We did itYour Stories

Our magic island

When Stephi and Wesley Clash tied the knot, there was only one place they wanted to call home – the picturesque Greek island of Corfu, as Stephi tells Richard Webber

“We’ve lived in Corfu since 1993 and don’t see ourselves ever returning to Britain. This is where we want to spend the rest of our lives. In fact, we love it so much we’ve already bought our grave plot – with sea views!

It was Wes who first discovered the island, back in 1981. He was soon smitten by its charm and returned regularly on holiday. When we decided to get married, he told me that we’d have to live on Corfu; he was passionate about the place and it didn’t take long for me to realise why.

After holidaying here myself, I knew I could settle here, too, so we sold our apartment in Folkestone, packed our belongings into a Land Rover and trailer and spent a week driving down through Europe, singing along to Rolf Harris’ greatest hits all the way.

A change for the better

When life in the UK lost its lustre, Beverley Chadwick took a chance on a fresh start in the Cape Verde islands. She tells her story in her own words

“There I was, having a lovely life in the UK, living with a wonderful man, doing a job I loved, regularly gigging with two very different bands, enjoying all the diversity that life can offer. Then it all came crashing down one Saturday in April 2005, when my beloved soulmate and partner of 17 years had a stroke and died a day later. Life would never be the same again.

I eventually returned to my job at London’s South Bank Centre, which kept me going and kept me strong, but then I was made redundant when the Royal Festival Hall closed for refurbishments. When my cat died, aged 21, it was the final straw. I really needed to make a positive change in my life.

The end of the road?

france02 Manny Atkins and her husband Joe converted a bus into a motorhome piled their four kids in and set off with no final destination in mind. Words Anna Tobin

“We’d reached a stage in all our lives when Joe and I felt it was a good time to take a break and do some travelling as a family, have an adventure and, possibly, see if there was somewhere else on earth where we could live.

Luke, our eldest, was 16 and was just finishing his GSCEs; Harry was 12 and still way off taking his; Beth was 9 and Arthur was 7, old enough to understand what we were doing. I am an actress and Joe is a lighting designer, and is able to work from anywhere. We felt that there was nothing stopping us.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Steve and Vicky Rowe were newlyweds when they fell in love all over again – this time with the Rainbow Nation of South Africa, which has been their home since 2007. Steve talks to Richard Webber

“When Vicky and I honeymooned here, it wasn’t long before we’d fallen in love with the country. We returned regularly on holiday and each time were impressed with the changes taking place, making it a fairer society for its people. Back in Guildford, Surrey, where I worked for Trading Standards, my career seemed to be stagnating. I knew it was time for a change and our growing admiration for South Africa saw us turn our sights to, in particular, Cape Town.

The more we discovered about South Africa, the more we knew we wanted to bring our children up in a country that will become, in our view, the benchmark for Africa; and it has much to offer, including a fantastic and simplistic outdoor life, not one cluttered with the relentless pursuit of possessions and risk assessments for playing conkers!

The traveller finds Tuscany

When most of your life is spent on the road, you have to make sure that where you come back to is perfect, as Jonathan Clarke discovered. Words Anna Gizowska

Ex-professional football player Jonathan Clarke has swapped English fry-ups and drizzle for cappuccino and panzerotti in the Italian sunshine. “Growing up I always knew I wanted to live somewhere warm, but I didn’t know where,” says Jonathan, who left school at 16 to play football for Doncaster for three-years before injuries put an end to his flourishing career.

Family holidays to Europe with regular trips to the South of France, Spain, Tenerife and Malta gave him a taste of life abroad and cemented his passion for travel. By his early 20s Jonathan was ready to set off for a new life in the sun, as a holiday representative with Airtours in Mallorca and Tenerife – a gruelling, but fun introduction to a working life abroad. “I worked morning, noon and night with hardly any sleep, but it was a great experience.” But there were certainly some surprises in store for the young rep.