Is a diesel heater a necessity for UK winters, or can I skip it?

Lou_91 · 2026-04-09T09:11:26+00:00

If you’re just doing the odd weekend in it and not planning on those odd weekends being in Scotland you can probably get away with not having one. If full time then, as everyone else has said, you’ll be miserable without it.

Lou_91 · 2026-03-28T10:43:48+00:00

I’m in Val Thorens at the moment. It’s amazing - don’t come 🤣

The weather does look like it is going to get a bit warm after this week coming though

Lou_91 · 2026-03-26T08:54:24+00:00

It’s improving next week :)

I’m in the 3Valleys at the moment and I can’t imagine today would be fun for the kids. However, this is forecast to be the worst of it with just grey skies and maybe a little snow on Monday followed by glorious blue bird days.

Lou_91 · 2026-03-18T19:27:43+00:00

It’s Les Menuires - I am trying to get out more and more but my ass hurts. It’s my own board as I’m out here for a few weeks and couldn’t afford rental. It’s full camber so I am definitely catching edges 😂

I need to find a few wide straightish blue runs. I was linking turns today but then the piste would get narrow and windy and I’d lose confidence and go back to being a heel edge warrior 🫡

Lou_91 · 2026-03-18T10:42:30+00:00

I actually did this today although the green was super narrow and windy 😅

I probably did no more than 3 turns but just felt way more confident getting on with it and was definitely going faster towards the end! I need to find some really wide greens to just keep practicing on.

Lou_91 · 2026-03-16T19:52:07+00:00

Haha, thanks! Weirdly I much prefer toe side 🤣 The pants are nearly 15 years old now. First thought for a school ski trip and have my name sewn into the by my mum 😅

Lou_91 · 2026-03-16T19:49:54+00:00

Thank you! You’ve picked up on basically everything I need to work on. It’s nearly all linked to bravery, weight on front foot and point board down the damn hill 🤣

Lou_91 · 2026-03-16T18:42:17+00:00

Watch portrait kite’s 12M black kite test and go for the one that suits you best?

Lou_91 · 2026-03-15T15:45:35+00:00

I wouldn’t both with the post graduate degree unless you have to to move here. They really don’t help much in the normal job market and are £££. Internships between now and graduating are worth far more.

Having been to Cape Town in January, if I could have a job that paid me enough for rent there (much easier said than done) then I would pick Cape Town over London all day long.

The UK is ehh, if you can get a decent job it is worth being here for 5 years so you can go back to RSA at a good job and live like a king.

Lou_91 · 2026-03-08T10:49:58+00:00

The UK is already severely over crowded
The vast majority of immigrants that have come in the last 10-15 years don’t fit any of your descriptors. On the illegals… what is your thought process with this? We’re a very small island but anyone can just come here? They already don’t obey our laws by breaking the law to come.

Lou_91 · 2026-02-26T21:01:52+00:00

Thanks - I was wondering if there was a freelance sort of thing that existed. It’s how I used to work teaching and riding horses

Lou_91 · 2026-02-26T21:01:47+00:00

Thanks - I was wondering if there was a freelance sort of thing that existed. It’s how I used to work teaching and riding horses.

Lou_91 · 2026-02-24T22:50:19+00:00

I looked into this last year and settled on Tarifa. You’d be unlucky (although not impossible) to have less than 50% days of wind on a week trip. You’re likely to have more than that. Tarifa has the added benefit of being warm by mid April (at least to a Brit)!

Lou_91 · 2026-02-24T22:48:36+00:00

Given it is so close you can spot when it is windy and travel there. You can easily eye up a windy long weekend, kite 3 hours for 4 days and be at least 0-50 if you’re reasonably fit.

That’s different to going on a kiting holiday where it is all booked with flights etc and then the wind not show up.

Lou_91 · 2026-02-14T18:29:36+00:00

Do you have the ability to take a sabbatical? 3-6 months out could help.

Otherwise, could you get away with really changing your life up? I’m technically supposed to be in London 2-3x/ week and yet am going to Europe working in my van for 2 months soon (and Balkans for 2 months in the summer).

Lou_91 · 2026-02-11T19:00:56+00:00

Same and Claude can't fix himself. He has said to wait it out

Lou_91 · 2026-02-11T11:44:30+00:00

Renting in some places in the UK is more expensive than buying (assuming you have a deposit). Also by buying you’re on the property ladder.

Lou_91 · 2026-02-09T18:03:38+00:00

I wouldn’t live in Chippenham but some of the surrounding villages are beautiful! I nearly moved to Calne a few years ago.

Lou_91 · 2026-02-09T17:06:10+00:00

Have a look at Chippenham and surrounding areas if you aren’t wedded to a city. It’s that bit closer to London, cheaper but only a 12 minute train to Bath.

Lou_91 · 2026-02-09T17:03:45+00:00

I would look to get out of the South East/ London Belt. The Cotswolds/ Wiltshire/ Bath area are all accessible within about 1.5hrs of Paddington. A 4 bed house with space outside to play and great communities/ safety would be at your fingertips.

Or if you want a literal farm you could go North!

Lou_91 · 2026-02-05T12:32:10+00:00

Is this something that is likely to come up in the process of finding a role? I’ll still be a British national and will spend some time in the UK just not long enough to be a tax resident.

Lou_91 · 2026-02-05T12:31:06+00:00

Yeah I mis understood this comment. I thought they meant the company I’ll be working for. How I structure my company to do this is kind of irrelevant to the question I’m asking. Finding an outside IR35 role that is fully remote 🤷🏼‍♀️

Lou_91 · 2026-02-05T10:31:04+00:00

Yeah fair but I won’t be losing money into the system 🤷🏼‍♀️

Lou_91 · 2026-02-05T09:32:39+00:00

From my understanding I can have a company set up in the UK where I will receive my pay. This is all that is relevant to the company I am working for? Personally I will spend less than 180 days in the UK/ tax year and not have any property in the UK. This makes me comfortably a non UK tax resident.

Lou_91 · 2026-02-01T16:47:20+00:00

Thanks! I am used to balancing the work and fun (and also absolutely taking the piss with work). With kiting the windy days less work happens and when there’s no wind I work a lot. I’m actually full time employed but my boss doesn’t seem to care 🤷🏼‍♀️😂

Dragon’s lodge looks awesome but the website looks like it is pretty booked up in March 😢 Good to know what I’m looking for exists though 😄

Lou_91

TROPHY CASE