The Team

As one of the newest members of the team I joined Freedom in February 2010 in the newly created role of General Manager. Previously I held roles of Area Manager, Food & Beverage Manager and General Manager with companies who owned pubs, hotels, health clubs and restaurants. In my 'long' distant past I was lucky enough to work in airlines for many years so was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel and visit some wonderful places primarily in the Far & Middle East and across the U.S. The highlights of these 'travels' must certainly include Bali, The Philippines, Hawaii, Maldives and of course I must include Kenya where I met my husband Richard. We have now been married for 28 years and are currently living in Eastbourne with our 2 daughters. Joining Freedom has been a wonderful experience. The team here have been very welcoming and have been very kind to take this 'interloper' under their wing. The opening of our newly created Hove office has been one of the highlights so far and I am thoroughly looking forward to continuing to grow Freedom into one of, if not the, largest holiday letting agency in Kent & Sussex.

I have worked full time in the Cranbrook Office for over 5 years and still enjoy the variety of the job and the challenges it produces. My role is to try to ensure the smooth running of the office on a day to day basis, distributing work and emails and making sure both Cranbrook and Hove offices are sufficiently staffed. I have lived in Kent all my life and really enjoy walking or cycling in the countryside. I live in Staplehurst which has many quiet country lanes or local footpaths all within a short distance. I also enjoy visiting the wonderful gardens in the area to get ideas for my own garden, but have to use them on a smaller scale!

I started work for the original owner of Freedom Holiday Homes in 1996 - from the front room of her cottage! Over the years I have watched the company grow, both in the number of properties we promote and how they are marketed. Our new website is testament to the expertise we now have at Freedom. I am very lucky as I travel all over our beautiful counties meeting prospective new homeowners and seeing an amazing variety of properties - the best of which you can see added to our portfolio. It is gratifying to see how much these new owners have invested in their holiday property and how eager they are to ensure their guests leave happy and keen to return. When I am not rushing from one appointment to another - you can find me riding my horse through the farm behind my cottage and along the quiet banks of the River Beult. The views across the orchards and up the hill to the tall poplars are as beautiful as any you will find in Tuscany!

In 2005 I was working at The Weald Information Centre in Cranbrook when I met Brenda Beck, the then owner of Freedom Holiday Homes, who was an active Member of the Cranbrook Tourism Development Forum. When Brenda agreed to sell the Company to the Ellis family, she approached me to join the business so that she could hand over a fully staffed operation. I was absolutely delighted to be invited to join a business in which I could continue to develop my interest in tourism related issues. I was able to take Brenda's place on the Forum and have continued to represent Freedom Holiday Homes whenever appropriate maintaining contacts with the Heart of Kent, Visit Kent, 1066 Country and other tourism agencies. I also provide back up for Lynne recruiting new homes for our portfolio and I love this aspect of my work, both meeting new owners and viewing some gorgeous properties. I also enjoy working in the office taking bookings and helping customers choose the perfect cottage for their visit. It is a wonderfully varied job and brings together many strands of my previous experiences in publishing, PR and tourism. I am fortunate to live in Cranbrook and have a short walk home through the pretty town. I can choose to be tempted by the superb choice of individual, eclectic shops or divert through the historic Churchyard of St Dunstan's, and quietly contemplate the magnificent "Cathedral of the Weald".

I work in the Cranbrook Office and have been with Freedom Holiday Homes for 2 years. I love the grade 2 listed building I work in and the old town of Cranbrook with its individual shops, we have butchers, bakers and I am sure tucked away somewhere is the candlestick maker. Holiday reservations keeps me busy, I love talking to customers and finding them their perfect holiday cottage. I enjoy visiting our cottages taking new photographs, and once back in the office processing the images and adding them to our website. In my spare time I am an avid runner and road cyclist spending most weekends and evenings running or cycling through the beautiful Kent countryside. I can certainly understand why Kent is known as the Garden of England.

I have worked for Freedom Holiday Homes since March 2011 and work 3 days a week in the new office in Hove - just 2 minutes from the sea and opposite the beautiful library. Along with Flick and the Cranbrook team I answer the telephones, respond to emails, process bookings and answer customer queries. As well as this I am also the Health and Safety officer for the Hove office. In my spare time I volunteer at a heritage project helping to restore a Regency town house to its former glory and undertaking architectural and social history research for them. I have lived in Sussex all of my life, growing up in the small town of Peacehaven - just 20mins from Brighton and Hove - and have recently moved into Hove with 2 friends, so I know Sussex extremely well! Last year I graduated from the University of Brighton with a BA (Hons) in Humanities and from September I go back to studying (I think I am a glutton for punishment) and start an MA in Historical Research at University College London, it is only one day a week though so I shall be staying with Freedom. Aside from history and studying I love to read, go to the cinema, paint, draw and knit. I also like to pop home to my parents to walk my two lovely dogs and of course get a free dinner!

I work part-time in the Cranbrook office, dividing my time between taking reservations, organising appointments for our properties to have their annual Visit England assessments and putting new photographs onto our website - no day is ever the same - but always busy (just how I like it)! On my days off, I play tennis on the public courts in Cranbrook - regardless of the weather and I also enjoy walking Georgie, my soft-coated Wheaten terrier in Angley Woods, which is within a stone's throw of Cranbrook high street. The woods are a blissful retreat, full of birds and wildlife, including bunny rabbits, George's favourite past-time, but don't worry, she never catches any!

I have been working part time for Freedom Holiday Homes for six years, taking reservations. I still enjoy talking to customers and hopefully helping them to choose their perfect holiday home. I was born in Kent and now live just over the border in East Sussex very close to Bewl Water, a reservoir built in the 1970's, which has become a haven for wildlife, and offers all sorts of water sports. Just a few minutes away is Scotney Castle, one of my favourite places to visit with both the new house and the ruins of the medieval castle and moat. The gardens are spectacular, especially in the spring, and the estate is open all year for walks through the woodland.

In 2008, having ditched the Senior PA job in London, sold my house in West Wickham and moved lock, stock and barrel to Cranbrook, I found myself surrounded by the most beautiful Wealden countryside and an abundance of beautiful gardens, historical houses to explore, woods and parkland to ramble through and within easy reach of beautiful sandy beaches, shops and family entertainment. There are farmer's markets to shop at; numerous craft and county shows to visit; quirky shops to browse through; seafood breakfasts, pub dinners, lazy lunches with friends and of course, the odd cream tea here and there! Equidistant between Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and the coast, the market town of Cranbrook is a peaceful small town of weatherboarded houses, surrounded by orchards and farmland. In medieval times it was an important area in the cloth making and iron industries. Today it has a population of approximately 6000 with a full range of community facilities, for instance the Weald Sports and Leisure Centre, The Queens Theatre, a fascinating and eclectic mix of shops, pubs and restaurants and a good range of social activities, clubs and classes. There is plenty for visitors to see and do. Activities include walking, horse-riding, fishing, golf and tennis. Local attractions include The Union Windmill, the tallest and finest working smock mill in the UK; St Dunstan's church; Cranbrook museum; gift shops, tea rooms and of course, Freedom Holiday Homes! Sissinghurst Gardens, Bodiam Castle, Finchcocks Museum of Music, Kent and East Sussex Railway and The Hop Farm are just a small taste of what's on offer nearby.

Flick is short for Felicity, from the Latin felicia meaning to be happy. I have worked for Freedom since April 2011, when we opened the new Hove Office. I work part-time for 3 days a week, whenever Caroline is not in the office. Alongside Caroline and the rest of the Cranbrook team I answer the telephones, respond to emails, process bookings and answer customer queries. I am also the Green Champion for the Hove office, trying to make sure we are doing our bit for the environment. When I am not working at Freedow I work as a freelance Personal Trainer - trying to get Brighton & Hove fit and healthy! Sporting pursuits are a major pastime of mine; I currently play Softball for a local team and have competed nationally on the natural bodybuilding stage. Brighton is a great place for sports as we have the cricket ground here, watersports galore, and The Seagulls have a brand new football stadium in Falmer! Other than that, I have a 2-year old mini-Yorkie dog called Delta, who runs me ragged on walks in many places; my personal favourite being Telscombe Cliffs on the Sussex Coast for amazingly picturesque views.