Play.Eat.Laugh.Sleep..Pickwell: Bonfire night

Sunday 6 November 2011

Bonfire night

Steve's favourite night of the year is bonfire night. Steve, Tracey and I grew up in Sussex, not far from the town of Lewes.

Lewes, and its surrounding villages are world-renowned for their huge bonfire celebrations. Although Tracey and I (and Rich) really enjoy a good bonfire and firework display, our enjoyment is not even on the scale of Steve's.

For the last three years we have tried to bring a taste of a Sussex bonfire night to Devon.

It starts with preparing the torches. Each piece of branch has felt wired round its top and on the night they are dipped in paraffin.

Then we build the bonfire. We ensure there are four tunnels going through which create the draft needed to give the fire the draw it needs.

There are things to do for all of us leading up to the night..

The kids love writing their welcome messages on the slates.

We knew people were bringing rockets so Molly made this wonderful slate to signpost the box they were going in.

Like in Sussex, we chose a few 'responsible' boys and girls to dress in smugglers outfits and generally make sure the whole event was safe and ran smoothly.

Tracey was responsible for the food and drink and she did an amazing job. The kids had hot dogs and the adults had butternut squash & sweet potato soup, bean and chorizo cassolet, a cheese board, dips, rum hot chocolate, mulled cider and...

everyone bought cakes!

Many with a fab bonfire theme. These were some of my favourites

baby rockets...so sweet!

Anda made this wonderful bonfire creation which must have taken hours!

a bonfire 'matchstick' cake!

Many local friends packed into our Snug and Ballroom and the atmosphere was cosy and warm and very exciting..especially with the background noise of Steve and his mischievous mates letting off 'rook scarers' outside!

After sparklers out on the terrace,

we had fountains of fire coming from the pillars in the Italian garden, to start the display.

Followed by our girls' favourites..the Catherine wheels..

The sky was filled with noise and colour

I just love this picture of Zac as he watches the fireworks with his friends.

Each year we have made more of these lanterns. They are made with bamboo, tissue paper and hold a candle inside. It is really good fun making them and well worth the time because the effect at night is wonderful.

We line everybody up, hand out torches and lanterns and

process through the garden, weaving through the trees in the woods..

and arrive at the bonfire where we throw the torches on.

It burned hot and bright

as friends basked in the warmth.

Charlie, our no.1 bonfire boy

The atmosphere was...magical and

Steve clearly loved it!

The carnage of the morning after! The kids loved collecting in all the empty cardboard tubes

which we put in the trailor and took round to the bonfire

Zac recovered a torch from the ashes and re-lived the night before

while the girls had rides amongst the debris..can you spot Liza?

A beautiful sunny day made the clear-up fun.

I think it will take a few days for the smile to fade from Steve's (aka Gandalf's) face! x

PS I just found this piece of paper scrumpled up on the floor. Hilariously, it shows Steve's plan for each firework - where it is situated and who is going to light it. This is completely unseen and unknown footage showing quite how much he loves it. Is his name by every one? Sorry Steve, had to expose x

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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".