Cheltenham Couple Embraces Outdoor Living in Garden Treehouse
A detached three-bedroom house from the 1950s stands quietly in suburban Cheltenham, blending seamlessly with its neighbors. Yet inside, the space feels unusually sparse: no television or sofa in the living room, and the main bedroom upstairs holds just a settee, wardrobe, and open floor.
Phil Campbell and Kathy Farmer, both 65, have chosen this setup since 2020. They spend nearly every night in a treehouse at the garden’s edge, with no intention of returning indoors.
Evening Routine and Pandemic Origins
Their evenings begin early. After dinner, they light a fire in the living room, sit on the floor to benefit their spines, chat, and listen to music. Around 8 p.m., Phil heads to the treehouse, lighting the path and warming the bed like a “human electric blanket.” Kathy joins about an hour later, and they fall asleep quickly.
Sleeping outdoors started as Kathy’s idea during the pandemic. Health advice emphasized fresh air to combat the virus, so they placed a camping bed in the treehouse in June 2020. “At first we thought—what if we get hypothermia? But then we just thought, ‘Oh well,'” Kathy recalls.
They planned to continue until Christmas Eve, but extended it indefinitely. “Everyone asked what was wrong with us, but there’s nothing wrong! We’re stepping back into nature,” Phil says. Their dog stays indoors, which Phil calls “the most expensive kennel in Cheltenham,” as it gets too excitable at night.
The couple only sleeps inside when caring for their baby granddaughter overnight.
Cozy Treehouse Haven
Open on two sides to the elements, the fairy-light-strung treehouse remains inviting even in winter. A nearby river babbles them to sleep, wind rustles the trees, and birdsong wakes them at dawn—no alarm needed. They rise refreshed, though Phil occasionally stirs at 3 a.m. for a moonlight chat before Kathy drifts off again.
“It’s amazing to wake up to the sounds of nature. You see squirrels chasing each other and baby deer playing,” Phil describes. Kathy calls it a nightly “mini holiday,” helping release daily stresses for deeper rest. “It’s improved our sleep patterns and given us more energy. Most importantly, it gets rid of agitation and repetitive thoughts,” she explains. “The fresh air—the extra oxygen—lets you leave everything behind in the house.”
Health Transformation Through Lifestyle Changes
This shift followed Phil’s health challenges. Previously battling sepsis and metabolic syndrome at 22 stone, tests in 2020 revealed polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer causing excess red blood cells. Despite risks like heart attack or stroke, Phil stayed positive: “The body receives what the mind believes. I just didn’t take it on board.”
Treatment involved regular therapeutic phlebotomies. Meanwhile, the couple adopted breathwork, meditation, outdoor sleeping, and cold therapy—ice baths, cold showers, and wild swimming. They trained as Wim Hof Method instructors.
Phlebotomy needs dropped from every two weeks to longer intervals. Two years ago, during a birthday lunch, Phil’s consultant called: the cancer had vanished completely. “I returned to the table and told the girls: ‘Great news. I haven’t got cancer anymore.’ They said: ‘What cancer?'” he shares. He hadn’t told his daughters, handling it solo with a positive mindset.
Now treatment-free, Phil credits his recovery—and fitter 64-year-old body—to these habits. “I’m healthier now at 64 than at 50.” Kathy lost three stone with minimal diet changes, aided by breathwork. They run Tribal Breath workshops on breathing and cold therapy.
Unconventional Choices and Future Plans
Their large home gathers dust, including an unused bed donated to Kathy’s daughter. Phil gave away a big TV years ago, finding nothing worth watching. They skip news, enduring storms in the treehouse—their cold-adapted bodies stay warm. Phil goes barefoot everywhere, even supermarkets and London.
The setup evolved: pallets and a mattress form a dry platform, topped with sheepskin. They’ve endured -12°C nights unfazed. “People say, ‘Don’t you get cold?’ But nothing stops us going back inside,” Kathy notes. Nighttime needs are handled practically.
Mornings bring meditation, breathwork, and coffee before daily activities. “We don’t take it too seriously; we’re just having a barrel of fun,” Kathy says. They practice Five Tibetan Rites yoga outdoors and enjoy private UK holidays with “chunky dunking.”
Will they return indoors? “Someone will tell us we have to come inside. Maybe it will be the men in white coats,” Phil jokes.
