Caroline Hurt

In 2015 I embarked on an ambitious project to maximise the income that could be generated from Casterne Hall.

Having refurbished the house in 2011 I marketed the property for holiday lets, parties, weddings, guided tours of the house and photo shoots. I also converted a flat in the stable yard as an additional holiday let.

As a trained cook I did all the catering and had a small support team of 3/4 people.

I married in 1993 and moved to Derbyshire where my husband lived. After becoming pregnant I realised that there were no nursery schools offering the sort of education that I believe is so important for pre school children so I opened my own Kindergarten.

Being fortunate enough to use the original village school I embarked on a complete refurbishment to transform what had been a very dark building into an exciting vibrant environment.

Through the use of colour, lighting and a bold Designers Guild fabric I created a space aimed entirely at stimulating the children. I also commissioned my own design of shelving, play areas and equipment using a local carpenter based on the montessori approach for early years.

In 2002, after considerable demand from parents I expanded the kindergarten to incorporate a Pre Prep School catering for children ages 2 yrs - 7yrs. Again I was solely responsible ( along with an architect) for converting a derelict former stable block into a stimulating exciting environment for children to grow and develop.

Over 500 children were educated at Tissington and I employed around 15 members of staff, both teaching and non teaching. I sold the Kindergarten in 2005 to concentrate on establishing our own hospitality business at Casterne Hall, the home of my new husband.

Form teacher to a class of fourteen six year old boys.

Freelance cook mainly for dinner parties, weekend house parties, directors lunches and filling freezers.

Class teacher to a group of eight early years children.

This was a temporary post taken while I ws travelling in Africa.

The role was to assist in training South Africans to become early years educators.

I was based two days a week in the office in Salt River and three days a week in townships surrounding Cape Town, namely Khayelitsha, Crossroads and Gugalethu.

Assistant class teacher to a group of eight two year olds

Colourful Creations was my own business which I set up initially designing, making and selling made to measure boxer shorts.

The business quickly expanded into dress shirts to be worn under dinner jackets with multi coloured/patterned sleeves and backs.

Following the success of this I launched my own range of children's' clothes and also adults' swim wear, dressing gowns, nightshirts and women's jumpsuits.

The office was based in High Street Kensington and I employed around 5 members of staff.