Tenby’s St Catherine’s Island will form one of the episodes of BBC Wales’ Our Lives series, to be shown this evening (Tuesday, July 15).

Our Lives has returned for its ninth series featuring six mini documentaries that celebrate Wales' colourful communities and characters.

Tonight’s episode [which will also be available on BBC iPlayer] which will be screened at 7pm - titled ‘Our Tenby Island’ features the historic island and fort that sits alongside Castle Beach.

The episode focuses on local volunteer Andi Jones who leads a passionate team working to restore the iconic tidal fortress of St Catherine’s Island. Once a 19th-century fort, later a stately home known for wild parties, and famously a seaside zoo in the 1970s, the island was closed to the public for decades, before re-opening for tours over the past few years.

The documentary is a tribute to the volunteers breathing new life into a forgotten landmark – and the lives it’s helping to rebuild.

This episode follows the team as they prepare for an open day that could determine the island’s future. Leading the charge is Andi, whose fierce dedication to the island is rooted in something deeper. As he unearths forgotten stories and reunites those who once lived or worked on the island, Andi also reveals his own, a personal journey through mental health struggles that the island helped him weather.

He oversees the return of a huge naval cannon to its former position, a powerful symbol of restoration and pride. Joining Andi is Charlie Love, a musician and volunteer who found healing on the island after overcoming addiction. Her connection to the island’s wildlife, especially Meep, a fiercely territorial seagull she befriended as a chick, gives the story a unique and touching twist. Now, as Meep tends to her own eggs, Charlie is recording a song inspired by the island’s rebirth.

As open day arrives, hope and history collide, but a violent storm threatens to plunge the event into darkness. When the generator fails and the old fort loses power, Andi’s months of hard work hang in the balance.

A story of memory, resilience, and belonging, this film is more than a celebration of a historic landmark, it’s a tribute to the people fighting to preserve it and the lives it’s helped rebuild.