‘The beaches and the way of life feel very natural to me’

Meg Mathews, 55

‘Everything changed at the end of the last year. If I’d said in 2019 that I was going to move to Cornwall, people would have told me it couldn’t be done because of work. But the pandemic has changed everyone’s attitude, not just mine. Before that, I thought I had to be in London; I had to be available, to be seen, to have meetings… suddenly I discovered I could do everything on Zoom.

“I had no real reason to move to Cornwall, except my cousin (one of my best friends) lives here and that made me feel safe enough to take a leap. I can’t pretend it wasn’t scary – I’m 55 and single and had to uproot myself from Primrose Hill, where I’d lived since 1996, but I know how lucky I am that I can work from anywhere.

“Some people couldn’t understand why I wanted to move to Newquay rather than somewhere more remote, but I knew I needed to be somewhere buzzy – where there would be festivals and bars and handsome surfer dudes! Plus it’s just me and Ziggy [the dog], so I didn’t want to be in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to be able to walk everywhere and go out on my own in the evenings. I’ve rented a little place right in the middle of town and the sea is at the end of my street.

“I was born and bred in Guernsey, so the sea was the important thing and this is the closest shoreline I could find. Plus I can fly from Exeter to see my family in Guernsey.

Here, you get a yucca in every garden; it reminds me of home! The beaches and the coves and the way of life all feel very natural to me.

“Because I only know one person here I’ve had to push myself out of my comfort zone and make an effort to meet people. I’ve joined the gym and go cold-water swimming every other day. I’m starting horse-riding again, too.

“Having a dog is a great conversation-starter, although I do find it easy to chat to people. When I go into a shop, I introduce myself and say hello. That way, people open up to you and start to introduce you to other people.

“It’s like starting life again – like when I first moved to London – you can’t just sit in your house and watch Netflix. You have to join in; you have to make the effort.

“It’s only been a couple of months and the difference has been huge already. I just feel like I can breathe and that a massive weight has been lifted. The anxiety that used to cripple me feels under control. Now if I lie awake at night worrying, I get up in the morning, go for a walk and look at the sea and breathe and everything gets in perspective.

“I’ve spent one day in London since I moved here and I came back feeling exhausted – the noise pollution, the light pollution… My health and wellness and quality of life are my priorities. You couldn’t pay me to move back to London now.”

‘I thought I had to be in London; I had to be available… suddenly I discovered I could do everything on Zoom’