despite opposition from Ralph

Published on February 5, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Ruarc had told Mandy that she would find Ralph at the bottom end field which was their name for a part of the farm that Mandy had not yet visited. All she knew was that it was the centre of the agricultural activities for the farm and could only be accessed by following a narrow farm track with high earthen hedges on each side.

Wearing a pair of yellow Wellingtons in her lunch break, Mandy took the bull by its horns and trudged off to see Ralph.

Fifteen minutes of walking later, at the end of the farm track, Mandy came into a clearing where there were several caravans clustered in a square. In the middle, several pieces of outdoor furniture were strewn around providing seating and eating facilities.  Resting where they could find a space were about fifteen workers, men and women, looking extremely tired. Some were seated on the ground with their backs to the caravans and others were perched on the benches.

Ralph was reading a magazine in a comfortable camping seat. He gave Mandy a crooked smile and dropped the magazine on the grass besides him, making sure Mandy could see the naked female pin-up that was on its front cover.

“So you thought you would pop out to give me some more target practice, did you?”

Mandy considered a sharp response to Ralph’s stupid behaviour the previous day with his shot gun and even more foolish comments. But instead, just shook her head wearily and tried a more friendly approach.

“Ralph,” she said, brightly. “I’m trying to improve the level of service that we offer to motorhome customers by providing them with more information as to what checks have been done on the motorhome before it is made available for motor home rental or motor-home sales. I wondered whether you would be willing to make a list of all the things you do, perhaps a check list that I could put on the side of each motorhome together with details of engine size, van length and any guarantee offered.”

“I could also wipe your bum,” said Ralph, helpfully.

Then his face transformed into a snarl.

“Are you absolutely out of your mind. Where am I going to get the time to do that? And what makes you think I actually do anything anyway? The motorhomes come in and go out and whatever guarantees you give about their condition are not in writing so customers can prove nothing.”

Mandy tried to stay calm and reasonable, although her pulse was already racing with anger in response to his naked aggression.

“But that is exactly the problem, motor homes come in but they will never be sold these days unless customers are confident enough to buy them or to rent them. Part of the reason why we haven’t been making enough sales is because of the lack of customer confidence. Our customers need to be confident about the state of the motor home they are buying so they can drive away full of their dreams and not be worrying about practicalities like breaking down.”

“As you can see,” Ralph waved, indicating the field workers, “I’ve already got plenty on my hands. You want it done, you do it!”

“Well, OK, could you spare one of your workers on a regular basis to go through the motorhomes and clean them, say once a week. The motorhomes get dusty quickly and it doesn’t help with selling them or renting them out.”

“I don’t get this,” said Ralph. “It’s all about what I can do for you. What about you doing something for me.” He picked up the magazine and stroked the naked female body in the photograph to indicate what he had in mind.

Mandy felt she’d just about had enough and was getting ready an extremely sharp reply when a small voice spoke up from a young woman who was resting her back against one of the caravan wheels.

“If you want some cleaning done, I would be happy to help.” She had a strong accent that sounded East European.

Ralph looked down at her and set his mouth in an expression of distaste.

“I suppose you could have her!” Ralph indicated with his thumb. “I have!” He smirked at his play on words.

“She’s no damn good in the fields – too weak. I was going to send her back when the gangers next come around.”

Mandy looked at the woman. She was young and skinny, almost emaciated.

“I’m willing work hard but I am office worker at home,” the woman with the tiny voice said. “But I can clean good and also good on computer, if need  office work.”

A gleam came into Mandy’s eye. Rita had consistently refused to talk to Mandy about the Web site which still needed updating and which would need a lot of maintenance to record the promotional motor-home competition results and the extensive presentational improvements that Mandy wanted.

“Have you done any Web site design?” Mandy enquired.

“At home, I am computer programmer – of course.” The woman’s eyes were bright with hope.

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted building new life where pay better – not intention work field.”

“You want her, you take her,” interrupted Ralph, “but you’ll have to pay her and give her time off when I feel like coming around. He made a rude gesture with his hand.”

Mandy made a snap decision.

“Come on,” she said to the girl. “Let’s get out of here.”

As they walked away from the small caravan encampment, Ralph was leading the workers back to the fields.

“My name Katerina. He Devil. Do bad things me. Please no want see again,” the young woman said.

Mandy nodded, hoping she could keep her promise.

Mandy’s discount motor-homes and motor home competition plan to beat the recession

Published on February 4, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

On arriving back at the motor-home sales office after seeing Gladys in her home, Mandy had outlined her plans to Ruarc and got a grudging acceptance.

A week later Mandy’s strategy for expanding the motorhome sales business was already under way. In fact everything was really going very well with the exception that she had not heard from Tom Hutchinson.

Even Ruarc seemed pleased.

“Well done gal, said Ruarc, “It’s a bit different to the ways we are used to but its no time to be picky. I’ll hold off the deliveries on the  new motor homes from my supplier for a few weeks, just to be on the safe side, as you suggest.”

Gladys had come back off sick too, and, for a change, she was getting down to work instead of merely filing her nails. She still hadn’t been paid but Ruarc had agreed, at Mandy’s suggestion, that she could have the use of a smart little Romahome motorhome to drive too and from work and for the occasional holiday.

The Romahome motor home was small, compact, agile in traffic and economical on fuel. Plus there was no other way that Gladys and her husband were otherwise  likely ever to be able to afford a holiday so this was a good holding plan. However, Gladys would need paying eventually and her wage arrears caught up.

Mandy had also taken over writing the motor-home advertising copy, with the proviso that it be approved by Ruarc before going for publication.

Her first strategy was to extend the motorhome sales business mailing list with a  promotional competition. People could win the prize of a free motorhome holiday for two weeks by providing the best description of what they would do with the motorhome if they won.

The competition was designed to identify people who had some sort of interest in obtaining a motorhome, ‘qualifying customers’ as Mandy described them to Ruarc. The recession meant that many of them had delayed their plans even to look at motorhomes. But, if they could be persuaded to come forward, perhaps ways and means could be devised to provide them with a motor-home despite the recession.

If Ruarc’s motorhomes could supply people with the motorhome of their dreams at a cost that was acceptable to both, however big the discounts, the business was working, decided Mandy.

“It’s all a matter of flexibility,” she had said to Ruarc. “The closer we can get to our prospective customers the better we will be able to create opportunities for the motorhome business.”

Gladys looked happier too. Mandy had given her the job of ringing around prospective customers and arranging their visits to Ruarc’s motorhome sales so they could choose the motorhome they wanted for two weeks, if they won the motor-home competition. She was very chatty on the phone and did the job well. It meant that Mandy could spend her time dealing with the customers personally when they arrived and it was a system that was beginning to work with one motorhome hire sale made already when a young couple decided, bearing in mind the discounts, they would go ahead and take a rental immediately with the chance of an extra one for two weeks later in the year, if they won the competition.

When Mandy confronted Ruarc, in his office and suggested that the best use of the income from the young couple’s motor home rental sale was to bring Gladys wages up to date, after a lot of harrumphing, he grudgingly agreed.

“Gladys is doing a very good job on the telephone bringing in the motorhome sales leads. We need her to be motivated and she can’t work properly if she’s worried about paying her own bills at home,” said Mandy, persuasively.

That day Gladys went home looking really pleased and the day after she was in early to the motor-home sales office and Mandy could see she was now giving the job her full commitment.

With Ruarc’s motorhome sales marketing now on an even keel, Mandy turned to other practical aspects of the business. These involved Ruarc’s son Ralph. She approached Ruarc with her ideas and he, after considerable discussion, gave her the OK.

“He’s got a mind of his own, though. He’s not really interested in motor-home sales and he doesn’t like being told what to do, especially by a woman.”

“I’ll try my best to deal with that,” promised Mandy. “But our priority is to shift motor-homes and his help is absolutely necessary.”

Mandy pays a home visit and admits to having further plans for the motor-home business

Published on February 3, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Gladys was sitting up in bed looking worried as Mandy entered her bedroom. She didn’t look ill but she didn’t look happy either. She’d obviously decided attack was the best form of defence.

“I suppose Ruarc wants to know when I’m coming back to work for him, well he can go and take a running jump. I haven’t been paid for two months and no pay no Gladys is my new rule and I don’t take kindly to him sending people to check up on me.

“I’m not checking up on you,” said Mandy, taken aback at the outburst. “May I sit down.”

Gladys hesitated, nodded and Mandy sat down gingerly at the end of her bed.

“Ruarc said he was worried about you and wanted the know if there’s anything he could do to help.”

Mandy was making it up as she went along. It didn’t sound as if Gladys was coming back to work and the fact she hadn’t been paid for two months made her position, in Mandy’s eyes, seem very reasonable.

“He’s probably more worried about his creature comforts than the motor home business and disappointed I’m not providing them any more,” said Gladys, archly.

“I think your personal relationships are between you and Ruarc,” said Mandy, evenly. “I can only talk about the business.”

“The business is going bust,” said Gladys, aggressively. “It’s been on its last legs for years and the recession is making it go completely belly up.”

“I don’t think you can assume that,” said Mandy. “I’ve made a couple of sales of motor homes, recently, and the new motor home hire and motor home rental options means that people don’t have to find so much money to be able to afford to drive a motorhome away. After all, motor home holidays might even become more popular if people stop going abroad for their holidays because of the economic downturn.”

“Okay,” said Gladys, looking Mandy in the eye, “bottom line – tell me straight – did you get paid this month?”

“I must confess that I did,” sighed Mandy, “but I think only because a rental sale I’d made the day before provided the cash to pay me. Of course, there was a complete lack of any wages paperwork which is an irregular way to go about things.”

“Everything at Ruarc’s motorhome business is irregular, often highly irregular, you just can’t imagine how irregular” said Gladys. “The whole family comes from a gypsy background and they’ve never properly integrated with the rest of society. They have their own way of doing things because they don’t know any better. When they purchased that corner of the old airfield for a motor homes business, we locals thought that they wouldn’t last very long but that was five years ago and slowly they seemed to expand, buying up farmland and building their business, apparently successfully. The local people usually take a long time to accept newcomers, I should know, I’ve lived here all my life. And it doesn’t help that they’ve never made any effort. I only went to work because it was a last resort. It provided me an income for a couple of years but now the business looks finished and there’s nothing else locally in prospect. My husband is only interested in his pigeons and keeping the Benefits Office off his back so he’s as much use as a burst tyre.”

A tear trickled down Gladys’ cheek which she rubbed away defiantly with the back of her hand then pulled the blankets up to her chin as if to keep her safe from a threatening world she couldn’t control and didn’t understand.

“If you won’t come back to work again, I suppose you’ll need to send Ruarc your resignation, together with your reasons why,” said Mandy, feeling the whole visit was looking like a waste of time.

“But I wish you would give the business another chance. I have some ideas that I really think could work and the more people to help bring them to fruition, the more chance they have of success.”

“What ideas?”

“I’d rather not say,” said Mandy, cagily. “Especially if you are not going to be working with us any more. It would be revealing business secrets. I think you have to make a decision about whether you are going to come back first before I can say more.”

Gladys looked at Mandy, as if trying to sum her up.

“I’ll have to think about it,” said Gladys, finally. “Can you see yourself out?”

It was a relief for Mandy to be driving the Nu Rio motorhome back to the sales office. She wondered whether the ideas that were slowly germinating in her head really would be successful and whether the revenues generated would be enough to pay Gladys and herself, especially after Ruarc’s family had taken their slice.

Mandy resolved to approach Ruarc with her ideas for beating the recession and saving the motor-home sales business as soon as she got back.

Mandy drives a Nu Rio and dreams of management

Published on February 2, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

As Mandy entered the motor home sales office the next day, Ruarc who was already in his office, called out to come in and see him. Mandy hung up her coat with a feeling of foreboding, opened the door to his office and stood nervously wondering what was on his mind.

Ruarc, tossed an invoice that had arrived in the post on top of some paperwork that looked suspiciously like yet more unpaid invoices. It was obvious he was a bad mood.

“Gladys is still off sick. We can’t do without her. I need somebody to go around and sort her out. I don’t know whether it’s a girly thing that she’s got so I need a woman on the job. Rita’s no good at this sort of thing so that only leaves you.

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

“Anything that sorts the matter out. We need the motorhome sales office to run properly, we need the suppliers kept happy and we need to make more sales. You know what we need and it’s in your interests to make the firm work so you get paid. Now get around there sharpish so that you can get back to pulling in the motor home rentals.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know where she lives and I haven’t got any transport.”

“Take the Nu Venture Rio motorhome. Its nippy and easy to manoeuvre for parking. Here’s Gladys’ address.”

Ruarc, tossed a set of keys for the Nu Venture Rio motorhome and a note with her address scrawled on it. Mandy saw that it was in the local town.

It had been a few weeks since Mandy had driven anything after being forced to surrender her car back to the leasing company because she couldn’t keep up the payments and it felt great to be behind the wheel again.

The Nu Venture Rio hummed along beautifully and felt hardly different to drive than a large car. The twin bench seats spread out behind her like a pair of wings urging her to fly.

Mandy wondered whether her work duties might become ever more integrated into Ruarc’s business so that eventually she could take a much greater management role.

Ruarc seemed an acute businessman. There was the aspects of his business that Mandy didn’t like but, if the edges could be refined, it was potentially a business that could go far.

To get the feeling of the small motorhome, Mandy took the bypass all the way to the roundabout and then came back almost to Ruarc’s motorhomes before heading off into town.

It would have been so nice just to keep driving … to be free, thought Mandy then, resignedly, headed back.

Gladys’ house was located in a clump of properties that looked as if they were ex-local authority. Mandy easily parked the Nu Venture outside.

The garden gate was rotten and held open by a small boulder although the garden itself was tidy enough. The house had a tired feeling as if an attempt had been made to make it look respectable but with little money to put plans and dreams into effect.

Mandy pressed the doorbell, found it didn’t work and wrapped gently on the door with her knuckles.

A dishevelled man Mandy assumed was Gladys’ husband came to the door and eyed her suspiciously as if she was somebody from the Benefits Office.

My name’s Mandy and I’m from where Gladys works. We were worried about her. Is she in?

“She’s upstairs and not up yet. You can find your way. I’ll be in the back garden with my pigeons if you need me.”

The man retreated, obviously keen to get out from any line of fire.

Mandy closed the door behind her. The hallway was empty and sparse with a covering of lino on the floor. The staircase was to her right and Mandy climbed the stairs feeling intrusive calling out to Gladys as she went.

“What is it?” It was a sound of Gladys’ voice from behind one of the doors.

Mandy knocked on the door and entered saying “It’s only me! Ruarc sent me around because he was worried about you.”