Play.Eat.Laugh.Sleep..Pickwell: Mrs Bretherton is a cake making genius!

Sunday 3 July 2011

Mrs Bretherton is a cake making genius!

Friday was the school fete and as with all school fetes there is an expectation for us mums to make a 'wonderful' cake (that you usually then promptly have to buy back). Although I love baking and my cakes are ok they have been lacking in a little bit of lift and lightness. That is until our lovely friend Caroline came to stay in May for Steve's Birthday. Caroline has been writing a book on cake baking and so had been making and trying out hundreds of cakes in the process of putting the book together (how she has kept her amazing figure we will never know!). She gave me some invaluable tips and you can see the fruit of my labours below. This was my first coffee cake that wasn't akin to a coffee pancake, I felt quite proud.

Thank you sooooooo much mrs Bretherton!

And here is her lovely book if anyone else needs some tips or delicious ideas.

And here is Mrs Baker cutting up her 'lemon tray bake', It really was delicious.

The school fete was really gorgeous, the children did a performance of their much practiced Brazilian song, I now know every word off by heart.

This is our lovely friend Bobby and her girls sporting face paint and clutching cakes, sweets and tat....the signs of a great fete.

Keith had to keep the baby in the sling for the whole fete to stop him from partaking in Tony's extremly popular but highly E numbered ice frosties. Good move Keith.

The wonderful teachers having a much earned rest after a brilliant week that included the year 1 and 2 walk to the beach, the year 2 sleep over and the year 3 treasure hunt around baggy point to name but a few fabulous activities. Thank you Amazing teachers for all your hard work!

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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".