Copyright hellomagazine
Alistair Appleton, 55, finds himself on passionate quests to help people Escape to the Country, and the presenter has found his own escape by the sea. He has a very unique property in Cuckmere, Sussex, with his husband Daniel. The amazing abode is positioned on a cliff edge, overlooking the mesmerising waters. Not only is the location out of the ordinary, but it's also a little different from a 'normal' home, as it has no electricity. When Alistair's own residence featured in a clip on the hit show, Escape to the Country, he opened up about why he loves it so much and why it's perfect for "hibernation". In the chat, Alistair spoke about his 200-year-old coastguard's cottage and explained: "It's off-grid. So, there's no electricity. So, for the first year we were only candles." Daniel added: "In the summer, we have so much light. I mean, it's beautiful. The house is designed to let light in from every angle. But in the winter, it's the opposite. And then we lose the light because of the topography of the cliff behind us at about 2/2:30pm. So that can feel quite limiting in a way. The first year we were here, I hibernated. I went to bed at half past four." Alastair admitted: "As soon as it got dark at four o'clock, we were like 'Should we go to bed?' There's nothing else to do!" Off-grid property power The clocks have recently gone back, which means Alistair and his husband will be starting to experience the evenings drawing in. I personally don't like having to draw the curtains in the afternoon, but at least I have electric lights I can switch on! So without electricity, how do they live? Well, being off the grid still means they can use solar power to operate lights etc in their home. Hopefully they've harvested a lot of sunlight over summer to keep them powered through the long winter. They perhaps also use word-burning stoves for heat if they do not have gas hooked up. Meditation retreat "This is my happy place," Alistair told co-host Nicki Chapman as they strolled along the idyllic cliffs together. The star used to reside in London, but he's so glad he made the move to this coastal retreat. As well as being a beautiful home for the pair, it is used for films, photoshoots and classes. Alistair is an accredited psychotherapist and meditation teacher, and he has been working with his husband to run courses and classes via his organisation, Mindspring. "Mindsprings is the organisation I set up 20 years ago to promote therapeutic meditation, mindfulness and well-being," he has written on his Instagram feed. Husband's moral support The pair also live with their pet pooch, Ben and their adorable cat, Joni. Although Alistair has kept his personal life mostly out of the spotlight, he has mentioned his partner on his social media and likes to applaud his pottery business. Alongside a snap of his beloved and stunning creations at a local pottery fair, Alistair wrote: "So proud of my beautiful husband. @thepilgrimpotter This weekend is his first pottery fair.
