A bit about us at Granary Holidays – My name is Sarah Tootell, my husband Simon and our son Oliver live at The Hermitage, Burythorpe. We moved here in December 2011 from Burythorpe.
I run the two holiday cottages myself with a bit of help on changeover days from my mum. There is always something to be done.
I’m often spotted with tools in my hands carrying out general maintenance or working in the garden. Cutting grass, white lining the tennis court, pruning, weeding and chopping logs are just a few of the jobs along with all the laundry and cleaning the cottages.
Having holiday accommodation was never in the plan, not that I ever had a life plan apart from wanting to be a Vet, but that was never going to happen as most of my youth was spent fainting at anything looking remotely like blood.
I left school and studied business for one year before going off to Bishop Burton Agriculture College for two years to study Business and Rural Tourism. The only other choice was business with farm secretarial option. I knew I didn’t want to do that so went with rural tourism having no inkling I would end up in the tourism industry.
After I completed that course I still didn’t know what I wanted to do so went into the family Rover dealership, H Yates & Sons in Wintringham as an administrator and ending up book keeping and even selling a few cars.
Seventeen years later the business was sold, I had some time out with Oliver before he started school, along with part-time book keeping for Simon when he first set up his business Wolds Produce..
Then came the decision to move house. The Hermitage fell into place giving us the flexibility work wise to fit round Oliver going to school and being available during school holidays and running the cottages.
Since moving here we have been slowly refurbishing different areas of the properties and increasing the weeks let.
I enjoy horse riding, mountain biking, running, badminton and the countryside in my spare time.