'We ditched our corporate jobs for life on a narrowboat with our baby - we've never been happier'
04.03.2023 - 20:09
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Which of us haven't dreamt about running away from the 9-5 for a new wholesome life in the countryside? That's exactly what couple Joanna and Victor Gould did when they swapped their TV careers for a slower pace of life on the water in 2017.
The pair, both 34, ditched their London editing jobs in favour of ''living life on their own terms'' and purchased a narrowboat to renovate.
The couple - who met in April 2015 - were working as freelance editors in London raking in a combined salary of just over £150k compared to the £25k they earn now.
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But despite the drasic finanical hit they say they've "never been happier" - and they get to travel the country with their one-year-old son, William.
After purchasing a canal boat in 2015 - and paying £30k in renovations - they decided to give up their old lives to start afresh. They waited more than a year for the barge to be fully renovated, before moving in to start their new life in April 2017.
They spend their days roaming up and down the canals between Croydon and Nottinghamshire but their main base is in Cheshire. The couple - who previously rented in Hackney, East London - bought a second boat and now run a café from it, which opens from 10am until 3pm seasonally.
Joanna and Victor take it in turns to take care of their tot, William, while the other serves up teas, coffees and cakes. Joanna said: "Our life now, compared to the city, is so much better.
"Back then we were getting up at 6am for a gruelling two-hour commute into the city. Now we are open to a more wholesome pace of life. Don't get us wrong, we have long days, not only with the café boat but with our