Play.Eat.Laugh.Sleep..Pickwell: Our weekend away

Thursday 7 July 2011

Our weekend away

Last weekend while the Elliotts were finding toads, running a wedding and looking at sand sculptures, us Bakers went away in the new van!! We decided to take it on a test run pre France, so we went all the way to...Ruda campsite in sunny Croyde (about 2 miles away)!

What a brilliant weekend. Apart from the emergency cycle ride to get some bottled water from a mate's house (we didn't realise there was drinking water in a tap 2m from our van) and the slight lack of remembering to open the toilet valve (it was amusing to see Steve foraging around at midnight with a headtorch and kitchen roll) we were fine. It looks here like Steve was just recalling the experience...

We chilled out after a busy couple of weeks, the kids went scooting and climbing, we met up with good friends for lunch (just moved down, our third set of Pickwell fiends to come and share our crazy wonderful life)

Zac had his hair cut, alfresco stylie

we cycled to our friend's for a wonderful BBQ

celebrated Charlie's 11th birthday

and Liza and Zac learnt to ride the 'Indo board' which is meant to help you be a good surfer/skater apparently.

On Sunday we were very grateful to some lovely friends who took the kids off for a walk so we could pack everything up to come all the way home. Can you spot them in the picture?!

Then, parking the van on Baggy Point we went to a lovely newish tea room run by some friends we know through school. With love and care and much hard work they have turned what was really an overgrown and mess of a walled garden into this...

As part of the funding they had to involve 100 local families/residents to be involved in the project by owning an allotment and keeping it going. I know it has been a real blessing to some friends

Although we had the best time and the most amazing weather, we did feel ok about going home. It does mean that at least now we know we can survive France even if we do forget the toilet flap.

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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".