Play.Eat.Laugh.Sleep..Pickwell: Christmas Charity Ball

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Christmas Charity Ball

So, this Christmas we are going to be hosting our first charity ball. Our little book group has been quite stirred up over the issue of human trafficking (slavery) after a few books we have read around the subject. We decided to get together with more of our good local mates and do something about it. Sadly, this is not the whole group. Some had to work and some well, lets be honest, told me where to go when i asked them to come round at 9.15am looking gorgeous for a photo to go in the local press! This one is just us messing around, but is my personal favourite.

We are holding our ball on Monday 19th December. It is £25 a ticket which includes a three-course canape supper, some fantastic music from our resident DJ (that'll be Steve then) and all sorts of special 'sideshows' which altogether will be everything a person needs to get into the Christmas swing! The planning has been great fun - especially when cake is involved.

It is all in aid of the 'purple teardrop campaign' which is a national organisation dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking. It is hard to believe that even in beautiful and quaint Devon, this is still a live issue and one we need to educate ourselves to recognise.

Thank you to Theo, whose role is entertainment at each meeting . The first meeting we had he awoke from his sleep wearing a witches hat, and at this one he made use of the tea-cosy..never a dull moment... x

1 comment:

Paul T30 November 2011 at 07:56
And it's purple xx
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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".