Mark is the one who finally said yes.
After months of hearing Wendy gently (and not-so-gently) nudge, hint, and downright campaign to buy the Jonge Jan for “our guys,” it was Mark who stopped mid-walk one warm summer day, looked at the boat, looked at Wendy, and said
Alright. Let’s do it.
And with that one sentence, the adventure began.
Mark is the steady engine of the operation — the doer, the organiser, the fixer, the man who will climb under something, over something, or through something if that’s what needs to be done. He’s the laugh in the chaos, the arm around the shoulder when days get heavy, and the one who somehow keeps everything (and everyone) moving forward.
He brings grit, humour and heart to every corner of The Hideout Collective. If Wendy is the spark, Mark is the momentum — the guy who makes the wild idea actually happen.
Pet Hates:
- Cold tea (mainly his own fault because… operations)
- Anyone saying “This’ll be a quick job…”
- Wendy spotting another boat
- Tools that vanish into a black hole he swears wasn’t there a minute ago
- Being told to “just trust the process”
Things That Make Him Smile:
- A job that actually goes to plan (once a year, maybe)
- The sound of the lads laughing harder than the drill
- Wendy giving him “that look” when an idea lands
- A tidy tool bench (brief, magical moments)
- Kieran rolling his eyes but secretly loving it
Hopes & Ambitions:
- To get all the boats working, all the crews thriving, and all the tea finished while hot
- To build enough Hideout spaces that Google Maps gets confused
- To one day complete a task without discovering a “surprise”
- To create real change and maybe – possibly – have a weekend off