THEIR friends call them ‘Tom’ and ‘Barbara’ from the Good Life and meeting Mym and Adrian Holcombe on their alpaca farm in their log cabin house it is easy to see why.

With 40 alpacas grazing on their 8.5 acre farm in Leigh near Cricklade and a thriving shop selling alpaca-based produce such as slippers, hats and jumpers, this couple, who do not have a farming background, are living out their dream. “It is a totally different way of life,” said Mym, 50. “But we have to work hard.”

It wasn’t always this way. Four years ago the Holcombe’s lived a very different life in a country house in Latton, both working in the corporate business world and enjoying luxury holidays and expensive cars. Adrian, 48, was often away travelling the world on business.

“I sold my last business and was looking around for something to do, “explained Mym. “I didn’t want to work for someone else and saw a short clip on TV about an alpaca farm. We took delivery of our first four alpacas three months later.”

Four soon became eight and the Holcombe’s realised that breeding and selling on alpacas could support them if they changed their lifestyle.

“The only thing we had raised up until then were our two now grown up children,” said Adrian. “We realised that it would be a complete change of lifestyle.”

The expensive cars went and so did the luxury holidays. “But along with those things came pressure,” said Adrian.

“We will never make enough money here to do the things we used to do but the point is we don’t want to,” he added.

With more room needed to house their rapidly expanding alpaca herd, the Holcombe’s rented out their house in Latton, bought a plot of land in Leigh in early 2009 and applied for planning permission for a log cabin.

“We try to be eco-friendly. Our log cabin takes its heating from the earth,” said Mym.

Alpacas are part of the Camelid family originating from South America and are highly valued for their fleece, which is spun into a fibre and used for making luxury knitted and woven items.

There are two types of alpaca: Huacaya, which produces a dense, soft, finely crimped fibre and the Suri, which has silky pencil-like locks (resembling dread-locks), which the Holcombe’s farm.

“They are inquisitive, gentle, elegant, intelligent and observant. We think they are adorable,” said Mym.

While the shop is booming and it is a struggle to keep up with demand, selling alpacas is where the money is made. A girl is worth between £5-6,000 and a boy of proven stud quality could fetch as much as £30,000.

The industry in the UK is still in its infancy, with around 10,000 alpacas, and the Holcombe’s are treading a relatively unique path.

“Our friends have been incredibly supportive but some were mystified. And there are some work colleagues who I haven’t heard from,” said Adrian.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Holcombe’s have opted out of the rat race and have taken the easy option.

“We have to get up every day and look after the animals, even on Christmas Day,” explained Mym. “But we don’t have to get up and go to an office.”

And physically life is more demanding now than ever before. “In the past I would have paid to have things done but now I will put up a fence for the chickens myself. I have never worked so physically hard in my life,” said Adrian.

But both are very happy to have left the corporate world behind them. “It’s a wonderful life,” said Mym.

Latton Alpacas, Autumn Lodge Farm, Malmesbury Road, Leigh, Nr Cricklade, Wiltshire SN6 6RA. Telephone 01793 751195 or