Play.Eat.Laugh.Sleep..Pickwell: a new discovery

Thursday, 9 June 2011

a new discovery

We had a great time at centre parcs (Longleat for those who are interested) while Tracey did the wedding at home. We go each year with friends who we met because we all were pregnant at the same time. So one thing we all have in common is our 8 year olds. At the mum's lunch we were asking ourselves the question 'how do we raise our kids to be confident in who they are'? The short term result was a rewards ceremony for each child to celebrate something they did at centre parcs this year. Looking at this photo, i wonder whether we over-egged the pudding?

We came home with one of the families who wanted to extend their holiday with a few days at Pickwell. They asked to take Steve and I out for dinner locally. We went to 'Mortehoe Shellfish' and well, what a brilliant find! As Tracey said, it is a family business and the family are one of the original 4 families who were the community of mortehoe many, many years ago. The brother is the fisherman, the mum is the cook, and the daughter was serving us in their lounge/restaurant. It was perfect.

From tripping through the sliding doors of the conservatory to the mismatched vinyl tablecloths,it felt relaxed and homely, despite it being quite busy with customers. I think there may have been 20 people there. On each place there is a sheet of paper which gives the story of the family and the history of Mortehoe. I do love stories so i brought it home.

It was only when i had just swallowed my last mouthful that i remembered the blog and it was too late to get a photo of my delicious seafood platter! So i will try to remember what was in it - lobster, crab, prawns (3 different types)and sea bass. It all tasted really fresh and it was cooked perfectly. This was just a 'mini platter' so i wonder what they put in a big one? I skipped desert, went for a baileys coffee to finish and my night was complete. The whole experience was really worth doing. Our friends are proper food snobs and they loved it! The restaurant is only open from may-september and the opening days and hours do need to be checked as it can vary.

1 comment:

Caroline Fricker10 June 2011 at 01:53
What a wonderful place this is. William gives it a fab write up in his Devon guide book.The fish is exquisite and has just reminded me to take another visit. Thanks!
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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".