Kit is a “second generation” Langdaler, having first stayed on the estate with his parents in the late 1980s and becoming an owner himself in 2002.
He grew up in Yorkshire and spent the first 14 years of his career in the leather chemicals industry, working in a variety of roles. From 1999 to 2002 he worked in North Yorkshire for the Prince’s Trust and it was during this period that he became interested in entrepreneurial activity. He subsequently become a “Business Angel”, working with start-up businesses around the country until 2017.
Kit moved to London with his partner Beverley in 2007 and then to Glasgow in 2017. Since the start of 2020 they have been back in London but are hoping to move northwards again as soon as they can.
Kit was first elected to the LOC Committee in 2014 and since that time he has been particularly involved with the revisions to the Constitution and the development of the Surrender Scheme. He and Beverley are both enthusiastic fell-walkers and want to ensure Lakeland remains unspoilt for future generations, so he also has a keen interest in Langdale’s green credentials and hopes they can be enhanced in the coming years.
Paula and her husband first holidayed at Langdale in 1993. They fell in love with the estate and the area immediately. They were lucky enough to buy a week’s timeshare then and ever since their holidays at Langdale have been the constant in their changing personal lives.
Paula trained as a children’s nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital but moved to Lincolnshire when she married her husband. She worked as a nurse, ward sister, manager and ultimately a director at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. During this time she also worked for two years with the Department of Health in a service improvement and change management role, aiming always to improve patient care.
After eight years living in France and renovating a 200 year old farmhouse with her husband, Paula returned to the UK in 2017 and the following year began shadowing the LOC Committee. She fully joined the Committee in August 2020 and is delighted to have the opportunity to represent the best interests of owners. She is a great believer in excellent communication and hopes effective engagement with owners will enable the continued development of the estate. This should ensure owners can always expect the best when they visit the special place that is Langdale.
Paula is an active member of her local community and also enjoys gardening, cooking, walking and travel.
My parents bought lodge 15 week 27 in 1981 & I’ve been coming to Langdale ever since. We swapped to week 30 once children arrived & have seen the estate evolve as has our holiday experience, from pool and lodge based with toddlers to more adventurous activities now the children are adult. Does anyone else remember drinking Oranjeboom in the Tamarind bar?!
My background is in Local Government, starting as an Environmental Health Officer then developing to manage contracted services such as waste, recycling, highways and leisure. I retired in 2017 but became a Councillor in Herefordshire to try and use my experience to improve things in Ross-on-Wye where we live. As well as this I volunteered at the International Centre for Birds of Prey and am now with Hereford and Gloucester Canal Trust. My wife retired from teaching last year so we’re stretching our wings a bit more as we’re no longer tied to school holidays but Langdale will always be part of our family year, whatever else everyone is up to.
I scull regularly on the Wye, but don’t think that’s an option for Langdale Beck. However I also play petanque so perhaps we could accommodate a piste somewhere…
I am passionate about Langdale and hope my experience will help the Owners’ Committee in the coming years.
Michael was appointed as Managing Director on 1 August 2020, having previously worked for Hilton for 27 years and has a background in accounting.
In addition to LOP, he has held directorships with Hilton Grand Vacations UK Limited and Crathie Opportunity Holidays, a charity which enables disabled people and their carers to enjoy quality holiday time together. He has been a board member of the timeshare industry body for Europe and as a Chartered Manager himself, a member of the Chartered Management Institute for Scotland’s main board.
In his 27 years in hospitality Michael has been exposed to all aspects of the hotel and timeshare industry, specialising in timeshare development and operations. Michael’s role within Hilton Grand Vacations saw him heavily involved in the tourism sector in Aberdeenshire and the Cairngorms National Park, where he was based and assisted the development of a long-term strategy for the area.
I first visited Langdale to attend a business meeting in 2001 and like many others the location made a very positive and long-lasting impression. My timeshare experience started a couple of years after that and has formed part of our holiday planning every year since.
Although born in Yorkshire, my roots and family connections are firmly based in Carlisle. My early career in Financial Services, with sales management and compliance key parts of my role, re-located me firstly to Cockermouth, then to North Yorkshire and finally to the North East of England where we still live.
My career took a slightly different direction when I moved into the specialist mortgage lending area as National Sales Manager, before redundancy in the wake of the financial crash in 2009 gave me the opportunity to work more part time. I am currently a Non-Executive Director of 2 Companies; strategic direction, finance and risk are key parts of both roles.
Golf is my main activity, and I play regularly. A ‘mystery shop role’ I have enjoyed for the past 6 years allows me to visit, play and access some of the top golf courses and facilities in Northern England and Scotland. This gives me a good understanding of excellence (or otherwise) in that part of the hospitality sector.
Langdale is a unique and special place, and I hope I am able to support the Owners’ Committee moving forward.
