Meet the canny Brits who took up Barbados's invitation to relocate

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Brigitta Nayak admits to some trepidation about sending her friends pictures of her new home because she knows they’ll be insanely jealous. It’s not because she’s come into millions or inherited a stately pile. 

It’s just that while Britain shivers behind closed doors in our second lockdown, she and her family are starting a new life in Barbados.

‘Our house overlooks the beach with turquoise sea and white sand,’ she says. 

‘Every evening we watch the most beautiful sunset from our balcony. The boys have taken up surfing while my daughter is learning to bodyboard. It’s magical. Paradise.’

Brigitta, 49, along with husband Kris, 48, and their three children Luka, 14, Kipp, 12, and Harper, ten, are among the hundreds of Brits who responded to a call from the Barbados government to help keep the Caribbean island’s economy going. 

With tourist numbers plummeting because of the pandemic, island officials launched the Barbados Welcome Stamp to encourage foreigners who can work from home to do so... in the sunshine, with a year’s visa. 

And when the year’s up they can renew it for another year if they like. 

Alongside Steve and Amanda Bungay, grandparents of four from Salisbury, they feature in a one-off TV show that follows them as they start their new adventure.

For Brigitta and Kris, a strategy consultant, the idea began as a bit of a joke when they saw an article about it on Facebook in July. But within three weeks they’d started the process of making it a reality. 

The couple, from Manchester, had to research schools and houses and decide what to do with their dog (he’s remained in the UK with a friend), but last month they finally moved into a three-bedroom house overlooking the ocean on the south-west of the island.

© Provided by Daily MailSteve, 62, and Amanda Bungay, 68, (pictured) from Salisbury, saw the opportunity to move to Barbados during the pandemic on social media

It’s not totally perfect, however. The cost of living is higher in Barbados – both in terms of house rental and food – and they miss their friends and family. 

But life sounds idyllic; Kris works over Zoom with his Manchester office from 6am-11am and when school finishes at 2.30 they all spend the afternoon on the beach. 

The kids even love their new school, where Luka’s started on an international version of GCSEs.

‘The pandemic’s made this possible,’ says Kris. ‘I haven’t been in my workplace since March. Before, if I’d asked my boss if I could work from home from another country he’d have laughed at me, but this time it was an easy question to ask.

‘And the first lockdown meant we knew we could not only survive but thrive as a family. In the UK the kids are busy with friends – we all lived quite separate lives. But lockdown, and now moving to Barbados, means we’re doing things together more.

© Provided by Daily MailSteve and Amanda reveled they were planning to downsize their house and have a quieter life in Wiltshire, when they decided to move to the Caribbean (pictured)© Provided by Daily MailKris works over Zoom with his Manchester office and then joins his family to enjoy the rest of the day together on the beach. Pictured: Kris and Brigitta

‘It’s a complete change of pace. The other morning I was walking along the beach, watching the fishermen come in, and one of them offered me a glass of rum. 

'When I pointed out it was 9am he said, “It’s never too early for rum!” Everyone is so friendly and it’s great to show our kids life outside of Manchester.’

Steve and Amanda Bungay also saw an advert for the Welcome Stamp on social media. 

Having already made the decision to downsize from the house where they’d raised their five children, now grown up, and 20 foster kids, they were planning a quieter life in a house in Wiltshire when they decided to move to Barbados.

‘I saw the advert, showed it to Steve and then we muttered and chuntered a bit about it,’ recalls Amanda, 68. 

‘In the end I said to him, “Let’s just do it and see what happens.” A week later our visas arrived in the post.’

© Provided by Daily MailBarbados (pictured) has had very few cases of Covid-19, allowing life to go on as normal with the exception of face masks being worn in indoor public spaces

The pair found a three-bedroom house with a pool for £1,800 a month just north of the capital, Bridgetown, which is an eight-minute walk from the beach. 

While data manager Steve, 62, is working for an Asian company, which means he has to start in the early hours of the morning, from December he’ll be contracted to a US firm, which will mean working in the same time zone for the first time in years.

When we talk, Steve and Amanda have only been in their new place for a few days after two weeks of quarantine.

 The island has had barely any cases of Covid-19 and life goes on pretty much as normal, except people have to wear face masks in indoor public spaces.

‘We’re still having so many pinch-me moments,’ says Amanda, who believes the hardest thing will be not seeing her children, although one son is planning to marry in Barbados in March after two postponements because of the pandemic. 

‘I went to the beach the other day, looked out across the ocean and thought, “I can’t believe this is my home... for now.”’  

Nicole Lampert For Weekend Magazine 11/20/2020, msn.com