Cottage

A cottage.

Thick walls and small windows - protection against the harsh winters.

A functional building,

simple,

practical,

built from that which was found locally.

No frills,

no electricity,

no light at the flick of a switch

just a simple hand-crafted existence.

Water from a well

a garden for growing food

a stable for keeping animals

everything built with a purpose  within a shared community,

traditions,

resources, 

all working as one.

At the heart of the cottage,

a traditional range

fueled by wood sourced locally, 

where the food was cooked 

and water boiled to wash the souls of those who called this place home.

These folk knew nothing of the holiday cottage principle,

that people would rent the cottage for a week or more,

for sums of money the original occupants could have never imagined.

Modern requirements like full fibre broadband,

and every gadget a modern kitchen requires.

That now it would become just a base for tourists to explore an island,

with a huge double bed and soft furnishings,

for lazy days and lye-ins,

tea and toast in bed!

...something the original occupants would never have!