Most of us have had that feeling of being stuck in a dead-end job at some point and have dreamed of running our own business. Most never get round to making the leap, but Geoff and Sue King were determined not to accept their nine to five lot.
When the couple found themselves in jobs they didn't like, Geoff, an electronics engineer, and Sue, a planning officer, decided to go into the hospitality business. "We thought it would be a good way to meet people," says Geoff. "And we didn't really care where we went as long as it was nice."
The search for the right property took two years. The couple started in the South-west, before widening their search, selling their home and moving into rented accommodation. While looking at a property in the Yorkshire Dales they fell in love with the area and concentrated their search there. And when they saw the Ingleborough View guesthouse, in Ingleton, Lancashire, their search was over.
The property is on the side of a hill and overlooks a valley, with a river at the bottom of the garden. The famous Three Peaks are nearby, and a fair proportion of the guests are walkers and climbers.
In the future the couple would like to increase the number of letting rooms from five to eight, but Geoff says five is enough for the time being. And it was certainly more than enough when the couple took over the property back in March to find a full house waiting for them. "We had a baptism of fire on the Saturday morning at 8.55am, with 11 people wanting breakfast," Geoff recalls.
Things have settled down since then, though, and the only things the couple miss about their old jobs is the money. But they don't have a mortgage on the property so they only really have to worry about the bills. "I'd say to anyone who has any thoughts of doing anything like this, 'just do it - it's a great life'," Geoff says.
www.ingleboroughview.com