A taste of the high life: Driftwood Dave sips champagne, goes to M&S and sits in a Ferrari as he ventures out of the shack that has been his home for 26 years
- On sipping champagne: 'I'm happy with orange juice and water'
- On sitting in a Ferrari: 'I'd need a car I could sleep in the back of'
- On M&S food: 'I don't suppose you could cook them over an open fire because all the plastic would melt'
Last updated at 8:44 PM on 17th June 2011
A real-life castaway who has spent the past 26 years living in a driftwood shack above one of Britain's remotest beaches has had a taste of the outside world - including his first ever sip of champagne.
David Burgess, 63 has lived a simple existence free of modern trappings in his coastline home since the 1980s.
He only uses material which has washed up on the shore and sleeps on a mattress of dried leaves under a blue tarpaulin every night.
But among the novelties on his day of adventure, he listened to an 'amazing' iPod, sat in a Ferrari, had a suit-fitting and experienced an 'unbelievable' visit to M&S.
Enjoying the high life: David Burgess had his first taste of champagne after leaving the remote shack he calls home for a tour of Exeter
But after spending so long hidden away from the rest of the world, Mr Burgess had a chance to taste the finer things in life after he went on a tour of Exeter in Devon.
The father-of-one joined suited businessmen and smartly dressed couples, as he enjoyed an expensive lunch at Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines' restaurant at the city's plush Abode Hotel - and sipped champagne priced at £47.25 a bottle.
'This is absolutely lovely, I feel like a celebrity,' Burgess said. 'It has simply never occurred to me to order champagne before, I'm happy with orange juice and water.
No expense spared: During his trip to Exeter Mr Burgess sipped champagne worth over £45 a bottle
'Unbelievable prices': The real-life Robinson Crusoe shops in Marks & Spencer as he enjoys a taste of civilisation - but was shocked by how much the food cost
Getting to grips with his trolley: Not his usual outlet for food supplies - and, right, Mr Burgess gets his first-ever suit-fitting at Moss Bros in Exeter
'It's a very nice treat but I am not sure it is worth £50 - that's my food budget for a month. I'm definitely telling my son about this, he won't believe it.
'I prefer sitting out by the sea and cooking soup over an open fire.'
Mr Burgess then ordered a £24 lunch of pan-fried Devonshire sea bass, which came with fennel puree, confit tomato, fennel cream and a rich fish red wine sauce.
He said, 'That's a very small portion for the money. It hardly seems worth it. It is absolutely beautiful though, I haven't eaten food like this for years.
'I feel like James Bond': David tries out a Ferrari California convertible worth £160,000
Thinking ahead: 'I'd need a car I could sleep in the back of,' said Dave
'I usually have nettle soup or shellfish and seaweed so this is a real change.'
Mr Burgess - who has been divorced from his wife for 33 years - said he could be convinced to dine out more but only if he found his very own 'Girl Friday'.
Continuing his tour, he then visited a Marks & Spencer for the first time, where he joked with staff that he fancied a 'nice young bird' to take home and said he could not believe the prices of items on the carefully stocked shelves.
Simple life: The 63-year-old has lived in this remote driftwood shack in Somerset for the past 26 years
Just the basics: The shack has no electricity, with Mr Burgess doing most of his cooking over an open fire
'I can't believe the amount of food on offer here and all of the places it comes from,' Mr Burgess said.
'If I need to shop, I go to local organic stores where most of the produce is local. All of this is very exotic.There are so many ready meals too. I don't have electricity at home, let alone a microwave.
'I don't suppose you could cook them over an open fire because all the plastic would melt.'
Mr Burgess also went for his first-ever suit fitting at Moss Bros in Exeter, who measured him up for a neat new outfit.
He kept his battered brown hat on, along with scruffy jeans and a flowing velvet scarf, as he examined the suits.
His favourite was a smart Ted Baker outfit, costing a cool £279, but also liked a Moss Bros £129 version.
Sparsely furnished: Mr Burgess sleeps on a mattress of dried leaves under a blue tarpaulin
Hidden away: The shack is so remote that it is an hour's walk away from the nearest road
Mr Burgess said: 'These suits do look very smart but I am happy in my own clothes.
'I always shop at charity shops - you can pick up some real bargains there.'
And David beamed with excitement as he tried out a Ferrari California convertible - worth an eye-watering £160,000.
He carefully sat inside the cream-coloured car - which boasts a 4.3 litre V8 engine - at Ferrari dealership Carrs in Exeter.
Manager Lee Moore showed him how to work the convertible's impressive on-board computer and gave him a tour of the fleet of Ferraris and Maseratis at the dealership.
Long time hidden: Mr Burgess first moved in to the beachside shack in the 1980s
Mr Burgess said: 'Gosh, I feel like James Bond sat in here. I had a horse and carriage when I was in my 40s and 50s as I worked in a gypsy museum in Somerset.
'I imagine this would be a bit quicker though. It's lovely.
'I don't really like driving to be honest, I find the traffic too stressful. I wouldn't even think about buying the Ferrari, it's not for me.
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Ear we go: David spent half an hour carefully studying computers, iPhones and iPads, which he admitted he was 'bemused' by
'I'd need a car I could sleep in the back of, it would be my dream to have a camper van.
'I feel pretty awkward sat in this, I'm worried I'm going to break it.'
He also told of his shock as he tried out an 'amazing' iPod for the first time - as he visited the smart Apple store in Exeter, Devon, which stocks the latest technology from the iconic brand.
He spent half an hour carefully studying computers, iPhones and iPads, which he admitted he was 'bemused' by.
Mr Burgess said: 'Everyone is always saying that I should get a computer but I've never had one.
'I don't really see the point. These things all look very smart but they are nothing compared to the view I get when I look out to the sea.
'I suppose if I went abroad to work on an organic farm then I might get an email address to keep in touch with people.
'I've never seen anything like this before, it really is amazing. It's certainly opened my eyes to new things.'
Mr Burgess began building his idyllic home in 1985 when he discovered the tumbledown remains of a 17th Century bark drying house in Embelle Wood near Porlock, Somerset.
The woodland site is an hour's walk from the nearest road down a treacherous path and only a handful of people knew of his existence - until now.But he could be forced to leave his beachfront paradise after bosses at Exmoor National Park threatened to evic
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