St. James’ Park
An Alternative Campsite and Hostel in Bulgaria
People
A lot of people have invested their time and energy in helping me to get St. James’ Park started, and I can’t thank everyone enough – of course they have the added incentive that anyone who volunteers and helps gets free camping for life!
Elly
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Elly is the owner of St James Park. She is my daughter and she bought this place about 3 years ago. She is an Engineer and is busy getting her career together so we agreed that I would live here and develop the field and the house as a long term base for her and for my grandchildren
Kathy
I’m Elly’s mother and I’m the one writing all this stuff. I live in St James Park and if you come to volunteer, I’ll be your host. I’m trying to find a photo of me that I like - when I do, I’ll put it up - meanwhile, you’ll just have to guess who I am!
The Lifers
Phil
He made this wonderful website after I asked the Universe to find someone to help me! I loved the fact that he was in Paris and I was in Popovo while we emailed each other stuff. I really can’t thank you enough!
Christina, Ailsa, Fidelus
…and the other people who sat around my house in Chorlton in Manchester and came up with great ideas which all went into the Ideas Book – some of those ideas have already happened, some have been added too and most of them will happen eventually.
Alex
He dug the first toilet in the blue gazebo and sampled the local Rakia
The Geordies + Lerone (who is learning to speak Geordie)
They cleared the open barn space and made the path up the hill to the fire circle.
Jo Campbell
She did loads of research for into compost toilets and the complexities of mixing pee and poo and she sent me some PG Tips.
Sveltlana Dimitrova Nikolova
My best friend in Bulgaria. We found her through a mission to buy a ball of string! She speaks English and has gradually come to believe in what I hope to achieve at St James Park. She is my negotiator, translator, interpreter and the person to ask all the questions about the mysteries of Bulgarian life. She also has a wonderful family who have been happy to share their lives with all of my visitors and volunteers.
Gary Blackburn
He found Svetlana!
Tino
A lovely dog who has adopted us. He used to be very sad, skinny and grovelling but now he’s confident, happy and getting even fat! He also moves everyone’s shoes.
My neighbours
George (pronounced Jorgay), Vaskilka and their son Drago who live next door are the best neighbours that I could have dreamt of having. They lend me tools; fix my tools when I break or blunt them: lend me their horse and carotsa to take rubbish to the dump; do all the big nasty heavy things that I can’t do; give me advice on how to live here – like building fences and pruning grapes; bring their very scary circular saw in to sort out my wood; fix the roof; find me a guy with a tractor and look after the place when I’m not here. They’re great company and I’ve spend a few evenings eating, drinking, laughing and singing with them without a common language! Drago is now a Newcastle supporter.
There are lots of other people in the village who have helped me but often I can’t remember, or spell their names! That will change as my Bulgarian improves and all of their pictures will appear on this website.
The Volunteers
(For more information about becoming a WWOOFer, have a look at www.wwoof.co.uk)
| Name | Country | When | how they helped……….. |
| Petra | Austria | August 2006 | Kept me company at the beginning, listened to my every changing plans, had never seen the Sound of Music! With Sarah, she scythed the whole field using a Kosa – big lethal looking tool. |
| Sarah | Australia | September 2006 | Stopped by on her way from Japan to Aus! Worked on the field with Petra and of course helped build the BBQ |
| Claire | England | September 2006 | Built the first compost place and made the toilet pretty. Made the bbq table and was willing to do very yacky jobs! |
| Ingrid | Tennessee, USA | October 2006 | Great juggler and so willing to try the language – complete with clown expressions! Tino’s best friend – got stuck into the field and the treasure trove and helped me with the Rakia. We shared a love for Dolly Parton. |
| Eden | Oregon, USA | October 2006 | Amazing energy and great juggling – she kept the kitchen neat and tidy – tackled the field and cleared out the treasure trove to begin the museum – this was a room full of dust, old wheat, other yacky things and no light. Had some great discussions with both these lovely women. |
| Lewie | Ireland | October 2006 | He brought me some music and build the new compost area. Helped with the fences and broke rocks in the hot sun in the field. |
| Jamie | England | October 2006 | Came down from Poland by train – 45 hours! Worked on the field and the fences and was a key part of many intense debates and discussions – he somehow missed Elly during 3 years of going into BarOne in Sheffield! |
| Ed and Jess | England | April 07 | Came to check out Bulgaria as a place to live and loved it so much they bought a house down the road |
| Jacqie | England | May 07 | she planted flowers, did a bit of bird watching and is now thinking of buying a house in the village |
| Jenny | Cornish | JUNE 07 | A Girl Guide and wonderful company for a month. she did loads of work on the fences and kept Alan company-she’d also like to live here |
| Laura | England | May 07 | Came overland from Manchester and dug the potato patch |
| Max | Australia | June 07 | I didn’t know I needed a volunteer to help with my IT issues until Max arrived. Great conversation and he’s also thinking of living in the village. Sadly Max has now died - good memories and nice to have met him. |
| Alex | Holland | July 07 | He gets the gold star for getting here-hitched right to the door and didn’t ask for directions once. Did all the windows. |
| Jennie | England | July 07 | Helped me to make chutney and made a swing. |
| Tom and Laura | England and Ireland | July 07 | Came for a week, stayed 3 months and bought a house. Tom painted the house and converted the spidery room into a bathroom and Laura helped me make loads of jam and chutney. |
| Oliver | England | August 07 | Heard about us from Christina in Finland. He weeded the field and painted the windows. |
| Aslak | Denmark | October 2006 | Max rescued him from another volunteering place. Helped Tom to build the bathroom and learned a lot about liking Rakia |
| Danny | America | October 2007+ | My persistent volunteer - he’s been here 3 times. Spend almost 2 weeks chopping wood - i thanked him many times over the winter |
| Corrina | Switzerland | October 2007 | She did loads of digging and helped me to paint the kitchen and living room when it was raining. |
| Brodie | Canada | October 2007 | Experienced in killing and skinning Moose so he helped with Alan. |
| Josee | Canada | April 08 | She brought a tin of real Maple Syrup and helped me to get started for this year. |
| Julie | Israel | Mayl 08 | Julie made the lovely little area at the side of the barn and hopefully she’s going to come and live in the village |
| Lielle | Israel | Mayl 08 | My youngest volunteer - 5 years. She walked Jess on a lead for 3 weeks and was lovely. |
| Herman, Syd and Jake | Estonia and South Africa | - they came for three months but not everything works out. | |
| Claire | England | June 08 | a lovely person to have around -she made me have reflexology sessions |
| Chris | Nigeria | August 08 | did some great work on the well |
| Hilko | Holland | Augustl 08 | He did loads of work on the fences and sorted out all of our astrological characteristics |
| Jeff | Newcastle | September 08 | helped us to get started on the tiling |
| Jon and Christine | American escapees | September 08 | lovely volunteers. they did loads of work and they inspired me to knock down walls and get into building stuff |
| Brian | America | October 08 | he was so organised and very productive - he did loads including the annual wood chopping job. also great company during the American elections |
| Dawn | England | December 08 | she came to look after Jess over Xmas. Painted the living room and learned all about wood fires! |
| Maxim, Adele and Eureka | Brittainy | March 09 | Planted the potatoes, built the barbeque, did loads of important little jobs and ran circus skills workshop at the school |
| Karen and Molly | England and Canada | May 09 | They tackled the evil creeper up the hill, weeded loads and gleenared the cellar steps |
| Rueben | England | June 09 | loads of work in the field and bought some land up the back |
| Paul | England | June 09 | sorted out the steps up to the hill, laid a path, helped me make the barn into a room and loads more plus he got into reading the Guardian |
| Ailsa | England | June 09 | brought me loads of newspapers and did lots of work in the vegetable garden |
| Roman, Georgie and a woman whose name I’m ashamed to say I’ve forgotten | England | June 09 | loads of work in the field and began clearing the side sof the field making it about 4 meters wider |
| Dan | America | July 09 | made the lovely brick floor in the Marco Polo Lounge, helped me make a video, proof read my bookk and played Irish music |
| Brechte | Belgium | August 09 | cleared loads of the field and made some brilliant soup as he tested my book |
| Katrina | australia | august 09 | great fun and lovely energy -did loads of work around the garden and she could cook |
| J’Nell | California | September 09 | gardening and harvesting and helping me make jams and chutnies. she helped me deal with the influx of cats |
| Dawn | England | October 09 | a returnee! this time the work was outside - more field widening and autumn tidying up |
| Pat | Canada | October 09 | it happens every year - a north American male to chop wood! he also made a gate and showed me how to make granola |
- Mike the smoggie (from The Boro)07 -came to check out St James Park - good company and he worked for his dinner. he gave me the famous Marc Viduca song
- Sirann and Jennie -England -May 08 -The first Goths to saunter around Voditsa. they turned a few heads and they looked gorgeous
- Pierre -France - July 08 - he helped Dancho escape from Bucharest
- Liza and Nadine -England via Cairo -July 08 -lovely interesting visitors-with guitars and tales of Africa
- Yvette and Rene - Germany - September 08 - lovely people who sent me a great german christmas decoration-thanks