Many of us dream of quitting the rat race and the hustle and bustle of city life for a more idyllic existence. One man, however, has left the daily grind to start a new life on Flat Holm live, a tiny island off the Welsh coast with just one other person and thousands of gulls for company.
The job for a new warden for Flat Holm island made the headlines across the UK after the last warden, Pierre, left in November. The criteria for successful candidates was: hard-working, self-motivated, and prepared to work in all weather conditions. A few months on from when the job was first advertised, Simon Parker has stepped up to the role.
Set five miles off the coast, Flat Holm served as a retreat for monks in the Dark Ages. Since then, it has been home to silver miners, smugglers, and even a hospital for people with infectious diseases, which was eventually condemned as inadequate in 1935. The remains of the hospital are set to be brought back to life for people to visit.
