Living and working on Tresco: Michał and Magda

Michał and Magda were working on the mainland as housekeepers when they first came across a friend's pictures of Tresco online. They were tired and overworked - with some of their shifts not finishing until 10pm - so the idyllic pictures of white sandy beaches and tropical gardens were calling to them. They headed off on an adventure and haven't looked back since.

"I was working in housekeeping as a supervisor but it was too much," says Magda. "I had around 350 units of accommodation to look after and was finding the pace of life too fast. I was ready for a change!"

Concerned about the island being too small, Michał was a little more reluctant to move, but in the end they decided to give Tresco a go and he is so happy they did.

"I kept saying what are we gonna do there? It's so small! But then I realised that the new lifestyle would give us more time for each other and time to do the things that we never had time to do on the mainland. We got here and it was just so easy - it instantly made sense for us."

That was five years ago in 2019 so now Michał's apprehension makes the couple laugh. They can't imagine being anywhere else. In fact, they have even chosen to start their family here.

Housekeeping on Tresco is very busy but the days fly by, the guests are grateful for their hard work and when they clock off at 5, the evenings are theirs.

Michał drives the cottage van around the island delivering linen and cleaning equipment, and he stops at different cottages along the way to do bits of maintenance.

"My day is basically running and driving around, but it goes fast and I feel satisfied at the end of a shift!"

Magda will be a familiar face to many as she was working in the laundry. "She knows all the guests and timesharers and they loved seeing her every year," laughs Michał. "I have friends as well, but not that many!"

It was a role Magda really enjoyed but after doing it for many years, she fancied a change and is now a supervisor for the housekeeping team.

"From eight o'clock we are at the depot to plan the day and prepare what we need. Then we have a short meeting and head off to the cottages. We visit about five or six cottages a day and my job is to check over all the small details, ensure the standard is at its best and report back to the team."

There is a very high standard but Magda and Michał say it makes the job more satisfying "and 99% of the time, the guests are happy. They always comment on the quality," says Magda.

Although the cottage department keeps them busy, life on Tresco for Magda and Michał is all about the slower pace of life and making time for the little things.

Michał's main passion is tennis and there is plenty of opportunity for that with two courts on the island. "I just have way more time to do the things that I never, ever had time to do on the mainland. Mainland life is too fast and everything takes too long - even going shopping takes like three hours but here it is ten minutes!"

The couple love spending time outside and are always on a walk or at the beach having a BBQ (if Michał isn't playing tennis!)

"Even now - in winter time - we just love walking around," says Magda. "Borough woods is beautiful and we used to live up there so we have lovely memories from that time. I also love the sea and like to go in after work - it's always perfect. Michał won't go in though!" Although he chimes in that he would like to try this year. "I’ve only been in the sea 3 or 4 times here – it’s embarrassing!"

Above all, what stands out for Michał and Magda is the lovely people that live and work on Tresco. "There’s a lot of people like us who have been here for many years but even the new people that come for a season are somehow always nice and polite. The whole island is like that - it's amazing (although we still can't explain to our friends and family in Poland why we moved to this tiny island so far away!)

Michał and Magda couldn't be more right. Everyone who arrives on Tresco is open minded, relaxed and ready to do something a bit different. If you think that could be you, why not join us for a season... or maybe five?...