We are Alistair and Lorna Handyside, the owners of Higher Wiscombe and have been married for nineteen years. We have three children, Olivia 16, Charlotte 14 and Harry 11.

We met whilst working in London, Lorna worked for the London Stock Exchange and Alistair worked as a senior executive in hi-tech firms. Lorna, as well as running Higher Wiscombe Ltd, and working with Alistair on consultancy projects, is Chair of the Trustees of a Special Needs school and a Governor at Sidmouth College.

Alistair now works as a consultant in a variety of fields. He has provided corporate due-diligence for Venture Capital companies, assists with Company Fund-raising and Turnarounds and provides interim management services and non executive roles. These include:

Chairman of South West Tourism: Largest tourist region in the UK. This position comes at a time of great change at SWT, as it faces closure as the regional model moves away from Regional Development Agencies to Local Enterprise Partnerships. Currently working on a proposal about how Tourism will best be served post March 2011. www.swtourism.org.uk

Director of Premier Cottages: the leading independent cottage group in the UK. Alistair is responsible for the annual production of the brochure amongst other duties. www.premiercottages.co.uk

Vice-Chair of DEBI, the Devon Environmental Business Initiative. This group promotes environmental sustainability in all businesses via Devon's most prestigious environmental awards scheme.
www.debi-online.org.uk

Vice Chair of EASCO: (English Association of Self Catering Operators). Currently assessing the much improved FHL consultation document. Key lobby area is to challenge HMG on the huge rise in business rates being applied to the self catering holiday sector (the highest business rates of any sector in the UK), and fighting unecessary legislation affecting Tourism businesses. www.englishselfcatering.co.uk

Devon Committee of the CLA. Representing Devon branch on BREC (Business and Rural Economy Committee). www.cla.org.uk

Seven years ago we decided to move to Devon to have a complete life change, away from the six day, seventy hour week of corporate life and have successfully swapped it for a seven day, eighty hour week of self employed life. We have managed to create a business that is both successful, varied and most importantly, sustainable.