[Ken]

Bear with me here...

Last year my wife and I visited Northumbria for the first time and absolutely loved it. We’ve just been back up and continue to absolutely love it, to the point that we are seriously talking of moving there! This isn’t necessarily going to be something done overnight as there are a number of factors to consider:

1   My in-laws are in their mid eighties so my wife is understandably reluctant to be too far away from them, (they live in Herefordshire), and my parents live in Bournemouth which is 380 miles from where we would like to move!
2   I have a fairly substantial quantity of work in a 30 mile radius of where we currently live (Cheltenham).
3   My wife has a very good job working for a firm of chartered surveyors (which includes a fully expensed company car, health insurance, mobile etc).

So with these things in mind, it’s not something we are going to do tomorrow. However, it’s no good sitting on your bum waiting for it all to fall in to your lap, so I’m starting to put feelers out about work. If we were looking to move 50 miles up the road, it would be practicable to take a day, or couple of evenings a week and canvas up new work, then fit that work in to the current schedule. However, I don’t think that’s an option when the area you want to develop is 200+ miles away!

So, without wishing to tread on any Northumbrian window cleaners toes, has anyone got any work in the Alnwick area? Or do you know anyone with work there that may be persuaded to part with? I think there must be work available, a number of the villages we went to had pretty manky windows, I wanted to canvas them up then and there (I had some cards on me!) To be honest, if I got a weeks work up there, it might be worth me driving up once a month to do it and develop it further, who knows...

As I say, this has the potential to be a longer term goal, but no harm in trying to get it started!

[bobby p]

1 week up north , 3 down south  - you know it makes sense ,GO FOR IT !

[Crystal-clear]

Mate i had a decent round up there.

I still have 1 above average good days work not far from anwick!

I kept it cos it was done on a sunday i used to love it strait to the pub for a sunday roast!

i think you said you work in herts?its so different up north!

It all depends where you will doorkock but
U are in for a hell of a time if you will be canvassing up there average house clean is £5.00 these are terraced or semis , infact £5.00 is good money £4.00 for a terraced is good remember also this would you start with WFP or ladders?

with wfp you will need to get work in bigger areas around Northumberland ideally Newcastle and around there. where people are more open to the pole

I made the pole work there but i had converted all the round from ladders to pole i feel if i just turned up with the pole they would have sacked me.

Remember as living costs are alot less there is always someone who will ladder the house for even £3.00 althou they would happily pay you little bit more it would only be by £1.00 £2.00 is pushing it.

also collecting can be a problem  , everyone wants a window cleaner there but paying you might need to spend sometime sorted that out i used to just keep cleaning till it was 3-4 cleans normally they would pay in the end and cancel as it was to expensive or just keep going in that manner.

people are really relaxed thou i do miss it up there too
You can turn up anytime no calling no texting which is great

the average day rate there is about £120 per man per day thats good work.
but its kinda a fullish day,Ofc top quality work can be more.

Remember the collecting side thou £60 would pay on the day £30 would say pay next time £30 would say can i pay on friday etc i would just say keep the money for me next time and filter out the ones who forgot to keep the money for you.


looking back i did enjoy it but those things i mentioned can be a bit anoying ,prices some people will cancel over £1.00 or less,collecting wise if you have a £1k round you will never see £100

So i went to london (where i am from originally) seeking higher paid work (also missed home and family)but london has its little problems too!

Goodluck thou if you do wana go i hope it works out for you.

[suds window service]

where you based crystal?

[AuRavelling79]

Holiday places aren't the same as work places.

Lower earnings/colder winters - not a good mix I'd suggest.

What appeals to you that you couldn't get closer to Cheltenham?

[Crystal-clear]

where you based crystal?

In london now mate was up that way for 3 years thou so i got a good idea about window cleaning there!

[Crystal-clear]

Holiday places aren't the same as work places.

Lower earnings/colder winters - not a good mix I'd suggest.

What appeals to you that you couldn't get closer to Cheltenham?

Oh god yea it does get cold! december and jan are horrible

[KINGAKNAA]

I think crystalclear has summed up what the area is like work wise. Hard work getting decent priced stuff. People will not pay the prices.

I'm WFP but gradually converted my round from trad, lost a few custies but have picked more up since. I think custies up here in towns are more clued up about WFP now, its quite common, not so sure about the rural areas you may be considering canvassing.

I cover an area between Ashington and Blyth inwards to Morpeth and find there are loads of cleaners, majority of them on the fiddle though!!! You cant compete with the "£2.50 per house brigade"

The man you need to speak to is probably Ian Rochester of Lionheart about availibility of work, he cleans up that way.

If you're going to be based around Alnwick, you might be able to pick work up in Berwick too it about 25 mile. I would imagine you could pick up more compact work there!

Work apart, you could not wish to be in a more beautiful place, to live here is a blessing that we up here try to keep to ourselves. We live a stones throw from Druridge Bay and visit the beach every weekend with the kids, its truly beautiful, couldn't imagine being anywhere else!

[Ken]

What appeals to you that you couldn't get closer to Cheltenham?

Sea, peace and quiet, Barter Books in Alnwick!

This won't be a rash move but something to be mulled over and worked towards. Maybe!

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

What appeals to you that you couldn't get closer to Cheltenham?

Sea, peace and quiet, Barter Books in Alnwick!

This won't be a rash move but something to be mulled over and worked towards. Maybe!

Ahhh, top book shop. The only thing missing is the steam train!

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I think crystalclear has summed up what the area is like work wise. Hard work getting decent priced stuff. People will not pay the prices.

I'm WFP but gradually converted my round from trad, lost a few custies but have picked more up since. I think custies up here in towns are more clued up about WFP now, its quite common, not so sure about the rural areas you may be considering canvassing.

I cover an area between Ashington and Blyth inwards to Morpeth and find there are loads of cleaners, majority of them on the fiddle though!!! You cant compete with the "£2.50 per house brigade"

The man you need to speak to is probably Ian Rochester of Lionheart about availibility of work, he cleans up that way.

If you're going to be based around Alnwick, you might be able to pick work up in Berwick too it about 25 mile. I would imagine you could pick up more compact work there!

Work apart, you could not wish to be in a more beautiful place, to live here is a blessing that we up here try to keep to ourselves. We live a stones throw from Druridge Bay and visit the beach every weekend with the kids, its truly beautiful, couldn't imagine being anywhere else!

Lots of windys in Berwick!

[weetot]

Macmac was from Alnwick I think, but he deleted his account about 3 month ago.

[Tom White]

Alnwick's nice, but it's Geordie country, mate.  You'll need to take a Staffy with you to protect you when you go collecting.

[AuRavelling79]

What appeals to you that you couldn't get closer to Cheltenham?

Sea, peace and quiet, Barter Books in Alnwick!

This won't be a rash move but something to be mulled over and worked towards. Maybe!

OK Cheltenham has got Hay-on-Wye not too far if it's books you're after - also Brecon Beacons and Malverns for peace and quiet. Admittedly the nearest Sea is Clevedon if you don't count the Severn! Steam train in Cheltenham too!

If it's cheaper living you want with spectacular scenery and not far from aging parents then Abergavenny isn't too far. (Mind you it's a bit close to Squeaky and Tosh!)

[Dave Willis]

Macmac was from Alnwick I think, but he deleted his account about 3 month ago.

Never did like that Macmac guy.

[Tom White]

Macmac was from Alnwick I think, but he deleted his account about 3 month ago.

Never did like that Macmac guy.

Geordies!  They're a dodgy lot.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

Macmac was from Alnwick I think, but he deleted his account about 3 month ago.

Never did like that Macmac guy.

Top bloke that macmac dude!

Nice place Alnwick, not like proper Geordie land!!!