From City to Sea

BBC Learning 1 EnglishLondon LifeFrom City to SeaJackie:  Hello, I'm Jackie Dalton. Have you everwanted to escape your everydaylife and go and do something completely different? If youlive in a house in a big noisy city, like London, perhapsyou could sell it and go and live on a small boat. Well,one man has and he now lives on his boat just off thesouthern English town of Brighton. We're going to hear fromBrian Bessy – well, that's his real name. But he also hasa nickname 2 – an affectionate name used by people who knowhim. What's his nickname?
　　AlbertAnyway, my name is Brian, Brian Bessy. That's the realname, although I'm sort of affectionately known as UncleAlbert.
　　Jackie:  Did you catch Brian's nickname? He said hewas affectionately known as'Uncle Albert'. How long has Uncle Albert been living onthe boat and why did he move there?
　　AlbertI've been down here now for the best part of 12 years. Iused to live in London. God knows what London's like thesedays, but I ended up on this. The family had grown up, thewife had passed on and I had this big house… cutting grassand decorating… and I thought who for? I'm going to go andlive on the boat.
　　Jackie:  Did you get those answers? Uncle Albertsays he's lived on the boat for the best part of 12 years– which means nearly 12 years. 'For the best part of…' Sowhy did he decide to move there from London? Because hiswife had died, his children had grown up and he was left onhis own in a big house – which seemed silly when it wasjust him.
　　BBC Learning English.comIs Albert glad he decided 3 to leave London and live on aboat in Brighton?
　　AlbertBest decision I've ever made. Put years on me I think. Ioften look back and I think 'IfI'd have stayed up there I'd have probably put my head inthe oven 4.'
　　Jackie:  Uncle Albert says it was the best decisionhe ever made. So he's pretty pleased he moved. But, surely,after life in a big house in London, it must be a bituncomfortable living on a boat. Does Albert agree? Whatcan you do on a boat that you can't do in a house? Listento find out.
　　AlbertAll these boats have got all the comforts that [are]
　　required for living on board: microwaves, televisions,fridges, you name it. If you don't like your neighbours,you can go and park somewhere else or wander off to anotherharbour.
　　Jackie:  Uncle Albert says on a boat you have allthe comforts you need – a television, a microwave and soon and, perhaps best of all, if you don't like yourneighbours, you can go somewhere else or park in adifferent harbour – a harbour – a place where boats arekept. Albert thinks it's a great lifest yle and, as he'sabout to tell us, he doesn't understand whymore people don't do it…AlbertOne of the things that always strikes me is the fact that,this being a lovely way to live, you'd think there would bemore young couples… instead of trying to raise a mortgage 5,which is hard for them, a boat is a fraction 6 of the costand the life itself is ten times better, you know, so…Jackie:  Well, he's got a point, hasn't he? Amortgage is a legal agreement when you borrow money from abank to buy a house and you have to pay back that moneyover a period of time. And I can tell you, living in Londonat the moment, if you want to buy a house here you've gotto have a pretty big mortgage as housing 7 is very expensive.
　　So, as Uncle Albert argues, why get a big mortgage when youcan go and live on a boat?
　　AlbertOne of the things that always strikes me is…Jackie:  'One of the things that always strikes meis…' that's a nice phrase. It's a way of saying 'Somethingthat I find interesting or surprising…'
　　AlbertOne of the things that always strikes me is…Jackie:  Let’s listen to Albert again. What aresome of the other things he likes about being on the boat?
　　AlbertThere's a lot going for living on board. I love everythingthat's down here. I love these lovely nights, the lovelysunsets. People pay for this, you know, they ask me sillyquestions like 'Where do you go for your holiday?' and Ilook out here and I look at them and I think: 'Every day isa holiday!
　　Jackie:  Albert loves the nights and the sunsets,and when people ask where he goes on holiday he thinks it'sa silly question. Every day is a holiday! And how right hemust be. In fact, I'm almost feeling tempted 8 myself.
　　Perhaps when London gets all too much, I'll go and askUncle Albert for some advice on the best model of boat tobuy.
　　BBC Learning English.com