‘Join the Club’ – David and Nicola Mercer

‘This is our first Willerby – it’s our dream and we couldn’t ask for more’

David and Nicola Mercer, from Prescot, Merseyside, are the latest Willerby Owners Club members to tell us what they love most about their holiday lodge. They own a two bedroom Willerby Clearwater at Rivers Edge Holiday Home and Lodge Park in Ingleton, North Yorkshire.

Northern Rail workers Nicola, a retail training manager, and David, a booking office clerk, plan every minute of their spare time around relaxing in their lodge with their Yorkshire Terrier Coco and Chihuahua Poppy.

Q. Tell us about your Willerby and why you love it so much.

A. This is our first Willerby but not our first holiday home. We’ve always wanted a lodge like this but we weren’t in a position to do it and we’ve upgraded twice to get to this point. This is our dream and we’ve found exactly what we want.

Nicola cooks from scratch and the kitchen is amazing, as she has space to bake and cook for our neighbours. The layout is perfect and we have lots of open plan space.

The living room flows into the dining area and you can move around easily, we have walk-in wardrobes and the additional storage works fantastically. It’s a win-win for us.

Q. Why did you choose your specific model and how long have you been part of the Willerby family?

A. We bought our lodge in October 2019 and we chose this model because of the design. It’s easy for the dogs to move around and as soon as we went in, they both jumped on the sofa as if to say: “Mum and dad, you need to buy this!” The kitchen is a big plus and the space works perfectly for our lifestyle.

Q. What are the best things about owning a holiday home?

A. It’s the freedom to go and chill out whenever you want to. You don’t have to worry about booking and finding somewhere to stay, or have to worry about finding somewhere that’s pet-friendly because it’s ours.

We enjoy real family time here and we relax and switch off as soon as we arrive. We don’t wear watches or bother with our phones. It’s an hour and 20 minutes’ drive from where we live and we set off when David has finished his shift at midnight, so we can wake up here. We get such a huge benefit from our lodge and utilise everything it has.

Q. What would you say to other people thinking about buying a holiday home?

A. You have to make sure you can afford the outlay and the additional utility and running costs. If can you do that, we 100% recommend it. Choose the right park and decide what you want before you jump in, and do your research. But you can’t beat the flexibility a holiday home or lodge offers you and your friends and family can enjoy it too.

Q. Describe your holiday park and why it’s such a great place to stay.

A. It’s owners only, it has its own bar and bistro and a mixed age range. We’re like a family and everyone looks after each other.

Everyone is friendly, the park is beautifully landscaped and the staff can’t do enough for you. We’re half a mile from Ingleton Waterfalls, we have lovely country pubs on the doorstep and there’s a little shopping village nearby selling local produce. We have everything we need here and we couldn’t ask for anything more. It’s a beautiful place to be.

Q. What do you most value and enjoy from being a member of the Willerby Owners Club?

A. The security and knowledge of knowing that if you have a fault or a problem, Willerby will go out of their way to rectify it for you. We’ve been online and other owners have shared their experiences, so it’s a great knowledge base if you have any questions.

Willerby keep in touch regularly via email and it’s nice to get involved in the competitions. We’ve still got our welcome box because we love it so much and don’t want to open it!

• For information on the Willerby Owners Club and the exclusive member benefits, and to sign up, click here: https://www.willerby.com/owners-club/owners-club-landing