Alison and Lee Avery, with their daughters Jenny and Rebecca, moved from London to the Hebridean island of Kerrera two years ago. They acquired a small-holding, began to rebuild their derelict house and earned money selling afternoon tea to visitors. But circumstances have meant that the family have had to leave their rural idyll.
Alison's story:
"We had to move up here because the children had such bad asthma and it was getting worse. We found within two months of moving here that all their symptoms had gone. But we also found that not only was it good for the children, it was everything we were looking for - the chance to grow our own vegetables, have some land, build our own house and be involved in a small community.
My daily routine can change depending on what is going on on the island - nothing's fixed.
One of us might feed the cow and the chickens and then get the Rayburn hot enough to do some cakes.
The tea garden is generally busy from 12am till 4 or 5pm - the customers wander back before the last ferry goes at 6. Then we have time to ourselves.
It is a kind of "Swallows and Amazon's" upbringing for the children - total feedom. We can see them for about half a mile from the house. You can see all the marks on the hills where we slide down on sacks - it's better than Alton Towers - you don't get sheep's poo at Alton Towers!"
Lee's Story:
My wife went to the market to buy two plastic eggs to encourage the chickens to lay, and she came back with a Jersey cow as well! The cow was like a pet dog, you'd shout "Penny", and she'd come running. She was excellent!
The hardest thing for me, living down south and being a truck driver, was leaving in the morning and never knowing when I was going to make it back that night. I missed out so much of my second child growing up. I've had the priviledge as a father and husband being with my wife and children.
Alison's continues:
The reason we are having to leave is because the Local Council are closing the primary school on the island. It's been here hundreds of years. It's not safe to put the children across the sea every day to school. We felt really angry, the children were settled...it's not fair. But we are moving to Bournemouth - to keep the children near the sea.
