Chronicle of life in the parish of the Isles of Scilly. With a rocketing cost of living and a housing crisis, the long-term future of the unique island way of life is under threat. On top of that, they're without their spiritual leader, the parish priest, and Bishop Bill is struggling to fill the vacancy.
Father Guy Scott's parishioners vent their anger when they learn he wants to leave and become the new chaplain to the Isles of Scilly, England's remotest parish way out in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile the islanders face a crisis when the vet decides to quit, and locals take a shine to the new bobby WPC Nikki Green.
Father Guy has a big task ahead to convince his family that he has made the right decision about the move to the Isles of Scilly. Meanwhile Martin the trawlerman is having a tough time with his new net and tackle, and the islanders are under growing pressure to come up with new ideas to boost tourism.
At last a solution may be in sight to the crisis caused by the lack of a vet on Scilly. Father Guy has a final briefing with Bishop Bill about his long-awaited move to the islands. And relics of prehistory could be standing in the way of young Sam's dream to build his own cottage on the island of his birth.
After a tearful farewell in his old mainland parish, Father Guy and the family at last arrive to begin their new lives on Scilly – despite appalling weather. Meanwhile, Heike the new vet throws herself into the job, and WPC Nikki Green makes a spectacular return for the islands' biggest party of the year.
In the final programme of the series, the big moment has at last arrived for the islanders formally to welcome their nervous new chaplain, Father Guy – but how will he really cope with the reality of such an unusual job? Meanwhile, WPC Nikki Green makes a startling announcement, and Heike the new vet becomes the object of some male attention.
Series following a year in the life of England’s remotest parish, the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall. The new Chaplain, Father Guy Scott, meets Toby the baker, who is borrowing every penny he can to take over a pub with one of the most beautiful views in the West Country. Heike the vet is looking for love.
On the Isles of Scilly, Toby faces a crisis over his plans to buy one of the remotest pubs in England. Sam and Laura begin a new life in their home on St Agnes, the first house to be built on the island for over 20 years; and newcomer Leo the bull-terrier faces deportation after incurring the wrath of the islanders in a dog fight.
It is Easter on the remote Isles of Scilly and, as the new holiday season gets underway, trawlerman Martin Bond has a bold new idea to increase sales of his fish. Toby's ex-wife, Liz, joins him on the islands to help set up the new pub and Heike the vet faces a financial crisis which threatens her whole future on Scilly.
Father Guy is finding it hard settling into his new parish on the Isles of Scilly – he is feeling lonely and isolated and he has also upset many of the islanders over his firm stance on traditional church values. Meanwhile, a familiar face returns to the islands and this time romance really is in the air. Toby the baker comes up with a revolutionary new idea to increase business at the pub.
Father Guy’s difficulties coming to terms with his new job increase when the death of a young lifeboatman throws the Isles of Scilly into grief. Prolonged bad weather threatens the financial success of the summer season and WPC Nikki Green tries to plan a future with her new boyfriend on the mainland.
Following the biggest funeral in living memory on the Isles of Scilly, Bishop Bill arrives to help lift the spirit of the islanders after their traumatic start to summer. Imaginative new ways emerge for raising money from the tourists and preparations are under way for the launch of Radio Scilly, the world's smallest radio station.
Following the advice of his boss, Bishop Bill, the beleaguered chaplain to the Isles of Scilly, Father Guy, throws himself into the job with renewed vigour. Keri Jones finds himself in Milan on an unusual mission for Radio Scilly and things look up for Heike the vet when she discovers a private zoo.
On the Isles of Scilly it is the dawn of a new era with the launch of the world's smallest radio station. The two retired priests, Donald and Margaret, fly in to lend a much needed hand to Father Guy and a big new development on Tresco offers unusual opportunities to the islanders.
With the end of the holiday season on the Isles of Scilly, islanders need to find new and imaginative ways of earning a living during the long winter months. Toby and Pauli have an ambitious plan to go to publish a book, whilst Auntie Kris wants to capitalise on a new dancing craze that is gripping the locals. The lowest tides of the year have a strange effect on island life
On the Isles of Scilly, they are preparing for a big commemoration of the worst peacetime disaster in the history of the Royal Navy when 1,500 sailors drowned in a storm on the Western Rocks 300 years ago. Heike the vet takes the chance to examine some of the animals in her care beneath the waves and island children get a rare taste of mainland life.
On the Isles, there are more single men to women than almost anywhere else in Britain. At the Seven Stones pub, Toby the landlord has found a girlfriend. Bishop Bill arrives to support a campaign to improve the island childrens' prospects. After a troubled year, a christening brings a new sense of optimism to the islanders.
In the final episode of the series, the Isles of Scilly look forward to a new year - and a brighter future. The Revd David makes a spectacular debut in the annual Scilly pantomime and there is some dramatic and unexpected news about the future of the islands' school. Plans are announced for an epic voyage by Scilly men to row across the Atlantic and the islands' vet, Heike, reveals she is lonely.
Chronicle of life in the parish of the Isles of Scilly. Love is in the air as word gets out that Sophie and Mark the lifeboatman are planning the wedding of the year. Meanwhile, the Minister the Reverend David rolls up his sleeves to help with the start of the tourist season - and Toby the baker indulges in a fantasy he has been dreaming of for months.
Chronicle of life in the parish of the Isles of Scilly. The Minister the Reverend David is increasingly concerned for the families of the four island men planning a dangerous row across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, legendary boatman Fraser Hicks is having bad luck as usual getting his boat ready for the all-important holiday season - and children from the islands' school embark on a daunting journey to very unfamiliar territory.
It is Easter on the Isles of Scilly, the traditional start of the holiday season, and the islanders hold their breath to see how much the credit crunch will affect their livelihoods. It is time to say a fond farewell to Bishop Bill, the Bishop of Truro. The locals turn out in force as the Revd David blesses the little rowing boat which they hope will carry the Scilly Boys safely home on their epic voyage from America.
After two years of preparation, it is time for the four island men who plan to row across the Atlantic from New York back home to Scilly to say a tearful farewell to the islands. Meanwhile, the Reverend David makes a rare trip to the mainland for the culmination of a four-year dream; and the islanders rally round with some imaginative ideas to try to stop the cash-strapped Heike the vet having to leave.
Faced with the possibility of having to leave the islands, Heike the cash-strapped vet comes up with an extraordinary idea to raise money - using her feet. Meanwhile, Leo the bull-terrier gives Auntie Kris a nasty shock; and the Reverend David is summoned to the mainland for a meeting with his boss to discuss his future on the Isles of Scilly.
There is no Indian food on the Isles of Scilly, so it's a big night for Paulie and Toby, who are trying to introduce curry on the menu at the Seven Stones, the only pub on St Martin's. Meanwhile, Heike the vet is involved in a very rare occurrence on Scilly - a car accident, and the arrival of a young stranger from Canada has profound implications for Nigel up at the airport cafe.
The islanders need to start coming up with new and innovative ideas to earn some cash quickly as the economic squeeze begins to bite on the remote Isles of Scilly. Meanwhile, Heike the vet's long term plan to improve her fortunes by reviving her foot-modelling career comes to a head. And Greg, the long-lost son of Nigel at the Air Fayre Café, announces he wants to train as a Buddhist monk.
Dramatic news reaches the Isles of Scilly in the early hours that the four island men attempting to row home on a 3000 mile voyage from America have capsized in the middle of the North Atlantic. As the hours tick by, friends and family have an agonising wait to hear if the men have been rescued. The skills of the Revd David are put to the test as he tries help the islanders cope with what's happened.
It's an emotional moment on the Isles of Scilly as they prepare to welcome home the four island men who nearly drowned attempting to row across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, the launch of Toby and Paulie's book about their life on St Martin's is nearly ruined by some uninvited guests, and Heike's veterinary nurse Sara turns up on the other side of the world, in the South Pacific.... hotly pursued by an ardent young Greg.
On the Isles of Scilly, the countdown is underway for the re-election of the Minister the Revd. David Easton - now it's up to his congregation to decide if he should stay on the islands, or pack his bags. Meanwhile, there is more trouble for Toby as the future of his pub the Seven Stones is threatened by big staffing problems; and Heike, the hard-pressed and lonely island vet, begins her quest to find a boyfriend.
On the Isles of Scilly, tension rises as David's boss, the Revd. Steve Wild, arrives from the mainland to oversee the minister's crucial re-election vote. If he loses it David will be forced to leave the islands. Meanwhile an uncharacteristically shy Heike the vet reveals a mystery boyfriend, and Nigel from the Air Fayre Cafe conjures up a little bit of magic to help him catch his first lobster in three years.
There is a big shock in store for the islanders as the result of the vote on Reverend David is released and his future on Scilly is made public. Meanwhile, Sophie from the Tourist Office prays for good weather for her big day, and Heike the vet's romance with Alistair rapidly hots up.
In the first of a new series charting a year in the life of the remote Isles of Scilly, off the western coast of Cornwall, minister the Reverend David Easton struggles to come to terms with the biggest blow of his entire career - in a secret vote, a small group of his congregation has voted him off the islands. Meanwhile newly engaged island vet Heike and her fiancee Alistair ponder whether they can really afford a proper wedding, and after the disastrous attempt by four island men to row home from New York, a wrecked rowing boat turns up unexpectedly in Newfoundland.
With the arrival of the worst winter for a generation, there's an unexpected question mark over the future of Heike's nurse Sara - can the budding romance with new boyfriend Gregg really last? Meanwhile, the legendary boatman Fraser Hicks is determined to enhance his reputation after years of leg-pulling by his fellow skippers, and Minister David Easton turns up in a surprising role in the islands' annual pantomime.
After criticism of his ministry on the Isles of Scilly, it is a big night for Reverend David Easton as he puts his reputation on the line as the leading dame in the pantomime. Meanwhile, with her wedding date finally in the diary, nervous vet Heike meets the potential in-laws for the first time, and Sara the nurse is forced to make an agonising decision about her future.
After years facing financial disaster, Heike the vet is thrown a lifeline which could transform her prospects and secure her future on the islands. Meanwhile, island chiropodist Auntie Kris has a secret plan for a new business enterprise, and some very unusual cargo arrives at the parish church, meaning that Sundays on the islands will never quite be the same again.
Just as life begins to look brighter for Heike, the beleaguered Isles of Scilly vet, there's a bombshell which throws her personal life into total disarray and stuns family and friends. A group of fanatical Dutch rowers prepare to make a pilgrimage to Scilly, and for the first time in their long history, the islands echo to the sound of church bells.
It's Easter on the remote Isles of Scilly, and the islanders are nervously preparing for the start of the critically-important holiday season. Alistair has to explain why he suddenly broke off his engagement to Heike the vet, which has put his whole future on Scilly in doubt, and an important visitor arrives from the mainland - but how will the new Bishop of Truro go down with the locals?
It's the famous world gig-rowing championships on the Isles of Scilly, and all eyes are on the magnificent new boat built in the local yard for a group of Dutch rowing fanatics. Heike the vet, still reeling from the abrupt cancellation of her wedding, tries her hand at giving driving lessons; and the head of the Methodist Church in Cornwall, the Revd. Steve Wild, hatches an unusual scheme to boost the islanders' flagging morale.
Faced with soon having to leave his beloved Scillies, the Reverend David Easton slips quietly away in search of a new job at a secret destination. Meanwhile, at the Dibble and Grub restaurant, Gaz is in big trouble with Button over his first driving lesson, and there is more sudden and very sad news for Heike, the beleaguered island vet.
The islanders' landlord, HRH Prince Charles, arrives on Scilly with Camilla for a surprise visit - but, with rents high and few affordable properties to buy, not everyone is overjoyed to see him. Meanwhile, local radio reporter Steve Watt uncovers an exclusive about the plight of stranded racing pigeons, and Glynn, the island busman, reveals a secret passion.
The Minister, the Revd David Easton faces an agonising wait to see if he's got the new job he's applied for in Wales. Heike the vet welcomes a new member of the family into her home, but has she bitten off more than she can chew? Nigel from the Air Fayre Cafe has to say a sad farewell to his long-lost son Gregg.
A young couple urgently seek the help of Minister David Easton before he leaves the islands. Meanwhile, David's boss, the Reverend Steve Wild, arrives from the mainland with some important news about the man he's appointed to take over as the new minister. And it's time for the big annual Scilly dog show, when Heike the vet has to decide whether to run the risk of introducing her troublesome rescue dog Jasper to the other islanders.
With advertisements promoting their first gig appearing all over the Isles of Scilly, Glynn the island busman is worried that his newly formed band are facing a crisis of confidence - but knows that to cancel at this stage would be a very public humiliation. Meanwhile, Phil and Mimi brace themselves as their respective parents meet for the first time; and the Revd. David Easton plans a permanent legacy of his years on the islands.
After months of secret planning it's time for the island's Minister, the Rev David Easton's big farewell party - and a surprise is flown in from the mainland which even he could never have imagined. Meanwhile it's D-Day for Glynn, the island busman, and his nervous rock and roll band as they take to the stage for the first time. Phil and Mimi at last see their dream come true with the baptism of their little daughter Annie.
There's a big threat to Phil and Mimi's dream life on the Isles of Scilly when they discover that the hotel where they both work is in deep financial trouble. Meanwhile, Heike the vet is trying to help her pen pal Moon, who's serving a prison sentence in America. And, after seven years, it's time to say a final tearful farewell to the Minister, the Revd David Easton.
The first in a new series following a year in the life of the most southerly islands of the Outer Hebrides, off the north-west coast of Scotland. A nervous young Roman Catholic priest, Father John Paul Mackinnon, arrives on the tiny island of Barra to take up his new post as parish priest, but how will he cope with life in one of Britain's remotest communities? And will he ever be able to live up to the expectations of his two fellow experienced priests, Father Calum and Father Roddy?
Series following a year in the life of the most southerly islands of the Outer Hebrides, off the north-west coast of Scotland. It's Father John Paul's first big test as he settles into life on Barra. His boss Bishop Joe arrives from the mainland to assess the new priest's progress. Meanwhile, the newcomer gets an extraordinary gift from one of his more eccentric parishioners, and Father Roddy's housekeeper Sandy begins a project which she hopes will help families from all over the world trace their Scottish ancestry.
As the shortest day of the year approaches in his remote island parish, the new priest Father John Paul launches a bold plan to bring light into the heart of his community through the long hours of darkness. Meanwhile, it is the season for parishioners to clear their consciences and make confession; and Father Roddy's American housekeeper Sandy decides she wants to change nationality and become Scottish.
New priest Father John Paul is thrown into the spotlight as Christmas comes to his island parish on the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides, off the north-west coast of Scotland. Meanwhile, as Wallace the fisherman struggles to improve his catches of prawn, he has doubts about his future in the industry; and the whiskey flows as Father Roddy entertains a group of friends from the other side of Europe.
As the holiday season gets underway and the sun shines down on the southerly islands of the Outer Hebrides, new priest Father John Paul faces an uphill battle to keep his congregation coming to church. Meanwhile Donnie the dustman faces a typically 'island' dilemma, and Father Roddy - a crofter as well as a parish priest - gets an important lesson in lambing.
With the arrival of Easter, it's the busiest week of the year for the Roman Catholic priests of Barra and South Uist, on the southerly tip of the Outer Hebrides - but Father Roddy and Father John Paul still find time for their long-awaited and bitterly contested golf challenge. Meanwhile, local businesses struggle in the early weeks of the holiday season, and a pregnant young nurse from the island's hospital is flown off to the mainland in a medical emergency.
It's the season for marriage on the Outer Hebrides. Father Roddy conducts one of the biggest weddings of the year on South Uist, while over on the neighbouring island of Barra Father John Paul is introduced to a ritual that dates back more than a thousand years. Meanwhile, problems with the ferries from the mainland threaten the start of the islands' crucial holiday season. After weeks of waiting, Clare is overjoyed to hear some good news at last.
On the remote island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, the new parish priest Father John Paul struggles to overcome his nerves at the biggest event in the annual calendar. It's the blessing of the boats at the Fishermen's Mass, which involves nearly every islander. Meanwhile, Father Roddy tries prayer to help overcome the problems of a leaking church; and his American housekeeper Sandy gets news which will change her life for ever.
On the island of South Uist, after months of secret planning, Father Roddy at last goes head to head with his parishioner Flora Campbell in the battle for top honours at the local agricultural show. Meanwhile on Barra, Father John Paul, still without a housekeeper, undergoes a crash course to improve his skills in the kitchen; and the success of the bi-annual Clan Macneil gathering at Kisimul Castle comes under threat.
On the island of South Uist, Father Roddy and Father John Paul go to extraordinary lengths to give their friend and fellow priest Father Calum a birthday surprise he'll never forget. Meanwhile, across on Barra, the islanders are preparing for the imminent gathering of the Clan Macneil; and over in the heart of the USA, an 82-year-old clan member has to make the difficult decision about whether to make the four thousand mile journey to join them at their ancestral home.
On the remote island of Barra, Mac and Linda arrive from Missouri for the gathering of the Clan Macneil - but Mac's reaction to his ancestral home is not what he expected. Fr John Paul investigates the truth behind the famous Ealing comedy Whisky Galore! and Fr Roddy struggles to maintain the honour of the Catholic church in a half-marathon race.
It is the end of Father John Paul's first year as the new Catholic priest on Barra, one of the remotest islands in the Outer Hebrides, but celebrations are in danger of being overshadowed by worries over the whole future of island life. Fishermen say their livelihood is under threat from an unexpected source, and there are new fears over how the remoter communities will survive. Meanwhile, Father Roddy's working hard to perfect his skills as a conjuror; and Scraggie Aggie unexpectedly becomes the life and soul of the party.
Following a year in the life of the most southerly islands of the Outer Hebrides, off the north west coast of Scotland. One year into the job and local parish priest Father John Paul has to face up to controversial issues threatening the future of his island parish. Shepherd Ronald Mackinnon and the other crofters try every way to eke out a living from the island. And Father Roddy receives news which comes as a bit of a bombshell for him and the islanders.
Easter brings good weather and a new air of optimism to the remote island of Barra. Local crofter Angus John Morrison turns his hand to something new - tourism - which proves rather trickier than he anticipated. And Father John Paul is in danger of feeling more isolated than ever with the sudden departure of best friend and colleague, Father Roddy.
On Barra, it has not been a great start to the tourist season thanks to the nonstop rain - Sheila McIntosh, the island's only ice cream maker, prays for sunshine. Also, the biggest fishing competition of the year pits islander against islander for one of the coveted trophies and Father John Paul adjudicates.
Summertime on the Outer Hebrides and Father John Paul is struggling to cover all his churches on the beautiful, but sparsely populated, islands. He's looking forward to a helping hand from a Jesuit priest who plans to come over from the mainland. Meanwhile, one enterprising young member of Barra has come up with a novel and ambitious idea to bring the island's history and heritage back to life.
The summer season is in full swing, and Father John Paul sets off on an adventure to a remote local island with a very special history. The whole community is gripped with excitement as the big wedding day dawns, for which friends and relations have returned to the island from around the world. And it is harvest time for crofter Angus John - will all his hard work over the summer have paid off and produce enough feed for his precious cattle?
It is autumn and Father John Paul sets out on the arduous annual pilgrimage to Barra's highest point to polish up the island's iconic statue. Below, a heated public meeting is on the cards to argue over government plans for a huge and possibly job-threatening conservation area off the islands. Meantime Coppertop, one of the local fishermen, investigates a unique plan of his own to make money from the sea.
Following the community on the tiny crown dependency of Sark in the Channel Islands. As Easter approaches, shepherd David Scott is being kept busy with lambing as well as nervously awaiting a new arrival of his own. Island newcomer Reverend Gill Nicholls is learning fast about island life. She and the Methodist lay preacher Karen Le Mouton are holding a pioneering joint Easter service, but how will their plans be received by an island steeped in tradition?
Sark welcomes some honoured visitors, Chelsea Pensioners, as the island celebrates the anniversary of liberation from German control during World War II. Island couple Phyllis and Werner Rang tell their wartime story, a tale of love that's survived 64 years against all the odds. Horse trainer Julie Jackson introduces giant but gentle stallion Ronaldo to the island, but how will he adapt to pulling a carriage for a living? And Methodist lay preacher Karen prepares to welcome a senior church member to Sark, but will the trip be called off when she's evacuated to Guernsey Hospital with a potentially debilitating injury?
Karen Le Mouton claims a miraculous recovery from injury as she welcomes the President of the Methodist Church to Sark. But will the appalling weather scupper her plans for entertaining him? Horse trainer Julie Jackson is busy preparing stallion Ronaldo for a life of pulling carriages. And the island is left reeling after a tragic accident threatens long held island traditions.
In the aftermath of a fatal carriage accident that made national news, the islanders are doing their best to return to normal life. Puffin, the feisty chair of the carnival committee, is busy encouraging everyone to take part in the annual scarecrow competition. She passes the honour of judging the competition to Reverend Gill Nicholls. Little does Gill know that it means that her own ambitious entry will be disqualified. Local shepherd and musician David Scott nervously rehearses his folk band for one of the biggest events in the island's calendar, the Sark Folk Festival.
With beautiful summer sunshine finally reaching Sark, the islanders are out in force to welcome a very special royal visitor to the island. Puffin Taylour, the chair of the Sark Carnival committee, is also finalising plans for the biggest event in the island's calendar, the annual sheep racing competition. As the day draws to a close, the Anglicans and Methodists go head to head in a tense finale, but who will come out on top remains to be seen. Win or lose, Methodist minister Karen also receives some exciting news that may have serious implications for her life on Sark.
As summer draws to a close on Sark, local fisherman Bas Adams turns his hand from fishing to cake baking as he enters the Grand Autumn Show. Island shepherd David Scott has a difficult decision to make about his pet sheep Persil - as he prepares his flock for market, Persil's fate hangs in the balance. As she prepares for what could be her last service, Reverend Gill has decisions of her own to make - she is faced with leaving the island for good.
As Christmas approaches, everyone on the island makes their own unique preparations. Julie at Foodstop installs Norwegian hand-made elves in the shop, fisherman Baz Adams distributes enough mistletoe to keep the entire island kissing for months, and Methodist lay preacher Karen Le Mouton enlists the help of all the knitters on the island, as she makes preparations for her special 'Knitivity' Service.
The new year is heralded by Sark's own unique interpretation of three-day eventing, with the islanders dressed as horses, but soon the realities of January on Sark kick in. Without any tourist trade all must do what they can to make ends meet, but that's one of the attractions of island life. Dave the shepherd is taking on tree surgery, Dick the fisherman is straightening grave stones and Peter the harbour master is working on his music. Methodist lay preacher Karen Le Mouton puts herself forward to be considered for ordination, a potentially life-changing process.
February brings freezing temperatures but unique opportunities to the islanders too: Mini McCusker leaps into the sea - as she does every day - on the high spring tide, while some hours later Dave Scott the shepherd takes the afternoon off with his wife Estelle to go ormering, the pursuit of a huge shellfish only findable on the low spring tide. The island is a-buzz with a forthcoming talent competition ('Sark's Got Talent') in aid of charity, which sees a huge turnout and an eclectic range of acts, with children's choirs, solo vocalists, stand up comedy and a man dressed as a chicken clucking the theme to Match of the Day. But away from all this, Methodist lay preacher Karen Le Mouton is juggling huge demands, as she seeks to clear the final hurdle to being accepted for ordination whilst her mother lies terminally ill at home.
With Easter fast approaching, traditionally the beginning of Sark's tourist season, it is a busy time for many. Jo Birch is busy getting the Seigneurie Gardens ready - it is the island's most popular tourist attraction. Dave Scott the shepherd is bracing himself for the lambing season and Bas needs to get his boat painted in time for the start of the fishing season. But then a blizzard, along with a force nine gale, throws many plans into disarray. As Easter weekend arrives Sark's two churches deliver their own interpretations. Methodist Karen Le Mouton prepares a child-friendly service involving mini-eggs, while Nigel Walker, locum vicar at the Anglican St Peter's, carries a crucifix through the village, which has never been done before.
On an island as independent and isolated as Sark, the volunteer culture is strong; who else is going to do it if you won't do it yourself? This extends to Sark's parliament, the Chief Pleas, but also includes the island's emergency services. The volunteer fire brigade (led by farmer and church organist Kevin Adams) get a weekend of training down at the harbour. Raising money for charity is also the norm on Sark, from Zoe Adams's famous jumble sales (the island's limited clothes shopping opportunities means that the ladies fashion stall generates a febrile atmosphere) and a charity calendar featuring Sark's emergency service personnel as they have never been seen before...
The final episode of the series covers the delicate position that Sark finds itself in as it balances its uniquely old-fashioned qualities - the ones the visitors flock to experience - against the arrival of the 21st century and all the modern initiatives that brings. Rosie Guille organises a visit from respected artists to capture the beauty of the island and highlight conservation issues, but the arrival of a huge road maintenance machine (the Mericrusher) represents the future, doing a job that road gangs of out-of-season fishermen used to do. Methodist lay preacher Karen Le Mouton has dedicated the last three years of her life to the people of Sark but now, on the verge of beginning ordination training, she and her congregation must come to terms with the idea that she may have to leave her beloved Sark.
The first in a series following the community on the Falkland Islands, a British territory 8,000 miles south of the UK in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. It is November, the beginning of summer in the southern hemisphere and the Reverend Richard Hines has flown out to far-flung Pebble Island to visit Irina and bring back some fresh eggs for her mum Clara who lives in Stanley. Famer Andrez is busy with lambing and governor Nigel Haywood leads the islanders in a Remembrance Sunday service to honour all fallen soldiers, especially those who gave their lives so that the Falklands could remain British.
The festive season is upon us, but over at the military base, padre Al Nicoll dons a safety suit to go up against a new recruit, army guard dog Ali, as he volunteers to help out with a bit of basic training. The Reverend Richard flies over to the West Island for a carol service in one of the more remote settlements. In Stanley, Steve and Jodie tie the knot in the wedding of the year in Christchurch Cathedral and the whole community comes together to celebrate two of the oldest families on the Falklands being joined together.
It's Christmas on the Falklands - high summer. The islanders are singing carols and preparing their traditional Falklands roast lamb, but there's one important person missing. The Rev Richard and his wife Jen have sailed 800 miles east to celebrate the big day in the furthest corner of his parish, the tiny island of South Georgia. Back in Stanley, the Christmas elves are wrapping presents for Flying Santa to deliver to the children on the most remote farms and settlements, and the owners of the fastest horses on the islands are converging on the racecourse ready for the annual Boxing Day races, where veteran jockey Ron Binnie is making his 50th appearance alongside his grandson Duane.
The New Year gets underway and every corner of the rocky Falklands coastline is bursting with new life as penguins, seals and albatrosses hatch their young. It's also the start of the tourist season and Hattie Kilmartin is working overtime to bake enough homemade cakes and buns to feed all the visitors who've come to catch a glimpse of Albert, Bluff Cove's very own albino penguin. But in the midst of all the activity, island life goes on as it has for the last 200 years. Governor Nigel Haywood flies to West Falkland to judge the annual Fox Bay ram and fleece show and fleeces fly as the best shearers on the islands battle it out to win the right to represent their country in the upcoming world sheep shearing championships
It's high summer in the Falkland Islands and Reverend Richard's wife Jen has decided for the first time to enter some of her homemade produce in the annual Stanley horticultural show. Meanwhile Richard takes over as guest presenter on Falkand Islands radio and almost comes a cropper as he battles the technology gremlins. The islanders welcome some honoured guests, veterans of the 1982 war who have returned to remember their fallen comrades who perished when the Sir Galahad was bombed in Fitzroy harbour.
Summer is drawing to a close, and vet Steve Pointing is busy inspecting the foreign fishing vessels that are arriving in Stanley to get their permits to go and fish for the famous South Atlantic squid. Back at his surgery, a new patient has arrived. Cedric the gentoo penguin has been mauled by a sea lion, and if he doesn't heal quickly he's in danger of being left behind by his friends, who at this time of year are heading out to sea to feed. Meanwhile, the Rev Richard and his wife Jen are heading out to Bluff Cove to indulge in a famous Falklands pastime - diddle dee berry picking, which they're going to use to make jam. And it's stiff upper lips all round as the islanders bid farewell to a popular figure. After four years, governor Nigel Haywood is leaving them and heading off to retirement.
It's autumn in the southern hemisphere and the Rev Richard Hines is preparing for Palm Sunday. This means an expedition to one of his favourite beaches to collect tussock grass to make 100 crosses by hand, to give out in church on Easter Sunday. Hattie and Kevin Kilmartin are cooking up a feast of reindeer kebabs, upland goose terrine, sea trout and diddle dee bellinis - all local produce - to make their end-of-season thank you party go with a swing. On Saunders Island, the Pole-Evans family, including daughters Louise and Carol, are getting ready to send their sheep off to market. But loading them onto the Concordia Bay ferry which will carry them safely back to the mainland is a major operation requiring all hands to the pump. It's HM the Queen's birthday, which the islanders always celebrate with a parade and a reception at Government House, hosted by interim governor John Duncan who was last here 17 years ago.
It's Easter week and the Rev Richard lends a hand in Stanley's only bakery putting the finishing touches to the hot cross buns. Meanwhile, over on West Falkland - the other main island - farmer Critta Lee is putting in some last-minute practice with his sheep dogs Duke and Bitzer. He's off to the local inter-island sheep dog trials, and after coming second last year he's got high hopes of carrying off the big prize. Back on the East Island, the Falklands' resident taxidermist and animal artist Steve Massam is putting the finishing touches to his first attempt of a human sculpture - a bronze bust of Margaret Thatcher. And just in time for Easter, entrepreneur Alan Steen rushes through the snow to the airport to pick up 1,200 newborn baby chicks that have been flown in from the UK.
The Texans come to town to update the islanders on the oil exploration going on offshore. In 1998, Falkland islanders are told that there are huge deposits of oil in the waters surrounding the islands. Whilst many islanders are excited about the possible benefits oil could bring, others are concerned about the changes they will bring. Resident marine biologist Megan Tierney is pioneering some new research using a tracking system and sets out to catch some gentoo penguins so that she can find out where they go to feed during the winter. Meanwhile, the islanders are practising their dance steps for the annual May Ball. It is a rite of passage for Stanley teenagers and everyone wants to look their best for the big night. And there is a new army padre on the islands and he's got a sidekick. Padre Ian Brown and puppet grandpa do their best to entertain the troops and local school children.
It is the anniversary of the Battle of Mount Tumbledown, and the Rev Richard Hines joins the scouts on a trek up to the summit, where they honour those who died during the fierce fighting. They lay a wreath, bury a memento and do their duty by giving the memorial cross a good polish. Meanwhile, the new governor Colin Roberts and his wife Camilla have arrived on the island. There is a lot of unpacking to do, from Camilla's homemade jam to the photos of their two little boys. But another important family member is also about to turn up. Bonnie, their spaniel, has been three weeks at sea and has arrived safely. She is bursting to get to know her new home, but first she has to be inspected and vaccinated by local vet Steve Pointing. Out in 'camp' (anywhere in the Falklands outside of the capital Stanley - from the Spanish word campo) Lisa Lowe lovingly tends her herd of Ayrshire cows. Willow, Ella and Molly are among only a handful of dairy cows on the islands and their fresh milk is like gold dust to Lisa's eager customers in Stanley.
It is midwinter and the Rev Richard Hines and vet Steve Pointing are limbering up for the ultimate Falklands Islands challenge - the midwinter swim. This means plunging into near-freezing Antarctic waters and over 200 people have gathered in Surf Bay to honour this annual tradition. On West Falkland island, Dr Becky Edwards is facing a difficult decision - the job of chief medical officer at the Stanley Hospital is up for grabs. Will it be too disruptive for her young family if she has to spend much more time in the capital, leaving them behind on the family farm in Port Howard? And on board the Falkland Islands patrol ship HMS Clyde, captain Sarah Oakley is preparing to take part in the commemorations for Liberation Day.
It is winter in the Falklands, and the Rev Richard Hines is almost at the end of his seven-year posting as rector of the largest Anglican parish in the southern hemisphere. But there is much-needed pastoral care to be done before he leaves. On Pebble Island, Arina and partner Raymond are leaving the farm that their families have had connections to for over 100 years. Their tenancy is up and they are moving from their deserted island to the capital, Stanley, with over 2,500 inhabitants. Richard drops in to see if he can help them through this difficult time. George the king penguin is in the care of the Falklands Conservation team after he was found covered in oil. Local vet Steve Pointing visits and oversees a swim to see if George is fit enough to be released back into the wild. Meanwhile, resident taxidermist Steve Massam puts the finishing touches to his long-term project at the museum - a diorama of all the exotic wildlife in the Falklands. The islanders also pay fond farewells to the Rev Richard and his wife Jen - making him an honorary member of the South Atlantic Medal Association - a rare honour. Richard then gives his final service at the world's most southerly cathedral and bids a sad farewell to these islands that have meant so much to him.
The islanders are gearing up for the biggest festival of the summer, as they put the finishing touches to their floats, and the Rev David Cooper is perfecting his stone-skimming skills so he can take part in the festivities.
Islanders Frank and Jem Roberts prepare their Shetland ponies for the prestigious pony assessment. Eastern Orthodox nun Mother Mary gives a local youngster a lesson in history and minister David Cooper reminisces about his time in Ghana, as Unst welcomes some unlikely visitors.
Local businessman Frank Strang is preparing for Shetland's biggest music festival, but will rain put paid to his ambitious plans? And local crofting twins Charlie and Bertie Priest continue the tradition of cutting and stacking the peat.
Islanders gather for the annual Eela fishing competition, and Charlie Priest is determined to land an impressive catch. The Rev Neil Brice travels from Lerwick to organise a special service to bring islanders together to commemorate those locals lost at sea.
Sula the Shetland pony is spruced up for the annual Unst Agricultural Show as Frank nervously waits to see how she will cope in front of the judges. Minister David Cooper oversees the renovations to his retirement home and islander Sarah McBurnie forages an unusual local ingredient for a new flavour of gin at the distillery.
Reap the Harvest of Your Land. Series following community life on Shetland's most northerly island, Unst. Eastern Orthodox nun Mother Mary turns her hand to DIY as she puts the finishing touches to her sanctuary and chapel on her croft. Islanders gather the last of the season's produce in celebration of harvest before battening down the hatches for winter. And it is time for Frank and Jem to bid an emotional farewell to Sula their Shetland pony foal at the auction in Lerwick.
Bishop Brooks travels to St Martin to visit his parishioners, while his congregation at St Mary's and minister Canon Knight are gearing up for their biggest performance of the year - the Palm Sunday play. Ex-pats Jerry and Anna await a rather important plant delivery from Miami, but will it all arrive in one piece? The National Trust head out to Scrub Island on a mission to monitor turtles.
It's Easter and Bishop Brooks is overseeing renovations at St Mary's Anglican church. He has commissioned some new hurricane-proof stained glass windows, but with just days to go it's a race to get them in before the all-important service. Friends Reggie Oliver and Trudy Nixon are battling the waves in the annual Festival del Mar swimming competition, and the National Trust pay a visit to the Prickly Pear Cays to release some endangered native iguanas.
All over the island, celebrations are taking place for two very important birthdays as Queen Elizabeth II turns 90 and ex-pat Margaret Jones celebrates her 100th. Son John Jones and best friend Chinnicks are out fishing for Margaret's present and the National Trust have their work cut out as they educate local schoolchildren at their Turtle Interaction Day.
The 49th Anguilla Day, commemorating the peaceful revolution of 1967, kicks off with the biggest boat race of the season. With fierce bragging at stake, it is a battle for local boat builders David and Damien Carty. Trudy Nixon gives her debut novel a test run at Anguilla's premier literary festival and Dr Linda Banks ensures local history is not forgotten as she gives a lesson to the primary schoolchildren. The congregation at St Mary's wear traditional colours for the Anguilla Day celebrations.
Bishop Brooks is travelling again, carrying out parish duties on neighbouring St Barths as he checks on major church renovations. Businesswoman Nathalie le Senechal brings some French culture to Anguilla with a wine tasting. Local cyclist Justin Hodge battles it out against riders from all over the Caribbean in Anguilla's biggest cycling race, and the fisheries department are out to eradicate a new predator in Anguillian waters - the lionfish.
The Bishop and The National Trust are visiting the desolate island of Sombrero, once home to a thriving guano-mining industry and now home to thousands of protected sea birds. On Prickly Pear island, Allan and Sue Ruan race against the clock to deliver lunch to hungry tourists at their pop-up restaurant, and back on Anguilla, four talented ladies battle it out for the prestigious crown of Miss Anguilla.
The carnival is in Anguilla - from boat racing to parades, there are celebrations all over the island. Chef Ken Vanterpool tries to feed the crowds at Anguilla's most popular barbecue, and parishioners take the chance to raise much-needed church funds by feeding hungry festival-goers. Ex-pats Sue and Trudy enter a carnival troupe, but will their costumes be ready in time for the big day?
Islanders prepare for the threat of hurricanes as the rainy season begins. Horticulturalist Anna Kennedy is in search of a remedy to save her trees from invasive pests. Bishop Brooks is off to Antigua as festivities begin to celebrate the 175th anniversary of his diocese, and local vet Dr Garry Swanston encourages locals to inoculate their pets.
A special one-hour programme charting the mid-Atlantic drama of four island men who nearly drowned after their epic attempt to row from New York back home to the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall went horribly wrong. Using in-depth interviews and dramatic reconstruction, it tells the story of the extraordinary eight hours the men spent trying to survive in the icy waters of a North Atlantic storm after their little rowing boat capsized. The four give their own highly personal accounts of facing death in the longest night of their lives, alongside those of their families who waited for news, and the coastguard teams racing the clock to try to rescue them.
A year after the Island Parish series celebrated the close church community and relaxed way of life on the Caribbean island of Anguilla, cameras return to Britain's overseas territory in the aftermath of one of the most powerful hurricanes in recorded history. Hurricane Irma swept through Anguilla on 6 September 2017. A month on from the storm, islanders are still coming to terms with the devastation that it caused. When Simone Connor and her father Neville return to their restaurant and leisure complex on a beautiful sandbank, they discover that everything from kitchen appliances to palm trees and the buildings themselves have been blown away, never to be seen again. Dr Linda Banks, a pillar of Anguillian society, is entering her fifth week without power, meaning that the only way to get water to her house is with a bucket. It is not just the human population that is struggling in the wake of Irma. The Caribbean island is a popular breeding and foraging habitat for turtles, but when conservationists Jan and Farah look for nests buried before the hurricane, they find that most have been destroyed. Life on Anguilla has changed dramatically and to make matters worse, most holidaymakers, on whom Anguilla's small economy depends, have cancelled their reservations. Doing what he can to help the island through the crisis is Anguilla's new British Governor Tim Foy, who arrived just two weeks before Irma struck. He has the massive task of co-ordinating Britain's response to the hurricane, helping to restore power and rebuild the ferry port and airport, both badly damaged in the storm. Such is the extent of the devastation that it would be easy to give up but the islanders of Anguilla remain surprisingly positive and stoic, thanks in part to Bishop Errol Brooks and Father Menes Hodge of the Anglican Church, who do their utmost to preserve their parishioners' strong and unerring faith.
