Tentlife For Student

A budding scientist camped in stranger’s back garden for a year to save money.

17:41 20 July 2015

A 24-year-old student saved on rent by camping in stranger’s backyard for a year.

 

Evan Eames from Canada realised that he cannot afford to pay rent while paying international tuition fees for his Masters in Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. To save on living costs, he asked strangers online if he could camp in their back gardens. Luckily, a student at Stockport College, Charley Mantack, offered her a place to stay.

 

Evan said that he enjoyed the whole experience. Even if Ms Mantack offered her spare bedroom when the snow was heavy, he was determined to carry on camping.

 

"There was some days I would wake up, there was birds around and reeds blowing in the wind, or you could hear the pitter-pattering on top of the tent some days of the rain, it was really enjoyable.

 

"There were two days I thought it was not a good day. In February there was a really bad blizzard, there was a lot of wind. When I got back it was quite late and the wind had picked up the tent and I had to re-pitch it."

 

Miss Mantack, who nicknamed Mr Eames her physics gnome, said: "I was looking for a flat mate. I saw he wanted to stay in a back garden and I thought, why not, it was weird enough.

 

"I loved telling people about it, I like weird out of the ordinary things like that."