Are there any British People Living In Rural Finland

[cheryloptomen]

I am a television producer working for major independent production company Optomen Television in London. We are currently producing a new documentary series for Channel 4 in the UK about people who have quit the rat race and moved to live in remote locations the world. It will be an inspirational series following the incredible stories of ordinary people who are living a unique way of life in some of the most beautiful and breath-taking places. The presenter, Kevin McCloud, best known for presenting the hit TV series ‘Grand Designs’ will visit people in their wildness homes and get to experience first-hand the wonder of life in these stunning locations.

Our research team in London is currently looking for suitable stories to feature in the series and we're keen to contact people who may be interested in taking part. I thought I would approach people on the forum as I’m trying to find Expat British families attempting to live self-sufficiently in wilderness locations in Finland and I was wondering if anyone on here could be interested? Or perhaps you know of someone who would be suitable?

Our show is primarily about living off the land and going to a back to basics existence. The presenter, Kevin McCloud has made a programme for Channel 4 in the UK called ‘Kevin’s Man Made Home’ which explores self-sustainability and ‘Wild Homes’ is an extension of this theme.

Here’s a bit more explanation on the show. The idea is that the presenter Kevin will spend around 5 days living with the contributors, experiencing life in wilderness locations. Our ideal scenario is one where the individual/couple/family have built their own property and are living off-grid. A large element of the show is about living in the wilderness, so the larger the element of living off the land, the better. This particular show is more about moving to the wilderness to enjoy a simpler life, surrounded by nature. For example are speaking to a British family who have given up jobs as Lawyers in London to move South America and are building an eco-house on the side of an active volcano. We are looking at how they get water, electricity, food, how they school the kids, etc.

I hope this gives you a bit of a steer.

Any help you can provide is much appreciated. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Many Thanks and Kind Regards,
Cheryl Jackson
Producer
Cheryl.jackson@optomen.com

[Marsh04]

So somebody would get thousands of pounds in salary to make a documentary (which should have a huge budget as well) about people who could be a useful part of the society as lawyers, doctors, teachers etc but instead they choose to live a life which hundreds of millions of people in underdeveloped world are already living. Best place for these "eco" people to live (on benefits) is not in Finland or any other developed country but a 3rd world country where there is already "infrastructure" and expertise for such a life.

[rinso]

But anyway, Cheryl, you are going to struggle with this, as by law for Brits to live in Finland they must register as residents, which generally requires having a job or large amounts of savings that they have to show the Police every time they renew their residence permit. You can't just really buy a property and settle back to build your chicken coops and vegetable gardens, and if you manage to find a traditional job in Finland without speaking Finnish, you are unlikely to be anywhere near wilderness.

There are plenty of Brits with Hot Blond Syndrome, sitting at home in a rural village counting trees while the wife brings in the money.

[Pursuivant]

Well, it might be a new spin-off show, the "Real Expat". Say like those HBS cases that the wifey kicked out as the lazy sod never found that job as a carpet layer in Nowheremäki and are then "stuck" here, having random visitation to their kids and trying to achieve an adessiivi. Way lots more of those.

And I *think* we got 2-3 farmers pop in here occasionally, but again they're HBS cases gone native rather than some delusional hippies.

[betelgeuse]

But anyway, Cheryl, you are going to struggle with this, as by law for Brits to live in Finland they must register as residents, which generally requires having a job or large amounts of savings that they have to show the Police every time they renew their residence permit. You can't just really buy a property and settle back to build your chicken coops and vegetable gardens, and if you manage to find a traditional job in Finland without speaking Finnish, you are unlikely to be anywhere near wilderness.

At least for the time being Brits are EU citizens, so they register their right of residence which does not need to be renewed periodically.

[Rosamunda]

...and I don't think it necessary, in Finland, to hide in the wilderness in order to avoid the rat race. You (anyone) can quite easily live in the middle of Helsinki and not be caught up in the kind of lifestyle that British lawyers, doctors, architects, stockbrokers etc are desperately trying to escape from. Anyway, how can anyone survive in winter in Finland in the wilderness without electricity to run the freezer? Solar power?

(BTW, I make candles from wax produced by my own bees and we have log cabin made from logs cut from our "own" forest, we eat stuff we grow or graze and we poop in a sort of plastic bucket in a wooden shed in the trees. But we also have mains electricity with a wifi meter, digital TV, broadband and neighbours. And in the winter we live (and work) in the city )

[Rosamunda]

I think Rosamunda nailed it. You could do an entire series about how ordinary Finns live in close connection with nature...

Yeah but, no but, that's not what I meant. Quite apart from lots of trees and the occasional flying squirrel I was thinking more along the lines of the way Finns can live in urban areas and not get caught up in a "rat race". There might be the occasional oravanpyörä in places like Kauniainen but on the whole it is possible to live a reasonably urban life without falling into a lifestyle of frenetic affluence and conspicuous consumerism. The well-heeled keep their assets well-hidden and their kids go to local state primary school, and they all eat the same (free) food for lunch.

[Pursuivant]

Well yes, because you can't afford anything

[AldenG]

Well yes, because you can't afford anything

Doesn't that depend mostly on what level of ALKO subscription one chooses?

[Rosamunda]

Monday night on Channel 4 (UK)... seems like they found what they were looking for, but in Sweden:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/kevi ... /58706-004

[Pariah]

hahaha I expected nothing less from you lot hahaha

As a Brit / hot blond syndrome I find it best to have a flat in Helsinki but not actually live there. Instead I work overseas where I can earn a decent salary and buy my booze at Heathrow when making my connecting flight back. The wife can stay in Helsinki working and eating peas and strawberries and doing long walks in the woods. One day we might be able to afford a leather sofa.

And does anybody know why it is that I can buy beer on a sunday and get legless drunk in the park, but not a decent bottle of white to go with the salmon risotto I've knocked up? Why is that?

[Karhunkoski]

And does anybody know why it is that I can buy beer on a sunday and get legless drunk in the park, but not a decent bottle of white to go with the salmon risotto I've knocked up? Why is that?

It's because there are more people than you in this society.