This is the Business Village People podcast. Hello, hello, hello. I'm David Markwell and welcome to the Business Village People podcast. This is season one, episode 10. The Business Village is a community of companies, service providers and entrepreneurs.  And this podcast It's all about their stories. We celebrate success, encourage collaboration and showcase companies who operate at the business village here in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

 

And you can find other additions of the business village people podcasts  on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts from. Just search business village people and we should pop up and then press subscribe. That way you'll never miss another episode. OK, let's go!  In this episode of Business Village People, we discover how buying a touring caravan has resulted in one man owning four Volvos at the same time.

 

I'll introduce you to the woman who can sell you French real estate, a luxury car, teach you how to achieve Grade A on the piano and save the environment. And that's all before lunchtime.  Plus, you don't need pure imagination anymore. The business village has won its very own golden ticket because there's a real, proper chocolate factory opening on site soon.

 

And I'm sure that'll put a smile on every officer's wonker.

 

This is the Business Village People Podcast. Some breaking news now for you, and the Business Village is set to lose another of its leadership team. Jonathan Noble, the site's management accountant, has finally decided to put the abacus away and snap the end of his quill off. By the end of June, Jonathan Will have retired, giving him more time to polish his Volvos.

 

It means I'm looking after sending out the bills and getting the money in. I do like to think of it as more than just that. Getting to know the people is the main thing. Finding out if they have got problems and if there is a problem can we help with it. Working with the whole team of course. We support people and that's, that's what we give.

 

We give more than just a business unit to people. How did it all start for you? In finance, I started with Barclays Bank many moons ago, and then moved into accountancy. My bank manager was just sitting on their jobs and wouldn't, didn't want to budge. So I went into accountancy because my father was an accountant.

 

Moved from practicing to working for companies. I enjoyed far more, instead of auditing, actually working inside a company and trying to make a difference. It's a very difficult thing to do, uh, but a few times where you go into a business. Try to understand what, what they do and then gradually change it into something that's working a bit better.

 

Did you always want to work in finance? No, not particularly. I set off, I was going to go to, in those days it was a polytech in Bristol, to do charter surveying. But I got the job back. And in those days you got a job and, and drifted into it and that was the way it went, yeah. Do you regret not becoming a chartered surveyor?

 

Not particularly, no. I've, uh, had a much chequered career, seen all sorts of things. I can't just say isn't the, isn't the boring, uh,  existence that people think. There's a lot, it's all to do with the people. Yeah. Yeah, I've seen the good and the bad and the ugly, I think, the way, on my career path.  So we're in January now.

 

Is this a busy time of the year for you? It's getting busy, yes. Um,  from various reasons. Um, you're coming up to your year ending in March. Um, tax returns are all due by the end of January, so there's a couple of days yet for people to bring you up and say can you help with your tax return.  Desperate for a bit of help, that has happened.

 

The worst people are your friends, of course.  So, yeah. It's, it is a busy time. Um, and with my eye on the future now, I'm looking to try and make sure everything's ready and in place before I depart.  Well, let's just say that you're retiring, you're not thinking about doing anything else, are you? Uh, work wise, I don't think so now.

 

I'd like to go to China and see my son in China. Generally riding my mountain bike, playing music and doing as much of that as I possibly can. And are you looking forward to that? Very much, yes.  Um, there's lots of things to do. Um, I've already seen a job list starting at home. Um, there's plenty of things to do, and we have a very old house, which is always in need of repair.

 

Um, but yeah, we're hoping to take it a bit easier, but do a bit more travelling. And now we're, now my mum's in her home and being looked after. Um, we should be far more free to, uh, to do this sort of thing. Yeah, it's quite tight, morning, noon and night, basically.  Where do you fancy going? Oh, just,  well, we'll start somewhere warm, I think.

 

I think we're probably going to  See if we can get to Corfu in, uh, not long after, uh, I retire. My sister's got a place that, uh, they hire over there. So we're probably gonna go with them.  Somebody told me that you've got a keen interest in motorcars.  Yes, I do. One particular brand? Yes, I've got a few Volvos, yeah.

 

How many? At the moment four. Why Volvo's? It was, it all came about when we decided we'd do caravanning.  Um, and we urgently  needed, found, found a really nice caravan that had no tow car.  Uh, ended up having to buy something to pull it. A caravan which in those days was basically a Volvo.  And from there on, uh.

 

That was it. Stuck to Volvo. They're  dependable, reliable and safe, so.  And, uh, the odd one with, they're quite, uh, fun to drive as well. They aren't a slow car, really, if you can buy the right one. Are you actually from this part of the world, from Barnsley? Absolutely Barnsley, through and through. Bread and buttered?

 

Yeah, bread and buttered. I was born at the Jessop in Sheffield. Oh, hang on a minute. It doesn't come with that deed harness. It was a cesarean. I think that's the only place. They did them in that, in that year, 1954. That was, uh, it was quite a new thing.  And yeah, first house was Holbart Lane, uh, two up, two down Gardner's Cottage.

 

Stone flag floors. I don't remember it all, but my mum tells me all about it. And then an outside privy. Yeah.  Then just around the corner to Westville Road  and then up to Pogmore up in Taylor Lane, and then, uh,  and then got married and lived at Hardsley.  And now we're just off Huntersfield Road, so  Arlesley's been the furthest out of town I've ever got.

 

So yeah, yeah, my sister escaped the Cotswolds, but yeah. So what are the plans for the future for you? Are you gonna still keep hand in business, or is it  I can't see it, I'm, uh  I've had enough of the deadlines. Life led by deadlines, it's, I've had long enough of that. I want to, uh, I definitely, I've got a neighbour who plays lots of guitars.

 

He's done the lot and, uh,  he's just bought yet another new guitar. So, uh,  he's a, he's a, he's a guitar teacher as well. But, uh, I'd like to spend a lot more time doing meals a year. Never miss an episode of the Business Village People podcast.  Simply subscribe and follow from wherever you get your podcasts.

 

Thank you.  Calling all grade A wonkers. You'll be pleased to know that the Business Village has its very own chocolate factory about to open. And it's just not about producing chocolate. It's about engaging children with engineering, production, and taking ownership of the creative process. I've been for a look around the factory and met up with its owner, Jamie Ashpole.

 

<p class=