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Thursday 12 November 2015

Living the good life in Devon @ Channel 5

Ben Fogel was in Devon this evening:
About the show | Ben Fogle: New Lives In The Wild UK | Channel 5

The local press have been very enthusiastic:
Mid Devon eco family stars in Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild UK | Tiverton Mid Devon Gazette

As has the Mail:

The REAL Good Life: Family leave their London council home to live off the land in a eco-friendly converted horsebox in Devon

  • Dinah and Stig used to live on council estate in Baldock with two sons and dreamed of eco-friendly life 
  • Used inheritance to buy four acres in Devon, plus crops and livestock but had to battle council to live on it 
  • Had to make their home a horsebox which they then converted - but they were mistaken for travellers   
An eco-friendly family have revealed how they finally achieved their dream off living off the land in Devon after leaving their council house behind.
Dinah, 39, and Stig Mason, 38, live on four acres of agricultural land in the village of Willand with their sons Dali ,13, and Yosse, 12.
Home is a horsebox that they arrived in six years ago and have converted to give them marginally more living space while they build an energy-efficient barn to live in.
Ben Fogle meets Dinah and Stig Mason and their sons Dali  and Yosse who have lived in the converted horsebox behind them since 2011
Ben Fogle meets Dinah and Stig Mason and their sons Dali  and Yosse who have lived in the converted horsebox behind them since 2011
The horsebox was extended for £2,000 to give them some additional living space
The horsebox was extended for £2,000 to give them some additional living space
The home get electricity from solar panels and gas from canisters. They haven't completely turned their back on the 21st century, they can access the internet on phones and the boys have a PlayStation 
The home get electricity from solar panels and gas from canisters. They haven't completely turned their back on the 21st century, they can access the internet on phones and the boys have a PlayStation 
The boys currently share an 8ft by 8ft room that was once intended for a space for jockeys to sleep in, and the family's narrow gallery kitchen is also where their shower cubicle is.
The non-flushing toilet has been built outside and is a compost that Stig regularly has to muck out.
Their only main connections is water and they get electricity via solar panels and gas from canisters.
As a result, their bills are low, especially as they also grow their own fruit and vegetables and keep pigs, geese and chickens. They eat as much home-grown food as they can so the rest of their food bill comes to £40 a week.
But they haven't completely turned their back on the 21st century, they can access the internet on phones and the boys have a PlayStation. However, they can only play on it when there are enough power reserves following a sunny day.

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London family leave council home to live in a eco-friendly horsebox in Devon | Daily Mail Online
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