Pearl Lake – our piece of paradise. 

Following a challenging two decades, a family from Birmingham say they’ve finally found time to breathe and enjoy life together in Pearl Lake’s exceptional surroundings – it’s their piece of paradise. Clare Fischer went to meet them. 

It’s an early October Saturday afternoon at Pearl Lake Country Holiday Park in North Herefordshire. Storm Amy has been blowing around bringing squally showers and gusts of wind that almost take your breath away. As I get out of my car, autumn leaves are being whipped up in mini tornadoes and hitting me like confetti at a wildlife wedding.  But whatever the weather, the family I’m about to meet say this is their piece of paradise.

I walk up to a holiday home that’s almost hidden from view. Since this August it’s been a getaway for Richard Hill and his family from Selly Oak in southwest Birmingham. I’ve spoken to Richard on the phone, and he briefly told me his family story. Good job it was on the phone as my jaw dropped quite a few times, variously from shock, amazement and sympathy. Now, I need my chin to behave as I hear the family story face to face.  

Even the rain is relaxing

Richard opens the door and in I go. Richard’s wife Fay is on the sofa, and their 17-year son David is also chilling. Daughter Francesca is in her bedroom. “She’s a bit shy of meeting new people,” Richard tells me.  

We start chatting about football – it’s a great icebreaker! Richard’s a Villa fan but rugby played an important part in his youth. He took up golf at 14 and he fishes too. So, you can start to see the attraction of Pearl Lake.  

The sun slants in through the window as we chat. It lights up the space the family try to get away to every weekend. For Fay, it’s this location that is a real tonic. “There’s a robin that sits on hedge just outside the kitchen window – he’s lovely. And even if it rains, I love the sound of the rain on the roof. I feel more relaxed here, I’m not on edge.”

Peace and quiet – guaranteed 

I ask Richard, a patient transporter with the NHS, what brought the family to Pearl Lake.  

“We live in such a built-up area, but I found out about this area through my job. I’d be taking patients back to Hereford, Ross and Tenbury from Birmingham, so I’d be driving around here all the time. 

“We used to have a caravan on a site in Blackpool and to afford that we had to rent it out. But people trashed it, and you never knew who would be next door when you got away for a few days. We used to go home early sometimes because people were rowing or just being loud.  

“Here it’s a totally different standard – we know we’re going to get peace and quiet. It’s like a weight lifted off you when you arrive at Pearl Lake.” 

Escape from the Midlands 

“We needed to escape from my job and everything back home. When we leave on Sunday, we’re always looking forward to the next time we can come down. Everybody is so friendly here. You feel that when you go down to the Lakeside – you’re around people who care. 

“I also wanted somewhere with golf and fishing. In the last three years I’ve lost 8 stones in weight. With all the years we’d spent in and around hospitals, you just don’t eat properly and my mental health was rock bottom. It was either losing weight or I was going to call it a day. I was struggling seeing my daughter suffer. So, I wanted a place like this to keep up my activities. I average 15-20K steps a day here. Francesca can’t walk far, and Fay’s got a bad leg…but since we’ve been coming here – we’ve all been more active. My sleeping is better here too.” 

Francesca’s story 

Richard and Fay have been together for 20 years. Fay had a daughter from a previous relationship but had been told she’d not be able to have any more children. Richard says an opportunity to foster David, who was 14 months old at the time, came up, and they started the fostering process.  “But what we didn’t know was that whilst we were going through the process, I was actually pregnant with Francesca, which is why she and David are so close in age,” says Fay.  

Within 5 days of Francesca’s birth she had her first open heart surgery. Francesca’s heart wasn’t developed properly, and she was only born with one valve and that one was leaking. Her surgery was to repair the leaking valve and put in a false, second valve. “At one point she had a cow’s ear for a valve,” recalls Richard. “There was a stage when she was having open heart surgery every 6 months.  It was unbelievably stressful, but we think it brought us closer together as a couple and a family.”  

A funeral not needed 

As Francesca grew, she had a stent fitted via keyhole surgery and until the age of 12 things were fairly stable: “Whilst she was growing, they couldn’t do any more repairs. Then just before lockdown, when she was 12, she had a metal valve fitted and was treated in intensive care,” says Fay.  

However, Francesca was given too higher dose of medication to prevent blood clots. She had a massive stroke and was operated on for 14 hours. Richard and Fay were told to go home and start planning a funeral, “just in case.”  Thankfully, Francesca came through the surgery and is now an 18-year-old with a passion for Manchester City.  

“For 10 years I didn’t work,” says Richard. “I wasn’t in the right headspace. But when I was ready to start work again, I knew I wanted to work for the NHS to give back something for the care Francesca had received since she was born,” says Richard.  

Looking forward not back 

“We probably bought the caravan at the wrong time – at the end of the summer. But next summer Fay and the kids will stay here for 6 weeks whilst I’m working,” says Richard. “I said when we bought this holiday home – yes, it’s only a cheap one – but it’s worth every penny because of the enjoyment we’re all getting out of it. What we have here is proper family time.” 

Richard has plans to change his shifts at work so he can maximise the time the family are at Pearl Lake. “We love walking round the lake and by the golf course. David and I have been racing our radio-controlled cars next to the BMX track – it’s our time.

“This is paradise for us. Absolute paradise.” 

“This is paradise for us. Absolute paradise.”