Which of us haven't dreamt about running away from the 9-5 for a new wholesome life in the countryside? That's exactly what couple Joanna and Victor Gould did when they swapped their TV careers for a slower pace of life on the water in 2017.
The pair, both 34, ditched their London editing jobs in favour of ''living life on their own terms'' and purchased a narrowboat to renovate.
The couple - who met in April 2015 - were working as freelance editors in London raking in a combined salary of just over £150k compared to the £25k they earn now.
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But despite the drasic finanical hit they say they've "never been happier" - and they get to travel the country with their one-year-old son, William.
After purchasing a canal boat in 2015 - and paying £30k in renovations - they decided to give up their old lives to start afresh. They waited more than a year for the barge to be fully renovated, before moving in to start their new life in April 2017.
They spend their days roaming up and down the canals between Croydon and Nottinghamshire but their main base is in Cheshire. The couple - who previously rented in Hackney, East London - bought a second boat and now run a café from it, which opens from 10am until 3pm seasonally.
Joanna and Victor take it in turns to take care of their tot, William, while the other serves up teas, coffees and cakes. Joanna said: "Our life now, compared to the city, is so much better.
"Back then we were getting up at 6am for a gruelling two-hour commute into the city. Now we are open to a more wholesome pace of life. Don't get us wrong, we have long days, not only with the café boat but with our little one.
"But it just means we are able live life for ourselves, not on the company clock. Maintaining the boat takes a lot of time but it's so worth it."
After six months of dating, in October 2015 the pair moved in together in a flat they rented in Hackney, East London, whilst the narrowboat was being renovated.
A year and a half and £30k later, in April 2017 - and after two years of dating- the pair finally moved onto the narrowboat, called Zero. Joanna said: "I had to shrink my wardrobe down a lot as there's very limited space on a boat.
"I'd been travelling, so was used to living out of a suitcase, but this was a whole new level. But it was really freeing to get rid of things that I didn't need like old clothes I'd forgotten about and household clutter."
At first, they stuck at their TV jobs, taking a two-hour commute from Otford, Kent, to Old Street, East London, every day.
Victor said: "We'd be getting up at 6am for the two-hour commute which consisted of paddling to the river bank from the boat, walking to the train station and then from the station to work. It was always a great conversation point - being able to say you paddle to work - but it wasn't sustainable."
The pair left their freelance gigs in December 2019 ''just before Covid hit'' and haven't looked back.
They were able to put their editing skills to use when starting their YouTube channel in April 2020 - which details the practicalities of life on a boat and the cities they visit.
In April 2021, the pair renovated a second boat which they opened as a café, called Holly The Café Boat. Victor said: "It means we're able to give back to the communities that we travel to through barista coffee and conversations with locals. It's lovely when people recognise us from our social media because it's like we know them already."
Joanna said: "When I met Victor, he'd already had a boat which he'd sold and was having another one built. He was so passionate about narrowboat life and I was so intrigued, but I never thought I'd be living on a boat too.
"I'd been travelling, so was used to living out of a suitcase, but this was a whole new level. I remember the organisation guru, Marie Kondo was very popular, so her mantra helped. It was really freeing to get rid of things that I didn't need like old clothes I'd forgotten about and household clutter.
"But, it was hard not being able to use my hairdryer. On a boat we have to make sure the water is topped up, making sure we have the diesel for the Aga. When living on the River Thames, the tide would go up and down and some mornings we'd wake up in the centre of the canal."
The couple have now visited over 50 location - stopping at them for two weeks at a time, with Hampton, South West London and Oxford being firm favourites. As well as Macclesfield, Cheshire and Coventry, West Midlands.
The pair now boast over 44k YouTube subscribers and nearly 10k Instagram with followers all across the country. Their little boy, William, is a firm favourite with their online fans.
"We're so thankful that he's having this childhood, not two parents working all hours in the city,'' Victor said. "He loves nature and his first word was 'duck'. We're able to spend lots of family time and people who come to the cafe always get a smile off him."
Joanna and Victor can be found @hollythecafeboat on both Instagram and YouTube.
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