FINDING FREEDOM

Jim Watkins and Ruth Milligan’s plans for a new life in Cornwall started with a chat over dinner way back in November 2015. They were living in Oxfordshire, where Jim was working as an IT programme manager in e-commerce and Ruth was head of the African programme at an up-market travel company. ‘It was a culmination of events, really,’ admits Jim. ‘We lost three parents in three years and work was full-on for both of us. I was commuting four hours every day and my last contract nearly finished me off.’

The couple also had an 18-month-old daughter, Aggie. ‘It was just so difficult balancing being a mum with such a demanding job,’ adds Ruth. ‘I knew I couldn’t properly fulfil both roles. Jim and I felt ready to do something different.’