A retired pensioner has described what it's like to live in a converted lorry - and only spend £25 per week.
How Mike wound up living such an unusual life goes back to his childhood, and evolved over the 60 years that followed. Mike's adventures took him around the world, leading to some wonderful highs, but also some challenging lows, before find the peace and happiness he has in life now. If it's escaping from state boarding school masters – who fervently believe that corporal punishment beatings or bully-boy boxing matches are the best form of discipline – then, he says, it avoids a great deal of physical pain. He endured many canings as a child and young teenager, so did his utmost to run away as often as possible.
Workwise, Mike always kept himself busy working a wide range of jobs from a laboratory technician to a corporate events co-ordintor, and even spent time as a captain for a pleasure boat company before owning his own company for a time as a motorcycle dealer. The last 20 have been on an unused access road between a factory and a builders' merchant's yard, after his truck broke down there and is still on that spot. Because of this Mike has become a well-known character around his adopted home of Porthmadog.
He said: "As a committed vegetarian and recycler – who has never owned a television or been tempted to consumerism - I keep my living expenses extremely low. For example, I burn scrap wood, heat my shower water on gas rings, and eat cauliflower leaves with gravy.