My family has been running Westward Farm since the 1700s – indeed the youngest son of the youngest son has taken it on for the last seven generations! I think it’s because the older children traditionally went off to war or left to be pilots or lighthouse keepers, leaving the youngest to help out at home. When potatoes and flowers became less viable, my parents, like all farmers on Scilly, were forced to diversify. My mum has always loved essential oils, and took the plunge to grow them on St. Agnes to use in soaps and beauty products. In fact it was mum’s chance comment last year – that her rose geranium would be amazing in gin – that led me to research what might be possible and the rest, well, it’s history! Our Scilly gin uses a classic mixture of fine botanicals and water distilled from our own bore hole. We then flavour our other gins with chamomile and elderberry, rose geranium, honey, even gorse – all grown on Westward Farm.

I love the feeling of isolation on St. Agnes - sitting on a rock and contemplating life with my dog at my feet, preferably looking across from Horsepoint to the Western Rocks and Bishop Lighthouse beyond. And feeling safe in the knowledge that here, everyone looks out for each other.

Like its landscape, the aural environment of Scilly is exceptionally unspoilt and beautiful: the sound of the sea in all its moods, birdsong, silence... This pristine sound-world, along with the inspiring stories and culture of a remarkable community, is at the heart of all the music I write.

An islander by birth, Tim’s roots have always been on St. Agnes and the land he farms. “I’ve tended to our tiny herd of dairy cows for the last 34 years. It’s my life: hands-on and deliciously rewarding.”