Couple swap Taransay for South Ronaldsay
By Gillian Wylie
(From The Orcadian dated June 27, 2002)

New Year in Taransay - Castaways Trish and Trevor are pictured in the steading of their Taransay home, just before everyone who had spent a year there, left for good.

From Taransay to South Ronaldsay – Orkney’s newest residents, former Castaways Trevor Kearon and Trish Prater began turning their dreams to reality on Sunday.

The couple – who have been living in the Isle of Man since they took part in the BBC’s programme Castaway, two years ago – have left the rat race behind them for the tranquillity of South Ronaldsay.

Trish and Trevor, who initially kept their island love affair a secret from fellow Castaways, now have a ten month old baby girl Erin, in addition to Michael (11), Jodene (13) and Joanna (16). They are looking forward to bringing up their children (and possibly adding to their number) in Orkney.

In doing so they hope to recapture something of the peace and community life they had experienced in Taransay, on the 30 acre farm they plan to refurbish this year.

During their year on the island, Castaways had to grow their own food, rear and slaughter their own animals, and generally attempt to be as self-sufficient as possible. Trevor and Trish plan to try for the “Good Life” in a similar way here – and to give tourists a taste of the “Taransay experience” too.

In the meantime, they have rented a farmhouse near the home of their dreams, while the “former brickie” – as Trevor describes himself – rebuilds their new house.

Unhappy with life on the Isle of Man, which they described as very industrialised, they began looking for Scottish island life last year.

Trish explained: “We actually stumbled across Orkney on the Internet. We were looking at Harris and Lewis.

“We must have been on the website 12 hours a day,” she commented.

A viewing trip to Orkney in March settled them on a small farmstead with a secluded beach.

“We loved it,” Trish added.

They have already acquired three ponies, and are waiting for two polytunnels to arrive so that they can begin growing their own food – setting off on the path to organic self-sufficiency.

“We grew a lot of things on Taransay,” Trish said, “Even sweetcorn – that was delicious”.

“We may get sheep or a cow, depending on what’s happening,” added Trevor, but he said, they had to be realistic in what they could achieve.

“We can say we want this and that, but in practical terms it comes down to what money you have, and what is best in the circumstances. We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

He added that he would be taking advice from locals: “Just because we were in Taransay for a year, doesn’t mean we know it all – it’s not a lifetime. It’s different when you’ve been doing it all your life.”

Certainly the couple are not short of ideas on how to turn a penny. As well as looking towards the tourist trade and using Trevor’s building experience, they are prepared to turn their hand to a number of ventures. Trevor is a trained driving instructor and may offer lessons locally, and both are budding authors.

Even before they went to Taransay, Trevor was preparing a script for a Liverpudlian comedy which is now ready for publication.

Trish, too, has written two children’s books, one of which Peggy Peg will contain illustrations – based on some of the Castaway characters – which were painted on Taransay by Alice Moran; and she has started writing a book set in Glasgow. Both are looking for literary agents.

“I’m going to make Taransay chutney,” Trish added, “And there’s a recipe for a nice wine there – I might try that.”

Trevor’s philosophy, he explained, is to do lots of jobs for just a few hours a week rather then grinding on in one job day in day out. This is what he would like to put into practice.

“I think what Trish and I found on the Isle of Man was that life was too easy,” he mused. “There has to be more to life than nine-to-five.

“It’s quality of life. That’s what it’s all about.”

gillian.wylie@orcadian.co.uk