39 – Tim Matthew – What We Do In The Winter

This episode takes a trip to Shetland to talk with Tim Matthew.
Born down South, Tim first came to live on Mull at Tavool, past Tiroran on the way to the Burgh Peninsula in the South of the Isle of Mull.
Tim talks about the nature of life in such a remote location and how he went to school in Pennyghael School, under the tutelage of Mamie Brunton.

We talk about his parents, where they themselves have come from, and the family’s move to Quinish in the North of Mull, and then the move to their own farm on the other side of the loch at Ardrioch.

Our conversation goes all over the place in this episode. We go into the nature of cattle farming before the legal obligation to pasteurise milk, how culture is revealed to a young person living in a remote location, how having a quiff at one of his first student nights in Edinburgh opened up a whole world for him, his career in music and sound, and how his band Mystery Juice, who you’ll hear throughout the episode, once outsold the Beatles in Russia!

We also go into detail about fiddle music, the learning of the instrument in a social context and playing with the Mull Fiddlers, Cachallans, and then Eat The Seats.

We talk about loads of characters from Mull’s past and present, including Chrissie Burgh, Addie MacQuarrie, Hamish Johnstone, and many, many more.

I was delighted that I was able to get some time with Tim, as we live rather far apart from each other, he’s based in Shetland and I’m in the North West of Mull. We talked over Apple’s Facetime, so there’s the occasional crackle and pop in the sound, for which I apologise.

Throughout the episode you’ll hear tracks from Tim’s band, Mystery Juice
The episode ends with the track Song For the Rural Dispossessed of Scotland
Thank you for letting me use these tracks, Tim!

Thank you so much for listening!

Episode Links:

Great article on Tim and Floortje’s from Shetland.Org

MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree

Great Western Railway

Beef Suckler