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IT is a figure that Britain’s embattled political leaders can only dream of.
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A TINY fishing village where the sun doesn’t set for 69 days is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Home to just 300 people, the island’s residents have chosen not to live by strict time conventions and instead “do what they want—when they want”.
Traditional wooden huts on Sommaroy Island[/caption]
The Midnight Sun in Sommoroy[/caption]
It is a great place to see the Northern Lights[/caption]
Sommarøy meaning summer island has constant sunlight between May 18 to July 26 every year.
You can walk across the gorgeous wind sandy beaches at 2am, and stroll amongst the gorgeous Arctic mountains whilst others are sleeping.
Due to its northern location, it hardly ever gets warm in Sommarøy, with average temperatures between seven and 15 degrees.
And in the winter, the midnight sun is replaced by constant darkness, which occurs between November and January.
The long polar nights are perfect for seeing the Aurora Borealis, which can light up the sky at any time during the “day” or “night”.
The island’s economy depends on fishing and tourism and there’s so much to do for visitors, including hiking, swimming and kayaking.
Due to it’s unusual daylight hours, Sommarøy exists without the normal time constraints placed on society.
In fact, the iconic Sommarøy Bridge, which is used as a way to access the island is covered in watches from visitors, who want to ditch the concept of time whilst on the island.
In 2019, the inhabitants launched a campaign to make Sommarøy “time free”.
“In many cases this can be linked to the feeling of being trapped by the clock”, ” Kjell Ove Hveding, the leader of the campaign said.
“We will be a time-free zone where everyone can live their lives to the fullest … Our goal is to provide full flexibility, 24/7.
“If you want to cut the lawn at 4am, then you can do it.”
The campaign called for opening hours to be abolished, and for people do be allowed to do whatever they liked at any time of day.
Residents of the island said: “Here we enjoy every minute of the midnight sun, and yes, a coffee with friends on the beach at 2am is a normal thing.”
It was later revealed that the campaign was partly a marketing ploy by Visit Norway, to boost tourism to the island.
However, the island’s residents did have a meeting to sign a petition to become the word’s first time-free zone, and their unique attitude to time is real.
“We apologize as we should have been [clearer] from the start about the role of the agency”, Marianne Mork, former head of business communications for Visit Norway, told CNN.
“However, the initiative is real and came from the islanders themselves, and their time-free way of living is real.”
Norway – between April 20 and August 22
Finland – between May and August
Sweden – between June and July
Alaska – between May 10 and August 2
Iceland – between mid-May and mid-August
Canada – between May 24 and July 20
North Pole – between late March and late September
South Pole – betweem September 23 and March 20
Wooden cabins on the waters edge at Sommaroy[/caption]
Aerial view of Sommaroy islands[/caption]
Sommarøy bridge[/caption]
A MAN has revealed that he will likely never return to the UK, after upping sticks and moving to Australia.
In February, Lewy and his partner made the bold decision to relocate to Adelaide, after becoming sick of the “miserable weather and negative people”.
Lewy ditched the UK for sunny Australia[/caption]
He now lives a three minute walk from the beach[/caption]
The couple describe themselves as “normal people” without much money, said they were able to move to a “stunning” neighbourhood, that “wasn’t expensive”.
Lewy said that it had been their dream for 10 years to live in Aus, and added that his and his partner’s life has greatly improved since ditching the British Isles.
“It’s highly likely that we will never live in the UK again because it cannot offer us the life we’ve got now”, he said in a video posted to his TiKTok channel @lewyp23.
Lewy revealed that he is no longer “overworked” and “stressed” and is paid more for his job in Australia than he was in the UK.
He added that the cost of living in Adelaide is much cheaper than it was for him back home, and that the people seem so much happier and fulfilled.
The TikToker claims that he would have to earn a whopping £150,000 a year to have the same quality of life in the UK as he does in Adelaide on his “average” wage, and added that he wouldn’t even move back to the UK if someone gave him £50,000.
Lewy now lives just three minutes walks from the beach, and as soon as they finish work, he and his partner take their dog out for sunny seaside walks.
He has even spotted pods of dolphins during his beach walks, which he said always leave him in “disbelief”.
Even in winter, the weather in Adelaide is warm and sunny, meaning that Lewy and his partner can have year round fun, without spending a penny.
“You don’t realise how much the weather affects you until you move to a nice place”, he said.
“We’re happier, it’s just fantastic.”
Another thing that Lewy loves about his life in Adelaide is the lack of crime.
“It’s safer her in Australia, you see a lot less nastiness.”
He added that he and his partner now do lots more on the weekends, and are able to be so much more social, as they are no longer stressed.
Brexit means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:
He described the supermarkets, which are packed full of fresh fruit and veg as being “incredible” and said that older people look much more youthful and full of life.
Lewy is urging others to follow in his footsteps and ditch the “miserable” UK.
He said that anyone under 35 can easily get a working holiday visa, and added that the country is especially looking for tradesmen.
He said: “Why are you waiting to get out of that horrible place when you’ve got this waiting for you?
“The people are really lovely and you’ve got a life waiting for you with way less stress.”
“You get one go at life, you have to take risks”
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A WOMAN has ditched the UK to move 5,000 miles away, and now only has to work 13 hours a week.
Emily Severn, 24, made the “life-changing” decision to leave her home in Nottingham for a new life overseas in June 2024, and says her weekly food shop now costs just £10.
Her weekly food shop is now just £10[/caption]
The Brit now lives in Suzhou in the Jiangsu Province of Eastern China, where her monthly rent is just £323, a massive saving on the £850 she was paying back home.
Working as an teacher in both kindergarten and junior high schools, Emily normally works just 13 hours every week – teaching English to Chinese students – and is paid £20 per hour.
Noticing a huge difference in the amount she spends, Emily said that as well as cheaper rent and bills, the cost of days out is much cheaper too.
Discussing her decision to move to China, she said: “I think what drew me to it is it’s so different to rainy England.
“In Manchester the rent for a one-bed apartment, as my university accommodation, was £850 per month.
“The rent every month here has been costing me 2,200 yuan which at the moment is about £323 pounds.
“You can go to the market here and literally buy a full food shop for £5 and that can last you a few days.”
And bills are much cheaper now for Emily than they were in the UK.
“The utilities in China are 100 yen for the electricity per month and in British pounds that’s about £10.15, that was costing me £37 in the UK”, she explained.
“My water bill is 100 yuan but we only really have to pay it every three months, so £10.15 every three months – compared to £37 in the UK.”
Emily first began learning Chinese alongside her masters degree in Journalism – where she also met boyfriend Wei, 30.
After securing a job in Suzhou whilst completing her TESOL qualification – which stands for Teaching English to Speaker of Other Languages- the couple moved out to China together, where they now live in a one-bed apartment.
She said: “It was actually my Chinese teacher’s old boss that was hiring teachers in China.
Brexit means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:
“Once I had my TESOL certificate they could start giving me my contract and work permit.
“Personally within the company I work in there is more of a work life balance.
“There’s more flexibility than in the UK.
“I think I wanted to move to explore and see something new because a lot of the time in the UK there’s not a lot that goes on.
“In summer in China there are a lot of light shows and concerts at parks.
“There’s a hustle and bustle and a lot going on.
Emily explains most attractions – like water towns including Mudu, Nanxun and Zhouzhuang – cost as little as £1 for entry, and says she spends a lot of her time walking in the different parks on offer in her area.
Teaching a mixture of class based and one-to-one sessions, Emily is paid around £20 an hour, and estimates she earns £10,145 over the year.
Living in a one-bed apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, living area and mezzanine floor for their bedroom, the couple spend their weekends travelling to local “ancient towns”.
Despite loving life in Suzhou, Emily can see herself returning to the UK at some point.
“I think it’s more wanting to come back to family,” she said.
“When you’re in China you kind of value family a lot more because everyone places a big value on family.”
Emily teaches English and works just 13 hours a week[/caption]
She plans to move back to the UK eventually[/caption]
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