Kevin helps a customer in the gift shop

Kevin Calvert

Visitor Team

Before I worked here I was a regular visitor to Holkham. I had recently attended Christmas with my wife and mum and loved every second and thought “yeah, this is a place I could work”. I then saw the advert for the recruitment day and after attending in January 2024, I was thrilled to be contacted by Holkham to apply for a gift shop position which began at Easter.

I began doing two days a week but I now do up to five to help cover holidays. There busy and vibrant days but there is no place I’d rather be.

What makes Holkham a great place to work?

Everyone is so friendly and works together to create a such strong team, which I am proud to be a part of. It is genuinely such a lovely, friendly place to work, where everyone cares about each other.

Have you participated in any training?

Yes, I have completed, ladder training, fire training. I’ve just really tried to do any training that has been offered to me, and I look forward to doing more, as they are very interesting and quite enjoyable!

Its not technically training, but I do help out with the occasional photo shoot too! Come December, you can spot me on Christmas posters, webpages and roadside boards.

Kevin wearing a white shirt touching a pink vase

What are you most proud of in your role?

To me the best part, or the bit I am most proud of, is being able to meet all of these lovely people and being given the opportunity to engage with customers, sell these lovely merchandises and be part of this amazing team here at Holkham.

Kevin wearing a white shirt touching a pink vase

If you could swap roles with anyone on the estate who would you choose?

 

I don’t think I would actually want to change roles even for a day. I am really happy with what I am doing now, I am happy here, I love working here, so I don’t think I would want to try a new different role for a day as I just love and enjoy mine so much!

How would you spend the day as a visitor  at Holkham?

 

I think I would try to cram in as much as possible. I would definitely visit the hall and definitely visit the walled garden to see all of the flowers and plants, I think everything else that I would do would be a bonus. Perhaps I might also do a private tour of the hall; to learn about all of the history it holds and have a more detailed look around!

Other team members

Vicki Uttridge

After attending the Recruitment Open Day in 2022, I secured a role in the Visitor Team where I have been for the past three years. No two days are ever the same in the Visitor Reception. The role is wonderfully varied and every day goes by in a happy blur.

As a member of the Visitor Experience Team, the number one priority is to look after our visitors. Our role involves meeting and greeting, dealing with phone and email enquiries, selling entry tickets and generally making sure everyone is having a great time whilst here. We are also on hand to support other teams where necessary.

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Curtis Austin

My day to day work in the forestry department can vary from carrying out thinning and clear-fell work with chainsaws, to using some of our machines to assist the others foresters with felling. During the winter we are focussing on planting which comprises many steps such as staking, making holes, tree selection, planting and tubing which you may have spotted throughout the estate.

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Jane Gooderham

I joined the Holkham team in March 2010, working in the Stables Cafe which is now the Courtyard Cafe.

I have worked in many of the Holkham cafes over the years, including the Rose Garden which is now Ancient House – accommodation at The Victoria.

Whilst the Stables Cafe was being refurbished, I worked in the pop up cafe which was situated by the front of the Hall in a marquee.

Now, I am mainly based at the Courtyard Cafe, but I do occasionally work at The Lookout and the Beach Cafe.

I started my job at Holkham as a general cafe assistant before being promoted to cafe supervisor in 2012.

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Gavin Chapman

Before joining Holkham as a general builder, I worked for a family business for 19 years where my Grandad and Uncle taught me everything I needed to know to build a house from footing to finish. Together we constructed anything from new builds and barn conversions to renovations and more.

Now, as a qualified builder I relish the opportunity to pass my skills onto the next generation.

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Abi Faima

I am a Holiday Sales Adviser at Pinewoods, and I have been I my current role since 2016 where I began as a trainee. After two years, I qualified in my current role.

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Mai Sussex

I have worked at Holkham since July 2022. I was a trainee for just over a year and have been a qualified forester since then.

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Dave Pearson

I was a regular visitor to Holkham after moving to Norfolk in 2012, attending many events and thoroughly enjoying the amazing variety of experiences that Holkham Hall has to offer visitors. Christmas was then and of course still is, a highlight, my two young grandsons had certainly never been serenaded in a car park by elves before. We left that day with fond memories and with me starting to think that this might just be the ideal place to work a few days per week in my impending retirement.

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Katy Allison

I have been with Holkham since 2021 but have worked in a few different roles during my time including with the car park team, in visitor reception and in the gift shop.

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Ethan Bix

I’ve been a Wells Beach Bus Conductor since March 2023.

My day as a conductor starts with getting to the depot in the morning to meet my fellow colleague who will drive the bus that day. From then, we discuss the day’s plan and the weather conditions to enable us to prioritise tasks such as cleaning the buses and getting them looking pristine for the day ahead. I also help the driver with some of their daily checks too.

Once I get down to Beach Road, I open up the bus stops and make sure everything is in order and ready to welcome our brilliant passengers!

Throughout the day, I am always in communication with the driver and our car park team to make sure the day runs smoothly, along with welcoming passengers and answering any questions about Wells and Holkham that they may have.

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