When we arrived back on Rum on Monday we were met at the pier by Emily with Bonnie which always heightens the level of crazy.
Stepping off the ferry with us were the first half of the TV crew and our first 2 volunteers of the year – Jen and Ivan. Â Jen found us through the blog, Ivan is a WWOOFer mid way through a year long WWOOFing adventure around the UK from France. I really tried to put him off coming when he first approached us but am glad he was so insistent as he is great, really interesting and spent a month at Bryn Mawr, our crazy Welsh mountain hosts from our travels.
I walked back with Jen and her bike, the kids walked with Bonnie, Ady drove with Ivan. We all kept catching up with each other and the crew so did the walking tour along the way. We stopped at the bunkhouse where the crew were staying and arranged to catch up with them again later after we’d settled the WWOOFers. We had a a cup of tea and some food with them and chatted about expectations, working hours, food arrangements and stuff, gave them a tour of the croft and then left them to set up their tents. Davies and Scarlett stayed home to catch their breath back a bit after the madness. Ady and I went down to fetch the crew up to the croft.
We did the walk of the caravan for them, well actually Ady did that with Jo and Niamh while Kate and I walked ahead and chatted about life in general. Her and her wife have a 16 month old daughter and Kate was talking about finding it hard to be away from them. We chatted about parenting stuff in general and bonded a bit over shared ideas. We walked down to the village with them and had a beer before going back with them to the bunkhouse for dinner.
Tuesday was a bit of a mish mash day. The crew were up with us by 10ish while we had set Ivan and Jen off with the house plot digging. They have done an amazing job of it this week and finished the whole footprint dig out. I am so pleased that my calculation of a week was right for that, also that while Ady and I have been so utterly consumed with the filming this week we have been replaced with two other people digging in our places so have not actually lost time on the house plot. There was lots of chatting with the crew, scouting locations and looking around the croft. We had lunch with the volunteers and then Ady and I went down to see the crew for schedule info for the following day. We called in for a cup of tea with Fliss on the way back to the croft.
Wednesday morning we were both working at the hostel. After work we came home for lunch and I started making pies as the crew had ordered 14 from me plus we thought we could have pie for dinner ourselves that evening. While I was still in the process of baking them all and Scarlett was doing a fine job of egg washing them the crew turned up, along with the sound man, camera man and camera assistant who had all arrived on the ferry. We all introduced ourselves, some more scoping of locations was done and then we joined them for a beer at the shop.
Thursday was the start of filming. The morning was spent feeding the birds up and down the croft hill getting all the shots of them flying down and following Ady back up. I was filmed digging over a raised bed and talking to the camera, Ady was filmed with the pigs and then I did a tour of the caravan inside.
Friday morning was Ady talking about where we used to get our water from, checking the burn and water filter, the kids giving the tour of their bedrooms and me chopping firewood. Up til that point I think they had all assumed I was a bit girly with my painted nails and my action hero husband doing everything while I baked bread and ‘home schooled’ the children. I did warn them to stand back but they did all take another step back when I started swinging the axe 😉 Â We went to meet the boat and Ady was filmed down at the pier. In the evening we went for a beer at the shop in the sunshine and then I went to help Fliss as she had the entire crew for dinner at her house and wanted some assistance and company. Had a really nice couple of hours with her / them before walking home for a late dinner.
Saturday was work in the morning for me at the shop  / post office and Ady at the hostel and we were both filmed in our various locations. I met Ady from work and we came home for some lunch just before the crew followed us up. I had my big solo back story interview.
Today was Ady’s back story which I got sent away from because he kept looking at me rather than Kate the producer! They then filmed Ady and I bringing in some firewood and chatting, all four of us walking around the croft, me fixing a fence and checking the fruit trees, the kids playing with Bonnie and in the river, Ady walking across the croft.
It’s all been really disruptive in terms of food, knowing what is happening when and there has been a bit of hostility towards the crew from some people in the village although more to do with media generally than them as individuals. Sigh. It has also been a really interesting thing to do, we have all learned loads about how TV is made, the kids have got loads out of that side of it. The crew are all really nice and a pleasure to have around chatting. Mostly though it will be a great momento of this adventure and this part of our lives which is why we have done it. Tomorrow Ben arrives…