Our Story...
Our Journey to Hatton...
It had been a dream of mine for many years to start a holiday let. After looking all over the country I had set my heart on Wales but everything changed when I saw The Old Barn Cottage. It just felt like ‘home’ and we fell in love with it straight away. Back in June 2014 after getting home from work, I was lying in the bath when I was alerted to the sound of a speeding car. An instant later I was thrust outside, bricks smashing into me. It took me a moment to realise that the car had crashed through the walls of my house and directly into me! I suffered multiple, life threatening injuries which resulted in a 4 month stay in hospital. When I finally came out I was unable to walk and completely reliant on family. My life revolved around hospital appointments, physio....and jigsaw puzzles. I had been an active person before my accident; working full time, riding, running and playing hockey. Being confined to a wheelchair was taking its toll on my mental health. At that point my daughter encouraged me to take up painting. This quickly became my new passion. My mum would take my paintings to show her neighbours and friends, and over a period of time I started painting their pets. A friend suggested I should apply to take part in a BBC competition. After several interviews and submitting artwork, I got the phone call and I found myself taking part in ‘The Big Painting Challenge’. After everything I had been through, it was the most incredible experience to be doing something fulfilling again. In 2017, after a ‘bit of a search’, I found Steve; a mountain biking heating engineer from the West Midlands. His love of biking and the outdoors reignited my desire to start sport again. I had already started biking as an aid to my recovery but with some encouragement Steve introduced me to my first mountain bike race in Derbyshire. We spent most weekends competing and with every race I saw my determination growing. I had to put up with lots of pain but the benefits were worth it. So, In 2019, together, we moved into The Old Barn. Lots of renovations, painting, decorating (and, of course, installing the hot tub!) has made ‘The Old Barn Holiday Cottage’ the comfortable and desirable retreat it has become. So please, come and enjoy our ‘little bit of paradise’ on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds. It makes us happy every day and we want as many other people to experience that same happiness as possible. |