A way out? Or a false ray of hope?

I have sort of, but not really, been asked about the possibility of considering a change of employment location.
I think I mentioned this before, but through the garage work I’ve got to know a guy who owns a number of holiday venues throughout East Anglia. Really decent chap, and we always have a good conversation whenever he’s around. There was an occasion, a couple of Summers ago I think, when he had sounded me out about the idea of going to work for him as a manager. I was flattered, and excited, and gave it a lot of thought, but at the time it seemed like the wrong thing to consider seriously. Philippa was either pregnant, or desperate to be, and it seemed a bit risky to chuck in a job I had got the hang of, for one where I’d be having to learn, and prove myself, from scratch.
Anyway – regardless of how accurately I remember that situation – he has floated the idea to me again today. He actually rang me, unexpectedly, and said he would have loved to have taken me out for a meal and a chat under normal circumstances, but obviously they don’t apply right now. So he had to call me and have a speculative, pot-stirring, would-you/wouldn’t-you exchange on the mobile.
My head is spinning, I must confess.
He told me that they have just had the best four months in their history, and that 2021 bookings are already close to sold out. The ongoing uncertainty over foreign travel has led lots of Brits to plan for a holiday at home, and the coastal regions of Norfolk and Suffolk in particular have been swamped with enquiries. Confident in the short-to-long-term future of the company, he has just invested in buying out a small fleet of hire boats on the Norfolk Broads. His intention is to concentrate on that side of the business from now on, so he’s looking to share his workload at the other venues. I think the whole life-changing, time-to-rethink nature of this year has led him to decide he wants to ease off the pedal a bit, personally, taking on less work and spending more time with his family. So the boats will be his thing, and the caravan parks and the campsite will be in someone else’s hands.
He said he has always been impressed by the personalities and the professionalism of my staff, and he knows that the attitude of any workforce is a reflection of the manager above them. He also likes the fact that I am responsible for filling stations at 4 different sites, as this would be a similar way of working to the one he hopes to instigate across his holiday places.  We didn’t go any further than that, he said he just wanted to plant the seed in my head and give me a few days to mull it over before discussing it with him properly.
So…..
Lots for Rory to think about tonight.

RC 11-11-20