I left mainland to live on island with 4 people & no indoor toilets – we can order from Tesco but only at certain times
A WOMAN who left her life on the mainland to move to an island with four people says she could only order from Tesco at certain times.
Sian Stacey packed her bags and belongings to move to Bardsey Island, a picturesque beauty spot two miles off the Llyn Peninsula in Wales.
Sian moved with her boyfriend Mark Carter to the remote island in 2015, taking up the position of keeper of the island.
There were around 300 other applicants from all around the world for the job on the island.
At one point during her stay there, there were only four inhabitants with just nine homes to let on the island.
The job saw Sian spend half the year looking after the visitors who came to the island.
Meanwhile, the rest of the year was spent maintaining the grade-listed cottages and the compost toilets.
And living on a remote island also brought a lot of challenges involving food.
Sian and Mark grew their own vegetables and relied on tinned food in winter.
In milder months, they could order a delivery from Tesco but this would only be able to arrive if weather conditions were clear and settled.
Speaking to BBC Three in 2018, Sian said: “Getting food in the winter is really difficult.
“We can do a Tesco delivery to the farm but I have got to know if the weather is going to be good and someone can collect.
“There have been occasions where food has been delivered and it’s been on the mainland waiting to come over for five days.”
Sian left in December 2018 after three years as warden.
But she had enjoyed the challenge and experience on living on the tiny island.
Sian added: “I had many people who doubted that I could do this job and I am proving some people wrong hopefully.
“I used to have days of feeling very lonely in Cardiff despite being surrounded by people but you didn’t feel grounded in contributing to something.
“It’s something very different to living in the city. Here you can feel part of something bigger.”
Their only means of transport was a privately-operated boat run by a local boatman.
For communicating with family, there was an internet connection and some mod-cons are available including a fridge and lighting, all powered by solar panels.
During the summer, Bardsey Island is popular with day-trippers and weekly visitors.