A Simple Life of Luxury https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/ Tales from a down-shifted family - Making the most of modest means in West Wales Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:19:15 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cropped-favicon-160x160.jpg A Simple Life of Luxury https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/ 32 32 2696646 Ahead Of The Game With Our Solars https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/ahead-of-the-game-with-our-solars/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/ahead-of-the-game-with-our-solars/#respond Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:14:00 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49498 I’ve just taken a look at our annual solar production and with 3 months of the year still to go, we have already produced more than we did in all of 2023 or 2024. Obviously, the amount we generate will drop off considerably now as Oct-Dec is always going to be a lower production time...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/ahead-of-the-game-with-our-solars/feed/ 0 49498 Croatia – An Activity Holiday https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/croatia-an-activity-holiday/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/croatia-an-activity-holiday/#respond Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:06:00 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49426 Another holiday? Yes, this one was booked quite a while ago and ended up somewhat shoehorned in between our recent trip to Sweden, the Traws Eryri next week, and a few upcoming weekends away as well. Fortunately, it was also a package holiday, so there wasn’t much organising to do and little in the way...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/croatia-an-activity-holiday/feed/ 0 49426 Sustainable growth starts with better everyday systems https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/sustainable-growth-starts-with-better-everyday-systems/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/sustainable-growth-starts-with-better-everyday-systems/#respond Sat, 19 Sep 2026 08:50:51 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49454 Sustainability is often discussed as a personal choice. We walk more, drive less, buy second hand, and spend time outside instead of shopping. Those choices matter. But a large part of our environmental impact is shaped by the businesses that design, make, move, and support the things we use. In many organisations, the biggest sustainability...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/sustainable-growth-starts-with-better-everyday-systems/feed/ 0 49454 Pen y Fan: One New Nuttall, Nearly Two https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/pen-y-fan-one-new-nuttall-nearly-two/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/pen-y-fan-one-new-nuttall-nearly-two/#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2026 06:25:02 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49345 Having recently climbed both Cadair Idris and Yr Wyddfa, I thought it might be nice if Clélia could climb Pen y Fan as well, so she could complete the Welsh Three Peaks before heading home to France. Unfortunately, we kind of ran out of time, but I got her a print of the Three Peaks...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/pen-y-fan-one-new-nuttall-nearly-two/feed/ 1 49345 Happy Birthday, Anna https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/happy-birthday-anna/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/happy-birthday-anna/#comments Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:28:23 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49340 Hitting 50 might not be that exciting but I think Anna had a nice day. We decorated the house while she was at work; there was a mountain of chocolate for her; we went out for dinner, and there was a massive cake. Happy Birthday, Anna!!

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/09/happy-birthday-anna/feed/ 1 49340 Getting Ready for Traws Eryri https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/getting-ready-for-traws-eryri/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/getting-ready-for-traws-eryri/#respond Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:38:00 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49292 A while ago, Mike asked if I fancied doing Traws Eryri with him. I’m not entirely sure whether this was an invitation or revenge. A couple of years ago, we did the OMM together, and, depending on which version of events you believe, I either pushed us both rather enthusiastically or nearly broke him. Either...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/getting-ready-for-traws-eryri/feed/ 0 49292 Bagging Nuttalls in the Rhinogs https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/bagging-nuttalls-in-the-rhinogs/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/bagging-nuttalls-in-the-rhinogs/#respond Tue, 25 Aug 2026 06:40:00 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49227 After summiting Yr Aran on Friday, I had a taste for bagging some more Nuttalls, and all of a sudden the weather for the weekend was looking lovely. I had a few other things I wanted to do on Saturday, so decided it would be nice to head to the hills later in the day,...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/bagging-nuttalls-in-the-rhinogs/feed/ 0 49227 Another Nuttall Bagged – Yr Aran https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/another-nuttall-bagged-yr-aran/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/another-nuttall-bagged-yr-aran/#respond Mon, 24 Aug 2026 08:33:25 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49214 Whilst taking Mel and Clélia up Snowdon recently, we stopped partway up the South Ridge for a snack and a chat. Sitting there on the grassy slopes overlooking the valley, our eyes were drawn to the summit to the west. Yr Aran. A summit that I’d not really clocked before. On that day it was...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/another-nuttall-bagged-yr-aran/feed/ 0 49214 Copenhagen https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/copenhagen/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/copenhagen/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:53:16 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49185 Following a fantastic trip kayaking and wild-camping in the Sankt Anna Archipelago in Sweden, it was now time for a change of pace as we headed to the cosmopolitan capital of Denmark. Next stop Copenhagen! Well, not quite. We first had a short taxi ride to Söderköping that we shared with a German guy who...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/copenhagen/feed/ 1 49185 Sea Kayaking in the Sankt Anna Archipelago: Aspöja and the Central Islands https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/sea-kayaking-in-the-sankt-anna-archipelago-aspoja-and-the-central-islands/ https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/sea-kayaking-in-the-sankt-anna-archipelago-aspoja-and-the-central-islands/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:52:49 +0000 https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/?p=49165 Day 4 This would be our final full day in the Sankt Anna Archipelago, so after a chilled breakfast we packed up, left the cabin behind us and wandered across to our kayak, where we replenished our fresh water supplies and slipped back into the calm waters. The wind had dropped off even more now,...

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]]> https://www.alananna.co.uk/blog/2026/08/sea-kayaking-in-the-sankt-anna-archipelago-aspoja-and-the-central-islands/feed/ 1 49165