Review by The Mole
"A daringly candid over-the-counter view by the owner of a unique boutique ‘staycation’.
Robert Greenfield a former British fashion designer risks everything for a ‘No Going Back’ adventure that turns his and Michael Bell’s comfy city life upside down; as a dramatic new life beckons the budding hoteliers…After an awe-inspiring renovation of a rundown ancient house, the word quickly spreads and their books are FULL to overflowing. Anecdotes abound of the dreaded hotel inspector, and eye-popping ‘Guests from Hell’ that will have you laughing and gasping at their blatant turgid audacity... A real life Boy’s Own spirited ‘derring-do…’ epic roller coaster ride that will have you crying out for a sequel with these two uber-stylish hosts, and their urbane hippy dog, Barnaby-Boo. Entertaining, and spellbinding; maybe you will be packing your bags and heading for the hauntingly scenic North Norfolk coast…"
I am not sure I agree with the "boy's own" aspect but... This book is not really what that summary says. So what is it?
Well it's like one of those evenings you sit down with friends and start chatting about the traffic on the ring road and look up at the clock and it's 3 am and the last bus went hours ago and you can't for the life of you remember what it was that got you onto the subject of political unrest in third world countries. You're not sure how you got there but you sure as hell enjoyed the journey! The first half of the book criss crosses between the decision to make this massive leap of faith and the events that shaped the author's life leading to him being in the position to make the decision. The second half covers some of the weird and wonderful people and events that happened at Holly Lodge and how 1 group of picnickers brought him to realise where this journey had finally taken him.
Both saddening and uplifting as well as containing many memories of places on the North Norfolk coast, this book is like making a new friend, reading a travel brochure and taking 'life choices' advice and I felt like I had made a new friend in the author afterwards.
An enjoyable and different kind of read.
Publisher - Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers
Genre - Adult, Non-Fiction, Autobiography
Buy Samphire Coast
from Amazon
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