I spent 9 months living on remote island with no electricity – we ran out of fresh food and were chased by wild horses
A WOMAN who spent nine months living on a remote island has told of what it was like being cut off from much of the world.
Jade Angeles Fitton lived off the coast of Devon in a home with no electricity and there was a time when she and her husband ran out of fresh food.
But the writer says she wouldn’t change a thing as the time she spent on Lundy – which sits 12 miles off the coast of the UK – was life-changing.
The island has been labelled the UK’s hidden gem due to its wildlife, single pub and lack of TVs.
A lot more people are considering staycations this year, with the cost of travelling abroad rising sharply in recent years – and Lundy has been a top contender.
Jade shifted to the remote spot in December 2020 and while she only intended to be there for four months, she was stuck for nine as a result of the pandemic.
In winter, a helicopter is the only way to reach Lundy from the mainland – and it’s the only way to get supplies.
But lockdown brought even that to a halt.
Jade wrote in Vogue: “With no visitors, there were no helicopters, which meant no supplies for a month – until the boat could come.
“We ran out of everything fresh. Leafy green vegetables first, then bananas, apples, carrots, onions, garlic.”
She said she’d never experienced anything like this – and it gave her a new perspective.
Jade wrote: “The reward of navigating temporary hardship successfully is that something small can be transformed into something spectacular.
“It gives life a spark.”
Now she had the supplies, Jade ventured to a property named Tibbetts halfway up the island – initially without her husband.
She recalled: “On the first night, I had to ward off several wild horses trapped within the property’s boundary walls.
“The wind stalked the house. Tibbetts has no electricity or drinkable running water.”
And while Jade said she felt vulnerable – as her phone too had died – she dared herself to trust she was safe.
She said: “Over the years, life had made me too timid.
“At Tibbetts, I was learning to be adventurous again – and how different a thing that is to being reckless.”
It was on Lundy that Jade started writing her book, and she still looks back on her months there with a smile.
She said: “On the island, I finally learnt the lesson of a lifetime: knowing when it is time to leave – be that a relationship, a party or an island.”
Meanwhile, Lundy is currently being eyed up by holidaymakers.
Booking website Bespoke Hotels declared it to be one of their favourite hidden holiday destinations this year, among a list of 10 spots in the UK.
They say that the island is both “inspiring and impressive” and offers holidaymakers “a trip like no other”.