Play.Eat.Laugh.Sleep..Pickwell: Bank Holiday Weekend

Tuesday 31 May 2011

Bank Holiday Weekend

There is an annual duck race in Croyde to raise money for nippers (see previous posting)and it takes place on this bank holiday each year. We decided to go down and help not only because Zac is a 'nipper' but also it is Nigel (of breakfast fame) who runs this event. So people pay £1 a duck and choose a number.

There are 400 plastic ducks that take part in each race and this year we raised enough interest to do 14 races! The winner of each race gets £100. Zac loves it because he gets into the stream and helps and Steve loves it because he gets to go round the pubs 'helping' to sell tickets!

I love Croyde at this time of year. It comes alive with people. There was a campervan gathering on Baggy point which was brilliant to watch when they drove past. Every colour and style imaginable was on display.

Today we met up with some friends from sussex. I've known Mandy since we were born and she is here in Devon on holiday with her family. They have a dog and as i am not great with dogs in general, it took a lot of thinking about where we could meet up.

Westwood ho! (the exclaimation mark is actually official, its on the sign and everything) was the solution and when the rain finally stopped, we had a lovely walk there along the miles of sand.

I am going to hand over to Richard and Tracey now for the next week or so but before i go i just have to leave you with this image that we came home to after being out for the night on saturday...my dad in pants,socks and slippers showing off his muscles...enough said. I have a feeling things may get a bit more high brow in the coming days.

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Our Story

Many people have asked what the story is, how did the Bakers and Elliotts come to be at Pickwell?

Are you sitting comfortably?

Tracey and Susannah became friends at 6th form college. Steve and Tracey lived in the same village in Sussex. Steve's dad was the vicar and Tracey's dad was Steve's scout leader. Even more wierd, Susannah's dad (also a church minister) and Steve's dad were friends, but Steve and Sus never met.

One summer Tracey took Susannah along to a youth summer camp. Steve was one of the leaders (read : heightened attraction) and a little later Steve and Sus got together. During their 6 on/off years they met Richard, a blue eyed boy from Guildford.

At a club night run by Steve, somehow through the dark and crowded room, Tracey and Richard bumped into eachother (if you have seen the shapes they pull on the dancefloor you would know how easily this happened)..

In the year 2000 they all got married. Tracey and Susannah were eachother's bridesmaids. They have remained firm friends ever since.

When Steve and Susannah came across Pickwell Manor, they knew they couldn't manage such a project on their own. They asked the Elliotts if they would give up their house, their jobs and their community to come and live and work with them and own the project together. They knew there weren't many people they could ask to do such a thing knowing they would still love each other by the end. So they all left everything in Sussex and came to Devon.

They moved on the same day in August 2008. It has been a crazy, wonderful, scary, emotional and beautiful experience so far. All of them would say they feel very ALIVE!

Since they moved they have run 51 successful and wonderful weddings (with more to come), many, many holidays, built or totally refurbished 6 apartments from scratch, updated carpets, painted white throughout, put in quite a few kitchens and bathrooms (including 2 baths on concrete plinths), changed much of the furniture, converted a laundry and have started to convert the chapel. Every year they also have a bonfire gathering in October, an Easter Eggstravaganza fundraising event, and anything else that is not-for-profit that they can fit in. Tracey has completed a dissertation and gone back to nursing for 2 days a week, Steve has started up a new company in London, Richard has mastered a lot of the running of the house as well as training as a coach, specialising in stress management, Sus has taken on the interiors and Tracey and Susannah have learnt weddings in at the deep end! All with 4 young Pickwellians by their sides.

"Our passion is for making life count. Our values lie in
friendship, celebration, valuing others, and social justice. We see Pickwell as a reflection of these things but also a place for rest, recouperation, laughter and conversation. We want to support charities and social enterprises to fufil their dreams and make a difference."

"We love Devon, we love the community here, we love seeing our children grow with nature and discovering the great outdoors. We have to pinch ourselves sometimes when we think about our life here, it is amazing".