A Simple Life of Luxury

Tales from a down-shifted family
- Making the most of modest means

A Simple Life of Luxury | Weblog

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Coast Path / Fitness / Health / Running / Trail Guides / Wales

The Journey Behind “A Thousand Mile Run”

Endurance events always come with hurdles: injuries, other commitments, the unpredictability of life. But nothing tested me more than the global pandemic and, ultimately, my unexpected heart attack. That moment changed everything. It forced me to question whether I would ever be able to finish what I had started. For someone who thrived on pushing limits, the uncertainty was crushing.

Yet, A Thousand Mile Run isn’t just about setbacks—it’s about overcoming them. It’s about resilience, persistence, and adapting to the unexpected. Completing this journey meant finding new ways forward, learning to listen to my body, and redefining success.

Steve 2

Wales / Windsurfing

New Board, New Session: Making the Most of the Wind

I finally got to try out one of my new windsurf boards on Sunday. The forecast looked perfect — warm temperatures, a warm sea, and a solid wind that would gradually build throughout the day. The really hot days were behind us, and the sun was shy, but that didn’t matter. The wind was set...

Day Lily 0

Beekeeping / Gardening

Summer Sunshine, Busy Bees, and a Burst of Colour

It’s been the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures at the Borth and Ynyslas Weather Station reaching 28.8°C, and it could get hotter yet. The long days are really helping our solar production too — it’s been a record-breaking year on that front so far, so let’s hope it continues. The bees...

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Windsurfing

Lightwind Weapon or Old Man Board?

Windsurfing kit doesn’t come cheap. I rarely — if ever — buy brand-new gear, and some of my boards, sails, and accessories are probably more than 20 years old. But it’s still nice to keep up with the times where I can. The relatively new 2021 Severne Nano 87 that I bought a few years...

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General / Hiking / Travel

Is It Worth It? Chasing Grams on the Hebridean Way

I’ve been preparing for my summer hike along the Hebridean Way — a two-week, 155 mile adventure across Scotland’s wild Western Isles. With my gear laid out and spreadsheet open, I faced a familiar dilemma: how much is it really worth spending (or sacrificing) to save weight? My base weight is already around 8 kg — pretty lean for a trip...

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Technology / Weather

Another Sunny Surprise: Our Best Solar Day Yet!

Having recently posted about the Spring that keeps on giving—where I commented on the amazingly sunny weather we’ve had and its positive impact on our solar production—we’ve now broken another record. This time, it’s the highest daily yield since we had our solar panels installed. The previous record was 29.80 kWh, set on June 14th 2023. But yesterday,...

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Hiking / Wales

From Mountain Walk to Kitchen Wall

Do you like our latest framed print for the house? I think we’ll hang it in the kitchen where we’ll see it every day. This latest one was actually a gift from Lizzie herself. She wanted to scramble up and across Crib Goch and was planning to hire a guide. However, Rhys and I wanted...

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Running / Windsurfing

Wild Welsh Windsurfing

After a busy day in the hills on Friday, I had a relatively relaxed Saturday. Sunday, however, was far from relaxed! It started with a run in very blustery conditions—along the beach, through the dunes and around the boatyard. I then waited for the tide to drop before going windsurfing. By that time, the sun...

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Camping / Hiking / Travel

The Hebridean Way: A Simple Hike Made Complicated

My Next Long-Distance Thru-Hike: The Hebridean Way My next long-distance thru-hike is going to be the Hebridean Way, from Vatersay in the south of the Outer Hebrides to Stornoway in the north. As usual, I’ll be doing it a little differently—and despite it only being in Scotland, the logistics seem to be more complicated than they should be....