LIKE most people, Barry Horne enjoys returning to the comfort of home after a busy day at the office.

But his home is a 58ft-long narrow boat moored at Upton Marina, that he bought when he was unable to find a suitable flat in the area.

The QinetiQ consultant and his wife Sue moved from Leigh Sinton to be near the coast in South Wales in February.

With Mr Horne facing a two-hour commute to work in Malvern, the couple decided to buy a flat locally but were unable to find anywhere . . . until Sue had a flash of inspiration.

"We've been taking narrow boat holidays for sixteen years," she said. "We'd always promised ourselves a boat someday, so we just did it!"

A trip to the Marina proved decisive. There was a berth available and an ideal boat for sale.

Mr Horne spends at least two nights a week on board Suzie Q, named after a nickname for his wife. The boat contains a kitchen, living area, bathroom and bedroom, as well as mains power and central heating.

"I've got absolutely everything I need and I don't miss out on any creature comforts," he said. "Everything's so peaceful, although I occasionally find myself arriving at work on 'boat time', as everything's much slower on the water!"

The couple look forward to sailing away on holiday next year and have a list of friends waiting for a trip on the river.

"It gives us an incredible amount of freedom, we can just sail away come the summer," said Mr Horne.

His wife said they enjoyed living near Upton town centre.

"We can easily walk into town and we're slowly working our way through all the pubs it has to offer," she added.

Mr Horne would recommend his living situation to anyone, even those with no boating experience.

"The boats are fairly low maintenance and someone would always stop to help should you have troubles," he said. "We saved at least half the price we would have paid for a flat and got a holiday home for our troubles as well."